Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.25

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo [break] bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [chants verse]

tathāyaṁ cāvatāras te bhuvo bhāra-jihīrṣayā svānāṁ cānanya-bhāvānām anudhyānāya cāsakṛt [SB 1.7.25]

[04:01]

"Thus You descend as an avatāra, incarnation, to remove the burden of the world and to benefit Your friends, especially those who are Your exclusive devotees and are rapt in meditation upon You."

Prabhupāda:

tathāyaṁ cāvatāras te bhuvo bhāra-jihīrṣayā svānāṁ cānanya-bhāvānām anudhyānāya cāsakṛt [SB 1.7.25]

So, Kṛṣṅa, the original Personality of Godhead—sākṣāt, not imagination. Here it is said, sa eva jīva-lokasya māyā sākṣād... Here, yes, yes. Tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād īśvaraḥ. Sākṣāt, directly. Not indirectly. Just like we are meeting face to face. It is not that I am imagining. Face to face, sākṣāt. Sa-akṣa. Akṣa means eyes or senses. With senses. Kṛṣṅa cannot be seen with these material senses. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṅa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ [Cc Madhya 17.136].

[Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṅa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṅa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṅa really is.]

It is not possible to experience Kṛṣṅa by our these material blunt senses. It is not possible. We have to make purified. How it is purified? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, sevonmukha—"Kṛṣṅa, I want to serve You"—this much wanted, qualification. No educational qualification, no Ph.D. degree or to take birth in very high family or to become rich. Nothing. Simply a true feeling, desire: "Kṛṣṅa, so long I remained forgetting You. Now, somehow or other, I've come to the sense that You are everything. By hearing from my guru, or the spiritual master, or from the śāstra..." Sādhu-śāstra. Sat-saṅga-sādhu-śāstra. Lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,

'sādhu-saṅga', 'sādhu-saṅga'—sarva-śāstre kaya lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya [Cc Madhya 22.54]

It is required, sādhu-saṅga. Then if he meets sādhu... By one or two words from him, he can convince you about supremacy of the Supreme Lord. Otherwise, he'll take birth after birth, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg 7.19].

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

Therefore we have to make sādhu-saṅga [Cc Madhya 22.83].

[The root cause of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṅa is association with advanced devotees. Even when one’s dormant love for Kṛṣṅa awakens, association with devotees is still most essential.]

Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṅa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ [SB 3.25.25].

[In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.]

Sādhu-saṅga is very essential. Sat-saṅga. Otherwise... There is another verse in the Brahma-saṁhitā, that vedeṣu durlabhaḥ [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.]

You cannot understand Kṛṣṅa by studying Vedas, although Vedas means knowledge. And the ultimate knowledge—to understand Kṛṣṅa. So-called Vedāntī..., you'll find so many Vedāntists loitering on the street, but they do not understand Kṛṣṅa. This is their qualification. They interpret, "Kṛṣṅa means this. Kṛ means this, ṅa means this," like that. When Vallabha Ācārya said to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "I have described Kṛṣṅa's meaning," Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately refused, that "I do not know any meaning of Kṛṣṅa. I know Kṛṣṅa, Gopījana-vallabha, that's all. Gopījana-vallabha." What is the meaning of Kṛṣṅa? No interpretation, no imagination. Kṛṣṅa is Vṛndāvana-candra or Gopījana-vallabha, Giri-vara-dhārī, that's all. So we have to understand by sādhu-saṅga [Cc Madhya 22.83]. Then we can see sākṣāt Kṛṣṅa.

Kṛṣṅa comes to convince us. There is no question of imagination. "See Me. Here I am." That is Kṛṣṅa. Why you are imagining? Kṛṣṅa therefore comes. Here it is said, tathāyaṁ ca avatāras te bhuvo bhāra-jihīrṣayā. Avatāra does not mean a big beard or big hair. We do not like to see such ugly avatāra. We kick on their face, this avatāra. This is not avatāra. Avatāra must be mentioned in the śāstra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was talking with Sanātana Gosvāmī, so Caitanya Mahāprabhu described about avatāra. So just to make a little joke, because they are personal devotees... So he knew that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the avatāra. Still, he inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "How we shall know one avatāra?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "Why? It is all mentioned in the śāstra." So avatāra should be understood from the śāstra, not by jugglery or magic. This is rascal. As soon as one wants to establish his avatārship by jugglery and magic, kick him out, immediately on the face, directly. Kick him. Let the avatāra take steps. I don't mind. If he's avatāra, let him kill me, all right. But I shall kick him on his face. Not that avatāra.

Here, bhuvo bhāra-jihīrṣayā. An avatāra comes to do some particular work. Just like Lord Rāmacandra came to punish Rāvaṅa. That is avatāra. And there are many avatāras, they are mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Matsya-avatāra, Kūrma-avatāra, and Varāha-avatāra, Vāmana-avatāra, Nṛsiṁha-avatāra and Paraśurāma-avatāra, Balarāma-avatāra, Buddha-avatāra. Buddha is also avatāra. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare [Daśāvatāra Stotra 9]. We do not agree with Buddha philosophy. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, veda nā māniyā bauddha haya ta' nāstika [Cc Madhya 6.168]. Buddha philosophy is atheism: "There is no God." He says, "There is no God." So that is atheism. And especially... That there is no God, there is God—that is not the point. His point was to stop the animal-killing. Sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam. Kṛṣṅa became very, very, sympathetic with the poor animals: "Oh, in the name of yajña these rascals, rogues, are killing so many animals." Therefore He came as Buddha-avatāra. Sadaya-hṛdaya darśita-paśu-ghātam. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. So Vaiṣṅava knows that "Here is Lord Buddha. He's Kṛṣṅa's avatāra," although we don't take his philosophy, because Buddha refused to accept Vedic authority. Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātam. Śruti means Veda. Śruti-jātam. In the śruti, in the Vedas, there is mention of paśu sacrifice, animal sacrifice, there is. So they began to argue with Lord Buddha that "You are stopping yajña-vidhi, stopping animal-killing in the yajña. This is mentioned in the Vedas." But Lord Buddha knew, "These rascals simply talking of Vedas, he does not know what is Vedas. But what is the use of arguing?" Therefore he has to say, "I don't care for your Vedas. Stop animal-killing." So nindasi yajña-vidheḥ. Yajña-vidhi, he wanted to stop: no more animal sacrifice in the yajña. Therefore he is denying the authority of Vedas. Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātam. We cannot violate which is mentioned in the... Therefore he was taken... But he's avatāra. It was needed at that time.

As it is said here, bhuvo bhāra-jihīrṣayā. When these rascals and fools increase, it becomes a burden to the earth. Just like a practical example: a child or a man, you weigh him. When he's alive you will find one weight, and when he's dead you will find another weight. That is practical. It will be heavier. Why heavier? Because there is no more spirit soul. So the more people will be materialistic, the world will be burdened. Therefore there must be war, pestilence, famine, to clear these rascals, clear out. You'll find these things. In Europe, every ten years, twenty years, there is a fight, war. It is the history. From the Greece history, Roman history and Seven Years War, Hundred Years War—wars. There must be war, because they are sinful. The same sinful, killing animals continually. So there is war, reaction. So what is that war? To lessen the burden. To lessen the burden. It becomes very heavy, unbearable by the earth. And to reduce the weight there is natural... And when there is still more power required, then Kṛṣṅa comes: "Arrange for a war in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra and bring all the rascals and finish within eighteen days." Within eighteen days, sixty-four crores men died. This is... But why? It is Kṛṣṅa's arrangement.

When Arjuna wanted to become nonviolent, so He gave him instruction that "There is no question of nonviolence. You are talking like a anārya, uncivilized man." Kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam. "In warfield, and you are talking of nonviolence, rascal. There is no question of nonviolence. You have to fight." So he was still arguing. Then he finally said, "My dear Arjuna, you fight or don't fight, it doesn't matter. They are not going to return. They'll be finished here. That is My arrangement." He says, nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin: "They're not going to return." So it is Kṛṣṅa's arrangement. He says,

yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham... abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg 4.7]

When people become too much sinful, too much godless, the world becomes overburdened, and there must be some machine to kill. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra [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.]

They are thinking independently. No independence. As soon as you become sinful, there is reaction immediately. Immediately there will be war, pestilence, famine, flu and so on, so on.

So here it is said, tathā ayaṁ ca avatāras te... Arjuna said that "You have descended to," I mean to say, "lessen the burden of this world." Bhuvo bhāra-jihīrṣayā. There are many instances like that. When Pṛthu Mahārāja was the king, there was no production, food production. Because his father was a great sinful king, so on account of that there was no production. And Pṛthu Mahārāja wanted... He was a very good king. He is incarnation also. He asked the earth, "Why you are not producing? If you do not produce, I shall kill you." This is mentioned in the Fourth Canto. And Mother Earth said, "My dear King, why you are angry upon me? It is my duty. When the people become rākṣasas, I'll restrict my supply. Let them starve and die. I shall do that. This is my duty. Why you are angry with me?" The more people will be godless, there will be starvation, no supply. You cannot make by machine. Just like last time when I was in Europe, everything is now drying. It is yellow. What scientific method you have got? Bring water. Now they are thinking bringing, importing water. Is it possible to import water? That's not possible. So this will be punishment. In the Kali-yuga, the more people will be godless, and this punishment will be there: no water, no food supply. And over and above that, government taxation. You'll be harassed. Three things will go on.

That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ [SB 12.2.9]. Now kara-pīḍita, taxation... This is śāstra. Five thousand years ago this Bhāgavata was written, and he has given, Vyāsadeva has given the symptoms of Kali-yuga. One of the symptoms is this, that in the Kali-yuga people will be so much embarrassed by three things. One thing, there will be no rain, scarcity of rain. And naturally there will be scarcity of... Durbhikṣa. Durbhikṣa means you will not be able to get anything by begging also. Bhikṣa. Bhikṣa means if I have no subsistence, I have no means to eat, I go to friend... [break] Even if I beg, I become a beggar, there will be no supply. Especially these things will be no supply: rice, wheat, sugar and other things there are mentioned. It is all particularly mentioned. And we are experiencing. You were telling that rice is not available. Where it is? Huh?

Devotee: Poland

Prabhupāda: Poland. I have seen in Moscow, you cannot get any fruit, you cannot get any rice, you cannot get wheat. You can get only flesh, meat. And milk is available. These things. So now already it has begun, and ultimately, as the Kali-yuga advances and people become very much advanced in denying the existence of God, nirākāra, these things will come. Wait for that punishment. Durbhikṣa..., anāvṛṣṭyā durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ [SB 12.2.9]. And as soon as there will be scarcity of food, the government men will take advantage of it: "Now we have to supply food." "Where is food?" "No, you give me money, we shall purchase from import men[?]." The taxation. One side, I am suffering—no food. Another side—whatever money I have got, it will be taken by taxation. Now see what is your position. The position will be people will become mad, so much troubled. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṅā gacchanti giri-kānanam. People will be so much harassed that voluntarily they'll give up their family, home, and go to the forest, hopeless. This will be done. Don't think that Kṛṣṅa consciousness is a joke, is a jugglery. It is the only remedy if you want to save yourself. Otherwise, you are doomed. Don't take it, I mean to say, as a joke. It is a fact.

So best thing is that kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṅaḥ [SB 12.3.51].

[My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṅa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.]

There is one very nice opportunity. What is that opportunity? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṅasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, kīrtanād eva kṛṣṅasya... You cannot say any other—śivasya, kālīsya. No. Kṛṣṅasya. Śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ [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.]

Not that any name, any, by whimsical name. No. Just like so many fools and rascals say that "You can chant any name." No. Śāstra says, śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṅasya. That is wanted. So kīrtanād eva kṛṣṅasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet. If you take this process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, then you'll be free from all these disturbances. You'll be free. It is not pride, but it is a fact. Just like in our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, we have got so much expenditure. In New York we are spending twelve lakhs of rupees alone per month. Now, we have got... This morning I was calculating. We have got twenty-five lakhs of rupees expenditure per month all over the world. But we have no anxiety. That is practical. We have no anxiety. One man who has got to spend twenty-five rupees, he has got anxiety. But we have to spend twenty-five lakhs of rupees, but we have no anxiety—because we have taken shelter of Kṛṣṅa. Mā śucaḥ, Kṛṣṅa says. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvāṁ mokṣayiṣyāmi sarva-pāpebhyaḥ [Bg 18.66]. "Oh, Kṛṣṅa will take care of me in such a way?" "Yes." "Oh, let me consider." Mā śucaḥ. There is no consideration. You do it immediately. Mā śucaḥ. Why mā śucaḥ? If you... Kṛṣṅa is unable to feed you? Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].

[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]

Why you talk of nonsense, population? There is no question of population. But if you are sinful, if you are godless, then however, I mean to say, restrictive means you take... What is that? Sterilization? You have to starve. There is no question of diminishing the population. It is a question how to become Kṛṣṅa conscious. Otherwise, everything will be finished.

So don't take it very lightly. Take it seriously. Take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Kṛṣṅa has come, avatāra, and His instruction should be followed. Then we'll be happy. Everything is there in Kṛṣṅa's instruction for our benefit. But because we are rascals, mūḍha, duṣkṛtina, narādhama, we have no knowledge, we refuse to accept. This is our qualification.

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ [Bg 7.15]

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.]

Because we have become rākṣasas, asuras, we deny to surrender Kṛṣṅa, to surrender to Kṛṣṅa, and we must suffer the sequence. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]