Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:   Chapter 7 - Knowledge of the Absolute

TEXT 12

                         ye caiva sattvika bhava
                          rajasas tamasas ca ye
                         matta eveti tan viddhi
                         na tv aham tesu te mayi

WORD FOR WORD
   ye--all which; ca--and; eva--certainly; sattvikah--in goodness; bhavah--states of being; rajasah--in the mode of passion; tamasah--in the mode of ignorance; ca--also; ye--all which; mattah--from Me; eva--certainly; iti--thus; tan--those; viddhi--try to know; na--not; tu--but; aham--I; tesu--in them; te--they; mayi--in Me.
 

TRANSLATION
   Know that all states of being--be they of goodness, passion or ignorance--are manifested by My energy. I am, in one sense, everything, but I am independent. I am not under the modes of material nature, for they, on the contrary, are within Me.
 

PURPORT by HDG Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad:
   All material activities in the world are being conducted under the three modes of material nature. Although these material modes of nature are emanations from the Supreme Lord, Krsna, He is not subject to them. For instance, under the state laws one may be punished, but the king, the lawmaker, is not subject to that law. Similarly, all the modes of material nature--goodness, passion and ignorance--are emanations from the Supreme Lord, Krsna, but Krsna is not subject to material nature. Therefore He is nirguna, which means that these gunas, or modes, although issuing from Him, do not affect Him. That is one of the special characteristics of Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 - His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

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Prabhupada Uvacha:
(here's some nectar, sometimes it comes in the form of Srutakirti prabhu's diary, other times from Govinda dasi's diary, Hari Sauri prabhu's Transcendental Diary, Bhurijan prabhu's book, or sometimes from a letter, or other related source, but still nectar...)

Prabhupada Days

Indian people, by their culture, are trained to accept, respect and even love a guru. Of course, there is no such tradition in the West. Srila Prabhupada evoked immense affection and dedication in his disciples, who were drawn to him simply by his purity, compassion and other tremendous spiritual qualities. East and West, outsiders were astonished by the guru-bhakti of his followers. That effusive love for Prabhupada startled regular airport-goers as it burst out in an unrestrained overflow of weeping, leaping, drums, kartalas, flowers, and roars of "Jaya Prabhupada! Jaya Prabhupada!." The devotees were so anxious to see Prabhupada that they were hardly aware others existed, let alone mind what they thought. That weeping was real. The devotees not only showed their love at exuberant airport arrivals, but also day after day in the streets, parking lots, shopping malls, and airports, ardently passing out Prabhupada's books.

Srila Prabhupada brought waves of spiritual ecstasy. When Prabhupada was personally present, the movement had a very special atmosphere. Walking off the street into a temple was like directly entering the spiritual world. Devotees were so innocent, almost naive it might seem, but they had firm faith in Prabhupada and Krsna and their faces shone. Everything was "nectar," "ecstasy," "bliss" -- really. Sure, there were falldowns, jockeying for position at the top, and so on. Still, the atmosphere was joyful, confident -- "simply wonderful." "Everything's OK because Prabhupada is here."

What bliss and "luxury" to count on seeing Prabhupada at least a few times a year! We called that "serving in separation." Nowadays there is no such hope of catching up with Prabhupada in Atlanta, or at least seeing him once a year in India. We did not know how much we had until we lost it. What we have now is also very deep and wonderful, and can be filled with Prabhupada consciousness.

The devotees at the Mayapura festival would hang on Prabhupada's every word and discuss them and desire to carry them out. There were inevitable clashes of false ego and power politics among the leaders who sought to be "prominent," although Prabhupada said that was material. But with an astounding ability to manage us all, Prabhupada extracted service from each person, and kept us together as a more or less harmonious camp. Everything was for Krsna and for spreading Krsna consciousness to the world. For our vision we looked to Srila Prabhupada. We all acknowledged that we could not see, but we had full faith that he could see. He was compassionate for the suffering of the world; he could defeat the nonsense. No one could defeat him. We walked beside him on the morning walks like little children, and yet like soldiers ready to fight the enemy on his word. From "ISKCON in the 1970's" by Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami

- From the "My Memories of Srila Prabhupada" by HH Bhakti Vikas Swami

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Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
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Listen to Srila Prabhupad on-line
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"Demoniac-Disturbing & Disturbed"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.14
Mayapur, February 21, 1976

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Prabhupada: Ananda. What you have written? Nirvrti means pleasure.

Dayananda: What is it?

Prabhupada: Ananda, pleasure. They are taking pleasure.

Dayananda: Pleasure.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Dayananda: Nirvrtim... [break] translation: "My Lordship Nrsimhadeva, who can, therefore, stop Your anger? Now my father, Hiranyakasipu, the great demon, being killed, as the saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of the scorpion and the snake..."

Prabhupada: What is the beginning? Tad yaccha? Hm? Tad yaccha. "Give up that anger." What you have written?

Dayananda: It says, "Who can, therefore, stop Your anger?"

Prabhupada: No, no. "Please, therefore, give up Your anger."

Hrdayananda: "Please, therefore, give up your anger."

Dayananda: Oh. "Please, therefore, stop your anger. Now my father, Hiranyakasipu, the great demon, being killed, as the saintly persons who take pleasure in the killing of the scorpion and the snake, similarly, all the saintly persons have achieved great satisfaction on account of the demon's death. Now they are confident of their happiness. They shall always remember about Your auspicious incarnation."

Prabhupada: "Of Nrsimhadeva."

tad yaccha manyum asuras ca hatas tvayadya
modeta sadhur api vrscika-sarpa-hatya
lokas ca nirvrtim itah pratiyanti sarve
rupam nrsimha vibhayaya janah smaranti
 [SB 7.9.14]

So Prahlada Maharaja is requesting Nrsimhadeva, "Now the business is finished. My father, the great demon, Hiranyakasipu..." He said, asuras ca hatas. He... Such a great Vaisnava, he is not calling Hiranyakasipu his father. And in other place also he addressed his father, na sadhu manye asura-varya. He never said, "My father." He said, "The greatest of the asuras." He was so bold. The father was such a great demon, and he was not addressing him as father, and the father was becoming more and more angry upon him. This indicates that a person who is a demon, not devotee, he's not worth calling a father. That sort of father should be avoided. Pita na sa syat. People are affectionate to father and mother, and they hesitate how to give up... Especially boys give up the company of family, father and mother, take to Krsna consciousness. But here, in the sastra, it is said, if the father is demon or a mother is demon or a friend is demon or a family member is demon, they should not be accepted as relative. Pita na sa syaj janani na sa syad gurur na sa syat. Even guru. If you have accepted somebody as guru but he's a demon, he should be rejected immediately, immediately. Just like in India there is a system of jata-guru, the guru by caste. By familywise, they become guru. One family is attached to another guru family by hereditary rules, the sons after sons accepting guru, the other party, and there is regular business. So such kind of guru is not wanted.

Sri Jiva Gosvami has recommended that laukika-guru... This is laukika-guru. Parityagena adhyatmika paramarthika, guru accepted. Guru has to be accepted who is actually paramarthika, advanced in spiritual knowledge, not the formality. That is recommended by Jiva Gosvami. Parityagena. Parityaga vidhiyate. Sastra says, "If the guru does not know the right thing, he can be given up." So what is the right thing? Right thing is to become devotee. First of all the sastric injunction is that anyone who is not a devotee, he cannot become guru. He cannot become guru. Avaisnava, he cannot become guru. He must be a Vaisnava. Then he... Sat-karma-nipuno vipro mantra-tantra-visaradah. A brahmana, born in a brahmana family, not brahmana but in a brahmana family, or even brahmana, because qualified, sat-karma-nipunah... Brahmana has six kinds of livelihood, sat-karma. Pathana pathana yajana yajana dana-pratigraha. A brahmana, well qualified, he must be a very learned scholar, pathana. And he must be able to make his disciple also very learned. Pathana pathana. He must worship the Deity, yajana yajana. And he should worship for others also, yajana yajana. Dana-pratigraha: he should accept charity from disciples and others, and again distribute it. Dana-pratigraha. A brahmana is supposed to be..., always remain a beggar. Even if he gets lakhs and lakhs of rupees, he spends it for Krsna consciousness. That is the sign of brahmana. So even such brahmana, if he's not Vaisnava, then he cannot become a guru. Avaisnava.

sat-karma-nipuna-vipro
mantra-tantra-visaradah
avaisnavo gurur na sa syat...

And sad-vaisnava svapaco guruh. If a person is born in the low-grade family and has become a Vaisnava, he becomes guru. This is sastric injunction, and that is the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that "You become a guru." He does not say, "Because you are brahmana or a ksatriya, you become guru. No. "Every one of you, become a guru." How? Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] You simply learn the science of Krsna and teach it; then you become guru.

So because this Hiranyakasipu was not a Vaisnava, so Prahlada Maharaja declined to call him, address him, as father. No. This is pita na syat... "He is not my father." So he is addressing that tad yaccha manyum: "Now my Lord, Nrsimhadeva, You have not cause to become angry, because the person upon whom You are so angry, that asura, my father, Hiranyakasipu, is now killed. So business is finished." So the question may be that... Lord Nrsimhadeva may ask that "I have killed your father, so your relative may be unhappy? Therefore I'm angry. Why they are angry upon...? They're unhappy. I have killed a demon." So Prahlada Maharaja says, "No, no, no. That is not the case. Nobody is unhappy. Nobody is unhappy. By killing my father Hiranyakasipu, I am not unhappy and nobody is unhappy." Tad yaccha manyum asuras ca hatas tvaya daya: "By You, by Your grace..." "So if you are not happy, why?" Now, modeta sadhur api vrscika-sarpa-hatya: "Why they should be unhappy? Because the sadhu, a saintly person does not like that anyone should be killed, even an ant." That is sadhu. A sadhu does not want to kill even an ant. But in the case of vrscika-sarpa-hatya, they are happy. They are happy. Vrscika, scorpion, and sarpa...

So long, long ago, sometimes in the year 1933 in this Caitanya Math, there was a big snake came out in my front. I was taking bath. So everyone was looking what to do. So Guru Maharaja was on the upstair. He immediately ordered, "Kill him." So it was killed. So at that time, 1933, I was newcomer. So I thought, "How that? Guru Maharaja ordered this snake to be killed?" I was little surprised. But later on, when I saw this verse, I was very glad. Modeta sadhur api vrscika-sarpa-hatya [SB 7.9.14]. It remained a doubt, "How Guru Maharaja ordered a snake to be killed?" But when I read this verse I was very much pleased, that these creatures, or creatures like the snake, they should not be shown any mercy. No. And Canakya Pandita said there are two kinds of cruel creatures. One kind is a sarpah krurah. The snake is very cruel. Sarpah krurah, khalah krurah. And khala, a person who has awakened the quality like snake... Then there is no fault. Why a snake is called so cruel? Because unnecessarily they bite. If somebody commits some offense unto you, if you bite me, that is reasonable. But I have no fault, but you are biting me. The vrscika, scorpion, and snake, they do that, without any offense. A man is passing, an animal is passing -- unnecessarily it bites, without offense. A man is sleeping -- it bites. Therefore they are very dangerous. Similarly, there are men also like the snake -- without any fault, they bite, without any fault. If I do something faulty, you can punish me, bite. But without any fault, if you bite me... So therefore Canakya Pandita says, sarpah krurah-khalah krurah sarpat kruratarah khalah. Such person is called khala, envious, jealous.

So there are two living creatures. One is snake, and one is jealous or envious person. So Canakya Pandita said, sarpat kruratarah khalah: "This man, envious man, is more dangerous than the snake. Than the snake." Why? He's a human being. Yes, because he's human being and he has got developed consciousness and he has practiced to use the developed consciousness for becoming jealous, He's more dangerous than the snake. So therefore he concludes, mantrausadhi-vasah sarpah khalah kena nivaryate. The snake, although by nature he is so..., still, he can be controlled by mantra and some herbs. In India they still do that. But this khalah, the person jealous, he cannot be pacified any means. Therefore he's more dangerous than the snake. A person who has become jealous and envious, he cannot be controlled either by mantra or by bribe or this or that. No. Sarpat kruratarah khalah. So Prahlada Maharaja said, "My Lord, nobody is unhappy, even the saintly person. Saintly person, we common man, we may be unhappy -- 'Oh, my father is killed' -- or my mother may be unhappy that 'My husband is killed.' But be sure, my father was a khalah. Unnecessarily he was envious of Your Lordship, so he was more dangerous than the snake and the scorpion. Therefore by killing him You have satisfied everyone, even one is saintly person. So there is no question of becoming angry still. By this action everyone is happy, so don't consider any other. You become now pacified." Tad yaccha manyum asuras ca hatas tvayadya modeta sadhur api vrscika-sarpa-hatya [SB 7.9.14].

"But still may be others, unhappy, may not be your family, because you were also tortured, but others that are killed, such a demon, big, powerful..." So Prahlada Maharaja said, lokas ca nirvrtim itah: "Everyone is satisfied, even the higher planets, the demigods and everyone." Nirvrtim itah pratiyanti: "They are waiting only just to see You pacified." Sarve rupam nrsimha. "But is not this form very fearful to anyone? You may not be afraid of, others?" Prahlada Maharaja assures, "No, no. Nobody is fearful. This fearful appearance of Your Lordship is very pleasing to the devotees because as soon as they are in fearful condition, they will remember Your this Nrsimha form and they will be out of that. It is so pleasing." Just like we..., ito nrsimha, tato nrsimha yato yato yami... So our only shelter is Nrsimhadeva. This world is very, very dangerous. Padam padam yad vipadam [SB 10.14.58]. In very step there is danger. Every step there is envious creatures. You cannot live here peacefully. Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. Krsna says. It is a place simply for suffering, and that also not permanent. You cannot make any comprise that "All right, it is suffering. That's all right. Still, I shall stay here." No, that is also not possible. Asasvatam. You have to die. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. You cannot solve these problems, miserable condition. Ultimately you have to die.

So people do not understand. Therefore they are called mudhas. They are simply making arrangement how to become happy. It is not possible to become happy here. That's a fact. But still they are. Therefore they are called mudhas, rascals. Which will never be possible, and they are trying for that. You see, whole world is trying to be happy. They are discovering so many technological arts, but they are dying. They cannot. They have invented horseless carriage, having very, I mean to say, speedy carriages, but there are so many dangers. Every moment the life can go, the motor accident. It is happening in the Western country. So whatever you do for the advancement of material civilization, you are one side increasing more danger. If you did not discover these aeroplane and motorcar, then death would not have been so easier. You could live at least for some days. But because you have discovered some facilities, your death is also very become near. So this is prakrti. You are trying to solve the problem in one way, and the problem is becoming more dangerous and difficult by the laws of nature. That these rascals cannot find even. They continually working. There is a verse in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, pasyann api na pasyati. They are so big rascals that pasyann api na pasyati: even they are seeing every moment that "All our endeavors are being baffled," still, they'll try for it. They'll try for it, again and again. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30]. These things are... Punah punah, again and again, chewing the chewed, this is their business. Therefore they are called mudhas. The mudhas, they do not find that "All our attempt..."

Therefore the sastra advises, "You simply make one attempt, how to advance in Krsna consciousness. Otherwise you are not..." Only one thing. That chance you cannot get in other form of life, that a cat, dog, you do not get this. And what is that? Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah [SB 1.5.18]. By the laws of nature you are getting different types of body in different planets, in different situation and so on, so on, eight million, four hun... You are loitering in this way, but you could not get Krsna consciousness. Now here is the chance, human form of life, and the Krsna consciousness movement is there. Take it seriously. Tasyaiva hetoh prayeteta kovidah. If you are actually intelligent -- kovido means very intelligent -- then you take. You must. Krsna yei bhaje sei bada catura: "Anyone who takes to Krsna consciousness, he's first-class intelligent person." All other: fools, rascals. You can call them. There is no harm. They are actually fools and rascal, who has not taken. And it is not our manufactured word. Krsna said, na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. Anyone who is not surrendered to Krsna, anyone who is not Krsna conscious, he is rascal, he's sinful, he's lowest of the mankind, he has no knowledge, he's gone to hell. This is our conclusion. Sometimes they come to fight us tlat "Sir, you said such a great man, 'rascal.' " But we must say, "Yes, he is a rascal. Where is his greatness?" Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna [SB 5.18.12]. Anyone who is not Krsna conscious, he cannot be a great man. This is our conclusion. There is no question. Immediately, as soon as you see he's against Krsna, or he does not know Krsna, then he's a rascal, That's all.

na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrtajnana
asuri-bhavam...
 [Bg. 7.15]

So this Hiranyakasipu was a great rascal. So he is killed. Everybody is happy. So this is the position. Prahlada Maharaja is requesting Lord Nrsimhadeva, "Now everyone is happy, so kindly be peaceful."

Hare Krsna. Thank you. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.14 -- Mayapur, February 21, 1976

...this sankirtana or street chanting must go on, it is our ... most
important program.

Lettert to Bali Mardana and Pusta Krsna 1972