SB 1-15-27 LA 1973-12-05 Mistaking Suffering for Enjoyment
ANNOUNCER: The following is a class on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
1st canto, 15th chapter, text number 27,
given by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,
recorded on December 3rd, 1973, in Los Angeles.
PRADYUMNA: Translation:
“Now I am attracted to those instructions imparted to me by the
Personality of Godhead, Govinda, because they are impregnated with instructions
for relieving the burning heart in all circumstances of time and space.”
PRABHUPĀDA: Go on reading the purport.
“Herein Arjuna refers to the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā,
which was imparted to him by the Lord in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra.
The Lord left behind Him the instructions of the Bhagavad-gītā,
not only for the benefit of Arjuna alone, but also for all time and in all lands.
The Bhagavad-gītā, being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
is the essence of all Vedic wisdom.
It is nicely presented by the Lord Himself for all who have very little time
to go through the vast Vedic literatures,
like the Upaniṣads, Purāṇas and Vedānta-sūtras.
It is put within the study of the great historical epic Mahābhārata,
which was especially prepared for the less intelligent class, namely the women,
the laborers, and those who are worthless descendants of the brāhmaṇas,
kṣatriyas and the higher sections of the vaiśyas.
The problem which arose in the heart of Arjuna,
on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, was solved by the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā.
Again, after the departure of the Lord from the vision of earthly people,
when Arjuna was face-to- face with being vanquished,
in his great acquired power and prominence, he wanted again,
to remember the great teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā,
just to teach all concerned, that the Bhagavad-gītā could be consulted,
in all critical times, not only for solace from all kinds of mental agonies,
but also for the way out of the great entanglements,
which may embarrass one in some critical hour.
The merciful Lord left behind Him
the great teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā,
so that one can take the instructions of the Lord,
even when He is not visible to material eyesight.
Material senses cannot have any estimation of the Supreme Lord,
but by His inconceivable power,
the Lord can incarnate Himself to the sense perception of the conditioned souls,
in a suitable manner, through the agency of matter,
which is also another form of the Lord’s manifested energy.”
Just like we have no knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, conditioned soul.
Therefore, for our understanding, He is so merciful,
He descends as arcā-mūrti.
This Deity which we are worshiping, that is called arcāvatāra, incarnation of arcā.
He’s accepting our worship, our prayer, our everything.
He has descended just suitable for our handling.
That is His mercy.
Therefore we should not consider that this arcā Kṛṣṇa is made of stone,
as atheists will say, that “These foolish persons are worshiping…
Heathens, they are worshiping.”
No, we are not worshiping stone.
We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa.
But that they do not know.
Kṛṣṇa has appeared before us.
Because at the present moment, we cannot see except stone and wood,
therefore, suitable for our vision, He has appeared in such a way.
Otherwise how we can appreciate?
Here… They are searching after what is God, but here is God.
Here is God.
Therefore in the śāstra it is forbidden, arcā,
arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir
vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ [Padma Purāṇa]
It is forbidden that when you worship Deity,
you should not think that it is made of wood or stone or something else material.
No.
What is this material?
Material is… Matter means energy of Kṛṣṇa.
Just like the sunshine, or like the illumination of this light.
It is the energy of the lamp.
So it is not different.
Similarly, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,
bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ [Bg. 07.04]
this earth, water, air, fire, anything material, that is expansion of His energy.
So He can accept your service through His energy.
That is His omnipotency.
That is called omnipotent.
You cannot do anything of your personal affairs with your energy,
but… You can sometimes do.
Suppose if you have got money.
Even being present on the spot,
by spending money you can get the things done.
The money will act for you.
Similarly, Kṛṣṇa being omnipotent,
He can take your service through His agency, through His potency.
And potency means śakti.
śakti-śaktimator abhedaḥ [Brahma-sūtra]
Kṛṣṇa and His potency is not different.
So Kṛṣṇa by His causeless mercy,
He has appeared before you in a manner by which you can touch Him,
you can handle Him, you can dress Him, you can give Him.
This is Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.
It is not idol worship.
Therefore it is forbidden.
Don’t think it is idol.
Go on.
“Thus the Bhagavad-gītā,
or any authentic scriptural sound representation of the Lord,
is also the incarnation of the Lord.
There is no difference between the sound representation of the Lord,
and the Lord Himself.
One can derive the same benefit from the Bhagavad-gītā,
as Arjuna did in the personal presence of the Lord.”
You can derive the same benefit as Arjuna by reading Bhagavad-gītā.
People say that Arjuna was enlightened because Kṛṣṇa was present before Him.
But Kṛṣṇa is present before you also, by His words, by His sound representation.
Just like Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, Kṛṣṇa’s name, it is not different from Kṛṣṇa.
nāma abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.133]
Nāmi… Here in the material world the name and the person whose name,
that is different, because it is material.
If you want water, this water substance or water is different from the name water.
You cannot quench your thirst simply by chanting “Water, water.”
That is not possible.
Because it is material.
But you can realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
That is the significance of spiritual and material.
Otherwise, how people are satisfied simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra?
Let him chant some other name, material.
No.
You cannot chant more than three times.
Then you will feel tired.
But you can go on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra
for hundreds and millions of years.
It will, still you will not feel tired.
That is the difference.
Therefore His name and He is not different.
Abhinnatva.
nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto ’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ [Padma Purāṇa]
This is the shastric injunction, nāma,
the holy name of Śrī Caitanya… Kṛṣṇa, is abhinna, nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa.
nāma cintāma… pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ [Padma Purāṇa]
Full, complete.
Not that little less, no.
Full.
Pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ.
And uncontaminated.
Just like Kṛṣṇa is uncontaminated, similarly, His name is also uncontaminated.
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya [Padma Purāṇa]
Eternal.
As Kṛṣṇa is eternal, name is also eternal.
pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto ’bhinnatvāt [Padma Purāṇa]
Because they are not different one with another.
So the most important word is,
deśa-kālārtha-yuktāni [SB 01.15.27]
Deśa, time and space.
Bhagavad-gītā is… Because nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa.
As Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, similarly,
Bhagavad-gītā can be appreciated in every country, every season, every circumstances.
That is…
deśa-kālārtha-yuktāni [SB 1.15.27]
Then,
hṛt-tāpa upaśamāni ca [SB 1.15.27]
Hṛt-tāpa.
There is a hṛt-tāpa.
Hṛt means heart, and tāpa means…
tāpa means… Real meaning is temperature, or temperature rooted.
Just like agni-tāpa.
Agni.
Agni means fire, and tāpa, it has got temperature.
So to a certain degree you can tolerate.
But when the degree… Just like in India we have got
temperature in summer season 120 degrees.
Here, just like in your country, the temperature is less.
In other country…
The temperature in, I mean, the Middle East,
the temperature is 135 degrees, Arabian countries.
So there are three tāpas, three kinds of miserable condition, this material world.
That also can be taken, tāpa.
Tāpa means suffering, excessive heat and cold.
That is called tāpa.
So,
hṛt-tāpopaśamāni ca [SB 1.15.27]
The teachings of Bhagavad-gītā…
We are suffering always within the heart.
As Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, that
viṣaya viṣānale divā-niśi hiyā jvale [Hari Hari Biphale]
Viṣaya.
Viṣaya means this material enjoyment.
So it is just like poison.
The more we are entangled in material enjoyment… There is no enjoyment.
It is suffering.
But we are taking suffering as enjoyment.
Just like in this winter season, we cover ourself,
very nicely with gloves, with overcoat.
It is simply counteracting the suffering.
But a man who has got a nice overcoat and gloves, he is thinking he is enjoying.
This is māyā.
He forgets that he is simply trying to counteract the suffering.
Actually, he is suffering.
But having a nice coat or nice place, he is thinking that he is enjoying.
That is foolishness.
That is called māyā.
There is no enjoyment in this material world.
Simply we are trying to counteract the suffering.
This counteraction of suffering, we are accepting as enjoyment.
So this material world means you must suffer.
That is the position of the material world.
Otherwise why you have come to material world?
Just like in the prison life, how you can expect enjoyment there?
But a man…
Suppose a big politician is put into the jail and he is given,
a very nice, comfortable bungalow and everything, but he is in the jail.
But he is thinking that “I am enjoying.”
He forgets that he is in the jail.
He is in the jail.
That is called ignorance, māyā.
He is suffering and he is accepting.
Just like the pig.
He is eating stool, but he is thinking he is enjoying.
This is going on.
So hṛt-tāpa.
In this, I mean to say, ocean of suffering,
viṣaya-viṣānale, dibā-niśi, the more we want to enjoy, the more sufferings enter.
More suffering.
You can understand.
Just now we got this car, horseless car.
But now there is a problem.
They are thinking, “If there is no petrol available, then what will happen?”
So this is material existence.
Viṣaya viṣānale, divā-niśi… Anxiety.
That anxiety is suffering, “What will happen?
What will happen?”
That is material existence.
sadā samudvigna-dhiyā [SB 7.5.5]
Always full of anxiety.
This is material life.
So, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that,
viṣaya viṣānale divā-niśi hiyā jvale [Hari Hari Biphale]:
“The heart is burning on account of this material existence.”
Tarivare nā kainu upāya [Hari Hari Biphale]
“But I did not try to find out the means by which I can get out of this.”
golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana
rati nā janmila kena tāya [Hari Hari Biphale]
The medicine is this Hari, Kṛṣṇa,
Kṛṣṇa’s teachings, Kṛṣṇa’s name, Kṛṣṇa’s glorification.
That is the real medicine.
But we have no attraction for these things.
We are simply trying to counteract the suffering,
and we are accepting this counteraction as enjoying.
Bhagavad-gītā: haranti smarataś cittam [SB 1.15.27]
So actually, if we want to enjoy life,
then we should take the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa.
We shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
That will give us relief from the blazing fire.
saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam [Śrī Śrī Gurvaṣṭakam 1]
This is the only way.
Otherwise… So when Arjuna was too much perturbed by absence of Kṛṣṇa,
he was simply remembering the instruction of Kṛṣṇa,
which he received in the Battle of Kurukṣetra.
Thank you very much.
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