Lecture & Transcription – SB 3.13.9 The First Quality Is Submission

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Date: March 2nd, 2009

Download: SB 03.13.09 The First Quality Is Submission 2008-03-02
Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.13.9
brahmovaca
pritas tubhyam aham tata svasti stad vam ksitisvara
yan nirvyalikena hrda sadhi mety atmanarpitam

TRANSLATION: Lord Brahma said: My dear son, O lord of the world, I am very pleased with you, and I desire all blessings for both you and your wife. You have without reservation surrendered yourself unto me with your heart for my instructions.

PURPORT: The relationship between the father and the son is always sublime. The father is naturally disposed with good will towards the son, and he is always ready to help the son in his progress in life. But in spite of the father’s good will, the son is sometimes misguided because of his misuse of personal independence. Every living entity, however small or big he may be, has the choice of independence. If the son is unreservedly willing to be guided by the father, the father is ten times more eager to instruct and guide him by all means. The father and son relationship as exhibited here in the dealings of Brahma and Manu is excellent. Both the father and the son are well qualified, and their example should be followed by all humankind. Manu, the son, unreservedly asked the father, Brahma, to instruct him, and the father, who was full of Vedic wisdom, was very glad to instruct. The example of the father of mankind may be rigidly followed by mankind, and that will advance the cause of the relationship of fathers and sons.

Prahladananda Swami: Here is an example of a proper relationship between a father and a son, that a relationship between a father and son is not meant for sense gratification. All relationships are ultimately meant to develop our relationship with the original father, Lord Krsna, who says in Bhagavad-gita:

 

sarva-yonisu kaunteya murtayah sambhavanti yah tasam brahma mahad yonir aham bija-pradah pita

 

It should be understood that all living take birth in this world and that I am the original father. In other words, it appears to us that we have relationships with many living entities, but while we are relating with any living entity, behind every relationship; is our relationship with Lord Krsna. We cannot avoid a relationship with Lord Krsna. That relationship is eternal, as Krsna says:

 

mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah manah-sasthanindriyani prakati-sthani karsati

 

The living entities in this material world are mamivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah, they are all my parts and parcels eternally, although presently we are all struggling with material existence, namely with this material body. Therefore, in relation to this body, we form so many other relationships. Those relationships are not false, they are in relation to this body, but unless we understand properly our relationship with this body, unless we understand properly our relationship with the Supreme Lord, who is within the body, then we don’t actually understand properly our relationships with everyone else who are in relation with the body.

 

As I have mentioned before, but it is always worthwhile to mention again for those who have not heard it, it is not that at any point that we ourselves as souls cease to become devotees. We are eternally devotees it is only a question of who or what we want to devote our energies to. It is only a question of who or what we want to give our love to. In the material concept of life, we take this body as our most beloved deity.

 

As I have said before many times, we wake up in the morning, we look in the mirror, and immediately we become curious after seeing the image within the mirror. We ask the image within the mirror “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the greatest of them all?” [Laughter] And at once, without any doubt or hesitation, we receive the message coming in our heart from the mirror on the wall that by good fortune and pious activities of many, many lifetimes, you have achieved the ultimate goal of life, having darshan of the supreme deity in the mirror. [Laughter]

 

Being convinced, being enthused by the message received within our heart, we vow to render unalloyed, uninterrupted service, twenty-five hours a day to the deity within our heart and the mirror. Fulfilling our vows, we perform abhiseka to our deity as part of our sadhana. Namely, we take a shower if we are a little pious. [Laughter] We decorate the deity, we clothe the deity, we make the deity smell nicely for other worshipers so that they can appreciate the deity. [Laughter] We offer all kinds of nice food to the deity, as much as within our means to serve the deity. We pray to the deity, the fire of digestion within the heart, its expansion, to please accept our offering and distribute it throughout the body, the other parts and parcels of the deity. And then we go out into the world, on sankirtan, to spread the glories of the deity all over the world. [Laughter]

 

This is also one conception of life, but it is not a complete conception of life. Unfortunately, in modern society, we don’t have the proper training, generally speaking, from our biological parents, what is this body, what are their bodies, what is everyone in this material world, how to see things properly. Without understanding the root, where everything is coming from, without understanding the purpose behind everything, it is very difficult to understand how to relate to the rest of the, well, in this example:

 

yatha taror mala-nisecanena trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah

 

That just like if one waters the root of the tree, naturally the water goes to all the leaves and branches. Or by supplying food to the stomach, naturally the food goes to all the different parts of the body. In the same way, by serving the root of the creation, namely Krsna, we have a relationship as son and father. By engaging in that relationship, then naturally we understand how to properly relate ourselves to all other living entities. If we do not understand our relationship with the father, how is it possible to understand our relationship with our brothers and sisters? If we don’t know who our father is, how do we know who our brothers and sisters are? If we don’t know who the original father is, how will we know that in reality, every living entity is our brother and sister.

 

Therefore the spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, that is his message, that all living entities are part and parcel of Krsna and we have to learn how to serve Krsna while simultaneously serving all living entities within this material existence. Therefore it is said:

 

tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah

 

The first quality is submission. Anyone who is taking the goal of life to become more and more powerful in the material world, they cannot be submissive to one who is surrendered to Krsna. It is said:

 

dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah

 

That if we want to understand reality:

tarko ‘pratisthah srutayo vibhinna

It is very difficult simply by arguing. Kali-yuga is the yuga everyone is trained up how to become expert at arguing. Ultimately the essence of the argument is, “I say I’m the best and you say I’m not. There’s something wrong with you, but I forgive you because I’m a devotee. [Laughter] I simply have to educate you somehow or other what is reality. If you don’t understand who I am, then how will you understand everything else? But I am very patient. I will try many different ways. I will try not to get angry. Even if I get angry at you for not understanding reality, don’t worry, it is simply mercy.” [Laughter]

 

That is the essence of the argument: “I am the Lord, but I try to be benevolent to all my creation. Everyone has come to the material world to acquire this mood of being the lord of material creation, and in this way, learning how to be happy here in the material world. Unfortunately, there are some living entities who have not realized the truth. And my mission is to help them life after life until they finally realize who is the supreme, namely, me.”

 

Therefore everyone thinks, “Everyone should humbly approach me and when people humbly approach me, I feel good to them. My job is to help others realize that they should humbly approach me, but I should not degrade myself by coming to the platform of becoming too humble in relation to others.”

 

Therefore with such a mentality, it is very hard to become submissive. And what to speak of someone who is giving the message that ultimately I am not God. If someone is giving the message, “My dear sir, it is hard to see through your effulgence, I realize that, but somehow or other, I have realized that behind the effulgence, I am seeing God, therefore let me offer my respects to you, O Supreme. I realize that you are God, but I am trying to help you realize that you are God. For a small price, I can help you realize that you are God, fifty dollars in three months.”

 

But if someone comes with the message, “My dear sir, you are one-ten thousandth the tip of a hair in size and you are not getting any bigger. [Laughter] There is no health food that I have. There is no mantra that I can give you. There is nothing that I can give you. The only thing I can do is help you realize that you are one-ten thousandth the tip of a hair in size.”

As you’ve probably heard the story before, one time, our eternal father within this movement, Srila Prabhupada, was telling one of his sons in Los Angeles. This particular devotee was a Temple Commander in one of the biggest temples we had in the movement at that time, 1968. There were at least twenty devotees in the temple. It was a maha big temple. [Laughter] He said, “My dear son, in the spiritual world there is one planet called Goloka Vrindavan. It is infinite. It is so infinite that all the other infinite planets known as Vaikuntha planets, they can all fit into that infinite Goloka Vrindavan.

 

“And in that infinite spiritual world, sometimes there is a cloud that forms. It is so small that no one even thinks that it is going to rain. They hardly even notice it. And in that cloud that forms, the Supreme Lord in the form of Karanodakasayi Visnu expands himself . He rests there in the Karana Ocean, the Causal Ocean, and from his body unlimited universes emanate, more universes than there are grains of sand on the beach.

 

“And in one universe out of all those practically unlimited universes, the Supreme Lord has expanded himself as Garbhodakasayi Visnu as he has expanded himself in all the universes. He is lying down in the Garbhodaka Ocean. From his navel sprouts a lotus flower and the smallest Brahma of all the universes is born with four heads. In that lotus flower, there are unlimited planets that he creates. One of those planets, which is floating like a little speck of dust in the air, one of those little planets is called the Earth planet. On the Earth planet there are so many continents, one of which is North America. In North America, there is one state called California, in which there is one city called Los Angeles. In Los Angeles there is one street called La Cienaga Boulevard. On that street is one house. In that house is temple. In that temple there is one devotee. He is the Temple Commander and he thinks he is controlling everything.” [Laughter]

 

The original father comes to teach us that he is:

 

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah

 

That he is the source of everything. Everything is flowing from him. The wise who know that worship him with all their hearts. And what happens after that?

 

mac-citta mad-gata-prana bodhayantah parasparam kathayantas ca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca

 

The devotees who discuss that science of how to love Krsna, how to love everyone and everything in relation to Krsna, they learn not only to become more humble, seeing how great Krsna is, but more transcendentally, discrimination how to please Krsna, how to love Krsna in all his different forms. It is not that we are fanning Krsna with one hand and stepping on Krsna’s foot with the other. We have to love Krsna in the form of his Deity, in the form of his books, in the form of his devotees, even in the form of the Supersoul who is residing in the hearts of all living entities, in the form of his energies.

 

The spiritual master teaches us how to recognize Krsna within everything and how to properly act in such a way as to advance, especially in this world, love of Krsna, awareness of Krsna within the hearts of all living entities. How to become nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin, not to think ourselves to be the Lord, but to always feel ourselves to be the servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord. And that representative of Krsna who teaches us how to become the servant of the servant of the servant of Krsna is known as the spiritual master. He imparts the Vedic knowledge to us. The ultimate Vedic knowledge is how to see Krsna, how to love Krsna, how to serve Krsna, how to glorify Krsna. Krsna will reciprocate with us according to how we serve his devotees coming in that succession. What is the proof? What is the criteria by which Krsna reciprocates with us?

 

tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te

 

To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

Just like one time I was sitting, Srila Prabhupada talking to another devotee and myself in Buffalo, it was 1969, for hours. I was at the University of Buffalo in New York. I had the good fortune, I had classes in the afternoon, I would come sometimes and sit with Srila Prabhupada while he was preaching to guests or devotees or myself for sometimes two or three hours a day. One day I was getting a little bored. Srila Prabhupada was preaching and he mentioned many, many things out how we should deal with devotees, how to become Krsna consciousness. For instance, every ten minutes or twenty minutes, Prabhupada would stop and pick up his beadbag. He told us, “If you have any extra time, then pick up your beadbag and chant:

 

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

 

Then my mind was wandering a little bit, or a lot, and because before I came to the movement I was practicing hatha yoga sometimes up to eight hours a day, I was sitting there, I had read some books, I was trying to figure out how to dissolve clouds in the sky, etc. So while I was sitting there, Prabhupada was talking to me and another devotee, I thought, “Let me see what Prabhupada’s aura looks like.” I started to meditate on Prabhupada’s aura, and immediately, Prabhupada looked at me and said, “Our process is not mystic yoga, [laughter] our process is bhakti.”

 

“Oh, OK.”

 

bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah tato mam tattvato jnatva visate tad-anantaram

 

If one wants to enter into Krsna consciousness, whatever discrimination we have, we have to learn from the devotee how to infuse bhakti, love, service, with that discrimination. Nor should we simply love the devotees and not know how to properly serve them, how to have proper discrimination. That depends up on relying on the Supersoul within our heart. That knowledge of how to rely on the Supersoul within the heart, that sadhana, that knowledge is given to us by the devotee coming in disciplic succession.

 

Srila Prabhupada has given us so many techniques, especially the five important techniques how to love Krsna, how to serve Krsna, to worship the Deities, to serve the devotees, to chant the holy name, to read Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, to live in a holy place, and to make the world into a holy place. Unless we are engaged in those activities, unless we are engaged in the activities of yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa. Unless we’re engaged in the activity to spread Krsna consciousness, our awareness of Krsna, our love for Krsna, our Krsna consciousness will always remain incomplete.

 

One time Srila Prabhupada wrote to me, as I’ve said before, I was trying to find out different realms of transcendental awareness, how to understand and how to come to higher levels of bhakti, ruci, prema, etc. Srila Prabhupada wrote to me and in the letter he tried to inspire me to go out on Harinam. This was in 1969. We were just starting Harinam, a little Bhagavad-gita book distribution on the streets. At the end of the letter he wrote to me, “The boys and girls in your country are generally good souls. That is why they have taken birth in such a nice country, that in New York in just two weeks they distributed three thousand Back to Godheads. I have heard that in Buffalo also you are distributing Back to Godhead very nicely.” Then he also mentioned, “In San Francisco we have just had Ratha-yatra and ten thousand boys and girls were chanting and dancing in full ecstasy. Please continue in this way and as Krsna sees that you are seriously trying to help bring his other children back to the spiritual kingdom, then he will bestow all his blessings upon you. Krsna is never ungrateful for our efforts to serve him, rest assured.”

 

This does not mean that only we should go outside and preach. This means especially we should go outside and preach to the innocent, but we should also act in such, as to the best of our ability, in relation to the devotees, we become their servant. We learn how to see the devotees as servants of Krsna, the higher devotees, those who have more realization of Krsna than ourselves, those who are equal, and those who are less advanced than we are, how to see them as our masters, as our prabhu, not as our das, how to pray to Krsna for the intelligence how to act, how to speak in such a way that we are appropriately servants of all the devotees, higher, equal or lower. In such a way that Krsna and the previous acaryas become pleased with us and therefore we are able to attain their mercy, the intelligence to understand things properly, and the love to feel things in Krsna consciousness.

 

Srila Prabhupada once explained that even the topmost devotee who sees everything clearly, how does he see things, even when he’s taking the position of a spiritual teacher or a spiritual mater. In one lecture in Vrindavan in 1972, Srila Prabhupada is explaining how a devotee sees other devotees. He said a devotee, even the spiritual master, he understands that whatever knowledge about Krsna he has, it is coming by the mercy of his spiritual master and Krsna. He has no independent knowledge of Krsna other than that received by the mercy of his spiritual master and Krsna.

 

When he gives instructions to those who are his disciples, he understands, “I am simply an instrument, that knowledge is coming down in the disciplic succession.” When he sees his disciples following out those instructions, he learns from them how to become a better servant of his spiritual master. In that way he takes his disciples as his teacher.

 

In other words, we have to study Srila Prabhupada’s books. We have to hear from those who have more realization about Krsna consciousness than us, learn how to hear from everyone, especially the devotees, in such way that we become more and more humble. We realize that we are actually dealing with Krsna. We are not simply dealing with our material conceptions, whatever our material conception may be.

 

There we see superiors and we pray to them to help us advance to become a superior. We see our equals and we compete with them to become a superior. We see our inferiors and we try to push them down so they do not become competitors to us in our struggle to ultimately become divine incarnations of something. Instead we see every opportunity, a spiritual master like Srila Prabhupada or others who follow in their footsteps teach us how to see every opportunity as an opportunity to become more and more humble, to see more and more clearly that we are dealing with Krsna.

 

When Srila Prabhupada was installing Rukmini-Dvarakadisa in Los Angeles, he mentioned that Sanatana Goswami was talking to his Deity, Madan-mohan. Madan-mohan, before he had come to live with Sanatana Goswami, he was living in a very nice brahmana’s house getting very nice prasadam every day, but before he had come to live with Sanatana Goswami, Sanatana Goswami had given a disclaimer to Madan-mohan. He told Madan-mohan,” I am very poor. I do not have a nice house. I cannot give you nice food. If you want to come, it is up to you.

 

Madan-mohan more or less said, “All right, I will take my chances.” Lo and behold, he came to live with Sanatana Goswami and much to his surprise, his house was now on a branch of a tree. He thought, “All right, at least the prasadam should be all right.” Unfortunately, Sanatana Goswami would go beg every day and he would bring back one or two pieces of bread, rotis. He was offering these pieces of bread to Madan-mohan. One day, Madan-mohan, he more or less had it. Or as they say in English, he cracked. [Laughter] He said, “Sanatana Goswami, I came to live with you. I’m on a tree, my God, a tree. [Laughter] I said I’d accept whatever you gave me, but please, couldn’t you give me a little salt with the piece of bread?”

 

Sanatana Goswami more or less said, “Now you are asking for salt, next you will ask for sweets. [Laughter] What can I do? I am a poor man. I can hardly move. Please, out of love I am offering you whatever I have. Kindly accept it.” Srila Prabhupada said that Madan-mohan had to accept it because it was offered with so much love and devotion. He had no choice He was overwhelmed with Sanatana Goswami’s devotion.

 

Then Srila Prabhupada said, “But what is your qualification? What is the qualification of the things you have?” He said, “It’s nothing. The real thing is bhakti. ‘Krsna kindly accept. I have no devotion. I am rotten and I am fallen, but I am offering you these things’.” Then Srila Prabhupada started to cry. He said, “That will do. Don’t be puffed up. Always remember that you are dealing with Krsna. That is my advice to you. Thank you.”

 

So whether it is the Deity, or the Ddeity in everyone’s heart, we have been trained up by such an exalted personality as Srila Prabhupada and by those that follow Srila Prabhupada how to see the Deity in everyone’s heart, how to see the Deity in the books, how to see the Deity on the altar, how to see the Deity in the holy places, how to see the Deity in the association of the devotees so that we don’t become puffed up. We always learn how to love Krsna, and in that way, become empowered to spread Krsna consciousness as Srila Prabhupada desires.

 

Thank you. [Applause] There’s no time for questions, unfortunately.

 

Hare Krsna. Srila Prabhupada ki jai! Grantha-raja Srimad-Bhagavatam ki jai! Gaura premanande. . . haribol!

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The old days–two chapatis and some apple chutney for the day

I showered up (there is a fair bit of dust up there, tucked on top of those awnings) and came back for HH Prahladananda Swami’s class.  He was telling lovely stories of the Prabhupada days and book distribution.  One time he mentioned was when Srila Prabhupada sent him to open a center.  He arrived and found he was living in a park, with a sannyasi and his servant.  All the sannyasi would give them to eat was two chapatis (and some apple chutney).  They would cook chapatis all day and distribute them to hippies and then be rewarded at the end with only two.  Finally he was asked to join the Radha Damodara party instead and had to leave this other arrangement.  He made his way, with no money, to the town that the party was located.  He had no idea where they were and had to search them out.  Finally, when he found them, they gave him some prasadam.  He was a little confused when they gave him six chapatis and instructed him to eat them all, as he was conditioned to think that everyone in ISKCON must only be eating two chapatis (with some apple chutney).  Naturally he ate all the chapatis up, hungry from travelling and felt the mercy from Krsna in a new fashion.

From Leading To Gaura Purnima and Sankirtana Saturday by MESSAGES FROM MADD MONK

from this lecture - Book Distribution Lecture – BG 18.68-69 – Not Krishna’s Vacation, No He Comes To Enlighten 3-18-2011

Book Distribution – Book distribution is a transcendental activity; it helps us learn to always rely on Krsna

Next Prahladananda Swami spoke. He said, "In the early days of the movement there was one person who was regularly hearing from Prabhupada. Then one time Prabhupada handed him a piece of paper with the Hare Krsna mantra written on it. The person said, ‘When Prabhupada handed me that piece of paper, it was like he was handing me the whole world.’ Similarly, we are distributing these books, and the people may not understand the value of the books, but we should understand their value and the value of distributing them. Book distribution is a transcendental activity; it helps us learn to always rely on Krsna."

Maharaja continued: "When I first started distributing books in 1968, we didn’t have any techniques, so we would just pray to Krsna. People would come out of nowhere and give donations, and we would give them books.

"Once I was distributing in Dallas, which is a very difficult place to distribute in. On this day I didn’t want to go out; my mind was giving me so much trouble because I was going out by myself. But I forced myself to go out. When I got to the spot, everyone seemed like they had come from Vaikuntha. I didn’t know what had happened. It was such a pleasant experience. Not only did they look like they came from Vaikuntha, but they acted like it. Practically everyone I approached took a BTG and gave a donation. I could understand that it was a reciprocation from Krsna because I had surrendered to going out even though I didn’t want to. Krsna was showing me that He was pleased by some determination despite my mind giving me so much trouble. So we have to somehow engage in this activity that is so pleasing to Krsna even though our mind may not be interested."

from www.bdsnews.net

Lecture – SB 4.12.26-27 What Can I Do To Serve Krishna & Jivas? 3-4-2011 – Video & Transcription


Lecture – SB 4.12.26-27 What Can I Do To Serve Krishna & Jivas 2011-03-04 Mayapur

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.12.26

Dear King Dhruva, neither your forefathers nor anyone else before you ever achieved such a transcendental planet. The planet known as Vishnuloka, where Lord Vishnu personally resides, is the highest of all. It is worshipable by the inhabitants of all other planets within the universe. Please come with us and live there eternally.

PURPORT

When Dhruva Maharaja went to perform austerities, he was very determined to achieve a post never dreamed of by his forefathers. His father was Uttanapada, his grandfather was Manu, and his great-grandfather was Lord Brahma. So Dhruva wanted a kingdom even greater than Lord Brahma could achieve, and he requested Narada Muni to give him facility for achieving it. The associates of Lord Vishnu reminded him that not only his forefathers but everyone else before him was unable to attain Vishnuloka, the planet where Lord Vishnu resides. This is because everyone within this material world is either akarmi, a jnani or a yogi, but there are hardly any pure devotees. The transcendental planet known as Vishnuloka is especially meant for devotees, not for karmis, jnanis or yogis. Great rishis or demigods can hardly approach Brahmaloka, and as stated in Bhagavad-gita, Brahmaloka is not a permanent residence. Lord Brahma‘s duration of life is so long that it is difficult to estimate even the duration of one day in his life, and yet Lord Brahma also dies, as do the residents of his planet. Bhagavad-gita (8.16) says, abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino ‘rjuna: except for those who go to Vishnuloka, everyone is subjected to the four principles of material life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. The Lord says, yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama: “The planet from which, once going, no one returns, is My supreme abode.” (Bg. 15.6) Dhruva Maharaja was reminded, “You are going in our company to that planet from which no one returns to this material world.” Material scientists are attempting to go to the moon and other planets, but they cannot imagine going to the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, for it is beyond their imagination. By material calculation, traveling at the speed of light it would take forty thousand light-years to reach the topmost planet. By mechanical processes we are unable to reach the topmost planet of this universe, but the process called bhakti-yoga, as executed byMaharaja Dhruva, can give one the facility not only to reach other planets within this universe, but also to reach beyond this universe to the Vishnuloka planets. We have outlined this in our small booklet Easy Journey to Other Planets.

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.12.27

etad vimana-pravaram

uttamasloka-maulina

upasthapitam ayushmann

adhirodhum tvam arhasi

TRANSLATION

O immortal one, this unique airplane has been sent by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is worshiped by selected prayers and who is the chief of all living entities. You are quite worthy to board such a plane.

PURPORT

According to astronomical calculation, along with the polestar there is another star, which is called Sisumara, where Lord Vishnu, who is in charge of the maintenance of this material world, resides. Sisumara or Dhruvaloka can never be reached by anyone but the Vaishnavas, as will be described by the following slokas. The associates of Lord Vishnu brought the special airplane for Dhruva Maharaja and then informed him that Lord Vishnu had especially sent this airplane.

The Vaikuntha airplane does not move by mechanical arrangement. There are three processes for moving in outer space. One of the processes is known to the modern scientist. It is called ka-pota-vayu. Ka means “outer space,” and pota means “ship.” There is a second process also called kapota-vayu. Kapota means “pigeon.” One can train pigeons to carry one into outer space. The third process is very subtle. It is called akasa-patana. This akasa-patana system is also material. Just as the mind can fly anywhere one likes without mechanical arrangement, so the akasa-patana airplane can fly at the speed of mind. Beyond this akasa-patanasystem is the Vaikuntha process, which is completely spiritual. The airplane sent by Lord Vishnu to carry Dhruva Maharaja to Sisumara was a completely spiritual, transcendental airplane. Material scientists can neither see such vehicles nor imagine how they fly in the air. The material scientist has no information about the spiritual sky, although it is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita (paras tasmat tu bhavo ‘nyah [Bg. 8.20]).

HH Prahladananda Swami: We are in the forth canto right now and already it is way beyond my realization, practically speaking. Srila Prabhupada says, “Beyond even my imagination.” One time I was in Dallas, Texas and Srila Prabhupada came there. I had the good fortune of carrying the umbrella over his head while he was walking. Lord Krishna’s arrangement.

Then Srila Prabhupada gave a press interview. The reporters were asking Srila Prabhupada, “How did you come?” He explained there are different ways of travelling. Just like it is mentioned in this verse. He mentioned by travelling by airplane and travelling by pigeon. He said that you take a number of pigeons and you harness them together then they will enable you to fly into space. Then the reporters asked Srila Prabhupada, “So how did you come?” Srila Prabhupada said, “I came by airplane just to be one with you.”

In these two verses there are many things that are inconceivable to us and if we don’t recognize that they are inconceivable to us we won’t really examine them very carefully. In the Bhagavatam there are so many things that are beyond our conception, beyond our experience, but the Bhagavatam is not meant to bewilder us into thinking or dividing our faith into that which we can experience and that which seems we may never be able to experience in this body or we may be able to experience at some future time by the mercy of guru and Krishna. But one of the amazing things about Srila Prabhupada’s purports is that he tries to focus and emphasize what is actually essential. What is actually essential is that we understand ultimately as Krishna says,

yo mam evam asammudho, janati purusottamam sa sarva-vid bhajati mam, sarva-bhavena bharata [Bg 15.19]

“Anyone who knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is said to be the knower of everything and therefore engages himself in full devotional service.

iti guhyatamam sastram, idam uktam mayanagha etad buddhva buddhiman syat, krta-krtyas ca bharata [Bg 15.20]

This is the most confidential part of all the Vedic scriptures. Whoever knows this will become wise and his endeavors will know all perfection.

So whether there are vimanas flying in outer space, whether there are Vaikuntha airplanes transporting self realized souls back to Vaikuntha, these are not the most important things for us right now. What is important is that we understand theoretically and practically how to chant Hare Krishna, how to perform devotional service in such a way that we actually become conscious of Krishna.

Therefore harinam sankirtana, worshipping the deities, serving the devotees, hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, living in a holy place or creating a holy place by our preaching, by our devotional service, these five very powerful activities are what’s recommended. And if we learn how to perform them in the proper mood and attitude then the result is that we will become conscious of Krishna.

So although these pastimes of Dhruva Maharaja is certainly very enlivening to hear, the essential part of it is his determination, at least the essential part of it for us is his great determination to perform the process of devotional service given to him by his spiritual master Srila Narada Muni. And because he executed the process give to him by his spiritual master with so much determination Lord Visnu appeared within his heart and ultimately appeared outside and blessed him with full knowledge and cognizance of Him and pure devotional service.

Our founder acarya His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada has also given us instructions. He has also given us a systematic process to realize those instructions. Part of that is how we will come to accept that not only Brahmaloka or in Dhruvaloka, in Jambudvip or wherever that there is a Krishna and Krishna is the owner of everything. If we somehow or another can meditate on that and as a result of that do something practical in Krishna’s service especially by trying to as Srila Prabhupada once wrote to me. He said in Buffalo while New York in just two weeks I have heard that they have distributed 3000 ‘Back To Godheads’ In Buffalo you are also distributing ‘Back to Godheads’ very nicely. So please continue in this way and you success in life is assured. As Krishna sees that if you are trying to help Lord Krishna’s other children back to the spiritual kingdom then He will bestow all His blessings upon you. Krishna is never ungrateful of our efforts to serve Him rest assured.

In other words there are so many conditioned souls starting with myself and every one of them has an eternal relation with Krishna. Now that relationship has been forgotten by the soul because the soul is in the illusion and in the misconception that he is the body. And that conception is born out of the desire to control material nature and try to enjoy it, forgetting that actually Krishna is controlling everything. All we can do is desire and if we desire in the right way we can go back to the spiritual world. We can begin the journey and eventually make progress step by step to the spiritual world.

If we are in the wrong association we will become caught up with Kali yuga and step by step we will be degraded to the lower species of life, all simply due to what we are desiring. In the association of devotees simply by hearing that there is a Krishna and hearing that if we chant His holy name, call out to Him with some devotion hoping that we can enter into the atmosphere of spiritual love and devotion, calling out to Srimati Radharani to engage us in Krishna’s service and simultaneously with that we take seriously Lord Krishna’s service in this age, to perform our saddhana, calling out to Srimati Radharani and Krishna and at the same time meditating how to use our energies beginning with our body, our minds, our words or whatever we have in our possession in the service of Krishna. In the service of meditating carefully, “Now I am in the situation. What can I do to serve Krishna? What can I do to become an instrument for Krishna that will help this jiva soul in front of me become a better servant of Krishna, awakening his relation with Krishna?

As one devotee Govinda dasi was saying Prabhupada called her over and pointed out a little slug. Everyone know what a slug is? It is a tiny insect that is very slow moving. Prabhupada pointed it out and said, “Look at this poor slug. Chant to him. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Of course this I am not recommending or saying that Prabhupada’s mission was to chant to slugs but Prabhupada was demonstration what to speak of the slugs, we have so much opportunities twenty four hours a day practically speaking of meditating on this idea that before me is not my husband, is not my wife, is not my children, is not my god brother, god sister or god nephew. This is the eternal servant of Krishna. Of course these things we cannot forget. How to serve Krishna has to be done appropriately but we should not forget when we see the difference, when we discriminate between men and women, black, white, Russian, American or whatever.

Whatever our discrimination may be if we forget that actually these designations are simply external, temporary not completely unimportant but simply temporary and the real essence is the soul within the body and with the soul is the Supersoul directing him to understand what the Supersoul wants us to do within our present capacity, to serve the soul before us or souls before us to help them revive their relationship with Krishna, to help them awaken their consciousness of Krishna. It is not that by our hearing philosophy that we are not this body then suddenly we become not the body and the rest of the day we are the body. Or as explained about the Supersoul how He sanctions our desire just like when we understand the smell of a flower by being near it and then Krishna understanding what our desires are and what we deserve manifesting the entire universe to fulfill the desires according to the merits of the individual living entities.

How wonderfully amazing the Supersoul is, the expansion of Krishna, how He can perfectly create a universe and maintain it moment to moment with perfect justice, perfect execution of plan either directly give the living entities an opportunity to become more conscious of Krishna or help them remain forgetful of Krishna suffer in separation from Krishna. The intelligent realize their suffering is due to their separation from Krishna.

Here in these verses Prabhupada is explaining very important things. The whole universe is temporary. Not only is the universe temporary but every moment in our existence here is changing. Someone may give a wonderful class. Someone may give a horrible class. We may chant our rounds. We may not chant our rounds but the fact is moment to moment to moment to moment our lives are changing and as it is changing material energy we have to catch hold of the lotus feet of the guru who comes in parampara that can actually give us the intelligence, the instructions by which we contact the Supersoul and remember very simple things, remember that Krishna is the proprietor of everything, that everything here is meant for Krishna’s pleasure and that pleasure is the seed that other living entities are coming back to the spiritual world.

There may be progress. There may be some entities on a very elevated platform such as the devotees in our society. Some may endeavor to chant their rounds better, to rise early in the morning, serve the devotees with more sensitivity, more cognizance of their actual needs both spiritual and material. And others may be completely in the mode of ignorance all the way down to that little slug and to that we may just have to chant Hare Krishna and give them a Tulasi leaf or a little bit of prasadam to eat. In any case with that meditation then we become nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin [Bg
11.33]

After showing the whole universe, all the horrors of the universal form and not all the horrors of the universal form but most of them Arjuna was amazed. “What is this universe? You appear to be such a nice friend of mine and then suddenly Your mood has changed. Now You are displaying this universal form but it is a side of You I have never even dreamed could be. So what is Your mission/ Why have You come here? You are manifesting from Your mouth so much fire is coming. Your eyes are glowing in anger or rage, Your scents, so many different types of perfume, unlimited forms. This universe is everywhere. What is this all about?” Then Krishna says,

sri-bhagavan uvaca kalo ’smi loka-ksaya-krt pravrddho, lokan samahartum iha pravrttah rte ‘pi tvam na bhavisyanti sarve, ye ‘vasthitah pratyanikesu yodhah [Bg
11.32]

“Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to engage everyone.” That means ourselves also. “Except for you, the five Pandavas everyone here is going to be slain.” Not very good news! So it wasn’t some five thousand years ago some unfortunate soldiers on the battlefield of Kuruksetra were going to be killed but we are all devotees in Mayapur therefore our bodies are going to last forever. No. We have some bad news for you and we have some good news. The bad news is we are all going to die and the good news is that although the body is going to die the soul is going to live forever. And the souls can live forever in Krishna consciousness. And what is the formula?

tasmat tvam uttistha yaso labhasva, jitva satrun bhunksva rajyam samrddham mayaivaite nihatah purvam eva, nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin [Bg 11.33]

“Just get up, (not right now,) but just get up and prepare to fight.” You have to wait to find out what kind of fight. “Just get up and fight and as you conquer your enemies enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They have been put to death by My arrangement and you are savya-sacin, can be an instrument in the fight.” Or in Srila Prabhupada’s words as he was mebntioning when he was on the Jaladutta. “I am coming to this western world. People are very much covered by the modes of ignorance and passion. They have created a world where everyone is imagining they are going to be happy in this world forever but actually they are just suffering. So please make my words so potent that they can enter the hearts of these conditioned souls and enlighten them and enliven them in the realm of Krishna consciousness. Actually who am I? I am simply a humble beggar. I really have no devotion. I really have no qualification to do this. I am simply coming as a servant of my spiritual master. So please make me a puppet in your hands. Let me dance, let me dance, let me dance.”

So we have to watch our progress, watch our perception. Am I am instrument right now in the hands of Srila Prabhupada and his representatives? Am I actually dancing as his instrument? Are my words actually penetrating even my own heart and enlivening and enlightening me in devotional service. Am I actually working to deliver Krishna’s other children back to the spiritual kingdom. And by doing so am I realizing that I am actually Krishna’s servant and nothing else other than that? Are my false perceptions of my own identity, my false conceptions to other identities, are they going away or am I re-enforcing my false ego? Am I feeling within my heart some appreciation for the devotees? Am I feeling some devotion towards Krishna and His pure devotees? Am I appreciating my position as a servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna? Am I seeing the innocent and realizing that I must somehow or the other help them as Krishna’s representative, make some progress? Am I avoiding those situations and those personalities in whose association I forget Krishna and become entangled and bewildered by my false ego and become influenced by other conceptions other than pure devotional service?

This takes intelligence. This is what we have to keep in mind not only for a few moments during the day but,

cetasa sarva-karmani, mayi sannyasya mat-parah buddhi-yogam upasritya, mac-cittah satatam bhava [Bg 18.57]

“In all activities depend upon Me.” Lord Krishna said. “Work always under my protection. In such devotional service try to be fully conscious of Me.” So far I can’t claim that throughout the day I am twenty four hours conscious of Krishna. If I could become conscious of Krishna even for a small amount during the day then I consider that day to be so much successful.

It is not that maya is just some ordinary personality. She is as powerful as Krishna but by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and his representatives we can understand our helpless position, how much we have to depend upon guru and Krishna, how much we have to depend upon the instructions coming from Krishna in disciplic succession then from that moment our lives become better, becomes closer to Krishna.

If somehow or the other we become a little bewildered into thinking that, “Now I am safe, now I have made a little advancement I can relax, now is the time to have a little fun.” How much difficulty we can cause in our own life and in the lives of others! Maya is not some little insignificant personality. She is empowered.

daivi hy esa guna-mayi, mama maya duratyaya mam eva ye prapadyante, mayam etam taranti te

“This divine energy of mine is very difficult to overcome but those who take shelter of Me can easily cross beyond it.” [Bg 7.14]

During the day if we do not take shelter of Lord Krishna sufficiently and if there is some mistake certainly we should lament but after properly lamenting then we have to realize that this was an opportunity to humble us so we can realize how helpless we are without Krishna, how much we have to read these books, assimilate Srila Prabhupada’s philosophy, the philosophy coming from Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that Srila Prabhupada has given us, how much we have to take shelter of the devotees within the society, how much we have to pray to the deities, the Supersoul, how we have to take shelter of Krishna in every conceivable way possible so that whatever causes us to stray can be eliminated from our heart and will not be repeated again. It is not possible to understand the depth of our conditioning all at once but when Lord Krishna reveals something to us at least that we have to take seriously.

Pariksit Maharaj, such a great personality that Lord Krishna appeared within the womb that he was inhabiting and saved him. How great this personality is beyond my conception but still Lord Krishna arranged that somehow or the other he put a garland of a dead snake over the head of Samika Rsi. From one point of view Prabhupada said this garlanding of Samika Rsi by Pariksit Maharaj, it is not a very important thing. He was thirsty after all. He was travelling for a long distance. He was very hungry. He entered this hermitage. As he came he expected that the rsi would at least properly greet him. He became momentarily a little disturbed and put the garland of a snake over his head.

The news spread to Srngi that his father was insulted by Pariksit Maharaj and therefore he became very angry, completely out of proportion of the reality of the situation – at least from Prabhupada’s point of view in the Bhagavatam and he cursed Pariksit Maharaj to die within seven days.

Samika Rsi when he learnt about this he . he was even to embarrassed to approach Pariksit Maharaj with the news. Pariksit Maharaj thought that “I have done wrong” even after he had gone and put the snake around Samika Rsis neck. He thought, “I have done wrong. Please Lord Krishna if there is some reaction let the reaction come upon my head so that I won’t commit this mistake again and please not that my relatives will have to suffer for this mistake I have made.

News came to him that due to this offense he was to die within seven days. Prabhupada said he didn’t try to counteract the curse. He did not try to go and beg from Srngi or Samika Rsi. He accepted the curse – whatever Krishna wants there must be some plan behind this and again he took the opportunity to go to the Ganges and hear from Sukadev Goswami for seven days the Srimad-Bhagavatam and in this way benedicting the entire universe.

Therefore sometimes it is not possible to understand how Krishna works. All we can do is smile a little bit or cry a little bit sometimes but ultimately we have to appreciate that Krishna is a wonderful personality and that whatever He arranges is ultimately for our purification. Therefore,

tat te ‘nukampam su-samiksamano, bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam [SB 10.14.8]

If we can see that and at the same time use our intelligence o enter deeper into Krishna consciousness and in this way make our life more and more perfect. We may commit mistakes. We should repent for them and at the same time we should try to learn from them so we don’t commit them again and whatever reaction Krishna wants for us, not that we don’t use our Krishna conscious intelligence to become a better servant of Krishna even at that moment but ultimately we leave things in the hands of Krishna. In that way we won’t make that mistake again. That is our main mistake. We don’t think carefully enough what Krishna wants us to do under these circumstances. We are not absorbed intensely in that desire to become a better servant as Srila Prabhupada was, as Srimati Radharani is.

One time in Boston Srila Prabhupada came. This was in 1969 and the devotees greeted him at the airport. He came to the temple. They had just recently purchased the temple on Beacon Street. His servant came, at that time it was Purushottama and he said Prabhupada when he came and was trying to take rest he sat on the edge of his bed and he very gracefully fell onto the bed and rolled over and said, “I pray to my spiritual master and Krishna every night to please protect me from maya.

So this is the platform that we have to come to just to make progress. And the more we get sincerely into that mood of taking shelter of Krishna then we gradually come from sraddha to sadhu sanga, bhajanakriya and we make progress, progress, progress. Devotional service becomes more enlivening and enlivening.

Soon as we forget that, as soon as we try to take a little credit for our own selves, as soon as we forget that it is a team effort, as soon as we forget the mercy we are receiving from Krishna and his representatives, as soon as we want to take a little independent credit then so much problems can come about for ourselves and others. And even if we sincerely try and there is some problem we have to understand that sometimes as in the case of Pariksit Maharaj who was a completely pure devotee, sometimes Krishna arranges things just for our own purification. What to speak of Pariksit Maharaj, the purification of the entire universe.

Within our individual hearts we should always feel that, “I am nothing but the insignificant servant of Krishna’s servant and if there is some mistake as Srila Prabhupada said,

duhkhesv anudvigna-manah, sukhesu vigata-sprhah vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah, sthita-dhir munir ucyate

“One who is not disturbed by the three fold miseries, who is not elated when there is happiness and is free from attachment, fear and anger is known to be a sage of steady intelligence.” [Bg 2.56]

So when we get some difficult situation we should understand that this is due to our past activities and that instead of giving us the electric chair Krishna is simply giving us a little pinprick. If everything is going very nicely in our lives we should understand that Krishna is simply giving us the opportunity To serve Him better, to spread the sankirtana movement and become a better instrument to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His transcendental servants hands.

Thank you for you kind attention. Any questions or comments?

Prabhu: You stated quite rightly so that we know if we make some mistake or some fault in our devotional service we should be thoughtful, we should pray that Krishna will help us remove it. What if we pray and it doesn’t go away?

HH Prahladananda Swami: I think I mentioned that also but maybe not so clearly. Thank you. If it doesn’t go away we keep on praying for the intelligence and we hope. Sometimes Krishna maybe trying to tell us something or trying to tell other people something. We may even get the message. We may be just an instrument in Krishna’s hands and we have to accept that. What can we do?

We look for instance at the pastimes of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There are many devotes, there is Krishnadasa. He fell a victim to . Caitanya Mahaprabhu took him by his hair, dragged him, saved him and then rejected him. Krishnadasa is one of the eternal associates of Lord Caitanya. So Lord Caitanya’s arrangement that this particular pastime is for our own education
- not that Krishnadasa ultimately became purified but we have to become purified.

So it is not so easy sometimes to understand Krishna’s plan. In any case we should pray to Krishna and make sure we are doing the right thing and if Krishna continues on in the particular reaction or whatever it is then we don’t become disappointed that Krishna hasn’t helped us. We keep on praying and praying, “Yes Krishna. This is Your will. I must accept it but please make me a better servant.” And ultimately Krishna will reveal everything.

Ekalavya Prabhu: Hare Krishna Maharaj. Maharaj I have some doubts that I am hoping that you can clear up.

HH Prahladananda Swami: Just let me add one more thing. While that pastime is going on we should be very careful not to unnecessarily criticize the Vaisnavas. If we start to see a Vaisnava in a difficult situation we should understand that he is actually getting the mercy of his guru and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and with should be compassionate to him and try to assist him in his service – not think that he is simply getting a reaction. He deserves it. If we start thinking like that we may find ourselves in a very similar situation very shortly.

Ekalavya Prabhu: Maharaj I have some doubts. I can accept most things about devotional service and Bhagavatam that by chanting and hearing and remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead we can advance. I accept that. Sometimes I have some doubts. Like today we hear about the pigeons flying in outer space. If you go to the Himalayas you see there is less oxygen there. People have trouble breathing and we hear that in outer space there is no air at all so how can the pigeons breathe and how can they flap their wings. So I have some doubts. What is my status/ Am I okay or what’s going on?

HH Prahladananda Swami: You are okay. [Laughter] I know nothing about pigeons. [Laughter] but the Bhagavatam if it says this is true I accept it but I have no realization. So when I see pigeons I don’t expect them to fly into outer space. If there are pigeons that can do that, personally I have to chant my rounds. I have no interest in finding any pigeon that can fly in outer space. I just hope that I have enough money to pay for my ticket by airplane. We have to end now but these things are not very important for our devotional service. We can chant Hare Krishna happily, devotionally we will become Krishna conscious and many more important things will be revealed to us and maybe that will be revealed to us also. I can’t really say. Thank you very much! Granthraj Srimad Bhagavatam Ki! Jai. Srila Prabhupada Ki! Jai. Gaura-premanande! Hari-haribol! [Applause]

SB 04.12.26-27 What Can I Do To Serve Krishna & Jivas 2011-03-04

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I thought he was going to pull out a book. He started reciting the whole chapter.

Now that we have gone through the principles we might ask, “Is there only one type of institution that can teach these principles?” If we look at the school where Krishna and Balaram attended, it was an asrama school. They were away from the village. Do you remember what they learnt from their asrama school? Sixty four arts! Anybody can name some of them? The art of playing on an x-shaped drum, like Lord Siva’s drum! The art of knowing what is in your hand that you can’t see. [Member of audience, HH Prahladananda Swami responded with these two] He has the whole Krishna book memorized. [Reference to HH Prahladananda Swami.]

We were once in Russia. At our preaching program we were all taking prasadam. Prahladananda Swami said, “Would you like to hear Krishna book?” I thought he was going to pull out a book. He started reciting the whole chapter.

February 28th, 2011
Topic: Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back To Godhead
SB 4. 12. 23
Speaker: HG Urmila Mataji

ISKCON Mayapur

to read the whole transcription of Mother Urmila’s lecture see here.