Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.39 Devotee: neyam sobhisyate tatra yathedanim gadadhara tvat-padair ankita bhati sva-laksana-vilaksitaih “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: So in the Canakya sloka there is a very nice verse: sarvari-bhusanam candro narinam bhusanam patih prthivi-bhusanam raja vidya sarvasya bhusanam Everything looks beautiful when one is related with something in very intimate relation. Just like at night the sky becomes beautiful when there is moon. Everyone can understand. The sky becomes… The sky is there. Vast sky, at night. But on the full-moon night, when the moon is there and the stars are there brilliantly, it looks very nice. Similarly, the state looks very nice if there is good government, good king, good president. Then everyone is happy, everything going on nicely. Similarly, narinam bhusanam patih. A girl looks very beautiful… Girls are naturally beautiful. But she looks very beautiful when she has got husband. Narinam bhusanam patih. And vidya sarvasya bhusanam. But if a person, however ugly he may be, if he’s a learned scholar, that is his beauty. Similarly there are kokilanam svaro rupam strinam rupam pati-vratam. These are there. Similarly everything will look very beautiful when Krsna is there, when Krsna is there. So Kuntidevi is thinking that “When Krsna will be absent, our, this kingdom will not be beautiful. So long Krsna is with us, we Pandavas, our kingdom, Hastinapura, everything beautiful.” It is said, tvat-padair ankita bhati. “Krsna, You are now in our kingdom. You are walking. So by the impression of Your footprints, everything is beautiful. There is sufficient supply of food, fruits, water. Everything looks beautiful. But when You leave us, then it will not look beautiful.” That is being described. Neyam sobhisyate. Sobhisyate. “It will not look beautiful.” So it is not only applicable when Krsna was present and Kunti was speaking. It is not that. The truth was there. It is always. With the advancement of our civilization, if we don’t bring…, we cannot…, if we cannot bring Krsna in the center, Krsna consciousness, then it will never become beautiful. This is the philosophy. You bring Krsna consciousness. Practically anyone can appreciate that this… You are all boys and girls. When you were outside this Krsna consciousness, just think over, your beauty was there, but, at the present moment, because you are in Krsna consciousness, you look very, very beautiful. That’s a fact. Nobody can deny. You compare with other boys and girls and the boys and girls here. Anyone… In your country, they have given you the name “bright-faced.” Do you know? The newspapers… Yes. In Philadelphia, one lady was inquiring that “Are you Americans?” Perhaps you know all these things. So actually your countrymen, those who are sober, they are seeing that “How these boys and girls are becoming so nice and jolly, beautiful.” Because at the present moment in your country all young generation mostly they are confused, hopeless. We see every day—morose, black-faced. Why? Because they’re missing the point. There is no aim of life. But these devotees, Krsna-ites, they look so beautiful. Why? Because Krsna is there. That’s all. It is a fact. Any sane man will admit. So what is fact now, what is, what was fact before, during five thousand years ago when Pandavas were there, that Krsna in the center, everything becomes beautiful—that can be done at any time. Krsna is always there. Simply you have to invite Him, “My Lord, please come and be in the center.” That’s all. Everything will be beautiful. The same example, sometimes as I give you, that there are zero… Zero has no value. But you bring one by the side of zero, it becomes ten times beautiful, immediately. So our point is that you do whatever you are doing. We don’t stop you. We never say that “Stop everything of material…” But we have to stop anything which is against Krsna consciousness. Because we do not stop, it doesn’t mean that we shall not stop meat-eating. We must stop. This is against advancement in Krsna consciousness. You cannot commit sinful activities. Krsna says, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. Krsna says that “You surrender unto Me and I shall rescue you, make you liberated from all kinds of sinful reactions.” Every one of us, life after life, we are committing simple sinful activities, knowingly or unknowingly. Knowingly, I may kill one animal. That is sinful certainly. Even we do it unknowingly, that is also sinful. Just like while we are walking on the street, we are killing so many ants, unknowingly. So in our ordinary dealings, while cooking, while taking water, while using pestle and mortar for smashing spices, we are killing so many animals. So unless we remain Krsna conscious, we are liable to be punished for all these unknowingly committing sinful activities. Knowingly, of course, you’ll be… That’s a fact. Unknowingly. Knowingly or unknowingly. Just like fire. A child unknowingly touches the fire. Does it mean that the fire will excuse the child? No. The nature’s law is so strict, so stringent, that there is no question of excuse. In the ordinary law also, ignorance is no excuse for legal obligation. If you go to the court, and if you say, “My lord, I did not know that the result of this action is this, criminal,” that is not pleading that you’ll be excused. So therefore Krsna consciousness must be there. If we actually want to be free from the reaction of sinful life… That we are doing, knowingly or unknowingly. Then Krsna consciousness must be there. Krsna says, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. Therefore it is recommended, kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. adi 17.31]. Always we have to be engaged in chanting: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama…, so that Krsna will save us. Knowingly we cannot commit any sinful activities. That is one thing. Unknowingly also we cannot do it. Then we’ll be liable. Therefore if you remain in Krsna consciousness, if you always keep Krsna within your mind, then… Just like when the sun is there, there cannot be any darkness. Similarly, if you keep krsna surya, the Krsna sun… That is our motto in the Back to Godhead: krsna surya maya andhakara. Krsna is just like brilliant sunshine, and the maya, ignorance, is just like darkness. But when or while or where the sun is there, there cannot be any darkness. Similarly, you keep Krsna in consciousness always, there cannot be any ignorance; there cannot be any darkness. You’ll be walking very freely in bright sunshine of Krsna. Don’t try to make Krsna absent. That is Kunti’s prayer. “My dear Krsna, You are going to Dvaraka…” This is an example. They are not going. Krsna is not going from the Pandavas. Just like in Vrndavana. In Vrndavana, when Krsna left Vrndavana for Mathura… So in the sastra it is said: vrndavanam parityajya padam ekam na gacchati, Krsna goes not go even one step from Vrndavana. He doesn’t go. He’s so much attached to Vrndavana. Then we see that Krsna left Vrndavana, went to Mathura. So how is that, He went so far away? And did not return for many years? No. Krsna actually did not leave Vrndavana. Because since Krsna left Vrndavana, all the inhabitants of gopi, they were simply thinking of Krsna and crying. That was their business. Mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja, Radharani, all the gopis, all the cows, all the calves, all the cowherd boys, their only business was to think of Krsna and cry. Absence, separation. So Krsna can be felt, Krsna can be present more acutely in separation. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teaching: to love Krsna in separation. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu in separation: govinda-virahena me. Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me. He was thinking that “Everything is vacant without Govinda, without Krsna.” So everything is vacant, but Krsna consciousness is there. Krsna consciousness is there, sir. So that is the highest perfectional… When we’ll see everything is nothing, simply Krsna consciousness is there, that is the highest. That is the gopis. Therefore gopis are so exalted. Not for a single moment they could forget Krsna. Not for a single moment. Krsna was going in the forest with His cows and calves, and gopis at home, they were disturbed in the mind, “Oh, Krsna is walking bare-footed. There are so many stones and nails. There is pricking Krsna’s lotus feet, which is so soft that we think our breast as hard when Krsna puts His lotus feet. Still He’s walking.” They are absorbed in this thought. And they are crying. So they are so anxious to see Krsna back home in the evening that they are standing on the way, on the route, “Now Krsna is coming back with His…” This is Krsna consciousness. This is… Krsna cannot be absent from a devotee when he’s too much absorbed in Krsna thought. This is the process of Krsna consciousness. So here Kuntidevi is very much anxious that Krsna will be absent. But the effect will be, when Krsna will be absent physically, He will be more, I mean to say, accurately present within the mind of the devotee. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teaching is that vipralambha-seva. By His practical life. He’s finding out Krsna. Govinda-virahena me. Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me. What is that verse? Caksusa pravrsayitam, caksusa pravrsayitam, sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me. He’s crying like torrents of rain coming out of the eyes, and He’s feeling everything vacant for want of Krsna, separation. Vipralambha. So sambhoga and vipralambha. There are two stages of meeting Krsna. Sambhoga means when He’s personally present. That is called sambhoga. Personally talking, personally meeting, personally embracing, that is called sambhoga. And there is another, vipralambha. The two ways a devotee can be benefited. At the present moment, when we are in this material world, we do not see directly Krsna. We see Krsna… Just like I was explaining in the sea beach. We see Krsna indirectly. Just like if you see the Pacific Ocean, you can remember Krsna immediately if you are advanced. How you can remember Krsna? You can think of… That is called meditation. Not some rascaldom. This is meditation. Now you can think of the Pacific Ocean, that “Such a vast mass of water, and so many big, big waves. I am standing a few yards from it, but I am safe. I am safe.” Because I am confident that this ocean, however powerful it may be, however its waves are very fearful, I am sure it will not come up to this. How it is happening? Now yasyajnaya. By the order of Krsna. Krsna has ordered: “My dear Pacific Ocean, you may be very big and powerful, but you cannot come beyond this line.” You can remember immediately Krsna, God. God is so powerful that even this Pacific Ocean is abiding the order, obeying the order of Krsna. In this way you can think of Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. That is Krsna consciousness. You see the sunrise, immediately you can remember Krsna. If you have read Bhagavad-gita, it is stated there, prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh: “I am the shining of the sun. I am the shining of the moon.” So if you have learned how to see Krsna, you can see in the sunshine Krsna. You have not created the sunshine. You have not created the sun, you so-called scientists. You can talk all jugglery of words only. But it is beyond your capacity to know what is the sun. It is beyond your capacity. You cannot know. But you can know sastra-yonitvat. The Vedanta-sutra says, through the sastra. Just like in the Brahma-samhita, about the sun it is stated, yac caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami Now you study this Vedic literature, what is this sun. The sun is described as the eyes of all the planets. Now you think over, meditate. Yes, it is a fact. Because unless there is sunrise, then you cannot see at night. That is not possible. And what is the sun? Sun is the eyes of the Lord. This is one… Moon is one eyes, and the sun is one eye. And in Veda, in the Upanisad, it is said when Krsna sees, then you can see. When Krsna sees. So Krsna is seeing with His eyes the sun. Then you can see. This is fact. You cannot see anything if Krsna does not see. So you think over of the sun. Then what is the sun? Now it is the king of all planets, raja. Raja means king. Samasta-sura-murtih. And what is the nature? Asesa-tejah. Unlimitedly hot. Unlimitedly. Asesa-tejah. Then what is his function? Yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakrah. Sun has got his orbit. So God has ordered that “You just travel within this orbit. Not here, not here.” The scientists says that if the sun is moved a little this side the whole universe will be ablaze, and if it moves this side the whole universe will be frozen. But by the order of the Supreme, it is neither going even, even one ten-thousandth part of an inch, this side or this side. Exactly in the line. Exactly during, in the time, fixed time, at 5:30 it must rise. So there must be some discipline. There must be some obedience. There is some order. In this way the sastra says: yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakrah. By whose order the sun is moving in the orbit? Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **: “I worship that original person who is giving direction even to the sun, even to the ocean, even to the moon. Everything is going on under His order.” So where is the difficulty to understand God? There is no difficulty. If actually one is sane man, if he has got some brain substance, not stool substance, then he can understand God in every step, every step. Every step. Raso ’ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh sabdah khe… Everything is explained there. Why they speak lies, that “I have not seen God.” Why don’t you see God as God directs you to see? Why do you manufacture your own way? You cannot see God by your own way. That is not possible. Then you will remain always blind. That is happening at the present moment. The so- called philosophers and scientists, they are trying to see God in their own way. And it is being supported by rascals that “You can find out in your own way to see God.” That is not possible. You cannot see God in your own way. You have to se God by God’s way. Then you can see Him. It is not possible to see God in you… What you are? Just like if I want to see President Nixon, can I see him in my own way? Then how you can expect to see God in your own way? Is it not rascaldom? I cannot see even an ordinary man in big position in my own way. I have to apply, I have to take the sanction of the secretary, appoint some time, and so on, so on, and I am expecting to see God in my own way. And these rascals are supporting this view that “You can see God in your own way. As many ways you invent, they’re all bona fide.” This is rascaldom. So the world is full of rascals and fools. Therefore God consciousness, Krsna consciousness, has become a vague idea. Otherwise, if one wants to see God as Kuntidevi is requesting, that “You remain always…,” one can keep God always within his heart. He’s always there. Therefore we have to apply as it was done by Maharaja Ambarisa: sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane. We can use our senses in Krsna consciousness. First thing is that we have to fix up our mind on the lotus feet of Krsna. Then… Mind is the center of all sensual activities. If your mind is absent, in spite of having your eyes, you cannot see; in spite of having your ears, you cannot hear. Therefore mind is considered the eleventh sense. There are ten senses—five working and five knowledge-acquiring—and the mind is the center. So indriyani parany ahuh. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah [Bg. 3.42]. Krsna is explaining that we take the senses are very prominent. But beyond the senses there is another, superior thing. That is mind. Beyond this mind, there is intelligence. And beyond this intelligence, there is soul. So how they can appreciate existence of soul if they cannot understand the psychological movement of the mind? Behind that mind there is intelligence. They… Ultimate, utmost, they can approach to the intellectual platform. But one has to go beyond the intellectual platform to understand what is soul, or what is God. Otherwise, it is not possible. So everything is there, but we have to understand through the right channel. Therefore Vedic information is tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham [MU 1.2.12]. This is Vedic injunction, that if you are actually serious about understanding that supernatural transcendental subject matter, you must approach a bona fide spiritual master. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Los Angeles, May 1, 1973