Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.43

Anantarām Śāstrījī:

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.43 [chants mantras; chants verse; Prabhupāda and devotees respond]

naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṅyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha- māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān [SB 7.9.43]

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṅa: [chants synonyms; devotees respond]

[06:11]

Translation: "O the best of great personalities, I am not at all afraid of this material existence because wherever I stay, I am fully absorbed in the thoughts of Your glories and activities. My concern is only for the fools and rascals who are making big, big plans for material happiness, who maintain family, society and so-called love to country. I am simply concerned for them."

Prabhupāda:

naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṅyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha- māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān [SB 7.9.43]

This is very important verse for the Vaiṣṅava. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I am lamenting," śoce. "I am very much aggrieved." Śoce means "I am very much lamenting." "Why? Why you are lamenting? I have given you all protection, and your father was giving you so much trouble, and I am always after your protection. Why there is lamenting?" "Lamenting is not for myself. I am quite all right. I have taken shelter of Your lotus feet, and I am engaged in glorifying Your Lordship's activities, so I have no problem. I can sit down anywhere underneath a tree and chant Hare Kṛṣṅa and read Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavata. I am quite happy. So I have no problem." "Then? Why śoce?" "Śoce for these rascals who are making big, big plans to be happy in this material world." This is Vaiṣṅava's... Vaiṣṅava can tolerate all distresses. He is happy in every condition. He has no problem. He has no ambition except serving Kṛṣṅa. Now Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye [Cc Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4].

[O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You.]

So Vaiṣṅava has no such ambition that "I must have multimillions and million of dollars to possess and must have a very good wife," na dhanam, "and many followers. I shall become minister, leader, political." These ambitions are completely kicked out by the Vaiṣṅavas. They have no value. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām [Bg 7.23].

[Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.]

Those who are after all these things, material temporary happiness, alpa-medhasām, Kṛṣṅa says they are lack of brain. But the whole world is after these things.

So those who are after these things... That is the material world, lābha, pūjā, pratiṣṭhā. Everyone is for some material profit. That is called lābha. And pūjā. Pūjā means he wants a position so that all others will come and worship him: "Sir, you are so great. You are big minister. You are big president. You are this, that. Kindly give me this favor, that favor." That is called pūjā. "Everyone will come and worship me." And pratiṣṭhā: "And I will be so celebrated man that even after my death, there will be a statue in the maidan and people will come to worship me." So after death where he is going? He is going to be a dog or cat. He doesn't mind. But his statue should be worshiped. Such rascals. He does not know where he is going after death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg 2.13].

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

He'll have to change his body. So as soon as he changes body, he has to accept another body, but he keeps in memory of this body. A drunkard, a woman-hunter, and such a person, most sinful life in this, and what will help him by having a statue? But they are fools, vimūḍhān, rascals. Māyā-sukhāya bharam udva... [SB 7.9.43], making big, big arrangements. That is material world. Everyone is.

So the Vaiṣṅava's duty is... That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's proposal, that "Personally I have no problem. I am begging Your mercy for everyone, not for me, Sir. I am quite sure. Because You are assuring, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ 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.]

so I have no such māyā. I have fully surrendered unto You. And You also promise, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi [Bg 18.66]. So I am simply fully surrendered unto You. Then as far as I know, I have done it. I shall continue it. So I have no problem." Therefore Vaiṣṅava is worshiped as para-duḥkha-duḥkhī.

vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṅavebhyo namo namaḥ [Śrī Vaiṣṅava-praṅāti]

[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṅava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone. They are oceans of mercy and are the purifiers of the fallen souls.]

Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Vaiṣṅava... That is Vaiṣṅava's duty, because they practically see that these rascals are engaged only in false activities which will not help him. They are planning this "ism," that "ism," that "ism," that "ism," simply wasting time, because he knows. He knows, everyone knows, but Vaiṣṅava understands; the non-Vaiṣṅava does not understand. He is a fool. He's a fool, does not understand. When in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said clearly, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ [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.]

"Everyone is under the control of the modes of material nature, sattva-guṅa, rajo-guṅa, tamo-guṅa," and still, this rascal is thinking that he is independent. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ. And the so-called yogīs and svāmīs encouraging them, that "Yes, you can go on doing all nonsense. Pay me thirty-five dollars, I will give you mantra, and you'll be perfect." This is going on.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is lamenting for these rascals, the ordinary common man and their so-called rascal guidance, because they cannot guide. They are misguided, because they do not believe in God. They themselves put themselves as God, although he is kicked by the laws of material nature. Even there is pain on the tooth, he immediately goes to the doctor, and he is God. This is going on. And Prahlāda Mahārāja is lamenting for these rascals, vimūḍhān. Vimūḍha means... Vi means viśeṣa pūrvaka, "particularly," and mūḍha means "rascal." Not only rascal—"particularly rascal." That is the problem for the Vaiṣṅava. Therefore, following the footprints of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and before that, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Nārada Muni, many, many ācāryas... So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is Kṛṣṅa Himself. He also, He is thinking of these fallen souls. He has come again. First of all He came as Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]: "You rascal, you are creating so many plans. It will not help you. You just surrender unto Me." He said, but still, we are so rascals, we could not take up the proposal of Kṛṣṅa: "Oh, why shall I surrender? Kṛṣṅa is also as good as I am. I am also a man; He is also man." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ [Bg 9.11].

[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]

These rascals, they are so rascal that Kṛṣṅa, because Kṛṣṅa comes to bestow His mercy as human being, they think that "Kṛṣṅa is like me." Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto. The rascal means he does not understand what is Kṛṣṅa, paraṁ bhāva. 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.]

And these other rascals, they are declaring that "Kṛṣṅa is dead and gone; now I am Kṛṣṅa." So this is going on.

So that is the problem. For Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement these are the problems. First of all the public is also vimūḍha, rascal, and their so-called leaders—political, social, religious and so on, so on, so on, so many leaders—misguiding them. 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.]

Everyone knows that "I am completely under the stringent laws of material nature," and still, they are making plan to become independent. This is their vimūḍha, vimūḍhaka. This is their stupidity. Stupidity. They are seeing,

ahany ahani lokāni gacchantīha yama-mandiram śeṣāḥ sthitam icchanti kim āścaryam ataḥ param [Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 313.116]

[Every day, hundreds and millions of living entities go to the kingdom of death. Still, those who are remaining aspire for a permanent situation. What could be more astonishing than this?]

The Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja asked by Dharmaraja that "What is the most wonderful thing in this world?" He said, "This is the most wonderful thing." What is that? Ahany ahani lokāni gacchantīha yama... "Every moment people are dying." Lokāni, every planet. Not that in this planet there is death; in other planet there is no death. No. Within this material world every planet, either Brahmā or the small, insignificant ant, must die.

Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha doṣānudarśanam [Bg 13.9].

[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]

Everyone has to die. There is no excuse. So, and still they are planning permanent settlement. So this is their vimūḍhaka.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja and every Vaiṣṅava who is actually following the paramparā system of Vaiṣṅava duty, they are anxious. Prahlāda Mahārāja says that śoce tato vimukha-cetasa. And why they are vimūḍhān? Because vimukha cetasa: "They don't like You. They don't care for You: 'I don't care for God. I don't accept Kṛṣṅa,' these vimūḍhas." So all the Vaiṣṅavas, especially those who have taken to Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement... Prahlāda Mahārāja will speak later on that "Sir, I am not inclined at all to go alone to Vaikuṅṭha. I must take them all with me. Otherwise I don't want." Prahlāda Mahārāja is devotee. He can ask Kṛṣṅa the power, "Give me such power that along with me I shall take all of them." And that is Vaiṣṅava. He can do so. Vaiṣṅava ṭhākura, tomāra kukkura, baliyā janaha more. Therefore we have to become a dog to Vaiṣṅava. Chādīyā vaiṣṅava sevā, nistāra pāyeche kebā. Without serving Vaiṣṅava nobody can be delivered, because he is so merciful, he can demand to Kṛṣṅa, "Please, on my sake, please excuse him. I'll take him with me." So Kṛṣṅa grants him, "All right, you take them." That Vaiṣṅava is such...

Therefore we should be very much strictly follower of the Vaiṣṅava principle. Vaiṣṅava's only business is how to deliver these fallen souls. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He appeared as a Vaiṣṅava. The business is to deliver. Māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvat [SB 11.5.34]. He was born in a very nice brāhmaṅa family, very beautiful body. Everyone liked Him. By His command He could gather hundreds of thousands of people in one night to make civil disobedience movement. He was so popular when He was only twenty or twenty-one years old, and He had His beautiful wife, very affectionate mother, very good position in the society, and still, He gave up everything. Why? Māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvat, that "If I do not deliver these fallen souls entrapped in māyā, then who will do it?" So that is for this purpose, Kṛṣṅa comes. For this purpose, Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes, the same purpose, as Prahlāda Mahārāja says, śoce tato vimukha-cetasa vimūḍhān: "These rascals, they have forgotten You and making plan to be happy." So everyone. Kṛṣṅa also comes: yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg 4.7]. This is dharmasya glāniḥ. When people forget God, that is dharmasya glāniḥ. Just like when the people forget the government, do not care for the government, there is chaos, there is chaos. Similarly, when people forget God, Kṛṣṅa, there is chaos. That is the position now all over the world, chaotic condition, because they have purposefully avoided God. Purposefully. In your country it is said, "We trust in God." On the bills it is stated there, "We trust in God." But ask any of the scientists, philosopher, president, that "What is that God? You trust in God, and what is that God? Can you explain?" "No." That means "We trust in air, not in God." Nobody can explain. Such a big country, so many scientists, politicians, philosophers. Ask. Challenge the government that "You write on the bills, currency notes, 'We trust in God.' So what is that God?" Ask anyone. Will they be able to answer? No. It is simply formality.

Similarly, they have completely forgotten God all over the world. There is only little formality still. That also being... In your country, in Europe, so many churches are closed because no one believes in God. Here also I have seen in Nasik so many temples, there the dogs are passing stool and urine within the temple. Nobody goes. Because what there can be done? There are so many rascals, they are making propaganda that "Why do you go to temple?" Just see, here is a central place, it is inhabited by so many respectable persons, but they do not come to temple, because there is regular propaganda that "God is everywhere. Why do you go to the temple?" "No, why God is not there in the temple?" You can answer: "God is everywhere—except in the temple?" Their propaganda is, "God is everywhere. Why do you go to the temple?" But our answer is, "If God is everywhere, why He is not in the temple?" Eh? He must be in the temple. But this rascal will make propaganda, "Don't go to the temple." Of course, there are so many rascals, they came and gone. The temples are going also. In India, by this propaganda that "There is no God in temple," by this false propaganda, the temples are not closed. Still in Vṛndāvana you'll find five thousand temples. You see Jagannātha Purī temple—many thousands of people go there, Raṅganātha temple and so many other temples.

So this India, this propaganda will not stay. They come and go, make propaganda and go away, but temples remain, and it is worshiped. Now the temples are increasing all over the world. Instead of stopping people to go to the temple, the temples are increasing. For centuries past, there was no temple in Europe and America. Now there are hundreds and thousands of temples. So it will increase. You cannot stop Kṛṣṅa's glories. You cannot stop Kṛṣṅa's supremacy. That is not possible. 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.]

So that cannot be. Therefore it is sure and certain that if you work very sincerely for Kṛṣṅa to spread His message, the message of Bhagavad-gītā, there cannot be any check. It is not possible. Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihatā means it cannot be checked by any material condition. You go on with your duty sincerely, there will be no power to check your progress. That is, Prahlāda Mahārāja says. But endeavor must be there, as Prahlāda Mahārāja says.

So we are followers of mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc Madhya 17.186].

[Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated self-realized person. Consequently, as the śāstras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocate.]

Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the mahājanas, out of the twelve mahājanas. There are also described, who are mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. The indication is there. The question will be, "Who is mahājana?" So mahājana means... That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, svayambhūr nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ kapilaḥ kaumāro manuḥ prahlādaḥ [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.]

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the mahājanas. So we are discussing Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction and his character, his ability. This is Vaiṣṅava. Bhāgavata means the glories of the Lord, Bhagavān, and the glories of the devotees—both. There is no difference between Bhagavān and bhagavad-bhakta. There is no difference. But that does not mean, like Māyāvādī, that bhagavad-bhakta is also God. No. That is explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī: sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ. Bhakta bhagavān, bhagavān bhakta. Vaiṣṅava, he is equally good like God. Sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. But he's so power... He's more than. Sometimes he's more powerful than Bhagavān. Just like materially, if somebody sees that "This Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, Hare Kṛṣṅa movement, is now spread all over the world. Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu could not do it," that does not mean that I am great than Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This does not mean. We are servant. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Bhagavān keeps some work to be done by His devotee to give the credit to the devotee. This is Bhagavān. But the bhakta never takes the foolishness that he is Bhagavān or greater than Bhagavān. Nobody can be equal to Bhagavān; nobody can be greater than Bhagavān. This is all foolishness.

Prahlāda Mahārāja, he is bhakta. He is simply seeking the blessings of the Lord how he can deliver these vimūḍhān. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa māyā-sukhāya. Indriyārthe. These men are so busy. You'll see in big, big cities, they are so busy. What is their end of busy-ness? The end of busy-ness is māyā-sukhāya. He'll discuss also later on, yan maithunādi gṛhamedhi sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45].

[Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhīs, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṅas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṅas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.]

These grhamedhi, those who are so much attached to family life and working so hard day and night, what is the attraction? The attraction is yan maithunādi, sex, and nothing more. Prahlāda Mahārāja will discuss. So what is this happiness, sex? You cannot enjoy it for long time, and still, for this momentary happiness you are working so hard, forgetting your real business, how to realize God. Are they not vimūḍhān? Certainly they are vimūḍhān. They do not know what is the interest of life. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is thinking. But these rascals, they are not thinking how they are wasting their valuable time.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]