Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.24
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Los Angeles, July 14, 1974

Nitai: “Mother, are you the reservoir of all… Mother, you are the reservoir of all riches. Please inform me of the root cause of your tribulations by which you have been reduced to such a weak state. I think that the powerful influence of time, which conquers the most powerful, might have forcibly taken away all your fortune, which was adored even by the demigods.”

Prabhupada:

idam hi mamacaksva tavadhi-mulam vasundhare yena vikarsitasi kalena va te balinam baliyasa surarcitam kim hrtam amba saubhagam

So kalena, kalena means “by the time.” In the Bhagavad-gita there is, sa kaleneha yogo nastah parantapa. So time is very powerful. Time is eternal, and it is very powerful. So the inquiry is, “Vasundhare, the reservoir of all riches, whether you have been plundered or taken away of all your fortunes in due course of time?” Vasundhara, this planet… There are innumerable planets. This is one of them. And it is referred here that surarcitam. Surarcitam. Sura means the demigods, and arcitam means worshiped. So the demigods, they live in higher planetary system. Their standard of life is far, far better, thousands and thousands times better. Therefore when this planet is more opulent, even the demigods, they eulogize, surarcitam saubhagam. That kind of opulence is certainly very great fortune. So all these inquiries are being made because Krsna left this planet. “When Krsna was present, so the opulence of this planet was so great that even the demigods in higher planetary systems, they were also envious. So that is now… Because Krsna is not there, so that opulence is now taken away. So whether you are so much sorry for this purpose?”

So this planet or any planet, they are all full with opulence. Purnam idam purnam adah [Isopanisad, Invocation]. By… Anything created by God is complete. Several times I have explained. Just like in this planet we require water. Water is required for cleansing, for cultivating… So many things water is, profuse water is required. So Krsna has provided this planet—three-fourths part of the planet is full with water. But you cannot utilize it unless Krsna touches. There is scarcity of water. You require so much water. Suppose in the desert you can pump water from the sea, but that will not be effective. It must be managed by Krsna. The water must be evaporated by the machine, sunshine, and they’ll be turned into clouds. And when that water is poured, then it will benefit.

So you are always dependent on Krsna and His mercy. You are thinking that “We shall adjust these material things and become happy.” That is foolishness. That is not possible. Mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. The prakrti is there. All the riches are there. Everything is there on the ground. Just like we are getting so many things from this ground. The trees, the plants, the foodstuffs, the minerals, so many things. There is everything, complete. You’ll see in your garden there are different types of flowers, color, scent, flavor. But wherefrom it is coming? It is coming from the earth. Can you make any scent from the earth? But the scent is coming from the earth. The rose flavor, wherefrom it is coming? It is there. Anyone can understand. But you cannot extract that. Krsna requires His hand. When Krsna is there in the form of seed… Krsna says, bijo ’ham sarva-bhutanam: “I am the seed of all living beings.” The seed. That… Just like there is sex. Unless the seed is there, there is no child. Similarly, unless the seed is there, there is no plantation. The banyan tree is there because the seed is there. And the rose tree is there because the seed is there. And Krsna claims, bijo ’ham sarva-bhutanam. And Krsna’s potencies are there in the seed so that different types of seeds producing different types of flowers, fruits, colors, flavor. This is Krsna’s supervision. Mayadhyaksena [Bg. 9.10].

So ultimately, time and earth and everyone is abiding by the Lord, by the orders of the Lord.

aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate iti matva bhajante mam budha bhava-samanvitah [Bg. 10.8]

Budhah, those who are not rascals. Budha means intelligent. Budha. Budha means intelligent. So those who are intelligent, they know that everything is supplied by Krsna. So why not depend on Krsna only? Why so many other attempts? Therefore Krsna says,

vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana bahu-sakha hy anantas ca buddhayo ’vyavasayinam

Vyavasayi means one who knows business particularly. Vyavasaya. Or one who knows confidently, “It is… This is the cause, this is the effect.” So those who know that Krsna is the origin of everything, so they are fixed up in Krsna. Vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha. One. Just depend on Krsna. One who does not this, they depend on so many things. Buddhayo ’vyavasayinam.

So if we want to be Krsna conscious, we shall fix up our mind on Krsna, and… How to become fixed up, that art will be given to you by the spiritual master. Therefore Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says in connection with the explanation of this verse, vyavasayatmika buddhih, so he says vyavasayatmika buddhih means to take the words of the spiritual master as life and soul. That is vyavasaya… That is called vyavasayatmika buddhih. And Visvanatha Cakravarti says that “Whatever I am ordered by the spiritual master, that is my life and soul. I don’t care for liberation. My only business is to serve my spiritual master.” And in the song you have just sung, ye prasade… What is that? Ye prasade…?

Ramesvara: Pure sarva…

Prabhupada: Pure sarva asa. You do not know the meaning. Ye prasade means “By his mercy, all our desires are fulfilled.” Ye prasade pure sarva asa…

So, so this is our process, to depend on Krsna. Depend does not mean I shall remain idle. Depend means to work according to the direction of the sastra. Sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya, tinete kariya aikya. Depend does not mean, “Now let me sleep, and Krsna will do everything. Depend on Krsna.” No, not like that. Krsna never advised Arjuna that “You sleep on this chariot. (laughter) I’ll…” Hare Krsna. He never said that. He said, “You must have to fight.” Yudhyasva mam anusmara [Bg. 8.7] “Fighting you have to do. But you always think of Me.” This is the success. Not that depend on Krsna means, “I have not to, nothing to do.”

So everything is there. Here it is said that surarcitam kim hrtam amba saubhagam. All opulences are there. I have already explained. Anything fortune… There are mines. There are petrol. There are water. Everything is there. But as soon as we forget Krsna, then the time will take away everything. Yes. It will not allow. Time will not allow to enjoy. Then there will be strife, there will be misunderstanding. Just like the petrol is there in, within this earth, but because we do not know how to use them, therefore there is scarcity of petrol. Petrol is there. We do not know how to use Krsna’s property. We are trying to use everything as my own. But factually it is not. Factually it is everything Krsna’s. So if we are Krsna conscious, every one of us, there is no scarcity, no want. Because the things are there already. There is no question of scarcity. But because we have forgotten Krsna, there is scarcity. It is very clear. We have forgotten that this petrol belongs to Krsna. Then it is all right. This land belongs to Krsna. But the Arabians are thinking, “This land belongs to us.” Therefore there is difficulty.

So the Krsna consciousness movement is so important. If people simply learn this, that everything belongs to Krsna… Isavasyam idam sarvam. Sarvam means “everything.” Not that “This much is mine, this much is Krsna’s.” No. Sarvam. Isavasyam idam sarvam yat kinca jagatyam jagat, tena tyaktena bhunjithah… Simply we shall use as much He has allotted for us. Then there is peace and prosperity, without any difficulty. Otherwise, you go on adjusting your material possessions; the time will take away everything. When you die by the…, in due course of time, then whatever possession we have got, all finished. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, mrtyuh sarva-haras ca aham: “I am death.” Krsna is everything. So death is also Krsna. Just like here is a picture of Hiranyakasipu. Such a great demon, so proud. He was thinking that “I am the proprietor of everything.” He was chastising his son, doing everything, whatever he liked. But when Nrsimhadeva came, within a second, everything finished. Everything finished. But Prahlada remained the same. Prahlada is not finished. Hiranyakasipu is finished. So those who are trying to be very, very big by material possessions, they’ll be all finished. But if you remain in the position of Prahlada, you’ll never be finished.

Thank you very much. (end)