Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.37

Anantarām Śāstrījī: [chants mantras] Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.37 [chants verse; Prabhupāda and devotees respond] [break]

tasmai bhavān haya-śiras tanuvaṁ hi bibhrad veda-druhāv atibalau madhu-kaiṭabhākhyau hatvānayac chruti-gaṅāṁś ca rajas tamaś ca sattvaṁ tava priyatamāṁ tanum āmananti [SB 7.9.37]

Prabhupāda: Anyone?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṅa: [chants synonyms; devotees respond] [break]

[06:34]

Translation: "My dear Lord, when You appeared as Hayagrīva with a head like that of a horse to kill the two demons named Madhu and Kaiṭabha, who were full of the modes of passion and ignorance, after killing the demons You delivered the Vedic knowledge to Lord Brahmā. Therefore all the great saintly persons accept Your forms as transcendental, untinged by material qualities."

Prabhupāda:

So spiritual kingdom is beyond this material world made of three modes of material nature, sattva-rajas-tamaḥ. So when incarnation of the Supreme Lord comes... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati [Bg 4.7], Kṛṣṅa has given us. We are fallen down from the spiritual kingdom to this material world on account of desiring to fulfill our material senses. But Kṛṣṅa is so kind that He has given us the Vedic literatures. Anādi bahir mukha jīva kṛṣṅa bhuli gela. This is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Ataeva kṛṣṅa veda purāṅa karilā. Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṅa, anādi... Anādi means before the beginning of this creation. The beginning of this creation is called ādi, beginning, but our forgetfulness of Kṛṣṅa is anādi. Anādi. Anādi bahir mukha. We are working in this life, in this material world, struggling for existence to get happiness. That is the aim of life. But because we have forgotten Kṛṣṅa, we do not know the source of happiness. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12].

[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]

The ānandamaya-vigraha, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs 5.1], we have forgotten Kṛṣṅa.

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

Still, we are searching after ānanda, blissfulness. This is our struggle for existence. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṅi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati [Bg 15.7]. We are in this prakṛti, in this material nature, prakṛti-sthāni, and, being dictated by the mind, making plans to become happy. But that is not possible. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṅi prakṛti-sthāni. This is... Due to our forgetfulness, we are struggling for existence to get happiness, but because we do not know what is the source of happiness, it is called struggle for existence. This is going on.

So this is going on not only in this life, before this life also, anādi, anādi. So once we get the chance to understand what is the problem of life, and this human life is given a chance. By evolution, by nature's way, 8,400,000 species of life we are coming through. Then the nature has given one chance, this human form of life. Now it is for understanding what is our position. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. But if we do not take care of this questioning... Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya [Cc Madhya 20.102]. Sanātana Gosvāmī placed this inquiry before Caitanya Mahāprabhu. To approach guru means to inquire about himself, "What I am?" That is intelligence. Sanātana Gosvāmī was the minister. He was very opulent. Tyaktvā tūrṅam aśeṣa-maṅḍala-pati-śreṅīṁ sadā tucchavat [Śrī Śrī Ṣaḍ Gosvāmy Aṣṭaka 4].

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvāmīs, namely Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who kicked off all association of aristocracy as insignificant. In order to deliver the poor conditioned souls, they accepted loincloths, treating themselves as mendicants, but they are always merged in the ecstatic ocean of the gopīs' love for Kṛṣṅa and bathe always and repeatedly in the waves of that ocean.]

But when he came to his senses after meeting Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he wanted to know, "What I am?" This is real inquiry. He could be very satisfied to get answer himself that "I am minister. I have got so big salary. I am so respect." No, he was not satisfied. He went to guru, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The Vedic injunction is, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12].

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

Everyone is conscious of the struggle for existence, but they are not serious enough that "Why this struggle for existence?" That "Why?" required. That is human life. The dog is suffering. He is hungry, he's going to a place for some food, and instead of food, he's getting a stroke by the stick. He barks very... He's disappointed, that "I wanted food, but I got the stick." [laughter] "I wanted bread; I got stone." This is going on. This is going on. And therefore, in the human society also, they are also struggling and making plans for economic development so that instead of stone, they can get bread. But the struggle is going on. There is no settlement. That is not possible. That is not possible. Either you go to this country or that country, you accept this "ism" or that "ism," unless you come to Kṛṣṅa, there is no possibility of peace. That is stated, very simple words, in the Bhagavad-gītā, that how to stop this struggle for existence.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati [Bg 5.29]

[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.]

So this is going on. As soon as there is creation... Brahmā was created, and he was given the Vedic knowledge. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1], we get it. Brahmā was born. He was to establish the kingdom of God or... As Brahmā was born, the other living entities also were in the body of Garbhodakaśayī Viṣṅu. They were also to take birth later on. And before their birth, Brahmā was instructed Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge means these bewildered living entities struggling for existence may get Vedic knowledge so that they can revive their old, original Kṛṣṅa consciousness. This is the purpose of Vedic knowledge. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

The Vedic... What is Vedic knowledge? Vedic knowledge means to revive our Kṛṣṅa consciousness. That is Vedic knowledge. If you revive your Kṛṣṅa consciousness, that is the perfection of Vedic knowledge. But if you read only Vedas and perform formalities, ritualistic ceremonies, but you do not awaken your Kṛṣṅa consciousness, that is useless waste of time. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viśvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ notpādayed ratiṁ yadi śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]

[The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.]

You may be a very religious person—never mind you are Hindu, Muslim or Christian or anyone—or according to your religious principles, ritualistic ceremonies, you execute very nicely, svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsām. But after doing all these things, if you do not become God consciousness, God conscious, or you do not understand what is God, then the Bhāgavata says that it is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam.

So human life is meant for understanding the Supreme, our connection with the Supreme Being. That is real human life. Therefore the Vedas are there. So as soon as Brahmā was born... Because he is in charge of this universe. There are innumerable universes and innumerable Brahmās also. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṅḍa koṭi [Bs 5.40].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose effulgence is the source of the nondifferentiated Brahman mentioned in the Upaniṣads, being differentiated from the infinity of glories of the mundane universe appears as the indivisible, infinite, limitless, truth.]

Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṅḍa-nāthāḥ [Bs 5.48].

[Brahmā and other lords of the mundane worlds, appearing from the pores of hair of Mahā-Viṣṅu, remain alive as long as the duration of one exhalation of the latter [Mahā-Viṣṅu]. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whose subjective personality Mahā-Viṣṅu is the portion of portion.]

So Brahmā is jagad-aṅḍa-nātha. He's the chief person within this material world..., in this universe. So he is in charge; therefore he was given the Vedic knowledge. And he got the Vedic knowledge, but at the same time, two demons known as Madhu-Kaiṭabha, they wanted to snatch away, take away the Vedic mantras from Brahmā. This is the attempt from the very beginning. The devotees following the disciplic succession of Brahmā... Just like we are. We belong to the Brahma-sampradāya; several times I have explained. So our original guru is Brahmā, Svayambhū. Therefore he is one of the great personality, svayambhūr nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ kapilaḥ kaumāro manuḥ [SB 6.3.20].

[Lord Brahmā, Bhagavān Nārada, Lord Śiva, the four Kumāras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahūti], Svāyambhuva Manu, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Janaka Mahārāja, Grandfather Bhīṣma, Bali Mahārāja, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and I myself know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhāgavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.]

These are twelve mahājanas, men of authority. So Brahmā is man of authority, the demigod, the supreme demigod, the best of the demigods. So these Madhu-Kaiṭabha, Madhu-Kaiṭabha, they took away. Rajas-tamaḥ. Why? They were full of rajas-tama, and Brahmā is sattva-guṅa.

So sattva-guṅa and rajas-tamaḥ. This material world, there is three qualities, so there is always struggle. If you want to remain in the sattva-guṅa, then the rajas-tamo guṅa, they will give you trouble. Rajas-tamo-bhāvaḥ. Tato rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye [SB 1.2.19].

[As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.]

So we are trying to introduce this sattva-guṅa, and above sattva-guṅa, śuddha-sattva. This sattva-guṅa... Just like sometimes we experience that one person is elevated to the brahminical principle, sannyāsī principle, but all of a sudden he falls down, he becomes a demon. We have got experience. He becomes demon. Very high... So this material world is so contaminated that even you are on the sattva-guṅa, there is chance of being contaminated by the rajas-tamo guṅa. The struggle is there. Therefore we have to become very, very careful. Or Kṛṣṅa will help. If you want to remain in sattva-guṅa, in purity, then Kṛṣṅa will help. Just like here, as soon as Brahmā was disturbed by the demons full of rajo-guṅa and tamo-guṅa, immediately the Lord came in Hayagrīva-mūrti incarnation. That is... Kṛṣṅa is also very much anxious to give us... Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati [Bg 9.31].

[He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.]

If you remain a pure devotee, always surrendered to Kṛṣṅa, you should know it very well that Kṛṣṅa will give you protection in any calamity. Don't be worried. Simply we must have the faith. That is surrender. Surrender means avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṅa, viśvāsa pālana [Śaraṅāgati].

[And to be firmly convinced that 'Kṛṣṅa will give me all protection.']

You must be faithful that "I am engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service. I may go to hell or heaven, it doesn't matter. I am going to serve Him. It is sure that Kṛṣṅa will give me protection." So there should be no hesitation. If somebody is ordered, "Go to hell and preach Kṛṣṅa consciousness," he should remain faithful to Kṛṣṅa, and Kṛṣṅa will give all protection.

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupāda: This is the principle. Kṛṣṅa's business is yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmi [Bg 4.7], paritrāṅāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca... [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.]

The sādhu... Sādhu means kṛṣṅa-bhakta sādhu, not this dress. If you are always keeping Kṛṣṅa within yourself, then you are sādhu. And you are yogī also.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata āntarātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo ma... [Bg 6.47]

[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.]

These things are there always. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [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.]

So those who are always keeping Kṛṣṅa within the heart, they are sādhu. So paritrāṅāya sādhūnām. They are sad... They are sādhus. Sādhu means who are always engaged in Kṛṣṅa's service, always thinking of Kṛṣṅa.

So here, as Brahmā was protected from the great demons Madhu-Kaiṭabha, Prahlāda Mahārāja..., Prahlāda Mahārāja was protected from the great demon Hiraṅyakaśipu. There are many, many instances. So the demons are always there. They are always ready to disturb devotees. That is going on. But a devotee's business is to revive the Kṛṣṅa consciousness of the conditioned soul. That is devotee's business. As Kṛṣṅa comes personally to give them some help, similarly, Kṛṣṅa's servants also, they take Kṛṣṅa's business and try to help these fallen conditioned souls to revive their original Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

So here is the example, that Brahmā was given the Vedic knowledge. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Brahmā is ādi-kavi. He's the first learned man within this universe. We do not follow this nonsense Darwin's theory. Our beginning of this creation is from the most learned man, Brahmā, not from the monkey. [laughter] We do not follow this rascal philosophy. We do not follow. So our beginning is Lord Brahmā, a devotee of Kṛṣṅa, empowered to spread Kṛṣṅa consciousness, Vedic knowledge. Why Vedas there? Anādi bahirmukha jīva 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.]

So Veda-Purāṅa is required. Why the Vedas are there for us? To revive our Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And the gist of the Vedas, the śāstra, is Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-śāstra vinijya [?]. So if we read Bhagavad-gītā carefully, spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and follow it according to the direction of the Brahmā and his disciplic succession, then Kṛṣṅa will give you all protection from the demons. There is no doubt. That is Kṛṣṅa's business. He said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg 4.7]. Dharmasya glāniḥ means discrepancy in the matter of understanding Vedas. That is dharmasya glāniḥ.

We have read in the Sixth Chapter, veda-vihitaṁ dharma: "Dharma means which is enjoined, which is ordered by the Vedas." Śruti. Caitanya... Our Rūpa Gosvāmī said,

śruti-smṛti-purāṅādi- pañcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva... [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101]

[Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṅas and Nārada-pañcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.]

So we must follow śruti-smṛti-purāṅādi-śāstra-vidhi. Kṛṣṅa condemns such persons, rascals, who do not accept this śāstra-vidhi and manufacture something. These rascal has spoiled the whole world. No. Śāstra-vidhi, the Vedic knowledge. Anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṅa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṅa veda-purāṅa karilā. So we have to take protection of the Vedic knowledge, and that is summarized, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam [SB 1.1.3]. Kalpa-taru, the tree... You get a tree. You protect tree. So this Vedic knowledge is called kalpa-taru. Kalpa-taru means whatever you want, you can get from the tree. Here we have got experience, you can get mango from the mango tree, but a kalpa-taru, you can get mango, apple, pineapple, anything. That is called kalpa-taru. So from the Vedas you can get all kinds of knowledge—material, spiritual, anything. Therefore it is called kalpa-taru. And the kalpa-taru... A taru means tree, and the tree... We nourish tree to get a nice fruit. So this Bhāgavatam is the fruit of the Vedic tree, kalpa-taru, and it is ripened also, not unripened. Unripened fruit you cannot eat, but ripened, ripened in the tree, mango, is very palatable. So it is nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ idam [SB 1.1.3].

So if we read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, these two literatures, then we get all Vedic knowledge, and then we can revive our Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And to do this business there is no difficulty. Kṛṣṅa will give you all protection, provided you remain, I mean to say, adhere to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etaṁ taranti te [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.]

The māyā will not touch you. You'll be happy.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! [end]