Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.50 Pradyumna: Translation: “Draupadi also saw that her husbands, without caring for her, were leaving home. She knew well about Lord Vasudeva, Krsna, the Personality of Godhead. Both she and Subhadra became absorbed in thoughts of Krsna and attained the same results as their husbands.” Prabhupada: So draupadi-patinam. Patinam is plural number. So she had five husbands, all the brothers. We should not imitate that. This is possible by Draupadi, not by others. So although she had five husbands, the Pandavas—Maharaja Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva—but at the time of retirement, they did not care what will happen to their wife. The same husbands, when they saw that their wife was insulted in the assembly of the Kurus… Draupadi was insulted because they lost Draupadi in gambling. Just see. Gambling is so dangerous. The bet was the wife. The Pandavas and the Kurus were playing on chess. And they lost their kingdom, they lost their wife, then they were ordered to be banished for twelve years and one year incognito. The condition was, “Now the betting is that if you lose the game, then you will be banished for twelve years in the forest. And one year you have to remain incognito. Nobody will know where you are. If you are,” I mean to say, “picked up, if somebody knows you, recognizes you, ‘Here are the Pandavas,’ then again twelve year.” This is the previous condition of the Battle of Kuruksetra. The whole idea was to reject the five Pandavas and enthrone Duryodhana and his brothers. That was the diplomacy. So when they were living incognito… Nobody could know where the Pandavas were at, they attempted to gain Draupadi in the dress of brahmanas. Draupadi’s father made a bet, that “This is the condition of my daughter being given to a boy.” The condition was that on a ceiling a fish was hanging, and the boy who will be victorious in piercing the eyes of the fish by arrow… Not directly looking, but there was a waterpot, the reflection. He has to fix up his point by seeing the reflection down, and then he has to pierce the eye. Then Draupadi will accept. All the noted princes in those times, they kept such bet. Even Krsna had to marry Satyabhama… Satyabhama’s father also made a bet the, he kept very strong bulls. So condition was that “Any boy who will be able to control these bulls, then I will offer my daughter to him.” So all the princes who came to control the bulls, they got their hands and legs fractured by the pushing of the bull. Nobody could… Then Krsna came. And Krsna controlled the five bulls, expanding Himself into five strong boy, and He was offered Satyabhama. So in ksatriya marriage it was not so easy. The boy had to show how much powerful he is. Then the girl would be offered. Not only that; there will be killing. The opposite party may be killed. When there is fight, there is killing. And by killing, the blood is smeared over here. That is the red sign. That is the red sign, now used with vermillion. Not by killing. Yes, it has become… It is made easier. (laughter) Formerly the red sign was not so easy. There must be blood. That is ksatriya. Ksatriya means the fighting race, fighting caste, king, royal. They must be very chivalrous fighting, not timid. A ksatriya cannot be timid. Brahmanas ksatriyas, vaisyas, sudra, they are trained differently. Brahmana—for understanding Vedic knowledge and guide the other three subdivisions, namely ksatriyas, vaisyas, not sudras. Sudras were not supposed to understand Vedic knowledge. Especially brahmanas and ksatriyas. So the ksatriyas were very chivalrous. In every action there is fight. And this gambling was allowed for the ksatriyas. If the opposite party challenges, “I want to play with you gambling,” “Yes.” The ksatriya cannot deny. If somebody, opposite party comes, “I want to fight with you,” “Yes, come on.” Just like Jarasandha. Jarasandha was requested by Krsna and Arjuna and Bhima that “We have come to you to fight with you. Any one of us, you can select, and that is our request.” Jarasandha, he immediately accepted, “Yes.” So he rejected Krsna and Arjuna. He said, “Krsna is a coward. I do not wish to fight. And Arjuna, Arjuna is less strong then me, so I don’t wish to fight with him. Now, the only combatant is Bhima. So I shall fight with him.” So during daytime they would fight, all day. And after daytime they are friends. All these three gentlemen, Krsna, Arjuna and Bhima, were guests of Jarasandha. From evening, they will eat together, talk together, laugh together, and then in the morning they will fight. This is ksatriya spirit. So this Draupadi was achieved by Arjuna by piercing the eye of the fish. So when they came home in great jubilation, Arjuna said, “Mother…” No, Yudhisthira said, “Mother, we have got a great boon today.” So mother was affectionate. She said, “All right, my dear boys. Just equally share amongst your brothers.” So she was only woman. So by the order of Kunti, although Arjuna achieved the hand of Draupadi, by the order of mother, she was divided amongst the five brothers. Therefore patinam. Patinam. And when she was insulted, because she was lost in the gambling… Bet was that “This time if you lose, then your Draupadi should be lost.” So she was lost in that way. So Karna was refused to take part in the sporting, piercing the eyes of the fish, because Draupadi actually knew that “Arjuna is my real husband. So if Karna takes part in this sporting…” Karna was powerful. He would gain. But she did not like Karna. Therefore at that time she said that “This sporting is meant for the ksatriyas, not for the sudras.” Karna was known at that time as sudra. You will find all these stories in the Mahabharata. Karna was also Yudhisthira’s brother, born of Kunti before her marriage. So Kunti did not disclose that Karna was her son, but he was raised by a sudra. People knew that he was a sudra. So Karna had a grudge against Draupadi. Therefore he planned to place her in the gambling game. And when the Pandavas were lost, now he wanted to retaliate the insult given by Draupadi during her svayamvara. So he advised… He was friendly to Duryodhana and brothers. “Now this lady is lost. Now we can deal with her as we like. She is our property.” So she was lost. “So I want to see her naked in this assembly.” So vastra-harana. You know. But Krsna saved her. So Draupadi knows very well Krsna. Therefore it is said tadajnaya draupadi ca. And another side is that when… At the time of retirement, there is no more responsibility. Here is it said, patinam anapeksatam. They are retiring from home without any consideration, “What will happen to our wife Draupadi?” No. “Now everyone should take care of himself. We are also going alone.” This is retirement. Anapeksatam, without waiting for anyone, alone, simply depending on Krsna. This is called renounced order of life. So this is the process of retirement, not that to make arrangement in the family that “I am now retiring. You send me some money, and I shall maintain myself.” No. No dependence. Simply dependent on Krsna. Therefore it is said, ekanta-matir apa. Ekanta. Actually, Krsna saves us. Why we should depend on others? Krsna saves. Krsna says that “Anyone who is completely dependent upon Me,” yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg. 9.22], “I personally bring whatever his necessity is.” That is the promise of Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita. So renounced order means no more dependence on father, mother, husband, daughter. No. Completely dependent on Krsna. Ekanta. That is perfection. One who is fully convinced that “Krsna is with me…” Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]—“I will not have to search out Krsna anywhere. He is within me, within my heart.” There are so many instances. So cirani kim pathi na santi disanti bhiksam. Sukadeva Gosvami, he was wandering all over the world alone, naked, even no cloth. Simply while walking on the street early in the morning, he would stand anywhere, because in those days, every house, they had cows, and the time for milking is early in the morning. We are also milking cows in London, in our Letchmore Heath, early in the morning. That is the time. Here also the same system? Devotee: Oh, yes. Prabhupada: So any house he would stand before, and those who were milking, they would give him a glass of milk. That’s all, finished, for the whole day. That was Sukadeva Gosvami’s practice. So in this way one has to depend… In the renounced order of life, one has to depend completely on God. That’s all. That is renounced order. So here all the five husbands, how much responsible they were. Because their one wife was insulted, they declared the war, Battle of Kuruksetra, and killed the whole family. Similarly, Lord Ramacandra, His wife was kidnapped, Sita, by Ravana. So Lord Ramacandra is God. He would create many millions of Sitas. But no. For that one Sita, war was declared against Ravana, and the whole family dynasty, with kingdom, everything was finished. So this is the duty of the husband, that… Not like the modern days’ husband: marries for three months. One, the sixth month, they were no more husband. Separate. Not like that. Husband means who takes charge of the girl for life, and wife means the girl who has the resolution to serve the husband throughout life. That is husband and wife. And when the wife is in danger, the husband’s duty is to give protection, at any cost. That is husband-wife relationship. But when one is going to retire, that is another thing. Because life is divided into four parts: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. So woman has got three positions. They require protection. Women is never allowed to become renounced order of life. No. They are supposed to be under the care of somebody. So early age under the care of father, young age under the care of husband, and old age under the care of grown-up children, sons. This is woman’s position. They remain always under the care of. So Draupadi was being taken care of their husband, but when the husbands were going for renounced order of life, anapeksatam, without caring, she could understand, “Now I will be uncared for. No more… My husbands care no more in duty bound to give me protection.” She could understand. Tadajnaya. She could understand. And there is no such obligation. That is the sanction of the sastra. devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam na kinkaro nayam rni ca rajan sarvatmana yah saranam saranyam gato mukundam parihrtya kartam [SB 11.5.41] We have got so many duties. So long we are not fully surrendered to Krsna… It is not that this Krsna consciousness movement is to give shelter to some irresponsible man who does not carry the responsibilities of family life or brahmacari life. But that is now forgotten. Everything is topsy-turvied. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that krsna-bhakti, Krsna consciousness movement, may be offered even to the candala. Candala means the lowest of the human society, the dog-eaters. Candala. This is the, mean, the benefit of Krsna consciousness, that this Krsna consciousness movement can be accepted by anyone, and it can be bestowed to anyone, without any discrimination, without any discrimination. And that is happening. We have no discrimination that “This movement is meant for such-and-such class of men or such-and-such nation or such- and-such country.” No. It is meant for everyone. And anyone who takes to the shelter of Krsna consciousness, he is happy. This Krsna consciousness movement means… That is also explained here. Ekanta-matir apa: simply to concentrate one’s mind on Krsna. Vasudeve bhagavati hy ekanta-matir apa tam. vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam [SB 1.2.7] This is the benefit of becoming Krsna conscious. Vasudeve bhagavati. Vasudeva, Krsna, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah. One who takes shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna by bhakti-yoga process… Vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah… [SB 1.2.7] When applied… Janayaty asu vairagyam. Because in the human form of life, two things are required. That is perfection: jnanam vairagyam. Jnanam means knowledge, and vairagyam means detachment. When one has full knowledge, then he becomes detached to this material world. We are suffering in this material world because we have got attachment. And the attachment is by nature’s law, man’s attachment for woman, woman’s attachment for man. This is attachment. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. The central point is sex, and that is the attachment. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam. The whole world, this material world, is moving. What is the central point? Sex attachment. So one has to become free from this attachment. That is called vairagya. Vairagya. So if one can give up this attachment from very beginning of life, that is brahmacari. A brahmacari is trained that “Don’t be attached. You will save so much time and save your life.” That is brahmacari life. Because this attachment is the continuation of our material life. We have got different attachment, different varieties of attachment. The central point is sex. Therefore school, college means that to train the students how to become detached. That is the school, college. That is brahmacari system. A brahmacari should live under the guidance of the spiritual master as menial servant, and whatever he collects, he would give to the spiritual master. If the spiritual master says, “Now you can eat,” then he will eat; otherwise he will starve. He will not take the things of spiritual master by his own hand. First of all… No. This is the austerity of brahmacari. And no meeting with young girls. Even the wife of the spiritual master is young, the brahmacari is not allowed to go there. There are so many. These are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. But these things are not now possible. Everything is topsy-turvied. There is no regular training of the human being. They are being trained up like cats’ and dogs’ life. Cats and dogs, they don’t require training. Because what is the modern civilization? Eating, sleeping, sex life, and dying. It does not require any education. Just like these children. When I distribute these cookies, it does not require… Immediately spreads the hand and immediately in the mouth. (laughter) So for eating, there is no necessity of training. Everyone knows. Similarly, sleeping also, everyone knows. And similarly sex intercourse everyone knows. And dying there is no question. (laughter) So where is the education? Where is the necessity of education for these things? Rascals. You are enhancing advancement of knowledge how to eat, how to sleep, how to sex life, and how to die. Where is the necessity of education for these things? There is no necessity. Anyone—animals, man, birds, beasts, insects—they know all these thing. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. It does not require any education. If there is education for this purpose, that is for restraining. Just like in human society. There is education for sex life, marriage. What is that marriage? Marriage means restricting sex life to one. That is education. If you are not restricted in that way, then you are animal. That is education. But… Because sex life does not require any college education, but if there is education in sex life, not to increase the propensity of sex life, but to reduce it… To reduce it. So these four things, primary necessities of the living entity, eating, sleeping, mating, it does not require any education. If there is education… People may say, “Why there is description how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life?” It is for decreasing. Just like… In your it is different. At least in our country it was… Just like drinking. Drinking, you can manufacture wine, liquor at home. Anyone can do it. It is not very difficult. In India, the lower class of men, the sanotalas, so they make… They simply moist some rice overnight and boil it, and then ferment it for few days. Then it becomes nice wine. So it is not very difficult. Everyone can manufacture. But why the government restricts, “You cannot manufacture at home. You must purchase from the licensed shop”? The meaning is to restrict. Otherwise everyone will do that. So when there is sastra sanctioning for this eating, sleeping, mating, that means to restrict. Pravrttir esa bhutanam nivrttes tu maha-phala. This inclination is natural, but when there is regulative principle, that means to restrict. Because the whole human society is supposed to be advanced in the art of detachment, jnana-vairagyam. That is perfection. First of all knowledge, perfect knowledge, that “I am not this body. I am simply wasting my time taking care of this body, but I am different from the body.” That is natural. Suppose you are sitting in some place. If you know that place does not belong to you, then why should you take so much care? You ar e sitting there for some business. Finish, and go. Similarly, if one is in knowledge, full knowledge, that “I am not this body,” that is called jnana. Then why he should be bothering so much for this body which is going to be, as I explained yesterday, either ash, or stool or earth? This is the last stage of this body. So the real thing is the soul. Dehino ’smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. So we should take care. Just like we can take care of this hat and coat by soaping it, but we must take care of myself, the body which is putting on this hat and coat. Similarly, this material body is hat and coat. Real is the spirit soul. So what is the necessity of the spirit soul? The necessity of spirit soul, because it is part and parcel of Krsna, he is hankering to unite with Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness movement. That is Krsna conscious… The soul is hankering after uniting with the supreme soul. That is natural. You study your body. Why do you love your body? Or why do you love your son’s body? So long the spirit soul is there. As soon as the spirit soul is off, you do not care for the son’s body or daughter’s body or your wife’s body. Then who is the lovable object? The soul. It is very natural to understand. Why don’t you love a dead body? Because the soul is not there. The soul is the object of your love, not this body. And why you take care of the soul? Because it is part and parcel of Krsna. Therefore Krsna is the ultimate object of love. That is Krsna consciousness. But they do not know. So these Pandavas were trained up very nicely. Therefore vasudeve bhagavati hy ekanta-matir apa tam. They knew that “Ultimately, Krsna is everything.” Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah: [Bg. 7.19] “Anyone who understands that ultimately Krsna, Vasudeva, is everything,” sa mahatma sudurlabhah, “such person is very rare, mahatma, great soul.” So all these Pandavas were great soul, and they ultimately… Retirement means no more material affairs. We are active on the platform of this bodily consciousness. That is also required for some time, not for all the time. The aim is to work for the soul. But because now we are covered by this material body, so we have to utilize the best use of a bad bargain. It is a bargain, that we have got this material body. But because… Just like you take care of your car because you, the spirit soul, will utilize it for going here and there. Without a man being interested going by car, nobody takes care. Similarly, this is also a car given by nature. isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61] This is a yantra, machine. So in this way we have to understand the Krsna consciousness movement. Then everyone will be happy, not only in this life, next life also. That is Krsna consciousness movement. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Los Angeles, December 27, 1973