Nitai: Translation: "My uncle, you must have visited Dvaraka. In that holy place are our friends and well-wishers, the descendants of Yadu, who are always rapt in the service of the Lord Sri Krṣṇa. You might have seen them or heard about them. Are they all living happily in their abodes?"

Prabhupada:

api naḥ; suhrdas tata
bandhavaḥ; krṣṇa-devataḥ;
drṣṭaḥ; sruta va yadavaḥ;
sva-puryaṁ sukham asate
[SB 1.13.11]

So Yudhiṣṭhira Maharaja, after meeting Vidura, the first inquiry was about the family of Krṣṇa. That is Krṣṇa consciousness. He was always thinking of Krṣṇa. Now, because he has come back home by touring different places of pilgrimage... Dvaraka is also one of the celebrated place of pilgrimage. So he expected that "Vidura must have gone to Dvaraka. And when he had gone to Dvaraka, he must have some news from Krṣṇa's place."

So Krṣṇa is the friend, most intimate friend of the Paṇḍavas. Therefore he says, naḥ;. Naḥ; means "our." Suhrdaḥ;. Suhrdaḥ;, this word, "always thinking of others' good." That is called suhrdaḥ;. The heart is not contaminated. Hrdaḥ; means "heart," and su means "very good." So Krṣṇa says also that suhrdaṁ sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29]. And here Yudhiṣṭhira Maharaja confirms, naḥ; suhrdaḥ;. Actually, Krṣṇa is suhrt. Suhrt means well-wisher. As the father is the well-wisher of the sons or intimate friend, well-wisher... Here in the material world, although I may be your well-wisher, you may be well-wisher, but there is some interest. Unless there is some interest for my personal benefit, I cannot become your suhrt. This is material suhrt. But spiritual suhrt is different. Spiritual suhrt means everyone is suffering for want of spiritual consciousness, Krṣṇa consciousness. Therefore attempt should be made so that everyone becomes Krṣṇa conscious. That is spiritual suhrt.

We are now entangled. Actually, our position in this material existence is not very good. Everyone sees it practically. Still, they want to adjust, "Let us make it good. Let us make it good." That is called punaḥ; punas carvita-carvaṇanam [SB 7.5.30], again and again chewing the chewed. Just like generally a father, especially here in India, he wants that his son may be well-situated. Therefore we don't get Indian youth very much, because the father and mother settles them. What is that? Get them married and give them some earning capacity, either by service or business. So he becomes satisfied, "This is the end of life." Grhamedhi. Just "Now I am married. It is my duty to stick to the grha and enjoy senses, that's all." Grhamedhi. Sacrifice for Krṣṇa, brahmacari, sannyasi... Sannyasis have become rogues. And there is no brahmacari nor vanaprastha. Therefore it is very difficult to get Indian workers. They have no... Your qualification is—I told in the beginning—that you have got a renouncing spirit. That is a great qualification. Tyaga. Renunciation is opulence also. Krṣṇa, six opulences. One of the opulence is renunciation. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasaḥ; sriyaḥ; (Viṣṇu Puraṇa 6.5.47), jñana-vairagya. Vairagya means renunciation. You have enough of this material enjoyment. You have enjoyed. Or you have seen that there is no actually profit. Therefore you are in a spirit... That is natural. That is natural. If one has enjoyed very much, the next stage will be renunciation. This is natural. So because you have got a renouncing spirit, you are understanding or taking Krṣṇa consciousness very nicely, at least, very eagerly. Jñana-vairagya. That is required. This vairagya then... I therefore sometimes like these hippies because they have a spirit of renunciation. That is very good position. Simply they require jñana, or knowledge. Then their life will be successful. To bring one to the platform of renunciation, that is a very difficult job. Especially when one has got nice wife, nice home, nice bank balance, it is very, very difficult.

So there is a version by Krṣṇa that one who is anxious to take Krṣṇa consciousness, but he is entrapped by this binding-nice wife, nice children, nice home, nice bank balance—so Krṣṇa, in order to give them, give such devotee, facility, He takes away. Hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ sanaiḥ;. Yasyaham anugrhṇami hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ sanaiḥ; [SB 10.88.8]. Just like he did with the Paṇḍavas. The Paṇḍavas were devotees, but at the same time, they were king. There was attachment. So therefore Krṣṇa took away their everything—their kingdom, their wife, their position, their honor—test him, and still, they did not give up Krṣṇa. Therefore they came out victorious. So Krṣṇa sometimes tests His..., that how much one devotee is. He forcibly makes him renounced in order. That is Krṣṇa's special favor.

So this vairagya-jñana, it is required. We were discussing last night also, vita-raga-bhaya-krodha [Bg. 4.10], these things are required. Unless one becomes completely, what is called? Averse?

Yogesvara: Detached.

Prabhupada: Detached: "So what is this nonsense material life?" That's a very good qualification. If one understands this perfectly—"This is all rubbish, this material enjoyment"—it is a great qualification. Akiñcana. Akiñcana. Akiñcana means do not possess anything material. Akiñcana-gocara. Kunti, Kunti, Queen Kunti, when she was receiving Krṣṇa, she said, "My dear Krṣṇa, You are akiñcana-gocara. You are realized by a person who has no material possession. And You have given us now so much material possession. How we can understand You?" That was... Kunti was regretting that "When we are in distress, You are always with us. Now You have given us kingdom and everything. Now You are going away to Dvaraka. What is this, Krṣṇa? Better let us go again to that distressed condition so that You remain with us." Akiñcana-gocara. Krṣṇa is akiñcana-gocara. Anyone who wants to enjoy material life, it is not possible to become fully Krṣṇa conscious. This is very secret.

Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajana, to become devotee, Krṣṇa conscious, is meant for niṣkiñcanasya, one who does not possess anything in the material world. That does not mean he should be poverty-stricken. No. He should know it fully that "Nothing belongs to me; everything belongs to Krṣṇa. I am simply His servant, that's all." This is called akiñcana. If I think that "Keeping Krṣṇa in front, let me possess some material things," that is another cheating. That is not... Akiñcana. You should be fully conscious, that "Everything belongs to Krṣṇa and nothing to us." Then Krṣṇa becomes your suhrt. He takes charge, how your benefit will be there, ultimate. Teṣaṁ satata-yuktanaṁ bhajataṁ priti-purvakaṁ dadami [Bg. 10.10]. Priti-purvakam. This is very great determination, that "Krṣṇa, I simply want You, nothing, anything else. Nothing."

Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundariṁ kavitaṁ va jagadisa [Cc. Antya 20.29, Sikṣaṣṭaka 4]. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teaching. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught this philosophy repeatedly. Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajana. Bhagavad-bhajana means He Himself become niṣkiñcana. He was Krṣṇa Himself, most opulent. Tyaktva surepsitaḥ;, sudustyaja-surepsita-rajya-lakṣmim [SB 11.5.34]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu had the most beautiful wife, goddess of fortune, Viṣṇu-priya, Lakṣmi-priya. But for the benefit of the whole world, although He is Krṣṇa, He showed us the example. At the age of twenty-four years, He took sannyasa. He was not unhappy in His home. He had His very affectionate mother and... (aside:) Some fly... Affectionate mother and most affectionate wife, beloved wife. But still, it is very difficult to renounce the affection of mother and love of wife. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu did it. (aside:) The fly is still disturbing. So tyaktva sudustyaja. Therefore in the Bhagavata it is said, sudustyaja, very difficult to give up. Tyaktva sudustyaja-surepsita-rajya-lakṣmim [SB 11.5.34]. And rajya-lakṣmim, such nice beautiful wife, desired even by the demigods. Such a nice wife, He gave up.

Tyaktva sudustyaja-surepsita-rajya-lakṣmiṁ dharmiṣṭha arya-vacasa yad agad araṇyam [SB 11.5.34]. Agad araṇyam. Araṇyam means, going to the forest means, to take sannyasa. Going to the Himalaya does not mean or going to the forest does not mean that he should actually go there. One should give up this family affection, and dedicate the whole life for Krṣṇa's service. That is really going to the forest. Not that unnecessarily. It may be beneficial for person, for his personal self. But real renunciation is to have no more interest in so-called limited jurisdiction of family, social, international, national, but the whole interest is for Krṣṇa. That is real renunciation. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita. Renunciation does not mean give up this world. That I was explaining. Our philosophy is not the jagat is mithya. Why jagan mithya? We don't say that. Jagat is fact. It may be temporary, but it is a fact. Now, so long we have got this jagat, let us utilize it for Krṣṇa. That is renunciation. We cannot say this microphone is mithya. So long the microphone is in my possession, let it be used for Krṣṇa's service. This is renunciation. Everyone using this microphone, these modern machines, for his personal gain. But we are not using for personal gain. We are traveling all over the world, spending so much money, jet plane, and this plane, just to push Krṣṇa consciousness as much as possible. This is renunciation, not that sitting one place doing nothing and become Krṣṇa conscious. Then there will be fall down. Don't imitate Haridasa Ṭhakura. That is not possible. You must work.

So to such person, Krṣṇa is suhrt. Suhrt. Here it is said, api naḥ; suhrdas tata, uncle, bandhavaḥ; krṣṇa-devataḥ;. Krṣṇa-devataḥ; means one who has accepted Krṣṇa as the worshipable Deity. He is called krṣṇa-devataḥ;. There are so many demigods. They have taken to worship. The Roman were worshiping demigods. The India, in India they also worship demigods. That will not make you happy. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣaṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam [Bg. 7.23]. To take some benediction from the demigods, although people go there, kaṅkṣantaḥ; karmaṇaṁ siddhiṁ yajanta iha devataḥ;. People are very much attached to enjoy this material world. So they worship Durga, Kali, or Lord Siva. Kaṅkṣantaḥ; karmaṇaṁ siddhim. They get immediately some material benefit. But tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. What you will do with some temporary material benefit? That is the instruction of Krṣṇa. Don't be attracted by the temporary material benefits. Just try for permanent eternal benefit. Go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the... That is the... What you will do? Suppose you become king. How long you will remain king? Or there are so many dangers. Sometimes the kings are beheaded. King Johann(?) was beheaded. So material position is always tiltering, tilting. Yes. There is no fixed position. It will end. Therefore Krṣṇa says, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣam [Bg. 7.23]. Antavat means it will end, today or tomorrow or hundred years after. It will end. So why should you... You are eternal. Why should you hanker after these things which will exist for some few years? You are eternal. Accept the eternal position. That is Krṣṇa consciousness movement. Eternal position.

So for that eternal position, you have to make krṣṇa-devataḥ;, Krṣṇa as the worshipable Deity. Krṣṇa is eternal, and if you fix up your service to Krṣṇa, then Krṣṇa will accept you as servant. Naturally, you become eternal. There is a very nice story. Nice story not, a fact. Savitri-Satyavan. Savitri-Satyavan. This, I mean to say, incidences are mentioned in the sastras to give us lesson. Savitri was a very chaste devoted woman. Savitri. In India, to the woman, in order to become very chaste and devoted to husband, they observe the ritualistic ceremony to worship Savitri Satyavan. So Savitri was in love with a boy who was destined to die on the marriage date, but still, she married. She knew that "As soon as I will be married, on the same day, my husband will die." So she pleased the Yamaraja. After the death... The husband died, but she pleased the Yamaraja so much so that Yamaraja was ready to give her some benediction. So Yamaraja said, "What benediction you want?" "Now, as woman, I wish that may be a son of mine, from me." "All right, you will get a son." Then again she said that "If you are taking away my husband, how I will get my son?" So her husband was made alive. So indirectly... So krṣṇa-devataḥ;. If you actually want to be eternally blissful, take to krṣṇa-devataḥ;. Or there is no need of praying for "Make me immortal." No. If you accept krṣṇa-devataḥ;, then automatically... Just like the benediction was that "You... Yes, you will get a son." Automatically her husband was made alive. So krṣṇa-devataḥ;.

So Yudhiṣṭhira Maharaja asking that "Did you see them, the Yadu families, who have Krṣṇa as their worshipable Deity?" Drṣṭaḥ; sruta va yadavaḥ;. Yadu. Yadavaḥ; is plural number. Sva-puryaṁ sukham asate: "Whether they are happy in their home,"sva-puryam, sva-puri, "Dvaraka?" So in this way Krṣṇa consciousness means always thinking of Krṣṇa. And make Krṣṇa the friend. Krṣṇa says that suhrdaṁ sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29]. Actually, Krṣṇa is the only friend, and He is sitting in everyone's heart. He is so nice friend that He is simply trying to induce us to turn our faith towards Krṣṇa. He is coming as avatara, incarnation. He is giving us advice from within. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. He's such a nice friend. Although we have left Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa has not left us. Here He is living with Me within my heart to give me advice, "Please come back." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [Bg. 18.66].

So Krṣṇa is so nice friend. He is such a nice friend that even to the enemy He gives the greatest benediction. Just like Putana. Putana came to kill Krṣṇa, smearing poison on her breast. But Krṣṇa gave her promotion on the motherly platform. Krṣṇa is so grateful that "This demon might have come to Me to poison Me, but I have sucked her breast. She has become My mother. Therefore she must get the position of My mother." Krṣṇa is so grateful. If you give little service to Krṣṇa sincerely, Krṣṇa will never forget you. And He's so powerful. If Krṣṇa becomes your friend and Krṣṇa remembers you, then what you want more? Just imagine. So Krṣṇa... Here it is said, krṣṇa-devataḥ;. fix up your mind in Krṣṇa and be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

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