Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.39
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Mayapura, October 19, 1974

Pradyumna: “O Gadadhara, Krsna, our kingdom is now being marked by the impressions of Your feet, and therefore it appears beautiful. But when You leave, it will no longer be so.”

Prabhupada: Those who have got books, there should be one correction. It is written “how.” It should be “now,” n-o-w, not “how.”

neyam sobhisyate tatra yathedanim gadadhara tvat-padair ankita bhati sva-laksana-vilaksitaih

So Kunti… Krsna was in Hastinapura, the capital of the Kurus. So wherever He was walking, that impression of His lotus feet was there, and on account of this, everywhere—full of opulence. Full of opulence. So Krsna was leaving Hastinapura. Therefore Kuntidevi was regretting that “If You go away, then it will be not so beautiful as it is now on account of Your presence.”

So, taking this instruction from Kuntidevi, if we try to keep Krsna, so everything will be opulent. There will be no scarcity. On account of Krsna’s presence… But how Krsna will be present? Krsna is already present. But His presence will be more and more appreciated by this kirtana. Tatra tisthami narada yatra gayanti mad-bhaktah. This is the statement by Krsna. Krsna says that “I do not live generally in Vaikuntha.” Krsna lives everywhere. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah.

ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs. 5.37]

Krsna lives in Goloka Vrndavana. That is His… Goloka-namni nija-dhamni. That is His own abode, nija-dhama. But still, Krsna is akhilatma-bhutah. Ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih. Expanding Himself in many, many forms… Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]. Ananta: There is no limitation. So Krsna is present everywhere. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham. Just like government is everywhere. Here we are sitting in this open field. Here is also government, but when the governor comes, it becomes a special feature. Similarly, Krsna is present everywhere. He’s everywhere. But still, He personally comes. He personally comes. So not only that Krsna personally was present five thousand years ago, but if we are sincere devotee of Krsna, then Krsna is present as soon as we glorify Him. Tatra tisthami yatra gayanti mad-bhaktah. Those who are pure devotees… Caitanya Mahaprabhu also becomes present when there is real, offenseless kirtana.

So Kunti wants to keep Krsna in her kingdom because on account of His presence, everything is victorious. Yatra… In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yatra krsno yogesvarah. Yatra… “Wherever Krsna is there, and wherever His devotee, Arjuna, is there,” Sanjaya said, “all victory, all opulence, everything is there.” He assured, he informed Dhrtarastra, that “This combination of Partha and Krsna means all opulence, all victory.” In other words, he assured Dhrtarastra that “You are expecting victory by the superior strength of your sons, Duryodhana and others, but don’t hope like that. It is not possible, because victory will be there where there is Krsna and where there is His pure devotee.”

So if we remain pure devotee What is that pure devotee?

anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama [BRS 1.1.11]

This is pure devotion: no other desire. Other desire means material desire. Because we are spirit soul, our desires should be spiritual. Just like human being should desire like a human being, not like a dog. The… To desire like the dog, that is other desire, and to desire like a human being, that is real desire. Our philosophy does not teach to become desireless. That is not possible. Desire must be there. But it should not be other desire. “Other desire” means… Then what is the real desire? Real desire is how to become a sincere servant of Krsna. That is real desire. Except this desire, anything—all “other desire.” Or how to become servant of Krsna, the means and the way, the process—that is also pure, devotional desire.

So wherever Krsna’s pure devotees are there and when the pure devotees chant, Krsna is there. This is the secret. Tatra tisthami narada yatra gayanti mad-bhaktah. So we, if we keep ourself pure devotee, without any other desire, material desire, then you should know that Krsna is present there. And as soon as Krsna is present there, then, on account of His presence, all opulences are there. Krsna is Madhava. Madhava means the husband of the goddess of fortune, Radha-Madhava. So try to keep Krsna always. Then all opulence is automatically there. Yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah. If you can gain Krsna… This is intelligence. The devotees, they don’t want to become very powerful yogi, mystic yogi by practicing gymnastic. No, they don’t require it. Simply peacefully, if we chant Hare Krsna mantra, then everything is there.

Just like Haridasa Thakura. He did not visit Jagannatha Temple. He considered himself… Or there was some agitation that “This man belonged to the Muhammadan family, and now he is trying to enter the Jagannatha Temple. There will be some roar.” So he did not like to agitate things. Vaisnava is peaceful. Even Sanatana Gosvami, because he almost turned to become a Muhammadan… His name was changed—Sakara Mallika—because he was servant of the Muhammadan government. So he was also rejected by the brahmana community. Actually he belonged to a very respectable brahmana family, Sarasvata brahmana. So he also did not go even near the temple. This is humbleness. Actually they are better than thousand times to become brahmana. But every Vaisnava thinks himself trnad api sunicena, that he is very, very lower, down. That is Vaisnava humbleness.

Just like Yadu (?) Thakura. We are discussing this in Caitanya-caritamrta. He belonged to the caste bhuni-mali. Bhuni-mali means the sweeper, bangi. He became a great Vaisnava. And Kalidasa, one of the relative, uncle, of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, he was also very great Vaisnava, maha-bhagavata. His business was to eat the remnants of foodstuff left by Vaisnava. He did not care whether he’s a brahmana-vaisnava or sudra-vaisnava. Vaisnava is not sudra. But a Vaisnava coming from sudra family, sometimes they are called sudra-vaisnava. Just like Haridasa Thakura. He’s sometimes called, Yavana-Haridasa. He’s not yavana. He is hundred times, thousand, million times better than brahmana. But because he is born in a Muhammadan family, he was, another name… The Vaisnava never says, “Yavana-Haridasa.” He is “Namacarya Haridasa.” Vaisnava… Why he should be yavana? Vaisnave jati-buddhih. Nobody should consider a Vaisnava belonging to this caste, that caste, no. Just like here. The Deity is there. Everyone knows that Deity is made of brass metal. But that is not metal. Because we cannot see Krsna in any other way at present, therefore Krsna has appeared as made of metal. But He is not metal. Or even if He is metal, still He’s Krsna because everything is Krsna. So arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih. We should not consider like that.

So that Yadu (?) Thakura declined to give his remnants. So when Kalidasa wanted, “Sir, give me little your prasada.” “No, no,” he said. “No, no, I… You are respectable gentleman, very rich. I am coming from low, low grade family, and how can I…? No, no, no. This is not possible.” Then Kalidasa Thakura, Kalidasa recited some shastric pramana that “Why you are thinking that you are low caste?” Sva-paco ’to gariyan yaj-jivaghre nama tubhyam. “You are better than…” Viprad dvi-sad-guna-yutad aravinda-nabha. So even a candala, he is better than a brahmana who is a devotee. When he quoted all these verses to prove… There are many other verses—in Mahabharata, in Padma Purana, in Bhagavatam. A Vaisnava is never to be considered as lower caste, no. But he was thinking… So what was his reply? His reply was “Yes, this is correct. The quotation you have given from the sastra, it is quite correct. But it is meant for a person who has become devotee. But I am not a devotee. So it is not applicable to me. I am the lower caste.” That was his reply. That is his humbleness.

So Vaisnava… Just like Caitanya-caritamrta karaca, Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, he says that,

jagai madhai haite muni se papistha purisera kita haite muni se laghistha

Caitanya-caritamrta author, such an exalted person, practically the most exalted personality in Gaudiya-Vaisnava… His Caitanya-caritamrta, there is no comparison. It is postgraduate study. So the author of the book, he’s presenting himself, that “My position is lower than the worm in the stool.” Purisera kita haite muni se laghistha. And jagai madhai haite muni se papistha. Jagai-Madhai was the example of papi, sinful. Caitanya Mahaprabhu… Narottama dasa Thakura sings, papi-tapi jata chilo hari-name uddharilo, brajendra-nandana jei saci-suta hailo sei balarama hailo nitai. “Two brothers who were formerly the sons of…, Vrajendra-nandana, the Maharaja Nanda, his son, Krsna, and Balarama, so Balarama has become Nitai, and Krsna has become Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.” But… Why they have become Nitai, and Caitanya Maha…? Now, papi-tapi jata chilo: “Just to deliver all the sinful persons.” So “Did He? Did They do actually so?” “Yes.” “Then where is the evidence?” Tara saksi jagai and madhai: “Here is evidence. They delivered Jagai and Madhai.”

So Cai… Jagai-Madhai in those days were taken as very, very sinful, although they were born of brahmana family. But by bad association, they became thieves, rogues, gunda and drunkards, meat-eaters, woman-hunters. These are all good qualification now, very good qualification. If one is woman-hunter and drunkard and meat-eater, oh, his social position is very nice, up-to-date. Up-to- date. This is modern civilization. But formerly, especially a gentleman—gentleman means born of high caste: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya—if they would be woman-hunter, drunkards, meat- eaters, immediately they’ll be rejected from the position. Immediately. That was Hindu society. No gentleman could… Still now, in some provinces, the high caste men, brahmana, ksatriyas, they’ll never take, touch these things. This is sinful. So Jagai- Madhai, they were zamindars, very rich men, and brahmana. But because they were addicted to these habits, they were taken as the most sinful. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu delivered them: papi-tapi jata chilo, hari-name uddharilo.

So the same principle is being followed at the present moment. And by the grace of Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the result is also same, because Jagai-Madhai was delivered by Them. By the same Hare Krsna maha-mantra, thousands of Jagai-Madhai are coming to be purified. The process is the same. This is called parampara system. If we follow the parampara system strictly, then the effect will be the same. As it was five thousand years ago, five hundred years ago, the same effect will be now also.

So here, as Kuntidevi says, that during the time of the Pandavas, five thousand years ago, when Krsna was present, so everything was very nice in Hastinapura… Sobhi. Sobhisyate. Sobhisyate. Everything was very beautiful. Sobha. Sobha means beautiful. So Kunti is requesting Krsna that “Don’t go. Please don’t go.” It is, of course, Krsna’s duty. He was going to Dvaraka. But Krsna, Kuntidevi was desiring like that, that “If You go away, then the beautiful Hastinapura will…” Na sobhisyate. Na ayam sobhisyate tatra yatha idanim: “As it is now beautiful, it will not be so beautiful.” Yatha idanim gadadhara. Krsna’s another name is Gadadhara. Tvat-padair ankita bhati. Why it is beautiful? “Because You are walking, and the impression…” Krsna has got special impression under the feet, in the sole, and that is being impressed. Simply by impression. Because Krsna is absolute, by Krsna’s lotus feet impression by vibration of His name, by glorifying Him—everything is Krsna. Everything is Krsna. Krsna is absolute. Either Krsna’s impression of the lotus feet, or chanting of His name, or His personal presence, or glorifying Him—it is the same; there is no difference. Therefore it will be our duty to keep…, keep Krsna always present by chanting His holy name:

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Adi 17.21]

So if we keep this principle in this temple, as it is now being appreciated… This is the most opulent temple in this district. That is being admitted. People are coming here to see this temple. It is being advertised. The other day, one gentleman, that Gopala, he said that “In Navadvipa, they simply inquire, ‘Where is that American temple?’ ” They inquire. It is already nicely advertised, and it will be more and more advertised provided you keep Krsna here by chanting Hare Krsna mantra.

Thank you very much. [break] …taste only Krsna prasadam. This advantage we want to give to the whole world. Therefore we are opening so many centers all over the world, giving them chance: “Come here. Chant Hare Krsna and take prasadam. Go home.”

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. That’s all right. (end)