Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.4 Devotee: (leads chanting, etc.) kamam vavarsa parjanyah sarva-kama-dugha mahi sisicuh sma vrajan gavah payasodhasvatir muda [SB 1.10.4] “During the reign of Maharaja Yudhisthira, the clouds showered all the water that people needed, and the earth produced all the necessities of man in profusion. Due to its fatty milk bag and cheerful attitude, the cow used to moisten the grazing ground with milk.” Prabhupada: So due to good king, in… There is a maxim in Bengali: rajera dose raja nasta, rajya nasta, grhini dose grhastha nasta(?). This is very important instruction. If the king of the state is an impious man, sinful man, that kingdom will never be happy. Nasta. Everything is spoiled. As much as in a family, if the housewife is not good, contaminated, then there is no good life in the family. In Western countries especially, and in this country also, nowadays, there is no peace between husband and wife, and there is no, practically, no family life. In Western countries there is divorce. Here also the divorce law is introduced. And no family is happy. Grhini dose grhastha nasta. So king must be very pious. So Maharaja Yudhisthira… We have studied a few verses about Maharaja… So the beginning is dharmena. Here it is: pitra canumato raja vasudevanumoditah cakara rajyam dharmena pitr-paitamaham vibhuh So he was Dharmaraja Yudhisthira. He was ruling dharmena. Dharmena means just according to the desire of the Supreme Lord. This is dharma. Dharmam. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharmena means, religious principle means to act according to the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is religious principle. It is not that you manufacture some dharma: “We are Hindus,” “We are Muslims,” “We are Christians.” These are not dharmas. Nobody cares for God. Nobody carries out the order of God. Nobody knows what is God. Nobody knows what is relationship with God. So where is dharma? The, all bogus. Therefore Bhagavata says: dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ’tra [SB 1.1.2] This so-called cheating type of religious system is kicked out in Bhagavatam. Real dharma. What is that real dharma? Param satyam dhimahi. Namo bhagavate vasudevaya. This is dharma. Namo bhagavate vasu… Beginning. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Vasudeva, Krsna, Vyasadeva is offering respect. Why? Now satyam param dhimahi. He is the Supreme Truth. What is that Supreme Truth? Janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1]. That Supreme Truth from whom everything emanates. And this is confirmed in the Bhagavatam, uh, Bhagavad-gita: mattah sarvam pravartate. Aham sarvasya prabhavah. This is confirmed. The Vedanta-sutra gives hint that the Absolute Truth, Brahman, is that which is the original source of all emanations. That is Absolute Truth. Athato brahma jijnasa. What is Brahman? Brahman means the original source of everything. So this is the Vedanta-sutra. And Krsna says: aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah [Bg. 10.8] So when one becomes budha… Budha means well aware of everything. Then he understands Krsna is the source of everything. He’s the Supreme. So… And dharma, as it is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in reference with the Ajamila-moksana, that Yamaraja said: dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19] Nobody can manufacture dharma. So here Yudhisthira Maharaja ruled over this planet, Bharatavarsa, dharmena. Here it is said, cakara rajyam dharmena. Exactly… And here also it is confirmed, that bhismoktam acyutoktam. Nisamya bhismoktam atha acyutoktam. So if such kind of king is there, then everything is all right. Everything. And establishing such pious king… Here it is stated, yudhisthiram prita-mana babhuva, isvara, isvara, nivesayitva nija-rajya isvaro yudhisthiram prita-mana babhuva. And Krsna, why He took part in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra? He wanted that these rascals should be removed, the Duryodhana and company. And Yudhisthira must be there. Therefore He personally supervised the warfare. He took the reigns of Arjuna’s chariot to give him direction: “Kill all these demons. Even Bhisma. Even Dronacarya. Kill all of them, because they have taken side of the wrong side. Kill them.” That is Krsna’s order. “Although Bhisma is respectful, respectable, Dronacarya’s respectable, your guru, your grandfather, and such great personality, certainly they are respectable. But because they have taken side of the wrong side, they must be killed. They must be.” This is the instruction. So dharma is so strong. Dharma means to abide by the order of Krsna. That is dharma. If we remain faithful to Krsna, and what Krsna says, if we do that, that is perfect dharma. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. That is first-class religious system. We do not decry any system of religion. We do not say that Hindu religion is better than Christian religion. In what way Hindu religion is better than Christian religion? The followers of so- called Christian religion, they’re also set of nonsense, and so are the Hindus. Why we should give preference to one class of rascals and fools than the other class of rascals and fools? We have no such idea, “The Hindus are greater than the Muslims or the Christians,” or “The Muslims or the Christians…” We do not con… We want to see, test how much he’s devotee of God, how much he has developed his God consciousness. Then we accept that he is, here is dharma. That is the test. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. I told you sometimes, I think, in New York Airport. So seeing us, the sadhus, one young man came to me. So introduced himself, “Sir, I am Christian. I faithfully discharge my religious principles.” So I, I told him, “No, no. You do not faithfully discharge your religion.” So he was surprised that without talking with him, immediately I charged that “You don’t follow your Christian religion.” “No, why do you say like that?” “Do you eat meat?” “Yes, sir.” “Then you are not a Christian. You are not a Christian. Because in the Christian religion the first commandment is ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ So you are encouraging killing. How you are a Christian? You are not a Christian.” The actually everyone is very proud of becoming Christian, Hindu, Muslim, but nobody is following. Nobody’s following. All bogus. Because if they would have followed… We don’t say follow this religion, that religion. If actually they would have followed, then the symptom would have been they had become devotee of God, lover of God. And as soon as he becomes lover of God, he becomes fully qualified with all good qualifications. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah. This is the test. He hasn’t got to be trained up how to become honest, how to become clean, how to become this, how to become that. If he becomes a lover of God, Krsna, then all the good qualities automatically reveal. Just like when you are out of diseased condition, all your healthy symptoms are revealed, manifest. It doesn’t require to bring them separately, to bring them separately. It is already there. Because every living entity is part and parcel of God, Krsna, he has got all the good qualities of Krsna, very minute quantity. The Gosvamis have analyzed: seventy-eight percent. Not in full, but in minute quantity. It is not joke. Seventy-eight percent of the qualities of Krsna is there in living entity. And Krsna means all-good; they’re all good qualities. So actually when one becomes a devotee, he is qualitatively one with Krsna. Because one cannot become devotee without acquiring the Krsna qualities. You cannot go into the fire without being fire. Without being Brahman, you cannot approach Brahman. Just like if you want to be secretary of a very big man, so you must have necessary qualification. Not that any, any man can become secretary of a big man. So when one becomes devotee, it is the statement of sastra: yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana… Akincana-bhakti. Akincana-bhakti means without any motive. That is akincana-bhakti. “I’ll become devotee because I’ll get this opportunity to exploit Krsna.” That is not devotion. When one shall be ready to be exploited by Krsna, then he’s a devotee. Not that with a motive, that “I shall become a devotee and exploit Krsna and Krsna consciousness movement and aggravate my position as sense gratifier.” No, that is not devotion. anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama [BRS 1.1.11] That is uttama-bhakti. And that, when one attains that uttama-bhakti, then he’s first-class follower of religion. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir a… [SB 1.2.6] It doesn’t matter whether you are Christian or Muhammadan or Hindu; we want to see whether you are lover of God, you are a devotee of God, you can sacrifice everything for God. Then you are religious. Otherwise, I…, there is no question of religion. So Yudhisthira Maharaja was that type of religious man, dharmena. And as soon as you become, then ajitasraya. Your shelter becomes under the lotus feet of Krsna. It is not story. Krsna says, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah. It is not story. Krsna says, confirms: “You just become My devotee, and I’ll give you all protection.” Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. So many assurances. “Immediately I give you protection.” Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mo… If I am released from all reaction of my sinful activities, then where is my difficulty? Difficulty’s there so mo…, so long one is sinful. We suffer the reaction of sinful activities. But if there is no sin, I become purified, then where is suffering? There is no question of suffering. So the king, being the head, naradeva… Therefore king’s another name is naradeva. He’s God. King is considered as God, representative of God. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, yes, Sanatana Gosvami. Sanatana Gosvami gave certificate to Nawab Hussain Shah that “You are representative of Krsna.” When Nawab Hussain Shah was inquiring about Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that “This person is not ordinary person. We are kings. Sometimes when we give in charity so many men flock around us. But here is a person, wherever He’s going, thousands of men are following Him. So He’s not ordinary person.” After all, he’s a king. He has got intelligence. Even from diplomatic point of view, he can understand. So he inquired from his minister, Sanatana Gosvami, “So who is this person?” So Sanatana Gosvami replied that “Whom you accept as (indistinct), the profit is His. It is your fortune that during your reign, He has taken birth in Bengal. You are governor, you are the king of Bengal. And why you are asking me? You are king. You are representative of Krsna. You ask your mind and you’ll understand what He is.” He gave the certificate immediately. Not that “Oh, you are Muhammadan. What you can know?” No. Muhammadan, Hindu, doesn’t matter. If one is king he must be blessed by Krsna. He has been given the opportunity to become… And if the king also remembers that “I am representative of God. God has given me this post to rule over this country, to make them dharmic, to follow, to understand Krsna consciousness, then that is my duty, first duty,” then everything is all right. The rascal, so-called kings, they think that “It is my property. Let me tax the people to the extreme and take the money and enjoy in drinking and enjoying women.” Therefore the monarchy’s finished. But what is the benefit by finishing this monarchy? The democracy, that is another set of rascals. There was one rascal. Now hundreds of rascals. That is the benefit. Hundreds of rascals, they go and form the democratic government, minister. There is dacoitry. There is rising of the rogues and thieves, and they’re enjoying fat salary. So at the present moment we are in a very precarious condition so far the government is concerned. People may say that I am speaking against government, but I am just comparing the government of Maharaja Yudhisthira and the present. If, if… I am not doing anything in my imagination… These are the things. Actually that is the thing. And if the king is right, if the king is dharmic, proper representative of God, then supply, there is no limit of supply. Take. We have got experience. In sometimes we find in this mango season profuse mango. People cannot end it by eating. And sometimes there is no mango. Why? The supply is in the hand of Krsna through His agent, the material nature, this earth. The earth can produce profusely if people are honest, God conscious. There cannot be any scarcity. Therefore it is said that kamam vavarsa parjanyah [SB 1.10.4]. God gives. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. So God, Krsna, fulfills all our desires. Now in Bengal we are seeing some rains. In other parts of India, there is no rain. Last time I had been Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, all dry. People are… In Bombay also. People are very much unhappy. There is famine, declaration of famine. So if there is no parjanya, rains, then everything finished. Your so much, so many schemes, ten-years plan, five-years plan and so many plans, they will all dry up. The rascals, they do not know. And how parjanya becomes possible? Yajnad bhavati parjanyo parjanyad anna-sambhavah. You perform yajna. There will be parjanya. The rain falling is not in your hand. You may be great scientist and calculate so much hydrogen and so much oxygen, mixed up, there is water. Now mix up and bring water where there is no rain. So these so-called scientists, philoso…, all of them are rascals. We should take instruction from sastra. Krsna says: parjanyad anna-sambhavah. Yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. If you perform yajna… Yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih. We have to perform yajna. Yajna means to satisfy Visnu. That is yajna. Visnu, the Supreme Lord’s another name is Yajna-pati. So yajnarthe karmanah anyatra loko ’yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]. Therefore everything should be done for yajnarthe, for satisfying Visnu. But na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. These rascals, they do not know that their real interest is to satisfy Visnu, not his sense. These rascals, they do not know it. They think, “Some way or other, if I can satisfy my senses, then my life is perfect.” But you cannot satisfy your senses without satisfying the Lord’s sense. If there is no water, no grain, no food, how you can satisfy your senses, rascal? So if you satisfy the senses of the Lord, then your senses will be satisfied automatically. Tasmin tuste jagat tusta. But if you neglect to satisfy the senses of the Lord, and if you want to satisfy your senses, that will not be done. So Maharaja Yudhisthira was always prepared to satisfy Krsna. He was sorry that so many people were killed in the battle, but he was happy: “Krsna wanted. Krsna is satisfied, that’s all right. That’s all right. Never mind, so many people have been killed.” But personally he was not happy, but Krsna was satisfied. Krsna wanted. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. So He has finished all the duskrtam. But finishing duskrtam, everyone got svarupa. They were all liberated. Therefore, Krsna is all-good. Either He delivers the devotees and kills the nondevotees, the action, resultant action is the same—both of them become liberated. Svarupa. That is also stated. Everyone… Because died seeing Krsna in presence in the battlefield. Either this party or that party, it doesn’t matter. Everyone died seeing Krsna. so they were all liberated. It is not an ordinary thing, that in the presence of… We have to remember Krsna at the time of death. But Krsna is so kind, in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, He’s personally present. Anyone is dying, he’s seeing Krsna. So what is the question of liberation? Everyone is liberated. So kamam parjanyah, kamam vavarsa parjanyah [SB 1.10.4]. Whatever you get, all the necessities of your life will be available if there is sufficient rain. Because after all, the earth produces… This is the system. There is rainfall, proper rainfall, and the earth produces. Not only food grains. Also jewels also, produced. Those who are astronomers, they know. Under certain constellation of the star, if the rain falls on the head of a snake, there is jewel. If the rain falls on the head of an elephant, there is jewel. Then in the sea also, the pearls, they are produced. It is all due to rains. So kamam vavarsa. Kamam vavarsa. We require so many things. Krsna is prepared also to supply. Nature is there. But even Krsna wants to supply, if you do not become devotee, nature will restrict, “No.” That is the proof. When there was less supply… The Maharaja Prthu wanted to kill Prthivi. She explained that “Why you are after me? It is my duty. Now there are only demons. I don’t want to give food to the demons. I want to give foodstuff to the devotees.” She said. So nature’s restriction of supply will be there when people become demons, nondevotees. When people become demons, then nature will stop supply. There will be famine, pestilence. This is the way. So during the time of Maharaja Yudhisthira, they were not demons. Maharaja Yudhisthira…, Maharaja Pariksit… Maharaja Pariksit, when he wanted to kill Kali, he gave him two chances, that “Either you get out of my kingdom, or I shall kill you.” So Kali said, “My lord, I am also your subject. My activities are very heinous. That is my nature. I am meant for that purpose. But I am also your subject. So why you want to drive me away? You give me some place where I shall go if you don’t like me.” Then he gave him place: yatra papas catur-vidha, striyah sunah pana dyuta yatra papas… “Where there are four principles of sinful activities, namely, illicit sex, intoxication, meat- eating and gambling, you can go there.” So Kali could not find a single place where these things are going on. That is the during the reign of Maharaja Pariksit. So he became very much distressed. Therefore, under his plan, he also wanted to drive away Maharaja Pariksit so that he can advance his activities, Kali’s activities. So one brahmana boy cursed him, influenced. The boy was influenced by Kali. His father repented, “Oh, you rascal boy, what you have done?” One side, that a boy, born of a brahmana, only twelve years old, he could curse even a big king like Maharaja Pariksit, and that is invocable. It cannot be nullified. Of course, Maharaja Pariksit could nullify, but he accepted. So even a brahmana boy could curse. But this was wrong. His father repented later on, “What you have done, childish? Such a king.” So as soon as Maharaja Pariksit was moved from the scene, the Kali-yuga began in full force. Therefore sometimes it is said that the brahmanas are responsible for introducing Kali-yuga. So that is not actually fact. In due course of time, everything will happen. So Maharaja Yudhisthira was so pious that during his reign time, kamam vavarsa parjanyah [SB 1.10.4]. There was regular rainfall and everything was produced nicely. Sarva-kama-dugha mahi. Sarva-kama. The, another side is that you don’t require industries, trade. You don’t require. If you have got land and cow, then everything is complete. This is basic principle of Vedic civilization. Have some land. Have some cows. Dhanyena dhanavan gavayah dhanavan. Not industry. There is no need of industry. Because you want some food, nice food, nice milk, nice fruit, that will be produced by nature. You cannot manufacture all these things in the factory. So therefore the…, at the present moment, the big, big factories, they are the activities of the asuras, ugra-karma. All the people are dragged in the city, industrial area, to engage them in the produce of iron bars, big, big iron bars, Tartiron(?) iron industry, and so many other industry. Capitalists, they have drawn all the innocent people from the village. And they think that “We are getting fat salary.” But what is the use of fat salary? One side you get fat salary; another side you have to purchase three rupees a kilo rice. Finish your salary. This is going on. Let them produce their own food. Let him have some land. Let him produce his own food. Let there be cows. Let cows become happy. Now here is very important word, that payasodhasvatir muda, udhasvatir muda. They were very jolly because they can understand whether they are going to be killed or not. Because they have got, they’re animal, they have got sense. I have seen in your country, almost all cows are crying, crying. Because in the beginning, all the calves are taken away and slaughtered in their presence. Perhaps you know. So what is the position of the cow? I have seen when we purchase cows, the calves are already taken away. The cow was crying, regular tears were gliding down. So they can understand that… Who cannot understand? Suppose if you are taken in the concentrated camp? Just like the Germans did. What is the meaning of concentrated…? That he’ll be killed after some days. So how you can be happy? If you are already informed, condemned to death, and kept in a concentration camp, will you be happy? Similarly, when these people take these cows to the slaughterhouse, animal stock room, go down, they understand. Very recently, about few years ago, some…, that animal stock store was some way or other broken and all the cows began to… Perhaps you know. It was published in the… And they were shot down. Shot to death. They were fleeing like anything, that “We shall save ourselves.” So if the cows are not happy, if they are always afraid, that “This rascal will kill us at any moment,” then how they can be happy? There was no such thing. Therefore it is said: muda. Muda. Happy. And as soon as the cows are happy, you not only get sufficient milk, but the pasturing ground, I mean to say, ground, becomes moist with milk. So much milk supplied. Here it is stated, payasa udhasvatir muda. Yes. There is another description. Formerly, Krsna’s cows, when they were passing on, the whole road will be moistened with milk. Milk supply was so sufficient. Simply manufacture butter, milk products, dahi… Distribute. Krsna was distributing amongst the monkeys even: “Take,” the monkey, “come on.” So by Krsna’s grace if we actually become dharmic, follow Krsna, the milk supply will be so profuse that everyone, even the animals can take the butter and yogurt. That is wanted. That is civilization. Produce sufficient quantity of grains, let the milk, cows, supply sufficient quantity of milk. All economic question solved. There is no use of industry. No use of man’s going fifty miles to work. No, there is no need. Simply land and cows. Here is the statement. Kamam parjanyah, vavarsa parjanyah sarva-kama-dugha. Everything you’ll get from the land. Even luxury articles. What can be more luxurious article than the jewels? The jewels are also produced. The medicine is produced, the minerals are produced, gold is produced, diamond is produced from the earth. Sarva-kama-dugha. You get everything. Make your civilization very perfect, very luxurious simply by satisfying Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness movement. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Mayapura, June 19, 1973