Prabhupada:

sa evaṁ vartamanaḥ; ajñaḥ;
mrtyu-kala upasthite
matiṁ cakara tanaye
bale narayaṇa-ahvaye
[SB 6.1.27]

So Ajamila, at the point of his death, just remembered his youngest son, who was named Narayaṇa. So the Narayaṇa, very name, has got the full potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayaṇa. That is the secret of this nama-saṅkirtana movement. By chanting the holy name of Narayaṇa, you immediately contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nama cintamaṇiḥ; krṣṇas caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. Nama, the Lord's name, is not material; it is spiritual. The sound is Brahman, sabda-brahma. Vedic sounds, they are sabda-brahma. They are not material sound. So nama cintamaṇiḥ;, spiritual. Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa and Krṣṇa's name, there is no difference. Nama cintamaṇiḥ; krṣṇas caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. Rasa, the transcendental mellows. Every one of us is searching after some mellow, some pleasure from everything. Krṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasures, rasa-vigraha, fully personified. Wherever there is Krṣṇa, there is rasa, a transcendental mellow, enjoyment, relishable. Very Krṣṇa presence.

For instance, that, when in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, fighting was going on between Krṣṇa and Bhiṣma, both of them... Krṣṇa, of course, did not touch any weapon because He promised. But Grandfather Bhiṣma was very severely piercing Krṣṇa's body with arrows, and Krṣṇa was enjoying. That is the relationship between Krṣṇa and His devotees. Krṣṇa can be worshiped, Krṣṇa can be loved, by any capacity. The gopis loved Krṣṇa out of seemingly lust, lusty desires, and Sisupala remembered Krṣṇa out of anger. Kamat krodhad bhayat. And Kamsa remembered always Krṣṇa out of fear. And, of course, they were not devotees. Devotees means they should be always favorably disposed to Krṣṇa. Not inimical. But Krṣṇa is so kind, even somebody is disposed to Him in an inimical attitude, he also gets salvation. For example, Kamsa, Dantavakra, Sisupala, Hiraṇyakasipu, Ravaṇa. They were not friendly. Still, because they thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, consciousness were there, but it was unfavorable. Bhakti means favorable. Anukulyena krṣṇanusilanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Favorably. That is bhakti. And pratikulyena, just in the opposite way, thinking of Krṣṇa in inimical way, that is also accepted by Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa is so kind. Anyone who thinks of Krṣṇa always, he is the greatest yogi. So even the enemies who think of Krṣṇa always, although unfavorably, he becomes a yogi because thinking of Krṣṇa.

Therefore the result of yogic performances are achieved by the inimical personalities. In the impersonal Brahman effulgence, not only the highly learned scholars who are trying to attain brahma-jñana, they enter, but also the enemies who are unfavorably thinking of Krṣṇa, they also enter into that spiritual kingdom, impersonal effulgence, nirviseṣa-brahmajyoti. Therefore a devotee's position is different from the jñanis', impersonalists'. Because the destination which is achieved by the jñanis is also achieved by the enemies of Krṣṇa. So that is not a very high position. Therefore devotees' position is very exalted. They do not... They go through the impersonal effulgence of Brahman, but they are not attracted. They are attracted in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, Goloka Vrndavana planets, where the Supreme Personality of Godhead lives eternally with His associates.

So the effect of chanting the holy name of Narayaṇa was immediately visible in the person of Ajamila. Although he was so much sinfully absorbed, because he uttered the name of his boy, whose name was Narayaṇa,

dure kriḍanakasaktaṁ
putraṁ narayaṇahvayam
plavitena svareṇoccair
ajuhavakulendriyaḥ;

At the time of death, especially those who are full of sinful activities, they become too much agitated how to save himself, how to enter into another body. It is a very painful situation. The painful situation becomes so acute that no more the living entity can live in this body. Just like sometimes it happens: when a person becomes too much painful, he commits suicide. He does not want to live within this body. But he does not know that is another sinful activity. You cannot commit suicide. That is another criminal action.

So at the time of death... Of course, those who are devotees, their position is different. People may say, "The devotee is also dying, and the nondevotee, sinful man, is also dying. What is the difference?" So there is much difference. The example is given: just like a cat catching a rat in his mouth and at the same time carrying his cubs in the mouth. Superficially, we can see that the same mouth is being used, but one is feeling comfortable being carried by the mother, and another is feeling the death knell. Similarly, at the time of death, the devotee's feeling that they are being transferred to Vaikuṇṭha, whereas the ordinary sinful man is feeling that the Yamaraja, the dutas, the constables of Yamaraja are dragging him to the hellish condition of life. So one should not conclude simply by seeing that he is dying. No. The process is different. Janma karma ca me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. As Lord Krṣṇa's appearance and disappearance are all spiritual, transcendental, they are not ordinary things, similarly, Lord Krṣṇa's devotee, His representative, who is sent to this material world for preaching the glories of Lord Krṣṇa, their appearance and disappearance is also like Krṣṇa's. Therefore, according to Vaiṣṇava principles, the appearance and disappearance of Vaiṣṇava is considered all-auspicious. Therefore we hold festivals. Just like yesterday we had the disappearance day of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada. So we offered our respects and observed a festival, Avirbhava, Tirobhava. Tirobhava.

Actually the living entity has no birth or death, and what to speak of Krṣṇa or His devotee. Krṣṇa is the chief living entity of all living entities. Nityo nityanaṁ cetanas cetananam (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is also a living entity. Sometimes the atheist class of men say, "God is dead." The rascals, they do not know that even a small living entity does not die. How Krṣṇa can be dead or God can be dead? Muḍha. Therefore these classes of men are described in the Bhagavad-gita as muḍha, rascals. They do not know anything; still, they pose themselves as very learned and utter something which is neither good for them nor for the public.

So in this way, dure kriḍanakasaktaṁ putraṁ narayaṇahvayam, plavitena svareṇa, very appealing voice, he began to ask his youngest son, "Please come here. I am dying." He was very much afraid of the three Yamadutas who were..., who came there to drag him.

nisamya mriyamaṇasya
mukhato hari-kirtanam
bhartur nama maharaja
parṣadaḥ; sahasapatan

Krṣṇa is so kind. As soon as He heard that "This man is chanting 'Narayaṇa' at the time of his death," immediately He sent His assistants, Viṣṇudutas, to give him shelter. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. The mahato bhayat... This man, this Ajamila, is fallen into great calamity. The Yamadutas, the assistants of the superintendent of death, Yamaraja, has come there to drag him. So mahato bhayat. It was a great, fearful, dangerous place. But simply by uttering 'Narayaṇa' he was saved.

So that practice is required. Simply by... Mahato bhayat. Here it is also said, nisamya mriyamaṇasya mukhato hari-kirtanam. The hari-kirtana is so glorious. If anyone at the time of death, mriyamaṇa, mriyamaṇa, one who is just dying... In a Bengali proverb it is said, parable, bhajan koro sadhan koro murte janle haya: "Whatever you do, spiritual activities, they will be tested at the time of death." All your chants that you are practicing, this will be tested at the time of death. If you can remember Krṣṇa, Hare Krṣṇa, hari-kirtana, at the time of death, then you are successful. So Krṣṇa is so kind, that immediately after hearing that the dying man was chanting Hare Krṣṇa or Narayaṇa, the same thing... Bhartur nama parṣadaḥ;.

The narayaṇa-sena, the assistants of Lord Narayaṇa, they are also looking like Narayaṇa. They have also got four hands. In the Vaikuṇṭha planets the residents are also exactly of the same feature of Narayaṇa. Just like in this planet the king and the citizens have the same feature of body—two hands, two legs... [break] The same bodily feature. There are five kinds of mukti, liberation: sarupya, salokya, samipya, sarṣṭi. Sarṣṭi liberation is not accepted by the devotees. Not sarṣṭi; sarupya. And those who are devotees of Krṣṇa, they do not accept any one of these liberations. Although, by the mercy of Krṣṇa, they are elevated to the planet Goloka Vrndavana, but from their part they do not wish any kind of liberation. They simply want to serve the Lord. And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura says that "I may take birth in a family as an ant where there are devotees," because in the house of a devotee, the ants also, by eating the remnants of the foodstuff of the devotee, becomes liberated. A devotee's position is so great, a pure devotee. Anyabhilaṣita-sunyaṁ jñana-karmady-anavrtam [Brs. 1.1.11].

vikarṣato 'ntar hrdayad
dasi-patim ajamilam
yama-preṣyan viṣṇuduta
varayam asur ojasa

The Yamadutas, the constables of Yamaraja, they are dragging Ajamila to take him to the planet there Yamaraja is there. And as soon as he uttered the holy name of Narayaṇa, immediately Lord Narayaṇa's assistants came, and with grave voice they said, "What are you doing? Stop! You cannot take this man to the Yama-mandira." Ojasa. Ojasa, with great gravity they said,

ucur niṣedhitas taṁs te
vaivasvata-puraḥ;saraḥ;
ke yuyaṁ pratiṣeddharo
dharma-rajasya sasanam

The assistants of the Yamaraja, Yamadutas, saw that they are very beautiful and their bodily features are very attractive because they are coming from Vaikuṇṭha, with four hands. So immediately they got some respectful attitude and inquired that "Who are you, that you are trying to interrupt in the administration of Yamaraja? It is not possible. You cannot... Nobody has ever interrupted with the administration of Yamaraja, so we are surprised. Who are you?" Ūcur niṣedhitas taṁs te vaivasvata-puraḥ;saraḥ;. Vaivasvata-puraḥ;saraḥ;. Yamaraja is also the son of Manu; therefore his assistants are called vaivasvata-puraḥ;. Ke yuyaṁ pratiṣeddharo dharma-rajasya sasanam: "Who are you? You have appeared before us as opposing party," pratiyuddharaḥ;. Warriors, they have got opposite party to fight. So they expected there will be fight because they are determined to take away Ajamila to the Yama-mandira, whereas the Viṣṇudutas, they forbade, "Oh, you cannot take them. You cannot take him. Stop."

Kasya va kuta ayataḥ; kasmad asya niṣedhatha: "Who are you, my dear sirs? Why you are forbidding us? What is the purpose of this forbidding?"

kasya va kuta ayataḥ;
kasmad asya niṣedhatha
kiṁ deva upadeva va
yuyaṁ kiṁ siddha-sattamaḥ;

They saw that they were not ordinary men. With four hands. Because within this universe, four hands, only Lord Brahma has got four hands. Nobody has got four hands. But they were four-handed. So they understood that "They are not ordinary living entities. They must be some extraordinary demigods or some upadevata, almost like demigods." Siddha-sattamaḥ;: "Or you are coming from the Siddhaloka." There is a planet which is called Siddhaloka within this universe. In the Siddhaloka they have got full perfection of life. And sometimes the yogis can demonstrate. In the Siddhaloka, for going from one planet to another planet there is no need of vehicles, no need of aeroplane. They can fly themselves in the sky. Sometimes we have seen pictures—a beautiful man and woman with wings. That is, of course, imagination. Maybe. We have not seen the inhabitants of the Siddhaloka, but we find it from Vedic scriptures that they can fly in the sky without any help of aeroplane or similar machine. They travel from one planet to another by yoga-siddhi. As the yogis can transfer themselves from one place to another without any difficulty, similarly, the inhabitants of Siddhaloka, they can fly in the sky. (aside:) What is that?

Yamuna: In Siddhaloka there are angels? That means angels?

Prabhupada: Yes. [break] There are many different types of human beings. So, the Caranas, the demigods, the Siddhas. Don't think that in every planet you can find out the same bodily features. There are different bodily features. So in Siddhaloka they have got the same bodily features, but their powers are far, far greater than ours. Siddha-sat...

Now they are describing,

sarve padma-palasakṣaḥ;
pita-kauseya-vasasaḥ;
kiriṭinaḥ; kuṇḍalino
lasat-puṣkara-malinaḥ;

"You are so beautiful-looking that all of your eyes are just like lotus petals." Sarve padma-palasakṣaḥ; pita-kauseya-vasasaḥ;: "And you are very nicely dressed with yellow colored garments and ornaments," and kiriṭinaḥ;, "with helmet," kiriṭinaḥ; kuṇḍalinaḥ;, "earrings, nice earrings, nice jewels, helmets," kiriṭinaḥ; kuṇḍalino lasat-puṣkara..., "and with nice flower garlands." This is the description of the inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭhaloka. There is no hat-coat-pant. They are dressed in a different way.

All right. Now have... [break] There are five kinds of devotees, liberation. Any one. There are varieties in the spiritual kingdom also, the five kinds of liberation, any one of them. Mayavadi philosophers, they know only one kind of liberation, sayujya-mukti, to merge into the existence of brahmajyoti. That much they know. Or they know... They prefer this kind of liberation, to become with the Supreme. That is taste. But devotees, they do not like. They want to keep their individuality.

Yamuna: (indistinct) angels in the (indistinct) different angels?

Prabhupada: So the angels... The Siddhaloka is not in the spiritual world. It is in the material world. But they are highly qualified. But that Siddhaloka is not in the spiritual world. That is within the material world.

Devotee (1): You said that the pictures they draw of the men with wings, that is not bona fide pictures?

Prabhupada: No. The statement in the Vedic literature—that they can fly. Now one can draw some picture, because they have idea that without wings how one can fly? That may be. That is their idea. But Narada can fly everywhere. He has no wings. He can travel both in the spiritual and material world, but he has no wings.

Malati: Is it true he has the same body in the spiritual world and when he comes into the material world?

Prabhupada: Yes, it is Narada's facility. He has got the benediction that he can travel anywhere, without any restriction. Even some of the yogis... Durvasa Muni, he also went to the spiritual world, saw Lord Viṣṇu. And Arjuna also went to the spiritual world with Krṣṇa. So, not that this material body cannot be transformed into spiritual body by the supreme will of the Lord. Anything can be changed. We think that this is stereotyped; it cannot be transformed. No. That's not the fact. By the supreme will, anything can be changed into anything.

Revatinandana: I have a question. One of my prabhus told me that you once said that your Guru Maharaja said that Jesus Christ was a saktyavesavatara. Is that correct?

Prabhupada: Yes. Because he said it, it must be correct. Muhammad also, saktyavesavatara. Saktyavesavatara means a living entity is especially empowered to preach the glories of the Lord. Lord Buddha is also saktyavesavatara. They are not ordinary human being. They are especially empowered personalities.

Devotee (1): Lord Buddha is not an incarnation?

Prabhupada: Incarnation. Avatara means incarnation.

Devotee (1): So that means incarnation also?

Prabhupada: Yes. Saktyavesavatara means incarnation with special power.

Revatinandana: It's stated in the Bhagavatam that there are two kinds of incarnations. One is a plenary portion, and the other is an empowered living entity. They're both incarnations.

Devotee (1): I thought that Lord Buddha was supposed to be incarnation of Viṣṇu.(?)

Prabhupada: Not viṣṇu-tattva. They are not viṣṇu-tattva. There are jiva-tattva and viṣṇu-tattva. The jivas are sometimes... Just like Lord Brahma. He is also not viṣṇu-tattva. Lord Siva is between viṣṇu-tattva and jiva-tattva. So powers, energies of the Lord exhibited in different categories... The viṣṇu-tattva is full of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Others, they are not full. And Krṣṇa is the fullest, ṣoḍasa-kalaḥ;. Krṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam. Ete caṁsa, aṁsa. Aṁsa means partially present in Krṣṇa. Ete caṁsa-kalaḥ; puṁsaḥ; krṣṇas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28].

Revatinandana: In the picture in the revealed book, Naradaji is asking questions of Lord Brahma. I was thinking that Narada has actually an all-spiritual body, and Brahma has a material form, material body. And yet Narada appears to Brahmaji to ask questions from him as spiritual master. How is that?

Prabhupada: Brahmaji also enters the spiritual kingdom at the time of annihilation with his persons.

Revatinandana: Does he undergo a change of body at that time?

Prabhupada: Yes. That automatically takes place. Just like Hiraṇyakasipu's son is Prahlada. It doesn't matter. And spiritual body, material body, that can be changed. [break]

Revatinandana: It will all be one thing(?), spiritual into material or material...

Prabhupada: Material means when the consciousness is not Krṣṇa. That is material. The same example, that iron rod, if kept to the fire, gradually it becomes warm, warmer, and at last it becomes red. When it is red, it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, by spiritual association, your body gradually becomes spiritualized. And at the perfection stage, there is no more material activities, simply the activities of the fire. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

maṁ cavyabhicariṇi-
bhakti-yogena yaḥ; sevate
sa guṇan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]

The whole body becomes supplemented with Brahman effulgence. It is not for everyone, and those who are very, very much spiritually advanced, their body becomes like that. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava acarya's body is never burned. It is entombed. They worship the body. But that is spiritual body.

Devotee (2): It is never burned?

Prabhupada: No. (end)

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