Varāha-dvadaśī, Lord Varāha's Appearance Day Lecture

Prabhupāda: Today, Varāha-dvādaśī, appearance of Kṛṣṅa's taking the incarnation of Varāha, boar. Keśava dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare.

So,

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu kṛṣṅaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.39]

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Kṛṣṅa and the different avatāras in the world in the forms of Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana, etc., as His subjective portions.]

Kṛṣṅa, Govinda, ādi-puruṣa, the original person, He is taking various forms. Rāmādi-murtiṣu specially. Three Rāma: Paraśurāma, Balarāma and Daśarathi Rāma. So this Rāma means enjoyment. So Kṛṣṅa's enjoyment... It does not mean—Kṛṣṅa has appeared as the boar—it does not mean He is suffering. Everything is ānanda-cinmaya-rāsa-pratibhāvitābhis [Bs 5.37].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rāsa.]

Sometimes a big man becomes a horse. It is... There is a very nice interesting story that the big Prime Minister Gladstone, English, English Prime Minister, Gladstone?

Devotee: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So somebody came to see him for an interview. So the servant informed the visitor that "The Prime Minister is now busy, you have to wait." So he was waiting. He was big man. So one hour passed, so he became inquisitive. So with little opening of the door, he wanted to see the "How this man is engaged? I am waiting for one hour." So he saw that the Prime Minister has become a horse, taking his grandchild on the back, and he's playing like a horse. And the important visitor is waiting for one hour. So this is enjoyment. The Prime Minister is not the horse, but he is enjoying taking his grandchild on the back, and he was playing like horse and the grandchild was, "Hut! Hut! Hut! Hut!" This was his engagement. So similarly, because he has become the horse of his grandchild, he is not horse, he is enjoying. That is enjoyment. Similarly, when keśava dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa or kesava dhṛta-varāha-rūpa does not mean that He is varāha or He is crocodile or He is something like... No. He's everything. But that is not by karma. When we become crocodile, that is karma, punishment. We are now human being. It may be next life I become a crocodile according to karma, be forced by the laws of nature. Just like in Honolulu, Hawaii, we see so many young boys, they are enjoying, they are surfing in the middle of the ocean, struggling. So our karma, if you are practiced to that way, then at the time of death I shall think of just, in the middle ocean, swimming and struggling, then Kṛṣṅa will give opportunity to become a aquatic. Very easily we can remain within the water. That is the laws of nature. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram [Bg 8.6].

[Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.]

So our taking the shape of crocodile or boar or something animal, that is karma. But that is a horse, real horse is karma, but the Gladstone's becoming horse, that is not karma; that is enjoyment. We should understand like that, that when keśava dhṛta-kūrma-śarīra and varāha-śarīra, He's not forced by karma. Na māṁ karmāṅi limpanti [Bg 4.14].

[There is no work that affects Me; nor do I aspire for the fruits of action. One who understands this truth about Me also does not become entangled in the fruitive reactions of work.]

Kṛṣṅa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na me karma-phale spṛhā. He is self-sufficient. So everything His enjoyment. We are also seeking enjoyment because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. So ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt [Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12].

[By nature, the Supreme Lord is blissful.]

Kṛṣṅa or His part and parcel, the same quality. Kṛṣṅa is seeking enjoyment, and we are also seeking enjoyment, but we can enjoy together in the spiritual world without any hamper, without any impediment.

ānanda-cinmaya-rāsa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.37]

When we dance with Kṛṣṅa in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, both of us are enjoying. Kṛṣṅa is enjoying; we are also enjoying. But if we want to enjoy independent of Kṛṣṅa or to imitate Kṛṣṅa or to become Kṛṣṅa, then it is māyā. Then it is māyā. This material world means the same enjoying spirit is there within me, but if I want to become Kṛṣṅa or enjoy independently, then it is māyā. So therefore we should enjoy with Kṛṣṅa. That is the aim of. The same thing is there.

So Kṛṣṅa comes, therefore, personally appears and exhibits His enjoying love in Vṛndāvana. He brings His friends, His girlfriends, boyfriends, everything, His father, His mother, and shows that "The enjoyment which you are seeking, that is there in the spiritual world with Me. See how I am enjoying." Just so that we may have our brain clear that if we enjoy with Kṛṣṅa, we can enjoy the dance, the paternal love, the conjugal love, the friendly playing with boys, with animals, who is in the garden, in the forest, in the water—same thing is there. Everything is there, all the sporting, but spiritual. So this is Kṛṣṅa's līlā. Ānanda-cinmaya-rāsa-pratibhāvitābhis [Bs 5.37].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes [sakhīs], embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rāsa.]

So we are seeking pleasure within this material world. That is imitation. That is not real enjoyment. But the basic principle of enjoyment is there. Here there is imitation enjoyment—love between young boy, young girl. So wherefrom it comes? It is there in Kṛṣṅa. Otherwise how it can come? It is not possible. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. This loving exchange between young boy, young girl is there. Kṛṣṅa is also enjoying there. The gopīs, the young girls, Kṛṣṅa is young... The exchange of love between father and son, mother and son; the exchange of love between friend and friend; the exchange of love between animal and man... We, just like we keep so many animals, Kṛṣṅa is also enjoying with the calves. Sometimes with other animal also. Same thing is there. It is simply imitation here. Otherwise, everything is there in the spiritual world. We are mistaking, here, karma-phala-vadya[?]. But here is no inebrieties, in the spiritual world. Here it is full of inebrieties. You'll see that Kṛṣṅa is enjoying with the gopīs, but there is no inebriety. There is no pregnancy, there is no abortion. That is the beauty. And the material world, the love is turns into lusty desires, and it entails so many difficulties. Yan-maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṅḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham [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.]

Here sex life means entailed with so many sufferings. But there is no sex life in the spiritual world, but the pleasure is there. That is the difference between material and spiritual. Therefore there is restriction. Just like sex life is there, but a tuberculosis patient, if he enjoys sex life, he'll die very soon. Without sex life he could live for some years. Everyone will die. So for tuberculosis patient sex life is strictly prohibited.

So when there is prohibition... Just like in the material world there is prohibition, "No sex life," because we are patient here, tuberculosis patient. If we enjoy sex life, then we'll die. Die means... We are already dead because we have to accept this dead body. This body is dead. But so long I am within this body, simply it is moving. Just like motorcar. Motorcar is a lump of matter, but when the driver is acting, it is moving. Similarly this body... By māyā we are thinking that this body is living. It is not living; it is dead. From the very beginning it is dead. And when the soul will go away, it will appear its real identity—dead. Otherwise it is dead. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says that "You are lamenting on this body? Oh, you are such a rascal." Nānuśocanti paṅḍitāḥ. Those who are learned, they do not care for this body, either dead or alive. It is dead matter. So why should you lament for the dead matter?

aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṅḍitāḥ [Bg 2.11]

This is spiritual life. When we are not at all concerned with this body, material body, that is the beginning of spiritual life. And so long we are interested with the dead lump of matter, without any information of the spirit soul within it, that is material life. This is the difference between material life and spiritual life.

One who is in ignorance, without any knowledge of the spirit soul and identifying with this body and trying to enjoy life, he is implicated. Implicated. Life after life we change, and enjoy in different ways. What is the enjoyment? The enjoyment is eating, sleeping, sex and defense. So either you become one little insect or you become Brahmā—the same enjoyment in different forms. Therefore punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṅānām [SB 7.5.30],

[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṅa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.]

repeating the same process—eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Hmm? But there is a life eternal, which is not this eating-sleeping, but another enjoyment, ānanda-cinmaya-rāsa [Bs 5.37]. We can get it. So therefore in this life we should understand, we should be little sober, that "This is our diseased condition. I am eternal." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg 2.20]. "Why I am put into this condition of birth, death, old age and disease? This is my disease. This is not healthy condition." So one who is sober, dhīra, he understands that "This is my tuberculosis disease state." We should restrict all the so-called material happiness and prepare for the spiritual life, eternal life That is a human consciousness. Otherwise you are in darkness, mūḍha. Duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama. Life is lost.

So Kṛṣṅa has so many līlās, activities. Kṛṣṅa is not different from His activities; He is absolute. So these are the occasions we can hear about His activities. We are benefited. Therefore He plays sometimes as mīna-śarīra, as varāha-śarīra, as kūrma-śarīra. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu-kalā niyamena. There are hundreds and thousands of incarnations. 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.]

Just like you cannot count the waves of the river—it is going on continually—similarly, the incarnation of Kṛṣṅa is going on eternally, so many. If you take the opportunity of hearing—śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ visnoḥ [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.]

about Viṣṅu's līlā, activities... And if you simply stick to the nirakāra Brahman, what we shall hear? Therefore they fall down, these Māyāvādīs who simply take seriously the impersonal feature of Kṛṣṅa, because there is no līlā. "Brahman brahman ahaṁ brahman brahman," then how long it will go on? It will be hackneyed. But when we take to Kṛṣṅa's personal activities, there are newer, newer, newer, and multi and many... Then we get the opportunity of hearing Kṛṣṅa. Then you stick. Otherwise, if I simply become understood about the Brahman feature, it will be hackneyed, because we want, seek, ānanda, pleasure. So in the impersonal feature there is no pleasure. Just like in the sky, even if you take a very nice airplane and simply fly in the sky, you'll be very much displeased. That is our practical experience. If you go in the sea and for months together remain in the sea, you'll be very much sick. We want pleasure. We want pleasure, varieties. That is Kṛṣṅa's desire. He also discovered varieties of pleasure, and if we join with Him, we also enjoy the varieties of pleasure eternally in the spiritual world. That is success of life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda [end]