Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.2.

16
—
October 27, 1972, Våndävana

721027SB-VRNDAVAN [38:27 Minutes]

SB-01.02.16_721027SB-VRNDAVAN

Pradyumna: Oà namo bhagavate väsudeväya. [leads chanting of verse]

[Prabhupäda and devotees repeat]

çuçrüñoù çraddadhänasya
väsudeva-kathä-ruciù
syän mahat-sevayä vipräù
puëya-tértha-niñevaëät
[SB 1.2.16]

[break] [leads chanting of synonyms]

çuçrüñoù—one who is engaged in hearing; çraddadhänasya—with care and
attention; väsudeva—in respect to Väsudeva; kathä—the message;
ruciù—affinity; syät—is made possible; mahat-sevayä—by service rendered to
pure devotees; vipräù—O twice-born; puëya-tértha—those who are cleansed of
all vice; niñevaëät—by service.
[03:10]
Translation: "O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are
completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains
affinity for hearing the messages of Väsudeva."
Prabhupäda: Hmm.

çuçrüñoù çraddadhänasya
väsudeva-kathä-ruciù
syän mahat-sevayä vipräù
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 puëya-tértha-niñevaëät
[SB 1.2.16]

So our purpose is, as described in the previous verses, how to become Kåñëa
conscious. Our present consciousness is absorbed in so many external subject
matter. One is self-centered, bodily conscious; some of them are family-wise,
family conscious. Some of them community conscious, society conscious,
nation conscious or international conscious. Utmost. No more; finish their
business. But still, you have to extend more and more. "International" means
within this u..., within this planet. But what is this planet? It is only
insignificant spot within the universe.
So if you increase your consciousness more and more, then it may be
interplanetary consciousness. But what is this interplanetary? This universe
contains millions of planets. That's all right. But there are millions of universes
also. Yasya prabhä prabhavato jagad-aëòa-koöi [Bs. 5.40]. Not only one universe.
This universe which we are seeing, this is only one of them.
Caitanya Mahäprabhu compared this universe... One devotee, he requested
Caitanya Mahäprabhu, "My Lord, You have come. Please liberate all the people
of this universe. And if they are sinful, so all their sins I may take, but they
may be delivered." This is Vaiñëava philosophy. "Others may be delivered by
the grace of the Lord; I may rot in the hell. That doesn't matter." Not that
"First of all I go to the heaven, and others may rot." This is not Vaiñëava
philosophy. Vaiñëava philosophy is, "I may rot in the hell, but others may be
delivered." Patitänäà pävanebhyo vaiñëavebhyo namo namaù [Maëgaläcaraëa
9].
Vaiñëava is meant for delivering all the fallen souls. Just like a very good
example: Lord Jesus Christ. According to the Christian idea, he took all the
sins of all people and he sacrificed his life. Very good example. Similarly,
Haridäsa Öhäkura also. There... Nityänanda Prabhu. The Vaiñëava is always
eager how to deliver all these fallen souls rotting in the hell of mäyä. Therefore
here it is recommended, syän mahat-sevayä. You have to take shelter of a
mahat. Mahat means mahätmä or Vaiñëava.

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Mahätmä is described in the Bhagavad-gétä, who is mahätmä: sa mahätmä
sudurlabhaù. That mahätmä, simply by dressing like me with a saffron cloth,
does not become a mahätmä. The mahätmä is described in the Bhagavad-gétä:

bahünäà janmanäm ante

jïänavän mäà prapadyate
väsudevaù sarvam iti
sa mahätmä sudurlabhaù
[Bg. 7.19]

There are many mahätmäs, but one who has understood Väsudeva, Kåñëa, is
the cause of all causes...

éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù

sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù
anädir ädir govindaù
sarva-käraëa-käraëam
[Bs. 5.1]

He's mahätmä. One who knows that Kåñëa, Väsudeva, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, is the origin of everything... Kåñëa also says in the Bhagavad-gétä,

ahaà sarvasya prabhavo

mattaù sarvaà pravartate
iti matvä bhajante mäà
budhä bhäva-samanvitäù
[Bg. 10.8]

Actually one who knows things as they are, they understand, väsudevaù sarvam
iti [Bg. 7.19], "Väsudeva, Kåñëa, is the root of everything." Here also it is stated
that çuçrüñoù çraddadhänasya väsudeve..., väsudeva-kathä-ruciù [SB 1.2.16]. To
know, to become inquisitive about Kåñëa, to know about Him, this is required.
This is Kåñëa consciousness.
In Caitanya-caritämåta it is said,

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 siddhänta baliyä citte nä kara alasa
ihä haite kåñëe läge sudåòha mänasa
[Cc Ädi 2.117]

Siddhänta, to become a pure devotee, a staunch devotee of Kåñëa, one has to

learn about Kåñëa. Kåñëa is, therefore, coming personally to teach us what He
is. That is required. Väsudeva-kathä-ruci [SB 1.2.16]. Our life is meant for
becoming Kåñëa conscious. Ruci.
This ruci is very important thing. Ruci means... Just like we like to eat some
favorable food. That is called ruci. Somebody is interested in eating some salty
food, somebody's interested some sweet food, spicy food... Just like we have got
taste for different types of food, similarly, when we shall increase our taste,
propensity for Kåñëa, that is the beginning of our perfection. Before that, we
are in the material consciousness.
When we increase the taste for Kåñëa, for understanding Kåñëa... This ruci
comes when one is actually liberated. This ruci. Tato 'nartha-nivåttiù syät. First
of all, çraddadhänasya. As it is stated here, çraddhä, faith. Kåñëa is... Kåñëa says
that mattaù parataraà nänyat kiïcid asti dhanaïjaya [Bg. 7.7]: "There is no
more superior authority than Me." Mattaù parataraà na anyat. Na, "Nobody
else. I am the Supreme."
So when we have faith in this explanation of Kåñëa... As Arjuna said... Arjuna,
after hearing Bhagavad-gétä, he said, sarvam etad åtaà manye yad vadasi keçava
[Bg. 10.14]: "My dear Kåñëa, whatever You are saying, I accept them in toto,
word to word." This is required. Not that I give up this portion, I give up that
portion, whatever is to my purpose... Just like sometimes the politicians,
scholars, they also try to understand Bhagavad-gétä. Because Bhagavad-gétä is
very authoritative book, they want to exploit. They do not understand what is
Bhagavad-gétä; otherwise they would have preached Kåñëa.
Because what is Bhagavad-gétä? Bhagavad-gétä is Kåñëa, Kåñëa, the supreme.
That is to be taught. That is to be understood. That is Bhagavad-gétä. Not that
keeping Bhagavad-gétä in front, a scapegoat, I become great politician and great

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scholar and give my own opinion: "In my opinion, it is like this." This is
nonsense. What you are, your opinion? We don't care, we don't care for all
these nonsense who gives his own opinion, as if Kåñëa left something to be
opined by another rascal. This is their business. He becomes greater than
Kåñëa, to interpret Kåñëa's words. This is rascaldom. We don't accept.
We accept yad vadasi keçava, following the footsteps of Arjuna, who directly
understood Bhagavad-gétä. He said, "My dear Kåñëa, whatever You say, I accept
them as it is." Then others may say, "Well, Arjuna was Kåñëa's friend. So just to
flatter Him, he might have said like that." No. Arjuna gave immediately
evidences that "I..., not only I accept You, but great personalities like Vyäsa,
Närada, Devala, Asita and many others." Authorities. Just like when you speak
something in the legal court, you give evidences from other judgment,
authorities. That is a good case.
Similarly, Arjuna accepted Kåñëa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Paraà brahma paraà dhäma pavitraà paramaà bhavän [Bg. 10.12]: "My dear
Kåñëa, I accept You. You are the Supreme Brahman." Brahmeti paramätmeti
bhagavän iti çabdyate. Brahmeti bhagavän, paramätmeti bhagavän iti çabdyate.
Therefore Bhagavän is paraà brahma. Simply impersonal Brahman realization
is not finishing the business. You have to go further, further, further. In the
Éçopaniñad it is said, "My dear Lord, kindly wind up Your blazing effulgence so
that I can see You actually." That is stated in the Éçopaniñad.
So one should not be, I mean to say, amazed simply by realization of impersonal
Brahman. There is further business. Brahmeti paramätmeti. Just like we are
experiencing daily the sunshine. So if we become satisfied with the sunshine
only—"Now we have come to the light"—that is not perfection. You go to the
sun planet.
Because from there, from the sun planet, the sunshine is coming out. So the
source of sunshine is the sun planet. But unfortunately, it is very difficult to
enter into the sun planet. And if you enter into the sun planet, you'll find
there is a predominating deity whose name is Vivasvän, god, sun-god. These
are the statements. As Bhagava..., Bhagavad-gétä says,

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 imaà vivasvate yogaà
proktavän aham avyayam
vivasvän manave präha
manur ikñväkave 'bravét
[Bg. 4.1]

So formerly people used to go to the sun planet. It requires such yogic mystic
power. Just like Durväsä Muni, he used to travel all over the universe and
beyond the universe. He reached to the Vaikuëöha planet also by yogic power,
and he returned within one year. So it is possible. You can go. The yogés, the
perfect yogés, they can transfer them to any planet they desire. Any planet
they desire. These are stated in the çästras, in the Bhägava...,
Çrémad-Bhägavatam.
So to become Kåñëa conscious, that is the highest perfection of life. Paraà
Brahman. Paraà Brahman. Brahman, impersonal effulgence. Just like the
sunshine. Then localized sun, the sun globe. Then further, if you are able to
enter the sun globe, you'll find there is a predominating deity. There are also
cities and palaces—everything, just like in this planet.
But this planet is made prominently of earth, and that planet is made
predominantly of fire. That is the difference. Fire is also one of the elements,
material elements—earth, water, fire, air. So if this planet is made of earth,
why not other planet made of fire? What is the scientific reason to deny it?
Because I cannot live in the fire, it does not mean other living entities cannot
live there.
There are different kinds of living entities. Just like you cannot live within the
water, within the ocean, but there are other living entities... Just like fish.
They live very comfortably within the water. So why should we conclude that
there is no life in the sun planet or moon planet? This is not perfect
knowledge. From Vedic books we can understand that this moon planet is one
of the heavenly planets, and people live there. They are demigods. Their
duration of life is very long. And one can go to that planet by performing the

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rituals. They are described.
In the Bhagavad-gétä also it is said, yänti deva-vratä devän. If you are serious to
go to the planets where demigods live, you can go. There are rules and
regulation, rituals. Just like if you want to pass law examination, you prepare
for that examination, and you pass, you become a lawyer. You become an
engineer.
Similarly, any planet you want to go, you prepare in this life. Don't degrade
yourself to become again cats and dogs, but you prepare yourself to be
promoted to the other, higher planetary system, as it is stated in the
Bhagavad-gétä, ürdhvaà gacchanti sattva-sthäù [Bg. 14.18]. You can go there.
Kåñëa says. Kåñëa says,

yänti deva-vratä devän

pitèn yänti pitå-vratäù
bhütejyä yänti bhütäni
mad-yäjino 'pi yänti mäm
[Bg. 9.25]

So there is another planet... Not another planet, another nature, sanätana.

Paras tasmät tu bhävo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktät sanätanaù [Bg. 8.20]. There is
another nature, eternal nature. That is called Vaikuëöhaloka. Yad gatvä na
nivartante tad dhäma paramaà mama [Bg. 15.6]. Every dhäma, every place, is
Kåñëa's. He is the supreme proprietor. Sarva-loka-maheçvaram [Bg. 5.29]: "I am
the proprietor."
But there are differentiation, paraà dhäma and aparaà dhäma. This is aparaà
dhäma. This material world is aparaà dhäma, inferior nature. These are stated
in the Bhagavad-gétä. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakåtià paräm. Itas tu viddhi
me prakåtià paräm. There is another prakåti, another nature. There is
Vaikuëöhaloka. Not one, two, but millions, unlimited. And the topmost planet
is called Goloka Våndävana. That is mad-dhäma, Kåñëa says, or tad-dhäma.
So all these informations are there. Simply we have to know. Unfortunately,
because we are too much materially absorbed, we cannot understand. We

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cannot understand. Neither we are very much interested to know. So
väsudeva-kathä-ruciù. There is no ruci, because they are conditioned by the
material nature, by the three modes of material nature: sattva-guëa, rajo-guëa...
Tamo-guëa is the lowest, rajo-guëa is the via media, and one who is the
sattva-guëa, he can understand.
Therefore the whole Vedic civilization is meant for making people brähmaëa.
Not to keep him in ignorance, not to keep him in the position of a çüdra. The
whole Vedic scheme is that from the lowest grade of li..., existence, one can be
elevated to the highest grade. Çudhyanti. Çudhyanti, purification. That is
purification. In ordinary life also there are purificatory methods,
daça-vidha-saàskära.
That purificatory method begins before the birth, which is called
garbhädhäna-saàskära. Not that a man, a high-caste brähmaëa or kñatriya or
even vaiçya... Especially brähmaëa and kñatriya. Especially brähmaëa. He's not
meant for giving birth to a child like cats and dogs. He has to observe the
garbhädhäna-saàskära. In the çästra it is said in a brähmaëa family, if the
garbhädhäna-saàskära is not observed, he immediately falls down to the çüdra
class. Kalau çüdra-sambhavaù.
Because this garbhädhäna-saàskära is not observed, therefore it is to be taken,
accepted, everyone is a çüdra. But the Kåñëa consciousness movement is to
again elevate the çüdra to the standard of brähmaëa. This is the Kåñëa
consciousness movement. Because without brähmaëa... Just like without head,
what is the value of your body? Brähmaëa means the head.

mukha-bähüru-pädebhyaù
puruñasyäçramaiù saha
catväro jajïire varëä
viprädayaù påthak guëair
[SB 11.5.2]

Brähmaëa means the head. Therefore brähmaëa is offered so much respect.

Because head, without head... In the head, in the brain, you conceive

8
something, and the hands and legs, they execute the order. Similarly, the head
of the society, they should be the brähmaëas. They are not interested in
capturing political power. No. Brähmaëa is to give instruction. We find from
Vedic literature, there were committees, privy council committees of great
sages and brähmaëas. They would give the king advice that "You rule in this
way." And if the king is disobedient, sometimes the brähmaëas would dethrone
them or kill them. That was Vedic system.
We find from the life and ruling of Mahäräja Påthu, how he was ruling over
the world, how he was observing that every community, either brähmaëa or
kñatriya or vaiçya or çüdra, they were properly employed. There was no
unemployment question. It was the duty of the king to see that not a single
man is unemployed. He must be engaged. So they made arrangement like that.
So what is the idea? The idea is to elevate everyone gradually to the position of
brähmaëa and Vaiñëava, and thus make their life perfect. That is the scheme
of Vedic civilization. Cätur-varëyaà mayä såñöaà guëa-karma-vibhägaçaù [Bg.
4.13]. Not that "Keep the çüdras or the mlecchas in the downtrodden position,
and let me advance." No. Everyone should cooperate. Why the çüdras or
mlecchas and yavanas should remain as such? Actually, India's falldown is
meant by that process. Nobody cared. So many Muslims, they converted, but
the higher caste, they did not care: "Oh, they have become Muslims. Reject
them." Why reject? Kåñëa says,

mäà hi pärtha vyapäçritya

ye pi syuù päpa-yonayaù
striyo vaiçyäs tathä çüdräs
te 'pi yänti paräà gatim
[Bg. 9.32]

Why these Muslims were neglected? Why they were not turned into
Vaiñëavas, just like we are doing? This is the fault of the leaders. Therefore
India is now divided, Pakistan and Hindustan.
So if we actually try to understand Kåñëa and Kåñëa consciousness, there is

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solution for all the problems of society, of government and everything. It is not
a sentimental movement. Väsudeva-kathä-ruciù. One must increase the taste
for understanding Kåñëa. Just like Kåñëa came. He came not only to dance
with the gopés. He took part in politics. He killed so many demons. He
established good government. He showed how householders' life.
Kåñëa.... It is all described in our Kåñëa book, Çrémad-Bhägavatam. He was lying
with His beautiful queens, and as soon as there is cock crow, immediately He
would rise, early in the morning, three o'clock. The queens will be disgusted:
"Now it is early in the morning. Kåñëa will go away." But Kåñëa immediately
gave up the company of the wife and immediately rise and immediately take
bath and do the needful, as it is enjoined in the Vedic performance. He's ideal
gåhastha.
He will give in charity every day thirteen thousands of cows to the brähmaëas.
Read all these things. Don't think that Kåñëa consciousness movement is
simply dugdughi.[?] Not dugdughi. It includes everything, all-pervasive. Kåñëa is
ahaà sarvasya prabhavaù [Bg. 10.8]. Kåñëa is the root of everything. Therefore
anything you conceive of—politics, sociology, philosophy, religion,
anything—there is adjustment if you become Kåñëa conscious. That is the
Kåñëa consciousness movement.
Yad yad äcarati çreñöhas tat tad evetaro janaù [Bg. 3.21]. Therefore we want some
leading personalities to become Kåñëa conscious so that others will follow. So
that others will follow. But if we go some leading personality, minister or prime
minister, "Oh, we are secular. We have rejected Kåñëa, that's all." Nonsense,
what is your value, rejecting your Kåñëa? Haräv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guëäù
[SB 5.18.12]. You are rejected.
You have no good qualification. You have rejected Kåñëa; therefore we reject
you. Haräv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guëäù. Anyone who is not Kåñëa conscious,
he has no value. We don't give any value, however he may pose himself as a
very great man. No. We say, haräv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guëäù.
Mano-rathenäsati dhävato bahiù. "Because you are not Kåñëa consciousness, you
are hovering on the mental plane. Therefore you must fall down." This is the

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conclusion of çästra.
So here it is, çuçrüñoù çraddadhänasya [SB 1.2.16]. Just like you all people have
gathered, there is çraddhä, that "Let us hear something about Kåñëa, what
Swäméjé's spoke, speaking." This is called çraddhä. This çraddhä has to be
increased. Then when you come to the point of ruci, väsudeva-kathä-ruciù, that
is the beginning of our perfection.
At the present moment, there is no ruci, no taste. Väsudeva-kathä-ruciù. There
are so many exalted persons, but they have no ruci, they have no taste. They
have lost all taste. Väsudeva-kathä-ruciù. There are two faults. Either people
could not preach properly so that they could not create taste of the people in
general... It is not the fault of the people in general; it is the fault of the
so-called preachers also. Because they could not create taste, they wanted to
take the place of Kåñëa. That was their purpose. Imitation Kåñëa. Imitation
God. That will not do.
You have to create taste, just like Caitanya Mahäprabhu did. Namo
mahä-vadänyäya kåñëa-prema-pradäya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. Çréla Rüpa
Gosvämé, when he first met Caitanya Mahäprabhu, he offered this prayer:
namo mahä-vadänyäya, "You are the most munificent incarnation because You
are giving Kåñëa. You are giving Kåñëa. You are..., You are greater than Kåñëa."
Mahä-vadänyäya. Because Kåñëa asked everybody to surrender. He did not give
Himself immediately. But Caitanya Mahäprabhu, He's also Kåñëa, in the form
of devotee, He's giving Himself, "Take Me," without any price.
So väsudeva-kathä-ruciù [SB 1.2.16]. People should be educated how to increase
the taste for understanding Kåñëa. This is Kåñëa consciousness movement.
Everyone should come forward. Äpani äcari prabhu jévere çikhäya. One should
behave himself as Kåñëa conscious; then he will be able to make others Kåñëa
conscious—not by theoretical knowledge, but by behavior. Äpani äcari prabhu
jévere çikhäya.
So this is required. It is a very, very, very important movement. Any leader of
the society, any political leader, any social leader, they should study. Our only
request is that "Please try to understand this Kåñëa consciousness movement."

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Just like Caitanya-caritämåta kaå says that caitanyera dayära kathä karaha
vicära. It is not blindly accepting. Vicära. Just judge yourself how great
important this movement is. Caitanyera dayära kathä karaha vicära, vicära
karile citte päbe camatkära [Cc. Ädi 8.15]. If you are sober, thoughtful, you'll
find it is sublime. It is sublime.
So that is our request. The people who are leaders of the society, they should
take this Kåñëa conscious movement very seriously, study, and then give their
judgment, and people will be happy.
Thank you very much. [end]

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