Srimad Bhagavad Gita AS IT IS

Bhagavad Gita:   Chapter 7 - Knowledge of the Absolute

TEXT 15
                         na mam duskrtino mudhah
                         prapadyante naradhamah
                           mayayapahrta-jnana
                          asuram bhavam asritah

 WORD FOR WORD

   na--not; mam--unto Me; duskrtinah--miscreants; mudhah--foolish; prapadyante--surrender; nara-adhamah--lowest among mankind; mayaya--by the illusory energy; apahrta--stolen; jnanah--whose knowledge; asuram--demonic; bhavam--nature; asritah--accepting.

TRANSLATION
   Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me.

PURPORT by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad:

   It is said in Bhagavad-gita that simply by surrendering oneself unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality Krsna one can surmount the stringent laws of material nature. At this point a question arises: How is it that educated philosophers, scientists, businessmen, administrators and all the leaders of ordinary men do not surrender to the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, the all-powerful Personality of Godhead? Mukti, or liberation from the laws of material nature, is sought by the leaders of mankind in different ways and with great plans and perseverance for a great many years and births. But if that liberation is possible by simply surrendering unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then why don't these intelligent and hard-working leaders adopt this simple method?

   The Gita answers this question very frankly. Those really learned leaders of society like Brahma, Siva, Kapila, the Kumaras, Manu, Vyasa, Devala, Asita, Janaka, Prahlada, Bali, and later on Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, Sri Caitanya and many others--who are faithful philosophers, politicians, educators, scientists, etc.--surrender to the lotus feet of the Supreme Person, the all-powerful authority. Those who are not actually philosophers, scientists, educators, administrators, etc., but who pose themselves as such for material gain, do not accept the plan or path of the Supreme Lord. They have no idea of God; they simply manufacture their own worldly plans and consequently complicate the problems of material existence in their vain attempts to solve them. Because material energy (nature) is so powerful, it can resist the unauthorized plans of the atheists and baffle the knowledge of "planning commissions."

   The atheistic planmakers are described herein by the word duskrtinah, or "miscreants." Krti means one who has performed meritorious work. The atheist planmaker is sometimes very intelligent and meritorious also, because any gigantic plan, good or bad, must take intelligence to execute. But because the atheist's brain is improperly utilized in opposing the plan of the Supreme Lord, the atheistic planmaker is called duskrti. which indicates that his intelligence and efforts are misdirected.

   In the Gita it is clearly mentioned that material energy works fully under the direction of the Supreme Lord. It has no independent authority. It works as the shadow moves, in accordance with the movements of the object. But still material energy is very powerful, and the atheist, due to his godless temperament, cannot know how it works; nor can he know the plan of the Supreme Lord. Under illusion and the modes of passion and ignorance, all his plans are baffled, as in the case of Hiranyakasipu and Ravana, whose plans were smashed to dust although they were both materially learned as scientists, philosophers, administrators and educators. These duskrtinas, or miscreants, are of four different patterns, as outlined below.

   (1) The mudhas are those who are grossly foolish, like hardworking beasts of burden. They want to enjoy the fruits of their labor by themselves, and so do not want to part with them for the Supreme. The typical example of the beast of burden is the ass. This humble beast is made to work very hard by his master. The ass does not really know for whom he works so hard day and night. He remains satisfied by filling his stomach with a bundle of grass, sleeping for a while under fear of being beaten by his master, and satisfying his sex appetite at the risk of being repeatedly kicked by the opposite party. The ass sings poetry and philosophy sometimes, but this braying sound only disturbs others. This is the position of the foolish fruitive worker who does not know for whom he should work. He does not know that karma (action) is meant for yajna (sacrifice).

   Most often, those who work very hard day and night to clear the burden of self-created duties say that they have no time to hear of the immortality of the living being. To such mudhas, material gains, which are destructible, are life's all in all--despite the fact that the mudhas enjoy only a very small fraction of the fruit of labor. Sometimes they spend sleepless days and nights for fruitive gain, and although they may have ulcers or indigestion, they are satisfied with practically no food; they are simply absorbed in working hard day and night for the benefit of illusory masters. Ignorant of their real master, the foolish workers waste their valuable time serving mammon. Unfortunately, they never surrender to the supreme master of all masters, nor do they take time to hear of Him from the proper sources. The swine who eat the night soil do not care to accept sweetmeats made of sugar and ghee. Similarly, the foolish worker will untiringly continue to hear of the sense-enjoyable tidings of the flickering mundane world, but will have very little time to hear about the eternal living force that moves the material world.

   (2) Another class of duskrti, or miscreant, is called the naradhama, or the lowest of mankind. Nara means human being, and adhama means the lowest. Out of the 8,400,000 different species of living beings, there are 400,000 human species. Out of these there are numerous lower forms of human life that are mostly uncivilized. The civilized human beings are those who have regulative principles of social, political and religious life. Those who are socially and politically developed but who have no religious principles must be considered naradhamas. Nor is religion without God religion, because the purpose of following religious principles is to know the Supreme Truth and man's relation with Him. In the Gita the Personality of Godhead clearly states that there is no authority above Him and that He is the Supreme Truth. The civilized form of human life is meant for man's reviving the lost consciousness of his eternal relation with the Supreme Truth, the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna, who is all-powerful. Whoever loses this chance is classified as a naradhama. We get information from revealed scriptures that when the baby is in the mother's womb (an extremely uncomfortable situation) he prays to God for deliverance and promises to worship Him alone as soon as he gets out. To pray to God when he is in difficulty is a natural instinct in every living being because he is eternally related with God. But after his deliverance, the child forgets the difficulties of birth and forgets his deliverer also, being influenced by maya, the illusory energy.

   It is the duty of the guardians of children to revive the divine consciousness dormant in them. The ten processes of reformatory ceremonies, as enjoined in the Manu-smrti. which is the guide to religious principles, are meant for reviving God consciousness in the system of varnasrama. However, no process is strictly followed now in any part of the world, and therefore 99.9 percent of the population is naradhama.

   When the whole population becomes naradhama. naturally all their so-called education is made null and void by the all-powerful energy of physical nature. According to the standard of the Gita, a learned man is he who sees on equal terms the learned brahmana. the dog. the cow, the elephant and the dog-eater. That is the vision of a true devotee. Sri Nityananda Prabhu, who is the incarnation of Godhead as divine master, delivered the typical naradhamas. the brothers Jagai and Madhai, and showed how the mercy of a real devotee is bestowed upon the lowest of mankind. So the naradhama who is condemned by the Personality of Godhead can again revive his spiritual consciousness only by the mercy of a devotee.

   Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in propagating the bhagavata-dharma, or activities of the devotees, has recommended that people submissively hear the message of the Personality of Godhead. The essence of this message is Bhagavad-gita. The lowest amongst human beings can be delivered by this submissive hearing process only, but unfortunately they even refuse to give an aural reception to these messages, and what to speak of surrendering to the will of the Supreme Lord? Naradhamas, or the lowest of mankind, will fully neglect the prime duty of the human being.

   (3) The next class of duskrti is called mayayapahrta-jnanah, or those persons whose erudite knowledge has been nullified by the influence of illusory material energy. They are mostly very learned fellows--great philosophers, poets, literati, scientists, etc.--but the illusory energy misguides them, and therefore they disobey the Supreme Lord.

   There are a great number of mayayapahrta-jnanah at the present moment, even amongst the scholars of the Bhagavad-gita. In the Gita, in plain and simple language, it is stated that Sri Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is none equal to or greater than Him. He is mentioned as the father of Brahma, the original father of all human beings. In fact, Sri Krsna is said to be not only the father of Brahma but also the father of all species of life. He is the root of the impersonal Brahman and Paramatma; the Supersoul in every entity is His plenary portion. He is the fountainhead of everything, and everyone is advised to surrender unto His lotus feet. Despite all these clear statements, the mayayapahrta-jnanah deride the personality of the Supreme Lord and consider Him merely another human being. They do not know that the blessed form of human life is designed after the eternal and transcendental feature of the Supreme Lord.

   All the unauthorized interpretations of the Gita by the class of mayayapahrta-jnanah, outside the purview of the parampara system, are so many stumbling blocks on the path of spiritual understanding. The deluded interpreters do not surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Krsna, nor do they teach others to follow this principle.

   (4) The last class of duskrti is called asuram bhavam asritah, or those of demonic principles. This class is openly atheistic. Some of them argue that the Supreme Lord can never descend upon this material world, but they are unable to give any tangible reasons as to why not. There are others who make Him subordinate to the impersonal feature, although the opposite is declared in the Gita. Envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the atheist will present a number of illicit incarnations manufactured in the factory of his brain. Such persons, whose very principle of life is to decry the Personality of Godhead, cannot surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Krsna.

   Sri Yamunacarya Albandaru of South India said, " my Lord! You are unknowable to persons involved with atheistic principles, despite Your uncommon qualities, features and activities, despite Your personality's being confirmed by all the revealed scriptures in the quality of goodness, and despite Your being acknowledged by the famous authorities renowned for their depth of knowledge in the transcendental science and situated in the godly qualities."

   Therefore, (1) grossly foolish persons, (2) the lowest of mankind, (3) the deluded speculators, and (4) the professed atheists, as above mentioned, never surrender unto the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead in spite of all scriptural and authoritative advice.

 - 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...)

Humility defined

As Srila Prabhupada was getting into his car, an Indian gentleman congratulated him on his lecture. Prabhupada put his hands together in respectful pranamas, and slightly lowered his head. "Thank you," he said humbly.

On the return journey to the temple, Prabhupada chanted half-audibly in the back seat of the car, looking out the window in a way as quiet and unassuming as a child. His demeanour gave no indication that just a few minutes before he had been cheered and applauded by thousands. For all the fanfare, he remained untouched, aloof and innocent, while at the same time appearing grave and ancient.

The devotees present were moved to recall Prabhupada's own words: "Humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honoured by others .. Unless one is humble and meek, one cannot qualify to sit at the lotus feet of the Lord."

Prabhupada entered his room accompanied by an exhilarated group of devotees. Judging by the response that night, he told them, it augured well for spreading Krsna consciousness in Melbourne.

Prabhupada sat down on a mat before a small marble table. Upendra brought a bowl of puffed rice and peanuts, and a cup of hot milk. Srila Prabhupada took a few peanuts and deftly popped them into his mouth, chewing meditatively. He asked Syamasundara to play the tape recording of the lecture. Prabhupada listened to the whole class, including questions and answers from start to finish, as the devotees sat quietly listening with him. It was now approaching midnight. Srila Prabhupada stood up. The devotees rose and, as if on cue, offered their obeisances and left the room.

In a couple of hours, while the whole of Melbourne slept, our jagat-guru would be awake, dictating his revolutionary Bhaktivedanta purports to the beautiful Srimad-Bhagavatam -- a cultural presentation for the re-spiritualisation of the entire human society.

- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu

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Please Chant:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Listen to Srila Prabhupad on-line
....a different lecture, morning walk, conversation or class daily.

"Never Think 'I Have Become Big'"

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.3
Mayapur, February 10, 1976

Listen to the entire lecture on-line:
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Hrdayananda: Oh. "Thereafter Lord Brahma requested Prahlada Maharaja, who was standing very nearby, and asked Prahlada Maharaja to go forward and said, 'My dear son, Lord Nrsimhadeva is very, very angry upon your demonic father, and you can go forward and appease Him, the Lord.' "

Prabhupada:

prahradam presayam asa
brahmavasthitam antike
tata prasamayopehi
sva-pitre kupitam prabhum
 [SB 7.9.3]

So all of them, all the demigods, they wanted to pacify. The Lord was very angry, but they failed. Then, at last, they requested Laksmiji to pacify the Lord. She could not dare to approach Him; what is the speaking of pacifying? Then, at last, they decided that "This five-years-old boy, the Lord may be compassionate upon him. And for him He has appeared, so let him be engaged in pacifying the Lord." So Brahma, the head of all the demigods presented there, he decided, prahladam presayam asa. He pushed him forward: "My dear Prahlada, my dear son, better you go forward and pacify." It is something like to push a little child in the cage of the lion. It is something like that. Nobody dared. So Prahlada Maharaja, he knew very well that "However ferocious He may be, I am not afraid. He is my Lord. I am not afraid." He was jolly, innocent, pure devotee. He had no fear. So he was sent: "My dear Prahlada, you try."

So brahma avasthitam antike. He was very near sitting, but he had no fear. Just on the lotus feet, near the lotus feet of the Lord, he was sitting. Others were contemplating. He was free, that "I am under the shelter of the Lord." Svapada-mule, mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh. "He is Murari, and everything is under His feet." This is the conclusion when one is advanced in Krsna consciousness. Prahlada Maharaja, although he was a boy of five years old, it did not matter. He was first-class devotee, maha-bhagavata. That is possible. The devotional service is nothing material. It is spiritual. So there is nothing impossible, impossible. That is real appreciation of spiritual life. If one thinks that "Prahlada Maharaja was only five years old. How he could offer such nice verses in glorifying the Lord?" that is possible. Bhakti does not depend on the age. Bhakti depends on sincerity of service. It is not that because one man is older than me, therefore he will be greater devotee. No. Ahaituky apratihata. First of all, bhakti must be without any motive, without any motive of personal sense gratification. That is real bhakti. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. We have to make all our desires zero. Jnana-karmady-anavrtam. People are trying to understand the whole creation by knowledge, but bhakti does not depend on knowledge. Jnana-karma... Or karma. Karma means fruitive action. Not that because you are a very big businessman, you are very successful, therefore it will be easy for you to understand Krsna. No. That is not possible. Or if you think one is very poor in knowledge, lowborn, no education, still he can understand bhakti and Lord, provided he is pure devotee.

So material conditions, they are not practically applicable to spiritual life. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, therefore, He said, eho bahya age kaha ara. Whatever Ramananda Raya was proposing, "This is the beginning of bhakti..." He suggested varnasrama-dharma, karma-tyaga, karma-sannyasa, even full surrender, sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. All, everything, Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, eho bahya age kaha: "These are external formality. If you know something better than this, please explain." So Ramananda Raya, when, I mean to say, quoted a verse from Brahma's prayer, sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih prayena ajita api jito... Krsna is ajita. Nobody can conquer Him. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat [Bg. 7.7]. Nobody is greater in every respect. Not that "Krsna is shorter at least in this respect." He is shorter in one respect, that He could not repay back the obligation He received from the gopis. He was only shorter to the gopis. That is His grace. He said that "I cannot repay you. It is impossible. Please be satisfied with your own service." That is the gopis. So He was shorter always, especially before Radharani. He felt Himself shorter. Otherwise He is the Supreme. He is always the Supreme. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. So if you want to conquer over this unconquerable Krsna, then, according to the prayer of Brahma and appreciated by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih: "You remain in your place, it doesn't matter, but you become very humble. Don't be puffed up." Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva. You should not think yourself that you are very advanced, "By my speculative knowledge I can understand God." That is mistake. That is not possible. You have to give up first of all this attempt, that "I am very learned," "I am very rich,"or "I am very this and that. Therefore for me to understand God, it is nothing." They think like that. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhih [SB 1.8.26]. Those who are very much proud, they do not take Krsna consciousness very seriously. They think, "These poor fellow who had no money, no foodstuff, they have come in the name of Krsna for begging. So it is for them. It is not for us. I am very rich. I am very opulent. I am very educated. I am very aristocratic. So for me there is no need of." The Indians say like that in your country. "Now we have known this Krsna, Hare Krsna. We have... Now it is not needed. Now it is technology."

So these puffed-up persons cannot understand Krsna. One has to become very humble. Christ also says, "The kingdom of God is for the humble and the meek." That is actually... And Krsna also says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is the beginning of humbleness: "Yes, I have nothing, insignificant." Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam [Bg. 7.19]. This is real knowledge, to remain always insignificant before guru -- Krsna. Then it is profit. If somebody thinks that "I have become more than my guru, more than Krsna," then he is finished. So one should become very humble and meek. It doesn't matter where he is situated, either this institutionally, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. Even one has taken sannyasa, he should remain always humble. So never we should think that "I have become very big personality." That was the instruction of my Guru Maharaja, that bada vaisnava -- "I am very big Vaisnava. Everyone should come and obey my orders" -- this is condemned position. The real position is one should be very humble and meek. Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva. Namanta means humble. One should be prepared to learn from... Namanta eva san-mukhari... Those who are pure devotee. From them one should be very much anxious to hear. That, the same thing, anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. Who has no other desire in the material world except to serve Krsna, he is pure devotee. So one should be anxious in humbleness to hear from such personality. Sthane... It doesn't require to change. There are so many questions sometimes: whether it is necessary to take sannyasa and It is... By the routine work, it is necessary. But if one is serious, so for him it is not necessary -- ahaituky apratihata -- because for a serious student of devotion, Krsna is in his hand. So anyway, even if you are a sannyasi or grhastha or vanaprastha, it doesn't matter. You should remain very humble. That is required. Sthane sthitah. And you should hear from the realized soul in humbleness. Then the Krsna, the great, He will be conquered by you.

So Prahlada Maharaja was that type of maha-bhagavatam. He was not... As a child, he had... He did not know the sophistry or formality to become unnecessarily very prestigious. He was by nature a small boy. Just like here, these boys. If you insult, he doesn't care for it because he is child. Or if you praise him, he does not think himself very much puffed up. This is child's nature. So Prahlada Maharaja was in that position. He didn't care. His father wanted to chastise him in so many ways. He didn't care. He (was) always thinking, "He is my father. He is joking. That's all." This is simplicity. This is simplicity. This simplicity is very valuable. So Prahlada Maharaja was in that position. Therefore Brahma selected him, that "My dear Prahlada, my dear child, please approach the Lord. You can try to pacify Him." Prahradam presayam asa brahmavasthitam antike, tata: "My dear child, my dear boy," tata prasamayo upehi, "please go forward and try to pacify Him." Sva-pitre kupitam prabhum: "Our Lord, Prabhu, He has become very, very angry." Nobody can excess in His anger. Just like nobody can excel the Supreme Personality of Godhead in anything, similarly, when He is angry, nobody can excel Him. He becomes so angry. So He is always... "God is great" means great in everything. When He is angry, nobody can excel Him in His anger. And when He is very peaceful, nobody can excel Him. This is God. Asamaurdha. God means nobody is equal; nobody is greater. So when the Lord was angry, nobody can show His anger equally and nobody can become greatly anger or more greatly angry than Krsna. He is always topmost. This is... So such anger was exhibited. Why? Now, it is said, sva-pitre kupitam. He's inducing, Brahma inducing, that "We never seen the Lord so angry, but it is on account of your father, so it is your duty. You go there." (chuckles) The child will accept, "Yes. My father committed so many offenses. Therefore it is my duty to pacify the Lord." Therefore he is reminding because he was a child, "My dear child, it is for your father He has become so angry, so it is your duty. Go and pacify Him." So every word in Bhagavata, there is meaning. Sva-pitre kupitam prabhum: "Don't think that it is our duty; it is your duty. Although we are Brahma, Laksmi, all right. So real duty is yours." This is little joking.

So Prahlada Maharaja is prepared, "All right," either for his father or for everyone. That is Vaisnava. Vaisnava does not consider that "I have to pray to Krsna for my father, for my mother." No. Vaisnava is ready to offer prayer... Para-duhkha-duhkhi. He is always unhappy, seeing these fallen conditioned souls unhappy. Other... Vaisnava personally, he has no unhappiness. Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaranyah. That will be explained. Tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrta-magna-cittah, soce tato vimukha-cetasa, indriyartha-maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan [SB 7.9.43]. So Vaisnava is always sorry for the rascals in the world. Otherwise he has nothing to be unhappy. He can sit down anywhere; he can sleep anywhere; he can eat anything. He doesn't require anyone's help. He... As Krsna is self-sufficient, similarly, Krsna, not exactly like that, but a Vaisnava is also self-sufficient, depending only on Krsna. That is Vaisnava. So he has nothing to lament or nothing to regret. He is always pleased in the service of the Lord, but he is always sorry for the conditioned souls who are for suffering the material pangs on account of ignorance.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.3 -- Mayapur, February 10, 1976

Therefore a devotee knows how to do things. He knows not automatically, but he learns from the spiritual master, the representative of God. Then he becomes perfect.

Bhagavad-gita     16.8  -- Hawaii1975