Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.6

Prabhupāda: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Six, Chapter One, verse number six. [leads devotees in chanting]

adhuneha mahā-bhāga yathaiva narakān naraḥ nānogra-yātanān neyāt tan me vyākhyātum arhasi [SB 6.1.6]

[02:02]

Adhuna—"right now"; mahā-bhāga—"O the most fortunate." Parīkṣit Mahārāja is addressed as mahā-bhāga. Mahā means great, and bhāga, the same bhaga, from the word bhaga, bhāga. Bhagavān and bhāgyavān, mahā-bhāga—these terms are applicable to the very, very great fortunate, opulent. Actually Bhagavān, this word is applicable to Kṛṣṅa. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā you will find, whenever Kṛṣṅa is speaking, Vyāsadeva has written, śrī bhagavān uvāca. Real Bhagavān is Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]

veryone has got little fortune, opulence, but nobody is comparable with Kṛṣṅa. Therefore in the śāstra it is said, kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam: "Real Bhagavān is Kṛṣṅa," the supreme controller. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṅaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs 5.1].

[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.]

But if one has got little flavor of Kṛṣṅa, he is called bhāgyavān, not Bhagavān; bhāgyavān, fortunate. The word is coming from the same bhaga. I have several times explained, bhaga means richness, bhaga means influence, bhaga means bodily strength, bhaga means knowledge, bhaga means beauty and bhaga means renunciation. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ [Viṣṅu Purāṅa 6.5.47].

[Full wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation—these are the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

And bhaga means reputation, fame. So these are the symptoms of bhaga. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja, although nobody can be equal to Kṛṣṅa... Bhagavān means asamaurdha: nobody is equal to Him; nobody is greater than Him. That is Bhagavān. I am fortunate, you are fortunate, but we have got many equals and many greater than. But when you reach somebody where you find nobody is equal to Him and nobody is greater than Him, that is real Bhagavān. This is a logical conclusion, who is Bhagavān. Nowadays so many rascals, they write "Bhagavān." That is blasphemy. If Bhagavān likes, such persons should be punished. But Bhagavān excuses. That is another thing. So Bhagavān is Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]

Nobody should try to become equal to Him. That is not possible.

So here Śukadeva Gosvāmī is addressed as mahā-bhāga. Mahā means great, and bhāga means fortunate. Because he is very fortunate, he is describing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Again Bhāgavatam, the same word bhaga comes. Bhāgavat. Bhāgavat... Vat, this word, is used when the meaning is "possessing." Asty arthe vatup. Bhagavān, bhāgyavān and bhāgavat. Bhāgavat means one who has power to possess the Supreme Lord. He is called bhāgavata. There are two kinds of bhāgavata: one is grantha-bhāgavata and one is person bhāgavata. A devotee, he is called bhāgavata, and the book in which the pastimes or characteristics of Bhagavān is described, that is called Bhāgavata. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavata... Śrī means beauty. Again vat. Bhāgavat, śrīvat. Śrī means very beautiful. So every śloka you'll find very, very beautiful. Five thousand years ago these verses were written. There is no comparison. Nobody can write such verses even up to date. It was written by Vyāsadeva, Veda-vyāsa.

So mahā-bhāga yathā eva narakāt naraḥ. So this is Sixth Canto. In the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is description of the hellish condition of life. According to the... Just like there is punishment according to criminality, similarly, there is punishment by nature's law. According to impious life, there is punishment. So people do not care for impious life. That is misfortune. No knowledge. Impious or vicious activities are done out of ignorance. Just like a person commits some criminality without knowing the laws, government laws. Ordinarily, just like in your country, "Keep to the right." If you drive your car on the left side, immediately you become a criminal. So in our country the car is driven on the left side. In this country the car is driven on the right side. So if some Indian gentleman says that "I am accustomed to drive on the left side. So what is wrong there?" "No, this country's law is 'right side.' You know or do not know, whatever may be in your country, because you have driven your car on the left side, you are criminal." So ignorance is no excuse. In the law court if you say, "Sir, it was not known to me," so that does not mean that you will be excused. Similarly, knowingly or unknowingly, if you do something sinful act, then you are immediately criminal. You'll be punishable. It doesn't matter whether you know or not know. Just like fire. This child, if he touches the fire, the fire will not excuse. There is no consideration, "Sir, here is a little child. He does not know this fire is burning." But as soon as he touches, it will burn. This is nature's law. You infect some disease knowingly or unknowingly, it doesn't matter, but the disease will be manifest. Suppose you have infected smallpox infection, contamination. Then it will be manifest.

So this education is lacking now. They are... Everyone is thinking that he's independent, he can do whatever he likes. That is not possible. Then you'll be punished. Nature's law is so strict, stringent. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṅamayī mama māyā duratyayā [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 the stringent laws of nature. Little discrepancy... Suppose you can eat eight ounce. If you eat nine ounce, then you will have to starve for three days. There is no excuse. "Why you have eaten more than eight ounce?" The nature is there. Just like we require salt in our foodstuff, everyone. But if the salt is little more, it is useless. And if the salt is little less, that is also useless. It must be exactly to the quantity. So nature's law is like that. People, if they simply study nature's law, he becomes a learned scholar. There is no need of going to school, college. But if he sees how nature is working... You can see this flower. Every flower is so beautiful, nicely constructed symmetrically. You'll find two flowers, the small fiber coming out exactly in the same way. There is no question of accident. There is no question of accident. They are also being manipulated by the laws of nature. And what is the laws of nature? The laws of nature is acting under the supervision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The nature is instrument. Just like any machine. Take typewriter machine. The typewriter machine or any machine, working very nicely, but the machine is not working nicely; the man, the person who is typing, he is doing nicely. There may be wonderful machine, computer, but there must be one actor, one manipulator. So the..., this nature is an instrument only. The actually worker is Kṛṣṅa. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg 9.10].

[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]

But these rascals, they are praising the machine. They have no information that who is the person, what is the brain behind this machine. That is ignorance. That is the difference between the so-called scientists and devotee. A devotee knows that all these wonderful things which are happening, behind this thing there is Kṛṣṅa. And Kṛṣṅa says—we believe that. And that's a fact. If you paint a very nice flower, how much labor you require. Still, it cannot be so beautiful as the natural flower. So don't think the natural flower has come accidentally. No. It was done by the machine manipulated by Kṛṣṅa. That is Kṛṣṅa understanding. It is confirmed in the śāstra, parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8].

[The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Nothing is equal to Him or greater than Him. He acts in different phases by manifesting His parts and parcels, which are all simultaneously differently situated by His unlimited, variegated potencies. Each potency acts quite naturally in sequences, providing Him full knowledge, power and pastimes.]

Para, the Supreme, His energies are multi-energies. They are acting the same way the machine is working. You can see potency or the power of a person. Just like you see airplane: the pilot is sitting there, pushing one button; immediately the turning, such a huge machine is turning, simply by putting button. So this is an arrangement of energy. Similarly, the whole material world is working by putting the button, pushing the button. Don't think it is going on automatically or accidentally. These are all rascaldom. There is hand in everywhere.

So narakāt naraḥ. We should always remember that if we commit some sinful activities there is punishment. That has been described in the previous chapter, Fifth Canto. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja... That is Vaiṣṅava. Parīkṣit Mahārāja is Vaiṣṅava. He is very unhappy that so many living entities, they are rotting in this naraka, hellish condition of life. So he is asking,

adhuneha mahā-bhāga yathaiva narakān naraḥ nānogra-yātanān neyāt tan me vyākhyātum arhasi

"I am very sorry that so many living entities are suffering. So if there is any way to give them relief?" That is Vaiṣṅava. And avaiṣṅava sees another person is suffering; he doesn't care: "Let him suffer." We have come to that state. I heard from one of my disciples that here, in New York, if somebody is killed on the road, nobody will care. Is it a fact?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So we have come to that stage of civilization. But Parīkṣit Mahārāja, simply by hearing from Śukadeva Gosvāmī that "A person, if he commits sinful activities, he suffers like that," he is not seeing; he is compassionate: "How such person can be delivered?" This is the inquiry, that "They are suffering for some sinful activities. How they can be saved?" This is Vaiṣṅava. Vaiṣṅava means para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Vaiṣṅava is unhappy by seeing others' unhappiness. He has no unhappiness. Personally he has no unhappiness.

Nityānanda Prabhu, He is... Hā hā prabhu nityānanda, premānanda sukhī, kṛpābalokana koro, āmi boro duḥkhī. Nityānanda means... Nitya means eternally; ānanda means happy. So Nityānanda has no unhappiness. But He was passing on the street, there was a crowd, and Nityānanda Prabhu inquired, "Why there is so much crowd?" So somebody informed that "There are two brothers, Jagāi and Mādhāi, and they are very fallen souls, although they were born in brāhmaṅa family, very nice, rich family. But being addicted to drinking and prostitution, they have become now rogues, thieves, this way. So they are disturbing the whole neighborhood." So Nityānanda Prabhu considered, "So these two brothers are so fallen? So why not deliver them first?" This is Nityānanda Prabhu. "Then My Lord..." Nityānanda Prabhu considered Caitanya Mahāprabhu as His master. So "My master's name will be famous, because the master's propaganda is 'Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa,' so if I can induce these two brothers to chant Hare Kṛṣṅa, they will be saved. So why not try?" This is Nityānanda Prabhu, that para-duḥkha-duḥkhī: He is happy personally, but because He knows that "These drunkards, woman-hunters, prostitute-hunters will suffer very, very severely, so why not deliver them?" This is Nityānanda Prabhu, Vaiṣṅava. Vaiṣṅava, you will find so many others also. In your country there is Lord Jesus Christ. When he was being crucified, still he was saying, "My Lord, excuse them. They do not know what they are doing." This is Vaiṣṅava. They are not unhappy, and they can tolerate any unhappy position. But they are... Therefore they come to deliver so many fallen souls.

So here Parīkṣit Mahārāja, out of compassion he inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, "These persons, they are rotting in the naraka. Is there any means to deliver them?" That he's saying. Nānā ugra-yātanā. Ugra-yātanā. These are described. We find also there are many persons, they are suffering ugra-yāta. Ugra means severe, severe punishment. There are living entities, they are suffering so many ugra-yātanā. So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement means to save people from the severe punishment of materialistic life. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, Kṛṣṅa's movement, is to save. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg 4.7], Kṛṣṅa said. Kṛṣṅa also very compassionate: "Whenever there is discrepancies, people put themselves in great suffering. Māyā will not excuse. Nature will not excuse. At that time I come to deliver them, to give them instruction, 'Why you are suffering in this way? Do this way.' " Kṛṣṅa says, "Accept this philosophy." What is that? 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.]

"Always think of Me, become a devotee of Me." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī: "Worship Me and offer little obeisances unto Me." Four things. It is not difficult. Just like a child: he is offering obeisances, he is offering a flower. This is bhakta. And he is thinking of... Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām. Even a child can do. Where is the difficulty? And Kṛṣṅa assures, "If you do these four things," man-manā bhava mad, mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ [Bg 18.68], "without any doubt you'll come back to Me." And people are not agreeing even to do these simple things. Still, the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is there to teach people how to become devotee and save from the greatest sufferings of hellish condition of life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! [end]