Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.41-42 Devotee: “After reaching his own camp, Arjuna, along with his dear friend and charioteer (Sri Krsna), entrusted the murderer unto his dear wife, who was lamenting for her murdered sons. “Sri Suta Gosvami said: Draupadi then saw Asvatthama, who was bound with ropes like an animal and silent for having enacted the most inglorious murder. Due to her female nature, and due to her being naturally good and well-behaved, she showed him due respects as a brahmana.” Prabhupada: You read the purport also. Pradyumna: Both verses? Prabhupada: Yes. (Pradyumna reads purport) athopetya sva-sibiram govinda-priya-sarathih nyavedayat tam priyayai socantya atma-jan hatan tathahrtam pasuvat pasa-baddham avan-mukham karma-jugupsitena niriksya krsnapakrtam guroh sutam vama-svabhava krpaya nanama ca So this is already explained in the purport that woman’s nature is very mild, and man’s nature very strong. That is the difference. Therefore according to Vedic civilization, the woman must be protected because they are very simple. They can be led to goodness also very easily, and they can be polluted also very easily. By nature, they are very simple. Therefore sastra says that… Just like child. If you mold the character of a child from the very beginning, then he can become a great man. Similarly, if you train woman from the very beginning how to become chaste and faithful to the husband, they can become a very good mother, very good asset in the family. So there is sufficient information in the Vedic literatures how a man should be trained up, a boy should be trained up, a girl should be trained up, so that in future they may become happy. The ultimate aim of life is how to become connected with Krsna. That is the ultimate. Athato brahma jijnasa. If I say to anybody that “Your ultimate goal of life is to understand Krsna or Visnu,” naturally there will be inquiries: “Who is Krsna? What is Krsna? What does He do?” So many questions. That question is recommended in the Vedanta-sutra, athato brahma jijnasa. That is life. So the boys and girls should be trained up how to inquire about the ultimate goal of life, Krsna or Visnu. That they do not know in the modern civilization. That they do not know. Not merely in the modern civilization. In the past also, those who were entrapped by the modes of material nature, ahankara-vimudhatma, the material conception of life, false ego… Ahankara this is called… Ahankara there is. But when we are in a false ahankara, that is our cause of all trouble, miseries. Ahankara, ahan… If we become entrapped in false ahankara, then we are vimudhatma, entrapped by nature. That is the difficulty. So what is that false ahankara? The false ahankara is that “I am this body.” This is false ahankara. “I am this body.” “I am Indian.” “I am American.” “I am brahmana.” “I am ksatriya.” “I am sannyasi.” “I am brahmacari.” And so on, so on, so on, so on. All designation of this body. This is false ahankara. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us how to become free from the false ahankara. He said that naham vipro na yatir va: “I am not a brahmana. I am not a sannyasi. I am not a grhastha. I am not a vanaprastha. I am not this. I am not that.” All material designations He refused, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. “I am not this, I am not this, I am not this.” Even if I am very much proud of becoming a brahmana or I become very much proud of becoming a sannyasi… That is the highest stage of human status, to become a brahmana or sannyasi. Sannyasi is supposed to be the guru of everyone. There are four varnas and four asramas. Brah… [break] …and ksatriya. And in the spiritual order, the sannyasi is guru of all, even of the brahmana. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that “I am neither brahmana nor sannyasi.” He refused. Naham vipro na ca nara-patir na yatir va. Yati means sannyasi. So He refused. So this is false. Even if you become very much proud that you are a very learned brahmana or very advanced sannyasi, that is not your freedom. You are not yet liberated. You are still in conditional life. Then? When you become liberated? That is stated by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah. This is liberation. Gopi-bhartuh, the maintainer of the gopis, Gopijana-vallabha. Krsna’s business is how to please the gopis, the inhabitants of Vrndavana. Yasoda-nandana vraja-jana-ranjana. As the vrndavana-vasis, they have no other business than to love Krsna, similarly, Krsna has no other business than to please the gopis and the inhabitants of Vrndavana. Gopijana-vallabha. So how…? Why Krsna is so much attached to vrndavana-vasis? As soon as there was some difficulty—we read it from Bhagavatam —as soon as there is some fire… The vrndavana-vasis, they do not know anyone but Krsna, and Krsna devours the fire. As soon as there is torrents of rain, Vrndavana was going to be overflooded, Krsna immediately came to their rescue and lifted the Govardhana Hill: “Come under Me.” That is Gopi-jana-vallabha. They do not know anything. They do not know even that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they do not like to love anybody than Krsna. This is their only qualification. They did not love Krsna understanding that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, param brahma param dhama [Bg. 10.12] They did not know this. But they did not like to love even Visnu than Krsna. That is their qualification. Gopi-jana-vallabha. So when we come to that stage, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teaching, the gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayoh. He’s also bringing the reference of the gopis because Krsna is completely under gopis. He’s so much indebted to the gopis that He said that “I cannot repay your debts. It is not possible.” Krsna, the all-powerful, all-opulences, but He had no means to repay the debts of the gopis. This is the position of the gopis. Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends, ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. There is no other better shape of worshiping Krsna than it was planned by the gopis. Ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita. This is the highest. In the same say, He says, gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa… Gopi-jana-vallabha. Gopi-jana-vallabha is Krsna; pada-kamalayoh, one who has taken shelter. Don’t try to become gopis. No. Rather try to become the dust of the lotus feet of the gopis. Gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah. Just like Uddhava. Uddhava wanted to become one grass in Vrndavana because the gopis will trample over it. This is the highest perfection. So liberation… Liberation means gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasanudasah. The more you become servant of the servant, servant of Vaisnava, then your perfection is there. That is perfection. Our, the Vedic injunction is just try to understand yourself, aham brahmasmi. That is a fact. But if I simply try to become aham brahmasmi without knowing the full philosophy, then I shall be fallen again, that “I am equal to God.” Aham brahmasmi means “I am the Supreme God,” as the Mayavadis, they think that liberation means “I become one with God.” No. That is not your position. You cannot become… That is another maya. That is the last dictation of maya: “Why you shall become the servant of gopi-bhartuh? You become God.” That is maya. That is the last snare of maya. Therefore they fall down. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah [SB 10.2.32]. Anadrta. With great austerity, penances and vairagya, they can go up to the param padam. Param padam means Brahman. Nirvisesa-brahman. Not in the material existence, but in the spiritual existence. Aruhya. They can rise up to that. Aham brahmasmi: to understand that “I am not this matter, I am Brahman.” But unless one takes shelter of the gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa, he’ll fall down. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.32]. Why? Anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah. Because one does not know, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches, that gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah. He falls down. He has no shelter. Anadrta-yusmad-anghrayah. So we must always remember that if we want to be recognized by Krsna, if we want to become inhabitants of Vrndavana, then we must take this lesson given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah. So to endeavor to become gopis, that is also Mayavadi, that “I shall become gopis.” No. You have to become the servant of the servant of the servant of gopis. That is… Otherwise, the same ahankara. Ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. Then again we’ll be misled. This is material disease. Everyone is full of some ahankara: “I am this,” “I am this,” “I am brahmana,” “I am a sannyasi,” “I am lord,” “I am this.” So many things. So long this mentality will continue, then that is maya. Ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. Actually, he is not that position. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches from the very beginning, jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Unless you come to that point, that “I am eternal servant of Krsna,”… That is real knowledge. This knowledge is achieved bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. Ante. Ante means at the end of many, many births’ endeavor. Jnanavan. Not foolish rascals, but jnanavan. Then bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate. This gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah. After many, many births. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches from this point, that you are dasa. Give up this idea that you are independent master, or one with God, or so many rascal ideas. That is not good. It begins with this point. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches that jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches from the point when Bhagavad-gita ends. Bhagavad-gita says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is the relationship. We are trying to become master here, everyone. Krsna says, “You give up this idea. You are planning so many things, to become master of the world, ‘I am the monarch of all I survey.’ Give up this idea. Then you’ll be in proper position.” Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg. 18.66]. That means “I am master. If you want to be peaceful, then accept this proposition that I am master; you are servant.” Therefore Yamunacarya said, kadaham aikantika-nitya-kinkarah praharsayisyami sanatha-jivitam: “I have troubled myself in so many lives, therefore,” bhavantam evanucaran nirantarah prasanta-nihsesa-mano-rathantarah. He’s praying, “My Lord, when I shall be constantly Your servant?” Bhavantam evanucaran nirantarah. Nirantara means “always.” Prasanta-nihsesa-mano-rathantarah. We are being conducted by the mental speculation. So completely santa, no more mental speculation. Bhavantam evanucaran nirantarah prasanta-nihsesa-mano-rathantarah. Kadaham aikantika-nitya-kinkarah. “When I shall become the most attentive servant,” aikantika, “no other business?” Kadaham aikantika-nitya… Praharsayisyami: “I shall become engladdened,” praharsayisyami. Sanatha-jivitam. Sanatha. Those who are not Krsna conscious, they are anatha. Anatha, just you know anatha. Anatha means no father, mother, no protection. That is called anatha. And he’s aspiring to become sanatha. Sanatha means, “Yes, I have got my protector. Krsna will protect me.” Praksisyati iti visvasa-palanam(?). “Yes, I am surrendered to Krsna and He’ll give me protection.” This is surrender. Saranagati means… This is one of the item of saranagati, that “I have surrendered to Krsna fully. So Krsna says aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami. Then I am fully protected. He’ll give me protection.” To believe in this word of Krsna, that is fully surrender. So it is not theoretical—practical. Just like in our Krsna consciousness movement, even in America they inquire, these, our devotees, “How is that you do not work? You simply dance and you get big, big buildings, and you have got so many cars, and you eat nicely.” They are surprised. Why surprising? Sanatha-jivitam. We are under Krsna’s protection. Why shall I live poverty poorly? No. Krsna’s servant must have the whole opulence. Because sanatha-jivitam. This is Krsna consciousness. So don’t forget this philosophy. If you surrender fully to Krsna… And Krsna is always anxious, Gopi-jana- vallabha, Vraja-jana-ranjana. So to love Krsna, to be fully under Krsna’s control, that is gopi-jana-vallabha, that is gopi-jana. And He’s always anxious. Sanatha-jivitam. In all respect, you simply remain under the control of Krsna, fully under the shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, then all happiness will be available without any endeavor. That is svarupena vyavasthitih. That is called mukti. Mukti means to live in this condition, that “I am Krsna’s eternal servant. He will give me all protection. My only business is to carry out His order.” This is called mukti. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vrndavana, October 2, 1976