Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.2 Pradyumna: Translation: “Srila Suta Gosvami said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage, Sukadeva Gosvami, who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannyasa], leaving home without undergoing the sacred thread ceremony, his father, Vyasadeva, cried out to him, ‘Oh my son!’ Indeed, only the trees echoed in response to the begrieved father.” Prabhupada: So the question raised by the sages and saintly persons in Naimisaranya was, “After departure of Krsna, unto whom the charge of religious principle depended?” So Suta Gosvami, who is a disciple of Sukadeva Gosvami… Sukadeva Gosvami is his spiritual master. Therefore it is the etiquette, before speaking anything, the disciple should first of all offer respect to the spiritual master. So offering respect to the spiritual master means to remember some of his activities. Some of his activities. Just like you offer respect to your spiritual master, namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine. This is the activity of your spiritual master, that he is preaching the message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and he’s a disciple of Sarasvati Thakura. Namas te sarasvate. You should pronounce it sarasvate, not sarasvati. Sarasvati is the, my spiritual master. So his disciple is sarasvate. Sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine. These are the activities. What is the activities of your spiritual master? He’s simply preaching the message of Lord Caitanya. That is his business. What is the message of Lord Caitanya? Lord Caitanya’s message is that you go and speak everyone about Krsna and Krsna’s message. This is called parampara system. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as disciple of Isvara Puri, He is preaching Krsna consciousness. And similarly, in the disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Gosvamis, sad-gosvami, Sri Rupa, Sanatana, Bhatta Raghunatha, Sri Jiva, Gopala- bhatta, Dasa Raghunatha. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. We begin from our first disciplic succession. Vande ’ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca. Vande ’ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam. “I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my guru, spiritual master.” Vande ’ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca. And then, his guru, his guru, his guru, they’re all Vaisnavas. Vande ’ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca. Sri-rupam. Then we offer respect to Sri Rupa Gosvami. Rupa Gosvami. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. All the Gosvamis, six Gosvamins. Vande rupa-sanatana… Sagraja. Sa agraja. Agraja means elder brother. Sanatana Gosvami was the elder brother of Rupa Gosvami, and Rupa Gosvami accepted him as his spiritual master. Sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam. Associated by Raghunatha. There are two Raghunathas: Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami. Sa-jivam, with Jiva Gosvami. This is the process. Vande ’ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam. Then we go to Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s status: sadvaitam savadhutam. That is also… First of all, Advaita Gosani, then Nityananda Mahaprabhu, Prabhu. Mahaprabhu is applicable only to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Others, all prabhus. Ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya. Krsna, and He has got innumerable servants. Krsna is Mahaprabhu, and all others, they are prabhus. And the spiritual master who has got many prabhus to abide by his order, he is addressed as Prabhupada. This is the system. So sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krsna-caitanya-devam. After offering all these obeisances to Gosvamis, to guru, and Advaita, Nityananda, then you come to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Then Sri Radha. Not Krsna directly. Sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca. Radha-Krsna means they are always associated by the gopis, of whom Lalita-Visakha are the chief out of the asta-sakhis. So this is the parampara system. So here also, we see, mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. We have to accept the path of the authorities. Here is authority, Suta Gosvami. He is offering his respect to his spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami. As soon as you offer… Just like we sung this Gurvastaka. Gurvastaka, vande guroh sri-caranaravindam. Vande guroh sri-caranaravindam. You can say simply “I offer my respectful obeisances to my spiritual master.” No. You must describe his activities. What is the activity of spiritual master? samsara-davanala-lidha-loka-tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam praptasya kalyana-gunarnavasya vande guroh sri-caranaravindam ** This is describing the quality. Otherwise, everyone will become spiritual master. That quality, the activity will support the bona fide spiritual master. Guna-karma-vibhagasah. There must be quality and action. So the spiritual master’s action is that he is to deliver his disciple from the blazing fire of this material existence. Samsara-davanala. The davanala is used because this material world is always blazing, always problem. Nobody can deny it. Simply problem. Just like fire. Fire is a problem. And especially in America we see in every city, every ten minutes or fifteen minutes there is a fire brigade: dung dung dung dung dung dung dung dung. Why? The fire is blazing always. So as we practically see that there is always fire, and the fire brigade is ready… Nobody goes to set fire. But by accident, by manipulation, fire takes place. The comparison is therefore with the forest fire. Forest fire takes place without anyone’s attempt. Simply by collision of two dry wood, there is friction, electricity is produced, and the dry leaf immediately catch hold of the electricity and it becomes fire. So this material world, everyone is trying to be peaceful, happy, tranquil. No. There must be fire. Exactly like that. The fire brigade is always ready because they know that at any moment there will be fire. So as it is statewise, fire brigade is ready, similarly, universally, this material world is also, there is chance of fire at any moment. We do not want it, but it will take place. Therefore this material existence is called samsara-davanala-lidha-loka **. And the forest fire is compared, especially mentioned: this fire cannot be extinguished by your fire brigade. You cannot send fire brigade to the forest. I’ve seen in Naimitad(?). From Katgudang(?) station, about, oh, one mile up in the hill there is fire. So long ago. So I asked the man, “What is that?” “That is fire.” So nobody went there to set fire, but the fire is blazing. You see? So how this fire can be extinguished? Can you send fire brigade or buckets of water? No. That is not possible. Then it will go on, the fire? No. It will be extinguished. How? Samsara-davanala-lidha-loka-tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam **. Just like this forest fire can be extinguished only if there is cloud upon it—if there is rain. You cannot send fire brigade. That means this is the indication that this fire of this material world can be extinguished through the exigency of spiritual master, because he has received the mercy cloud. Cloud. Just like cloud has taken water from the sea, similarly, the spiritual master takes mercy, receives mercy, from the ocean of mercy, Krsna, and he pours it over this samsara-davanala. This example is very nice, that you cannot extinguish by your plans the blazing fire of this material existence. That is not possible. This is foolishness. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. The so-called rascal leaders, they are making plan, lifelong. The United Nations making plan to stop war, fighting. They cannot do it. It is not possible. You have to take mercy from Krsna. Then it is possible to extinguish. We have to seek mercy. But the demons, they don’t care for Krsna, or God. They think that “We shall do. I am God. I shall do it.” Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah. Because they are naradhama, lowest of the mankind. Why it is called? Krsna says. We are not manufacturing this word. Krsna says, “lowest of the mankind.” Asuram bhavam asritah. na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah mayayapahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah [Bg. 7.15] Those who are demons, those who have developed this asuric bhava… Asuric bhava means denying the existence of God. That is asuric bhava. There are two kinds of men: asura and devata. Those who are accepting the authority of the Supreme Lord, they are called devata. And those who are denying the existence of God… Now such demons are prevalent everywhere, especially the Communists. And others, they write, of course, on the note, “We Trust In God,” but practically does not do anything. That is also another edition of demons: under the garb of believing in God, doing all nonsense. You see? So na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah. Human life is meant for understanding what is God, what is my relationship with Him. And when he understands the relationship is there, “God is great, I am very small…” No. The rascal says, “No, I am God.” And what, in which way you become God? God is great. Are you great? If I give you any slap, you immediately cry, and you’re claiming God? You see. But these rascals are doing nicely, and fools are following, “Here is a God, incarnation of God.” You see? So God is not so cheap. God…, our conception of God… Just like Krsna. Krsna is so powerful. It is stated in the Vedic literature: Yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48] Simply by the breathing of Maha-Visnu, innumerable… Just like we exhale and inhale and so many small microbes, germs, are coming out and going. This is a fact, medical science. Similarly, as microbes are coming and going, similarly, with the breathing of Maha-Visnu so many universes are coming and going. That is God. God, who can create unlimited number of universes simply by breathing. That is God. (aside:) Don’t sleep. You can… So here, na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. So for receiving God consciousness, we have to approach… Adau gurvasrayam. That is the… How to become devotee? Adau gurvasrayam. One has to seek out a bona fide spiritual master. Just like Suta Gosvami has become disciple of a bona fide spiritual master, Sukadeva Gosvami, and he’s describing the activities of his spiritual master, yam pravrajantam. Sukadeva Gosvami was liberated. He remained within the womb of his mother for sixteen years because he was conscious that “As soon as I get out of the womb of my mother, I’ll be immediately captured by maya. So let me become little strong.” (laughter) You see? So he remained sixteen years within the mother. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. He learned all about God consciousness from the, within the womb of his mother. Narada Muni was teaching Prahlada Maharaja’s mother. Because she was pregnant and she was being taken away by Indra and others, Narada Muni rescued her, and because her husband was defeated and he fled away… He underwent severe austerities, “How to defeat these demigods?” So Narada Muni took compassion upon this lady, and he told, “My dear daughter, you come with me. You live in my hermitage until your husband comes back.” So he was instructing daily. It is the business of saintly person, whoever comes to him, he would give him instruction about spiritual knowledge. So he was instructing Prahlada Maharaja’s mother. But the mother, less intelligent woman… But Prahlada Maharaja took all the instruction and became a perfect devotee. He has admitted. When his friends inquired from him, “My dear Prahlada, you are the son of a king and you do not go outside your palace, and we are sent here in this school, teaching. Our teacher is the same. How you have learned all these nice things?” Then he said, “My dear friends, these nice things I learned from Narada, the same spiritual master. You require spiritual master.” He then described that “The instruction was actually meant for my mother, but being woman, she has forgotten.” (laughter) This is the unqualification of… Don’t be sorry. (laughter) But Krsna says… Krsna says, striyah sudras tatha vaisyas te ’pi yanti param gatim. By Krsna’s mercy, even if she’s woman, striya… Woman is considered to be less intelligent, but Krsna is so merciful that, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te ’pi yanti param gatim [Bg. 9.32] “It doesn’t matter whether he is woman or sudra or a vaisya. If he takes shelter of My lotus feet, according to the regulative principle, te ’pi yanti param gatim, they also go back to home, back to Godhead.” Kim punar brahmanah punya bhakta rajarsayas tatha [Bg. 9.33] Then what to speak of the persons who are born in brahmana family and those who are devotee? They must go, provided he takes shelter of Krsna. Even striyah sudras tatha vaisyah, who are considered less intelligent or born in lower degrade species of life, still, they can go. And what to speak of the persons who have taken in high family, devoted family? They must go. Anityam asukham lokam imam prapya bhajasva mam. This world is anityam. Anityam means temporary; asukham, and full of miseries. Imam prapya… If you want to get relief from this temporary world and the distresses within this world, then bhajasva mam: “Just become a devotee of Me.” (aside:) What is the time? So the activities of Sukadeva Gosvami is that he purposefully remained within the womb of his mother for sixteen years, and as soon as he got out, immediately he left home. Immediately. Anupeta. Anupeta. Because according to Vedic system there is upanayana, upetam. Upanayana. Upa means near, and nayana means bringing. When the spiritual master brings the disciples nearer by giving him gayatri-mantra, that is called upanayana-samskara. So Sukadeva Gosvami did not take any such samskara. He learned from his father within the womb of his mother, and as he became perfectly in knowledge, liberated soul, immediately he got out of the womb of his mother and immediately started for the forest. Naked, he was going on. And the father became actually very much aggrieved: “Oh, my son is born and he’s going immediately!” Out of affection he was: “My dear son, where you are going? My dear son where you are…” Putreti tan-mayataya. Son didn’t care. Went away. Putreti tan-mayataya taravo ’bhineduh. And because the father was so aggrieved, so the trees replied. There was, what is called, vibration, echoes. Yes. So tam sarva-bhuta-hrdayam munim anato ’smi: “I am offering my respectful obeisances unto the great sage, Sukadeva Gosvami, whose activities is like that. Immediately coming out of the womb of his mother he left home without being, undergoing any samskara.” So samskara is required who is impure. So we should not imitate, neither it is in our capability that as soon as we get out of the womb of mother we can walk. No. That is not possible. It is special. It is special. Therefore everything is special. Even without taking any initiation. He was initiated by his father, Vyasadeva, but he left immediately home, and Suta Gosvami is describing the wonderful activities of his spiritual master and offering obeisances. Tam munim anato ’smi: “That great sage, anato ’smi, I humbly bow down on his lotus feet.” Thank you. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
London, August 10, 1971