Text

Los Angeles, June 27, 1975

Purport

Santoá¹£a: "The rare person who has completely adopted unalloyed devotional service can uproot all the weeds of sinful activities simply by discharging that service, and there is no possibility that the weeds will grow again. His devotional service is just like the sun, which can immediately dissipate fog simply by its rays."

Prabhupada:

kecit kevalaya bhaktya
vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ;
aghaá¹ dhunvanti kartsnyena
niharam iva bhaskaraḥ;
[SB 6.1.15]

So we have been discussing for the last few days how to become free from the reaction of our sinful life. That is real problem. But people, they have no knowledge what is life, what is sinful life, what is pious life, why we are put into this condition that "We have to do this; we haven't got to do that." This is real philosophy of life. The asuras, as we were discussing in this morning walk, they do not know it. Asuras... PravrttiṠca nivrttiṠca na vidur asuraḥ; janaḥ;. We are living... In the ordinary life also, we live a little carefully so that we may not fall sick. For that purpose there is very vigilance in the immigration department that in Australia we had some nice mangoes brought from Bombay, and they did not allow to take it. They thought this mango is more dangerous than the dry meat. They will allow importation of dry meat, three hundred years old, (laughter) put into the refrigerator, and that is imported. That is not infectious. But mango, very nice mango, fresh mango—we started in Bombay at night, and we came in the morning, it has become poisonous. So we are so much precautious that not any germs, infectious disease, may enter. That is there. But what is that infection which has caused me to accept this material body again and again? That they do not know. That they do not know. They do not believe in the next life, and therefore asuraḥ; janaḥ;. This is, the symptom or characteristic of the asuraḥ; janaḥ;. You should be precautious. That is natural. We become precautious, that "We should not do this so that I may not fall sick." But we do not know what is our real sickness. That we do not know.

That is being presented by Krṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gita, that "This is your sickness, real sickness." What is that? Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duḥ;kha-doṣanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. You are trying to be unaffected by all kinds of sickness, but your real sickness is this material disease: you take birth, you die, you become old, and you suffer from diseases. This is your real sickness. But who is caring for this? Where is the scientist who are investigating how to stop death, how to stop birth. They are, of course, investigating how to stop birth, but still, birth is going on. This sort of stopping births, by killing the body, is not stopping because the body is not the person. The real person is within the body, within the body. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. We have explained. That they do not know. They are taking... No. By killing the body or by protecting the body, that is not the solution. The solution is that the living entity has infected itself with the material disease. It has to be cured. That is the whole purpose of Vedic civilization, how to cure your material disease.

So this cure of material disease have been described—we are discussing—first by atonement. So Pariká¹£it Maharaja did not like it very much because he saw, the atonement is like bathing of the elephant. By atonement we may be free from the infection, but again we do it. Karmaṇa. Then again... That is called karma-kaṇá¸a, fruitive activities. Because the bija, the seed of my sinful desires, that is not cured. For the time being... Just like go to the doctor. You are suffering from a severe disease, and he gives some medicine, takes his fees. That is my atonement, prayascitta. But it is no guarantee that I will not fall disease again. So this atonement like that. Many patients, they are suffering from some chronic disease, some venereal disease. They go to the doctor and they give injection, very costly medicine and so much suffering, but as soon as he cure, again he does the same thing so that he is attacked with venereal disease. So this is not very effective way of becoming... Then it was suggested that people, because they are in darkness, asuras, they do not know how to become immune from all diseases, therefore prayascittaá¹ vimarsanam. He suggested, Sukadeva. Vimarsanam: he must be sober, that "I am suffering from some disease, and I am heavily paying the penalty to the doctor, and still, I am doing the same thing?" So therefore Sukadeva Gosvami suggested, prayascittaá¹ vimarsanam. Vimarsanam means to become sober and think that "Why I cannot check my desire to do sinful activities?" Then he suggested, to come to that understanding he requires good brain. Ordinary brain, they cannot understand that "Why I am forced to act sinfully although after doing that I suffer? I have committed theft. I am suffer..., I go to jail. Again I come out." So therefore it is called vimarsanam.

So for vimarsanam—means to become sober—you require practicing the tapasya. That is also, we have discussed.

tapasa brahmacaryeṇa
samena ca damena ca
tyagena satya-sauchyá¹ yamena niyamena va
[SB 6.1.13]

A series of practice. Then the brain will be clear. So this process also—not very safe. The example has been given that kṣipanty aghaṠmahad api veṇu-gulmam ivanalaḥ;. It is something like burning, setting fire into the dry grass. And superficially it appears that all the grasses are now burned into ashes; there is no possibility of coming out. No. Therefore this very word is there, iva analaḥ;. Although superficially, outside, it appears that everything is burned, but the root remains there. The root remains there, and as soon as there will be facility or there will be rainy season, the same grasses and twigs and other things will come out again, new growth. That is... Even after so much tapasya... There are many instances. Just like Visvamitra Muni. Visvamitra Muni was a king. He wanted to become a brahmaṇa, and he practiced mystic yoga for many years. Still, he became a victim of a woman, Menaka. He was meditating, closing eyes, and Indra sent this woman, Menaka. And simply by hearing the sound of the bangles, ching, ching, ching, "Oh, there is woman. Yes, very nice," (laughter) all mystic yoga finished. Then he begot one daughter. That..., her name is Sakuntala, the famous beautiful daughter. So that history is there.

So the root of our material enjoyment cannot be taken away, cannot be uprooted by... The first process is called karma, and the second process is called jñana, and the next, it is suggested, bhakti. So he is suggesting that kecit. People are more inclined to take to the... Those who are absolutely in the rotten condition of life, not for then, but those who are little above the rotten condition... Animals. Rotten condition of, means like animals, cats and dogs. Above them, human life, they take to pious activities or meditation or mystic yoga process, just to purify. So these processes are not sufficient. Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami is suggesting next, kecit. That kecit word is very significant. Kecit means somebody, somebody. Who are the somebody? Kecit kevalaya bhaktya [SB 6.1.15], pure devotional service. And how they become? Vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ;. They become Krṣṇa conscious. Krṣṇa conscious person or vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ;, the same thing. Vasudeva means Krṣṇa, that "Simply I shall worship Krṣṇa," kevalaya, "nothing else." This firm conviction and steadiness will save you without any doubt, this conviction. Vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ;. Then what is that vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ;? That is also not very easy thing. Krṣṇa, Vasudeva, says, bahunaṠjanmanam ante jñanavan maṠprapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. Vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ; and jñanavan mam..., the same thing. When one is fully in awareness what is what, then That awareness also comes—bahunaṠjanmanam ante, after many many thousands of births, bahunaṠjanmanam ante, jñan..., when he is actually jñanavan, that "What I am, what is my duty," that is actually jñanavan maṠprapadyate. So vasudevaḥ; sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhaḥ; [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births, when he comes to this, understand that "Vasudeva, Krṣṇa, is everything. So let me. Krṣṇa also asking me to surrender. Let me do it immediately," that is called vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ;.

In another place, Bhagavata, it is said that,

vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogaḥ; prayojitaḥ;
janayaty asu vairagyaá¹
jñanaṠca yad ahaitukam
[SB 1.2.7]

Those who have become vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ; and engages himself in the service, for them, janayaty asu vairagyam, very soon they become detestful to all this material way of life.

That is the test. How much one has advanced in Krṣṇa consciousness, one can test himself that "How much I have become detestful, all this material way of life?" Everyone can test himself. If he has got still some inclination, then he is not fully Krṣṇa conscious. He has to work very hard, how to become fully Krṣṇa conscious, chant Hare Krṣṇa. Then it is possible. So that is called vasudeva-para. Vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ; is not so easy. Therefore it is said, kecit. Kecit means "maybe somebody." It is not for all. And Krṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gita... Who is vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ;? Who knows Vasudeva, who knows Krṣṇa. So He says, manuṣyaṇaṠsahasreṣu: [Bg. 7.3] "Out of millions of persons," manuṣyaṇaṠsahasreṣu kascid yatati siddhaye, "somebody is trying to make his life perfect." Everyone is being carried away by the waves of this material nature: "Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy." But that is not siddhi. That is imperfection. If you are carried away by the waves of these material necessities, then it is not siddhi. One has to become siddha. Siddha means one who understand that "What I am and what is my duty." That is siddha, perfect. Not... That is the beginning of perfection. So manuṣyaṇaṠsahasreṣu kascid yatati siddhate [Bg. 7.3]. That siddha, perfection of life, is also not for everyone. Somebody out of millions. And Krṣṇa said, yatatam api siddhanam: [Bg. 7.3] "Those who are siddhas, those who have attained perfection, if they are trying to understand Me, maybe one or two may understand." Yatatam api siddhanaṠkascit vetti maṠtattvataḥ; [Bg. 7.3]. Therefore it is said that to become vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ; that is very very rare. Therefore it is said kecit, "somebody out of many millions."

So one may ask, "If it is so difficult to become Krṣṇa conscious, so how so many people are becoming Krṣṇa conscious? They are not genuine? They are all false? If it is said kecit?" No, they are not false. They are amongst these kecit, amongst those rare persons, those who have become Krṣṇa conscious. How? It is due to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has descended to distribute Krṣṇa. That is His mercy. So by the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, so many people are becoming vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ;. But otherwise, it is not possible. Therefore we first offer our obeisances to Guru-Gauraṅga, by whose mercy we get Krṣṇa. This is the system. Adau gurvasrayam. Now, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so kind. Rupa Gosvami could understand, could understand.

namo maha-vadanyaya
krṣṇa-prema-pradaya te
krṣṇaya krṣṇa-caitanya
namne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ;
[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

He understood, confidential devotee, Rupa Gosvami, "O my Lord, You are the same Krṣṇa. Now You have appeared as Krṣṇa-Caitanya, and Your business is to distribute love of Krṣṇa, not only Krṣṇa, but love of Krṣṇa."

So this is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy that you are becoming Krṣṇa conscious. Otherwise, it is not so easy thing; very, very difficult. Kecit kevalaya bhaktya [SB 6.1.15]. So stick to this principle. Chant sri-krṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. By their favor, by their mercy, we can chant Hare Krṣṇa. And as soon as we chant Hare Krṣṇa, we are vasudeva-parayaṇaḥ;. There is no more fear. That is required. So you stick to this principle, do not forget. We have already given our ways and instruction. So don't deviate from it. Then everything is perfect and your life is successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

750628SB.DEN