Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.6.6 Pradyumna: “Lord Rsabhadeva was the head of all kings and emperors within this universe, but assuming the dress and language of an avadhuta, He acted as if dull and materially bound. Consequently, no one could observe His divine opulence. He adopted this behavior just to teach yogis how to give up the body. Nonetheless, He maintained His original position as a plenary expansion of Lord Vasudeva, Krsna. Remaining always in that state, He gave up His pastimes as Lord Rsabhadeva within the material world. If, following in the footsteps of Lord Rsabhadeva, one can give up his subtle body, there is no chance that one will accept a material body again.” Prabhupada: Athaivam akhila-loka-pala-lalamo ’pi vilaksanair jadavad avadhuta- vesa. So this is also opulence of Krsna. Jadavad avadhuta-vesa. Although He is the proprietor, sarva-loka-mahesvaram, still, this is another opulence, how to become renounced. This is another opulence. It is as good as the other opulences. Aisvaryasya samagrasya. All the op…, means property, money, wealth—these are aisvarya. And He says, Krsna, sarva-loka-mahesvaram. Not only in one planet but all the universes, all the planets within the universes, they are all the properties of Krsna. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya. Strength… What is that? Eh? Indian man: Dharmasya hi… Jnana-vairagya… Prabhupada: Ah. So yasasah sriyah jnana-vairagya. This is vairagya. Not that Krsna is simply enjoying sixteen thousand palaces, sixteen thousand queens, and millions of descendants, yadu-vamsa. This is another side, and this is another side, vairagya. Jnana-vairagya. Jnana. We can understand a little piece of His contribution of jnana, Bhagavad-gita. That is a little piece of His stock of knowledge. Five thousand years He spoke, and still it is being continued, not only in India, but also all over the world. This is jnana. So anyway—strength. When He was seven years old, Krsna, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. Jnana- vairagya, everything complete. That is God. Nothing less. Not that, that “I am rich man, but I cannot lie down on the street.” Not that kind of vairagya. He is complete, completely different from a rich person. Akhila-loka-pala. He is the controller of the whole universe; still, you see His vairagya. So Krsna consciousness means vairagya-vidya. Vairagya-vidya nija bhakti-yogam. Bhakti-yoga means vairagya-vidya. We should under… That is teaching by His personal behavior. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He also taught us vairagya- vidya. He… When He was a grhastha, He was the most learned scholar in Navadvipa. When He was sixteen years old He defeated a very great learned scholar, Kesava Kasmiri. He was requested by Caitanya Mahaprabhu to make some stanzas praying the Ganges. So he immediately made one hundred slokas. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu, at that time sixteen years old, He was a student of grammar. So He pointed out on the sixty-fourth sloka so many defects. He was surprised that “This boy is a student of grammar, and He has picked up so many mistakes in my composition.” One of the prominent mistake was bhavani-bharta. Bhavani-bharta. Bhavani means the wife of Bhava, Lord Siva. And He pointed out, “Who can be bharta, he, her, again?” So both of them were pandita, yes. And there were so many mistakes He pointed out. So that was His learning. He was known as Nimai Pandita. Of course, brahmanas were all called pandita. Still in India that is the practice. The brahmanas are addressed as “panditji” because brahmana cannot be murkha. That is possible. Then he’s not a brahmana. He must be a scholar. At least he must know what is the ultimate goal of knowledge. So in the Kali-yuga we do not expect everyone to be very great scholar. That is not possible. But if he knows what is the aim of education, what is the objective of education, then he is also scholar. Just like our Gaura-Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. He was illiterate. He could not sign his name even. But he became the spiritual master of the best scholar of his time, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. So it is not the education, ABCD. In Bengal we say anguam(?). No. What is the purport of education? The purport of education is spoken by Krsna Himself: vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. If one understands Krsna and takes to the shelter of His lotus feet, he is also the biggest scholar. yoginam api sarvesam mad-gata antaratmana sraddhavan bhajate… sa me yuktatamo… [Bg. 6.47] So therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended, kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. By His practical life, when Prakasananda Sarasvati criticized Him that “You are a sannyasi, and You do not read Vedanta and You simply chant and dance…” This was the question. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied that “My Guru Maharaja found Me a great fool. Therefore he advised Me that ‘You have no jurisdiction in studying Vedas because you are not a scholar. You are not a very highly learned. You are a murkha.’ ” Guru more murkha dekhi karila sasana. So who will read Vedanta at the present moment? There is no education. But if we follow the footsteps of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that Vedanta philosophy is not for ordinary person, simply if we chant—harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam—then you get the same result. What we get by studying Vedanta and Vedic literature, if we understand that krsnas tu bhagavan svayam, and we sacrifice everything for achieving the mercy of Krsna, then our Vedanta study is complete. That is the instruction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Adi 17.21] And pratically we see in our Krsna consciousness movement. All you are young Westerners. You never study Vedanta, but you can surprise many so-called Vedantists how to understand Krsna. How it has become possible? Simply by your firm faith in your spiritual master and Krsna and chanting Hare Krsna. That’s all. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau [SU 6.23] This is the Vedic process. If we have got firm faith in guru and firm faith in Krsna— guru-krsna- krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151]— then you get the seedling of bhakti-lata. Some way or other, we have to come to this bhakti-lata, increasing or nourishing the bhakti creeper. That will be effective. So those who are jnanis, very learned scholar, they cannot understand Krsna. Vedesu durlabham. It is not by academic education one can understand Krsna. Yatatam api siddhanam kascid vetti mam tattvatah [Bg. 7.3]. So many mistakes they commit. They say it is kalpana(?), so many things. But here Krsna as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna as Rsabhadeva, Krsna as Krsna Himself, They are teaching us how to become pure devotee, because sva kalevaram jihasur atmanah. Before leaving your, this body, you must be self- realized. That is the aim of life. Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. We have got this life, human form of life, and how to utilize this human form of life? How to achieve the vairagya-vidya? This is vairagya-vidya, no more interest in material things. That is vairagya-vidya. Even to the body. That is… Rsabhadeva is teaching us. This is vairagya-vidya. Bhakti-yoga means vairagya. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also has spoken the same thing, niskincanasya bhagavad bhajanonmukhasya. Niskincanasya. If you actually want to become a pure devotee, then you have to make this material way of life completely zero. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [BRS 1.1.11]. Then it will be possible. If you have still a pinch of attraction for material life, then it will be stopped, your promotion to the other, spiritual world. Simply attachment to Krsna, that will make you advanced. Janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah, tyaktva deham [Bg. 4.9]. He can, after giving up this body… Mam eti. He does not accept any more the material body. He is immediately promoted to the spiritual world and Goloka Vrndavana, Vaikuntha. There are many millions of Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual world. So if we become vairagi… Vairagi means no attachment for this material world. How to become completely free from all our attachment of this material world, that is being exemplified by Rsabhadeva. He doesn’t take care even of the body. Although He is Vaikuntha-purusa… How comfortably He lives in Vaikuntha-loka. Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bg. 5.29]. We are expecting, “One woman or wife will look after my comforts,” but there Krsna is taken care of by hundreds and thousands of women. And who are they? Laksmi. They’re all goddess of fortune, not ordinary women. Laksmi has two features: maya and the goddess of fortune, the same Laksmi according to position. Just like a government has got two departments: criminal department and civil department. So the government is the same, but there are two departments. This maya is criminal department, and Vaikuntha is civil department. Vaikuntha means there is no anxiety, and maya means always anxiety. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad grahat. Because we accepted the jurisdiction of maya, they are asad-grahat. Asato ma sad gamah. Therefore the Vedic instruction is, “Don’t remain in this asat.” Om tat sat. “Go to the real life.” Jyotir gama. “Don’t remain in the darkness.” This is Vedic instruction. So anyone who has accepted this material world as very comfortable… It is not comfortable; it is simply suffering. Krsna says, duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. And still, if we want to be happy in this material world, bahir-artha-maninah. These fools, they are trying to be happy within this material world. Material means external energy. Bahir-artha-maninah. Na te viduh svartha gatim hi visnum durasaya [SB 7.5.31]. This is durasaya, the hope which will never be fulfilled. But this we do not… Maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. So unless there is vairagya, there is no question of happiness. But we cannot attain vairagya immediately; therefore the vidhi-marga, vidhi-marga-bhakti, to rise early in the morning, to attend mangala arati, to offer Deity flowers, fruits, and in this way we shall be engaged twenty-four hours. Then vairagya-vidya will gradually develop. Anarthopasamam saksad bhakti-yogam adhoksaje. Then the anartha… This material life is simply anartha, has no meaning, because we are creating another life. Without any spiritual knowledge, if we simply give ourself to the action and reaction of material nature, then we are making progress on the path of mrtyu- samsara vartmani. And if we attain Krsna, then mam upetya kaunteya duhkhalayam asasvatam, napnuvanti [Bg. 8.15]. The two ways. So our request is that you have taken to this vairagya-vidya. So vairagya- vidya, we do not say that you starve, don’t eat anything, don’t sleep at all. No. It should be regulated. Anasaktasya visayan yathartham upayunjatah. Don’t be attached to eating, sleeping. That is not good. But you must eat, you must sleep as little as possible, and try to conquer over it. My mind dictating, “Sleep seventeen hours.” No. That is tapasya. Tapasa brahmacaryena [SB 6.1.13]. Why shall you sleep more than four hours or five hours, or utmost six hours? That’s all, not more than that. That is vairagya-vidya. We have to learn it. That is devotional service. Vairagya-vidya nija-bhakti-yogam. He’s teaching. Krsna Himself is teaching. Here you see. Rsabhadeva is Krsna. Vairagya-vidya. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He taught vairagya-vidya. Tyaktva sudustyaja-surepsita-rajya-laksmim dharmistha arya-vacasa yad agad aranyam, maya-mrgam dayitayepsitam anvadhavad vande maha-purusa te caranaravindam [SB 11.5.34] So opulence, even Caitanya Mahaprabhu… Krsna appeared in a ksatriya family, very opulent. Lord Ramacandra appeared in a ksatriya family, kingdom, opulence. He also accepted vairagya-vidya. Father requested, “My dear son, Your mother likes that You should go to the forest.” Immediately accept, “Yes.” This sloka is applicable to Lord Ramacandra. Tyaktva sudustyaja-surepsita-rajya-laksmim [SB 11.5.34]. He was going to be coronated next day king, but immediately, by the order of His father, He left everything. Vairagya… Tyaktva sudustyaja-surepsita-raj… Is there any instance throughout the history of the whole world that a prince was going to be king tomorrow and on the order of father he left everything? This is vairagya-vidya. This is called vairagya-vidya. Tyaktva sudustyaja-surepsita-rajya-laksmim dharmistha arya-vacasa yad agad aranyam [SB 11.5.34]. Arya-vacasa. Elderly person is called arya. Respectful person is called. Arya means one who is advanced. Arya does not mean meat-eaters, Aryan family. No. Aryan means one who is advanced in civilization, they are called Aryan, not these fool and rascals, Aryan. No. Arya-vacasa. By a superior person… His father, Maharaja Dasaratha, said—immediately. Similarly, Caitanya Mahaprabhu also… This sloka can be applicable to Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s life. He also became a sannyasi, arya-vacasa. One brahmana cursed him. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, to receive some blessings from the brahmanas, when He was boy He was voluntarily trying to give some service to the brahmanas who were engaged in bathing in the Ganges. He’ll clear the place because the brahmana, after taking bath in the Ganges, would sit down, would chant mantra. So He’ll cleanse and He’ll wash the cloth, and in… Voluntarily He was doing that, service. So one brahmana blessed Him, “My dear boy, You’ll be very happy in your family life. You’ll have good wife, very opulent position.” And Caitanya Mahaprabhu was blocking the ears. The brahmana said, “What is this?” “No, this is not blessing, sir.” “Oh, it is not blessing? Then You’ll never be happy in Your family life.” “Yes, this is the…” (laughter) “This is all right.” So therefore He took sannyasa. Arya-vacasa yad agad aranyam. Similarly, Lord Ramacandra, arya-vacasa yad agad aranyam. These are the characteristic of the Personality of Godhead. Try to follow Them, not imitate, but follow them. Thank you. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vrndavana, November 28, 1976