Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.4 Pradyumna: “…by performance of sacrifice at this place, the strength of demoniac people is curtailed. Thus brahmanas prefer Naimisaranya for such sacrificial performances.” Prabhupada: So the Vedic literatures, one cannot say that it is concocted. One reference is there, one reference in another place. Sometimes there are some rascal philosophers, they say that Srimad-Bhagavatam has been compiled for, I mean to say, eulogizing Krsna, who was the son of a leader, (indistinct) like that. So many they manufacture. But you cannot do so, because the reference is there. Very old Puranas. Some rascal philosopher says Bhagavata Purana was compiled recently. How there is a reference within the Puranas? So this rascaldom has spoiled the whole Vedic culture. The so-called Westernized scholars… Because the real purpose was that the rulers(?), they did not want to present Indian culture as very old, because then their Darwin’s theory will be spoiled. That was their nonsense proposition, that they are proposing that human brain is being developed. But if they accept that millions of years ago the brain was already there, then their rascals theory of Darwin will be spoiled. So actual fact is this, that this verse Srimad-Bhagavatam, was compiled five thousand years ago. Not that Vyasadeva manufactured something. All Vedic literatures were existing. Vyasadeva only… Just like I am presenting. I am presenting the Krsna consciousness movement. It is not it is manufactured by me, it is concocted by me, that I have introduced… Just like so many things are there—this samaja, that samaja, this samaja. We are not like that. As Krsna is old, so this Krsna consciousness movement is also old. It is as old as Krsna. And Krsna says that “Forty millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gita to sun-god.” So where is the history? Where your history stands? Your history cannot give chronological table more than three thousand years. So Vedic culture is very old. It is not a concocted thing or a new pattern. It is eternal. Therefore it is called sanatana. Sanatana means eternal. It has no beginning, no end. Sanatana. So Vedic culture means sanatana, eternal. Krsna is eternal. We living entities, we are eternal. And our relationship and exchange of loving service with Krsna is also eternal. Krsna is eternal, we are eternal, and our dealings with Krsna is also eternal. But sometimes it becomes interrupted by the maya, which is called svapna. Svapna means dreamlike. As dream has no fact, it is all hallucination, similarly our detachment from Krsna is also a hallucination. Actually, there is no detachment. And when we are covered by this hallucination… Just like in dream we cry, “Oh, here is a tiger! Here is a tiger!” Tiger. Where is tiger? Similarly, this forgetfulness of Krsna is like that. So if we simply follow the rules and regulations given by the great acaryas, then immediately we can revive our Krsna consciousness. It doesn’t take even second. The method…(?) Just like you are dreaming, crying, “There is tiger, tiger.” And if somebody pushes you, “Why you are doing that?” And if you immediately become awake “Oh! All tiger finished.” (laughter) “All tiger finished.” So one has to give the push that “There is no tiger.” Then immediately the whole hallucination will go. So this pushing method is given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally, Krsna personally. Jiv jago jiv jago gauracanda bole. Gauracandra, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is asking everyone, “Wake up!” The same dreaming. “Wake up.” jiv jago jiv jago gauracanda bole kota nidra jao maya-pisacira kole “Why you are sleeping on the lap of this maya, illusory energy? Why you are sleeping?” Jiv jago jiv jago gauracanda bole. “Get up.” bhajibo boliya ese samsara-bhitare bhuliya rohile tumi avidyara bhare When we were in the womb of our mother, the situation was so troublesome that we remembered at that time Krsna. “Krsna…”Just like when we are in great trouble we sometimes remember God. Similarly, that condition, packed-up condition, when the child’s in the belly… You get consciousness back… Death means unconscious for seven months. That’s all. That is death. There is no death. Death means I give up this body, enter the womb of another mother’s body. And the mother nourishes by the materials…, the intestine joined with the belly. So mother supplies it through the pipe and the child grows. When it is fully grown, then he gets back his consciousness. So at that time it becomes very much troublesome to remain in that packed-up condition. So those who are pious, virtuous, they remember at that time, “O Krsna, I am again put into this condition of…”(laughter) Oh, don’t laugh. It is very serious subject. Try to understand. So everyone has passed this condition, but by the influence of maya forgets. Bhajibo boliya ese samsara-bhitare. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, “At that time again I promised: ‘This time by coming out of my mother’s womb, I shall become a devotee.’ ” But as soon as he comes out, he becomes forgetful. This is going on. This is going on. There is no science, so-called science, who know, the scientists, who know these are facts, how we are passing through repeatedly unpleasant condition. When, as soon as we get a little light with this body, we forget everything. That is called maya. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu said the pushing, the point pushing, enechi ausadhi maya nasibaro lagi’: “Now I have brought this.“ Just like… You have no experience in your country. In India still there are snake charmers. If one is bitten by a snake he remains unconscious. By mantra he can be brought into consciousness, in life. If a man is snakebitten… (aside:) He’s sleeping. Why? Don’t sleep and you can sleep at the end. Don’t in the front. It is disturbing. Enechi ausadhi maya nasibaro lagi’. Lord Caitanya said that “I have brought the medicine.” Maya nasibaro lagi’. Just like the snake charmers, they chant mantra. That is factual. It is not story. One medical practitioner friend of mine, when he was student in Lucknow, he stated that there is a palace building, Satar Manji?(?) Satar Manju, in Lucknow. There is some government office. So there were several snakebite cases. Several men were killed by snakebite. So they could understand that there is a venomous snake in this building; at the opportunity he bites. So one snakecharmer was called, and one Muhammadan snakecharmer, he came, and he captured that snake and took it away. Now these medical students, they do not believe in these mantras. They were surprised. They think that snakebite means finished, there is no medicine. So they were very much, because they were students, very much inquisitive. They went to that charmer at his place and wanted to know from him what is the secret, is it a fact that mantra… So he said, “All right, I shall show you.” So he opened one box, and several hundred snakes immediately came out. And all the students, they became so disturbed. Some were crying, some were this way, that way… (laughter) Yes. And the charmer said, “Don’t be worried. So long I am here they will not bite. And don’t think that these snakes are without poison teeth.” He took some of them and showed that “Here is a poison teeth. Not that the poison teeth has been taken away. The poison teeth is there. But by our mantra, we subdue it. He cannot do any harm.” So the doctor students, medical students inquired that, “Can we not use this mantra?” Said, “No. You cannot.” Because it has to be… (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
London, August 22, 1971