Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakrter guṇas tair
yuktaḥ; paraḥ; puruṣa eka ihasya dhatte
sthity-adaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñaḥ;
sreyaṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrṇaṁ syuḥ;
[SB 1.2.23]

Translation: "The transcendental Lord is indirectly associated with the three modes of material nature, namely passion, goodness and ignorance, and just for the material world's creation, maintenance and destruction He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahma, Viṣṇu and Siva. Of these three, all living beings can derive ultimate benefit from Viṣṇu, the form of the quality of goodness."

Prabhupada:

sattvaṁ rajas tama iti prakrter guṇas tair
yuktaḥ; paraḥ; puruṣa eka ihasya dhatte
sthity-adaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñaḥ;
sreyaṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrṇaṁ syuḥ;

The material creation, mahat-tattva... Sa ikṣata. As it is said in the Vedic literature, simply by glancing over the material nature and agitating the three modes of material nature, the whole creation comes out. This is an sum, sum and substance of material creation. Maha-Viṣṇu is lying in the Causal Ocean, Karaṇarṇava, and He is breathing, and from His breathing innumerable universes are coming out. And in each and every universe, Maha-Viṣṇu, in His further expansion as Garbhodakasayi-Viṣṇu, He enters. That Garbhodakasayi-Viṣṇu, from His abdomen there is a lotus stem, and in that lotus flower Lord Brahma is born. In this way, creation is made.

So actually, Brahma, Viṣṇu, Mahesvara, they are the principal directors of the three guṇas. Therefore Brahma, Viṣṇu, Mahesvara, they are called guṇavatara. Lord Viṣṇu is in charge of sattva-guṇa activities. Therefore brahmaṇa, the symbol of sattva-guṇa, they are Vaiṣṇavas. Formerly, in each and every home of a brahmaṇa, there was Viṣṇu worship. A brahmaṇa cannot worship any other demigods except Viṣṇu, because Viṣṇu is in the charge of the sattva-guṇa and brahmaṇa is also in the sattva-guṇa. So Viṣṇu asya devata. For this reason brahmaṇa's another title is Vaiṣṇava. Brahmaṇa-vaiṣṇava. Or brahmaṇa-paṇḍita.

So on account of the three guṇas, there are three types of Vedic literatures. Not directly sruti, but smrti, the puraṇas, they are divided into three divisions: sattvika-puraṇa, rajasika-puraṇa and tamasika-puraṇa. Siva Puraṇa, Devi Puraṇa, they are sattvika, rajasika. Brahmaṇḍa Puraṇa, Viṣṇu Puraṇa, Srimad Bhagavata Puraṇa, they are sattvika-puraṇas. The whole scheme is that everyone, every living entity within this material world, they are infected. That we have discussed. The most inferior infection is the rajas-tamas. And the superior rajas, uh, sattva-guṇa, that is also infection, but it is less harmful, whereas the infection of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa is very much embarrassing.

Tada rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ; kama-lobhadayas ca ye [SB 1.2.19]. The whole material world is going on, impelled by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. Generally. Sattva-guṇa is very little. Especially in this age, practically there is no sattva-guṇa. Rajo-guṇa also, very little. Tamo-guṇa predominant. For this reason, sastra says in this age most people are sudras because there is scarcity of sattva-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. Brahmaṇa-kṣatriya. Brahmaṇas' activities and kṣatriya, practically nil. There is no protector. Kṣatriya means one who protects people from being injured. Therefore the kṣatriya class, they were royal families, and the brahmaṇas, they were meant for giving spiritual education. Brahma janati iti brahmaṇa. And the vaisyas, they were meant for trading, agriculture and cow protection. As the kṣatriyas were interested, entrusted for protecting the citizens, similarly the vaisyas were entrusted for protecting the cows. Krṣi-go-rakṣya-vaṇijyaṁ vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. So now vaisyas, they have got big, big factories, they can maintain big, big factories, but they cannot maintain a cow. That is the position. Similarly, Kṣatriyas, they have taken different occupational duties. Brahmaṇas also, they have left their occupation. Only everyone has come to the platform of sudras. Therefore it is very difficult to convince them about spiritual life. Mostly people are sudras. Sudras, less intelligent. They cannot understand. Muḍha. Less intelligent means muḍha. The symbol of less intelligence is ass, muḍha. The ass... Visvanatha Cakravarti Ṭhakura has described the karmis as muḍha because they work very hard. Although the necessity of life is very little, still they work very hard, day and night. The ass is the symbol because the ass eats only a morsel of grass, but for the washerman, he works so hard. So muḍha. Because the people are muḍhas, they cannot understand Krṣṇa consciousness. Krṣṇa says,

na maṁ duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ;
prapadyante naradhamaḥ;
mayayapahrta-jñana
asuraṁ bhavam asritaḥ;
[Bg. 7.15]

So the three guṇas, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, that is going on since the creation. So here it is said, sthity-adaye hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñaḥ;. This, the same Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, has expanded Himself as Lord Siva and Lord Brahma. We are also expansions. Brahma is also jiva-tattva. He's also like us, jiva-tattva. Lord Siva is between viṣṇu-tattva and jiva-tattva. And Lord Viṣṇu is viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva, via media, and jiva-tattva. So they are all expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So for controlling these three guṇas they have taken charge. Viṣṇu is in charge of sattva-guṇa, and Brahma is in charge of rajo-guṇa and Lord Siva is in charge of tamo-guṇa. So Lord, Lord Brahma creates, Lord Viṣṇu maintains and Lord Siva destroys. These three things are going on. Srṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya. So sreyaṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrṇaṁ syuḥ;.

Now, for our..., solving our problems... What is our problems? That we do not know. There is a great problem. The problem is repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. This is the problem. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duḥ;kha-doṣanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. Those who are intelligent, they will..., they will see that these are the real problems. But they do not care. Mrtyu, they think, "All right, it is coming naturally. Let us die." But they do not know, after death, where he's going? "Never mind. I shall forget." People say like that. In Western countries, when I speak, these questions are raised and they are so callous, they say, "Never mind. Next time, if I become a dog, what is the harm? I'll forget that I was a man." Plainly they say. So many people have gone so much down that they cannot understand that low-grade life is not desirable. They do not make any distinction. In whatever life it may be, if there is sufficient arrangement for eating, sleeping, mating, then they are happy. Viṣayaḥ; khalu sarvataḥ; syat. By God's grace, nature has sufficiently given opportunity for enjoying these things: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Just like these monkeys, they have got enough facilities for eating, sleeping, mating, especially mating, they have got very good facility. Beginning from the morning, they are going on in sex matters. And defending also, they have got nails and teeth.

So these things, sastra says, viṣayaḥ; khalu sarvataḥ; syat. These necessities of life, they can be obtained in any form of life. There is no scarcity. But the human form of life, if it is wasted only for these facilities of life—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—then what is the credit of getting a human form of life? The sastra therefore says, tasyaiva hetoḥ; prayateta kovidaḥ;. In human form of life one should try to achieve that perfection which was not obtained in previous lives after wandering heaven and hell and all species of life. Bhramatam upary adhaḥ;. Upari adhaḥ; means upwards and downwards. And we are wandering: sometimes downwards, sometimes outwards, sometimes poor, sometimes rich, sometimes man, sometimes dog, sometimes tree, sometimes demigod. In this way, we are wandering. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore says, ei rupe brahmaṇḍa bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. We are wandering in this way in different species of life, in different planets, but somehow or other, if one is fortunate, he comes in contact with a devotee by the grace of Krṣṇa. Guru-krṣṇa-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151].

Here it is, also, it is said, sreyaṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nrṇaṁ syuḥ;. If want our ultimate goal, ultimate success, then we should accept the sattva-guṇa form of the Lord. The rajo-guṇa form and tamo-guṇa form are there, Lord Siva and Lord Brahma. But sreyaṁsi, if we want our real benefit of life, then it is better to take shelter of the form of sattva-guṇa. That will be explained in the next verse: parthivad daruṇo dhumas tasmad agnis trayimayaḥ;. Just like earth, from the earth the tree grows. So tree grows means wood. Now, if you ignite the wood, first of all there is smoke, then there is fire. So my necessity is fire, neither the wood, nor the earth, nor the smoke. Similarly, for getting out of these material clutches one has to take shelter of Viṣṇu—not of Lord Brahma nor Lord Siva. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: kamais tais tair hrta-jñanaḥ; yajante anya-devataḥ; [Bg. 7.20]. Anya-devataḥ; means Lord Siva and Lord Brahma and others. There are many, thirty-three crores of different demigods. Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, so many. So the chief of them is Lord Brahma and Lord Siva. Lord Siva is therefore called Mahadeva. He is above all these demigods. And Lord Si... Brahma is called pitamaha. Pitamaha means he's the father of all demigods. He's the father of Lord Siva also.

So in this way, if we really want salvation, free, freedom from these clutches of maya... That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita: daivi hy eṣa guṇamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. This maya is very, very hard to pass over. Duratyaya. Only means is: mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etaṁ taranti. This is the verse. Here it is also, the same thing confirmed: sreyaṁsi. If you want ultimate goal, ultimate goal means to get free from the conditional life, repetition of birth, death, old age—then you have to take shelter of Lord Viṣṇu. But people do not know that. Na te viduḥ; svartha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum [SB 7.5.31]. For temporary benefit they go to worship other demigods. But that is not their ultimate goal. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣaṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam [Bg. 7.23]. Antavat tu phalam. If you take any benediction from other demigods, that is antavat. That will be finished. That is temporary. Antavat tu phalam..., tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. Just like Lord Siva's name is Asutoṣa. He's very quickly becomes pleased to offer benediction; therefore generally people go to Asutoṣa, Lord Siva. He does not consider. If you can please him, you can take any kind of benediction from him. He'll be ready: "All right. You take it." Because he wants to avoid botheration. So when the devotees come, bother him, so to..., just to get him out, he says: "All right, whatever you like, you take and go away." Therefore his name is Asutoṣa. And people take the shelter of Asutoṣa, Lord Siva, for quick result. But Lord Viṣṇu is not like that. If you want something extraordinary from Lord Viṣṇu, it is not possible. He'll not give. Lord Brahma also.

So, so here it is indicated: sreyaṁsi. If you want your ultimate goal, then you take shelter of Viṣṇu, the Lord of sattva-guṇa. Then you'll be benefitted. Not by others. But we are generally influenced by the rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, lust and greediness. Therefore kamais tais tair hrta-jñanaḥ; [Bg. 7.20]. We, we are lost of intelligence, influenced by lust and greediness, and therefore we take shelter of other demigods. Kamais tais tair hrta-jñanaḥ; yajante anya-devataḥ;. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣaṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam [Bg. 7.23]. Alpa-medhasam. Alpa-medhasam means people do not know. Suppose I take some material benefit, temporary benefit... Every material benefit is temporary. Whatever benefit we have in this life, as soon as this body's finished, all our benefit finished. Then I'll have to take another body which may not be even human form of body. Sometimes we are being too much attached to our present possession. We remain in the possession, but in a different form. In a different form. There are many, I mean, Puranic, Pauranic indences(?). That is long story, that by karma, we take birth in different forms of life, and if we have got too much attachment... Sometimes a person, the proprietor of the house, after death, remains in that house as serpent, sometimes as dog, sometimes as tree. Being too much attached to the possession, they cannot get better life. And sometimes we can get the body of a hog and monkey in Vrndavana also.

That is a great science one has to learn: how the transformation of the body takes place, how our attachment acts in that way. Yaṁ yaṁ vapi smaran loke [Bg. 8.6]. This is a great science. Unfortunately, there is no educational system. Neither do they know the process of transmigration of the soul. So everyone is in ignorance. Everyone is in ignorance. Neither they're interested to take knowledge from the Vedic scripture. Everything is described there. Just like Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is the end of knowledge. Vidya-bhagavatavadhi. If one wants to be educated, he has to come to the limit of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and all the sublime informations are there.

Now if we take instruction of Srimad-Bhagavatam, as it is indicated, every one of us should take to Krṣṇa consciousness. It is clearly said, sreyaṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanoḥ;, sattva-tanor nrṇaṁ syuḥ;. Lord Viṣṇu. And Viṣṇu, the original Viṣṇu, is Lord Krṣṇa. So if we take to Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa's shelter... Krṣṇa also says: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So if we take shelter of Krṣṇa, according to the injunction of the sastras and Vedas... Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ; [Bg. 15.15]. That is stated in Bhagavad-gita. The purpose of all Vedic Knowledge is to understand Krṣṇa, and as soon as we understand Krṣṇa, what He is, then tyaktva dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9], then hariṁ vina na mrtiṁ taranti. If we want to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age and disease, then we must take shelter of Lord Viṣṇu. And Krṣṇa is the origin of all viṣṇu-tattva. That means we must become Krṣṇa conscious. That is our highest benefit of life.

Thank you very much. (end)

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