Caitanya Caritamrta

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.1
—
Māyāpur, March 25, 1975  

 
Radha Madhva

     Prabhupāda:  

 
     vande gurūn īśa-bhaktān
īśam īśāvatārakān
tat-prakāśāṁś ca tac-chaktīḥ
kṛṣṇa-caitanya-saṁjñakam
[Cc. Ādi 1.1]   

     Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa. That was observed by Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya. He composed one hundred verses praising the glories of Lord Caitanya, but because Caitanya Mahāprabhu was playing the part of a devotee, He threw away the ślokas, because "This is not for Me." That was Caitanya Mahāprabhu's humbleness. But the devotees know that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combination of Śrī Caitanya... Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu means Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa combined. In the beginning there is Kṛṣṇa, and then Kṛṣṇa divided into two, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And then again combined, that is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.   

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktir asmād
ekātmānāv api (bhuvi purā) deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau
caitanyākhyaṁ prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptam...
[Cc. Ādi 1.5]    
   

So the Gosvāmī's siddhānta, that Kṛṣṇa is one. There is no rivalry with Kṛṣṇa. God is one. Eka-brahma dvitīya nāsti. There cannot be many Gods. So when God, Kṛṣṇa, wants to enjoy His pleasure potency, that is Rādhārāṇī. So He manifests Himself, manifests His energy... His energy and He, there is no difference. Śakti-śaktimator abhedaḥ. The śāstra says śakti and the śaktimat—means one who possesses the śakti (śakti means power, potency)—they are equal. There is no difference. Just like the sun. Sun is the powerful, and the sunshine is the power. So there is heat in the sun and there is heat also in the sunshine. There is light in the sun and there is light in the sunshine also. Therefore qualitatively they are one so far heat and light is concerned. But the temperature of the sun and the temperature of the sunshine may be different. May be not. Actually there is difference. This is the basic principle of all philosophies. Acintya-bhedābheda. Acintya means inconceivable, bheda means different, and abheda means nondifferent. The whole situation... The one is there, God, but He has expanded Himself in different way. Eko bahu syām.   

So that is described here. Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-saṁjñakam. Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has expanded Himself as gurūn. The guru, the spiritual master, he's also Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **. In all the śāstras, guru is accepted as Kṛṣṇa. Sākṣād-dharitvena. Sākṣād means directly. Just like you offer your devotion, respects, to guru. So that respect is offered to Kṛṣṇa. Guru also does not think himself that he is Kṛṣṇa, but he collects the devotional services of the disciples to offer to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. We cannot approach Kṛṣṇa directly. We should approach through guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. That is the injunction of the śāstra, that one should approach the guru who can transfer the service from the disciple to the Supreme Person. So... Therefore the first offering is guru, vande gurūn. Then guru creates many devotees. Guru's business is to canvass on behalf of Supreme Lord. That is guru's business. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], so, "You give up all material, engage..." Sarva-dharmān means in the material world we have created so many so-called duties. This is our material disease. People are interested in material engagements and they have created different varieties of engagements. Sociology, communism, and this "ism," that "ism," philanthropism, altruism, internationalism, nationalism—many, many duties they have created. That is all material. Kṛṣṇa, out of His causeless mercy... (children crying) Stop that children. Out of His causeless mercy, He comes, He descends. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. Glānir, this is glānir. Human life is meant for one thing, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about the Supreme Absolute Truth. But instead of doing that, they have created so many "isms." That is their misfortune.

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Gita Jayanta

Bhagavad Gita

Chapter 18 Verse 76

O King, as I repeatedly recall this wondrous and holy dialogue between Kåñëa and Arjuna, I take pleasure, being thrilled at every moment.

PURPORT

The understanding of Bhagavad-gétä is so transcendental that anyone who becomes conversant with the topics of Arjuna and Kåñëa becomes righteous, and he cannot forget such talks. This is the transcendental position of spiritual life. In other words, one who hears the Gétä from the right source, directly from Kåñëa, attains full Kåñëa consciousness. The result of Kåñëa consciousness is that one becomes increasingly enlightened, and he enjoys life with a thrill, not only for some time, but at every moment.

Chapter 18 Verse 76

O King, when I remember the wonderful form of Lord Kåñëa, I am struck with even greater wonder, and I rejoice again and again.

PURPORT

It appears that Saïjaya also, by the grace of Vyäsa, could see the universal form of Kåñëa exhibited to Arjuna. It is, of course, said that Lord Kåñëa never exhibited such a form before. It was exhibited to Arjuna only, yet some great devotees could also see the universal form of Kåñëa when it was shown to Arjuna, and Vyäsa was one of them. He is one of the great devotees of the Lord, and he is considered to be a powerful incarnation of Kåñëa. Vyäsa disclosed this to his disciple, Saïjaya, who remembered that wonderful form of Kåñëa exhibited to Arjuna and enjoyed it repeatedly.

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Teachings of Lord Caitanya

TLC 12-1975: The Devotee
Chapter Twelve

Sri Krishna

The Devotee

A person in Kåñëa consciousness who is fully devoted to the transcendental loving service of the Lord develops all the godly qualities of the demigods. There are many divine qualities, but Lord Caitanya describes only some of them to Sanätana Gosvämé. A devotee of the Lord is always kind to everyone, and he does not pick quarrels. His interest is in the essence of life, which is spiritual. He is equal to everyone, and no one can find fault in him. His magnanimous mind is always fresh and clean and devoid of material obsessions. He is a benefactor to all living entities and is peaceful and always surrendered to Kåñëa. He has no material desires. He is very humble and is fixed in his purpose. He is victorious over the six material qualities such as lust and anger, and he does not eat more than he needs. He is always sane and is respectful to others, but he does not require respect for himself. He is grave, merciful, friendly, poetic, expert and silent.

There is also a description of the devotee of the Lord in Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.25.21) wherein he is said to be always tolerant and merciful. A friend to all living entities, he has no enemies. He is peaceful, and he possesses all good qualities. These are but a few of the characteristics of a person in Kåñëa consciousness.

It is also said in Çrémad-Bhägavatam that if one gets an opportunity to serve a great soul-a mahätmä-his path to liberation is open. However, those who are attached to materialistic persons are on the path of darkness. Those who are actually holy are transcendental, composed, peaceful, friendly to all living entities and not subject to anger. Simply by association with such holy men one can become a Kåñëa conscious devotee. Indeed, to develop love of Godhead, the association of holy devotees is needed. The path of advancement in spiritual life opens for anyone who comes in contact with a holy man, and by following the path of the devotee, one is sure to develop Kåñëa consciousness in full devotional service.

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Intro To Srimad Bhagavatam

Srila Prabhupada

Excerpts

Disparity in human society is due to lack of principles in a godless civilization. There is God, or the Almighty One, from whom everything emanates, by whom everything is maintained and in whom everything is merged to rest. Material science has tried to find the ultimate source of creation very insufficiently, but it is a fact that there is one ultimate source of everything that be. This ultimate source is explained rationally and authoritatively in the beautiful Bhāgavatam,or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the transcendental science not only for knowing the ultimate source of everything but also for knowing our relation with Him and our duty toward perfection of the human society on the basis of this perfect knowledge. It is powerful reading matter in the Sanskrit language, and it is now rendered into English elaborately so that simply by a careful reading one will know God perfectly well, so much so that the reader will be sufficiently educated to defend himself from the onslaught of atheists. Over and above this, the reader will be able to convert others to accepting God as a concrete principle.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins with the definition of the ultimate source. It is a bona fide commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra by the same author, Śrīla Vyāsadeva, and gradually it develops into nine cantos up to the highest state of God realization. The only qualification one needs to study this great book of transcendental knowledge is to proceed step by step cautiously and not jump forward haphazardly like with an ordinary book. It should be gone through chapter by chapter, one after another. The reading matter is so arranged with its original Sanskrit text, its English transliteration, synonyms, translation and purports so that one is sure to become a God-realized soul at the end of finishing the first nine cantos.

The Tenth Canto is distinct from the first nine cantos because it deals directly with the transcendental activities of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. One will be unable to capture the effects of the Tenth Canto without going through the first nine cantos. The book is complete in twelve cantos, each independent, but it is good for all to read them in small installments one after another.

I must admit my frailties in presenting Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but still I am hopeful of its good reception by the thinkers and leaders of society on the strength of the following statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.11):

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’ṅkitāni yac
chṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

“On the other hand, that literature which is full with descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, form and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a transcendental creation meant to bring about a revolution in the impious life of a misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though irregularly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.”

Oṁ tat sat
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Dated at Delhi
December 15, 1962

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Srila Prabhupada Discusses Gita

The family relationship may be an impediment to spiritual advancement. 

Currently the family is being atomized. This states that the children are living with less than their true biological parents. The government is the extension of the family. With the trend of same sex marriage and in vitro insemination this will escalate.  It is easily seen that government is becoming a vehicle for privation and personal gain.

Such corruption does not create stability. It is a basis to use familial ties to divide the cultural support for collective security.

Atomization is more common in hedonistic western cultures while clan and tribal variations of the extended family exists in more traditional settings.

Osama Bin Laden had at least 5 wives and perhaps 11 children. The clash of culture that was focalized during the essentialist conflict between Reagan and Khomeini continues with the Obama – Gadhaffi conflict.

The fragmentation of our personal and social lives escalates as personal motivations displace more stable preferences.

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Purport of Narottama das Thakura

Srila Prabhupada in this lecture explains the concept of purity enabling a sadhaka to perceive Vrndavana within the heart.

The pleasing of Radha Krishna is also touched upon in this excellent class.

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Prabhupada Morning Walk

February 16, 1976 Mayapur

Srila Prabhupada

Prabhupäda: ...I am your friend, I am God, so you sleep, I shall do everything. In Russia like that. When Arjuna refused to fight He chastised him like anything. What is the anärya-juñöam? He's just like non-Aryans, talking foolish. People should clearly understand that we don't encourage laziness. We never encourage. According to your capacity, guëa-karma-vibhägaçaù [Bg. 4.13], you must work. Çaréra yäträpi te na prasiddhyed akarmaëaù, Kåñëa says, "By not working, even if you cannot put on your body and soul together." Kåñëa says like that.

Dayänanda: Isn't laziness one of the demonic qualities, Çréla Prabhupäda?

Prabhupäda: It is less than demonic. Demonic qualities, they have some activity and laziness is ignorance, darkness. Therefore too much sleeping is very, very bad. That is another part of laziness. Nidrähära-vihärakädi-vijitau **, one has to conquer over this sleeping and laziness. Eating, nidrä, ahära, vihära, sense gratification, vihära means sense gratification. One has to minimize these things up to the point of nil, that is perfect. When there is no more sleeping, no more eating, no more mating, and no more fearing, that is perfection of spiritual life. And that is not possible, but as much as possible. [break] ...they cannot sleep more that the culture (?) is very great gain, profit.

Hådayänanda: Consider a rich man. A rich man can sleep, a poor man must work.

Prabhupäda: Oh.

Hådayänanda: They're always making agitation to reduce what they call the work week. Formerly they were working so many hours per week, now they want to reduce it down to forty, thirty, twenty hours per week.

Prabhupäda: So why they're inventing machine? Machine means no work.

Hådayänanda: They think this is progress, everyone can lie down and the machines will work.

Prabhupäda: Yes, machine, inventing machine means one machine can work for fifty men. The banks are using this, what is that, computer?

Hådayänanda: Yes, everyone is using computers.

Prabhupäda: To save money. Machine means unemployment for many. Tractor, they're using, they're unemployment for bulls and plowmen and then they, bulls have to be killed. This is going on. Unemployment, then kill them. Vietnam, send all the men to fight and kill them. As soon as there is overpopulation, they declare war so that people may be killed.

Hådayänanda: Sometimes the soldiers became so disgusted that they would shoot their own officers.

Prabhupäda: Yes.

Hådayänanda: But they would do it in such a way so it appeared to be accidents. Sometimes they would take little bomb and throw it into the tent of the officers and they would all be killed.

Prabhupäda: What was the reason?

Hådayänanda: Well, because the officers, they were not qualified. They were simply foolish. They were directing them in such a way that they were all in danger.

Prabhupäda: Oh.

Hådayänanda: And they could not understand why they were there. It was a foreign... They were used to America and so they had to go to the jungle but they were, they could not see the point of fighting...

Prabhupäda: Mm. (indistinct)

Hådayänanda: So many times they would become so disgusted they would simply kill their own officers, shoot them or throw a bomb. Also in Vietnam, the majority of the soldiers were fighting intoxicated, marijuana and different drugs.

Dayänanda: Also I think people have no respect for authority any more.

Prabhupäda: No.

Dayänanda: There's... All over the world people are not respecting any kind of authorities.

Prabhupäda: No.

Dayänanda: There are so many false...

Prabhupäda: Especially the students. That means chaotic condition. [break] ...type of civilization, this material world.

Dayänanda: Tagore (?) is so nice that your divine grace was presenting the perfect authority, Kåñëa.

Prabhupäda: Yes. And one who follows His instruction, he also perfect. That we are pushing (indistinct) Kåñëa conscious, everything will be all right. Everyone is fallen, I asked this question to Kotofsky. "Sir, you have got a leader, we have got a leader, so where is the difference?" And then I said, "Only you have got a fool leader, we have got intelligent leader." Otherwise you cannot avoid leadership, authority. That is not possible.

Dayänanda: They want to avoid but they... Impersonalists are catering to that desire, they want to avoid authority and so the impersonalists are encouraging that. So they are rascals, the...

Prabhupäda: No, it is not possible to give up authority. That is not possible.

Hådayänanda: Your interview, those articles that you had spoken about, against Communism, are very, very brilliant. Actually we were struck with wonder to see the different arguments. Very, very important for South America because there the Communism is popular among the young students.

Prabhupäda: They read it?

Hådayänanda: Yes, we just published it in our magazine.

Prabhupäda: Oh. So they like that argument?

Hådayänanda: Yes, the argument was so intelligent that no one has ever thought of such intelligent arguments against Communism. Also the article on Freud, I think that book is very, very important. It will actually satisfy the students. No one else would dare to call these people fools. (laughter) (end)

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