Prabhupada:

bhutani viṣṇoḥ; sura-pujitani
durdarsa-liṅgani mahadbhutani
rakṣanti tad-bhaktimataḥ; parebhyo
mattas ca martyan atha sarvatas ca
[SB 6.3.18]

So the devotees are protected by the Viṣṇuduta always, constantly. They are invisibly wandering all over the universe. We may see or not see because we cannot see spiritual body with these material eyes. So even we do not see, the Viṣṇuduta is always protecting the devotees from the enemies.

As I have explained yesterday, devotees will have enemies. Krṣṇa had enemies. This world is such, envious. Ordinarily, they are envious. The whole world is full of enviousness. Even the greatest personalities like Indra, he is also envious. If somebody is undergoing great austerities, thus Indra becomes envious. Just like Visvamitra. Visvamitra was meditating by the yoga process. Immediately Indra became disturbed: "Oh, this man is practicing so much severe austerities. He may capture my post some day. So this man must be curbed down immediately." Just like in political party, everyone is thinking, "Oh, this man is becoming greater than me. So he should be curbed down; he should be checked. Otherwise, some day he may occupy my ministership." This is the position of the world. Everyone is envious. So the devotees have enemies. But the Viṣṇuduta protects, as Krṣṇa says, that kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktaḥ; praṇasyati [Bg. 9.31], "My dear Arjuna, you can declare on My behalf that a devotee will never be... A pure devotee..." Always remember—a pure devotee. Devotee means a pure devotee. Contaminated devotee is different. Dvidha(?)-bhakta and suddha-bhakta. Those who are contaminated with material desires, with fruitive activities and mental speculation, they are contaminated devotees. They are not pure devotees. Pure devotees means anyabhilaṣita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11], no material desires, no action and fruitive activities, no mental speculation. So he is pure devotee. So that pure devotee in transcendental position is always protected by the Lord. And His Viṣṇuduta is wandering everywhere. Just like Ajamila. As soon as he was arrested by the Yamadutas, immediately they approached. So as there are different police department, military police department, civil police department, similarly, there is transcendental police department. Don't be afraid. Yes, here it is stated. So simply we have to be sincere devotee, and all protection will be given by Krṣṇa.

So rakṣanti bhakti, tad-bhaktimataḥ; parebhyo mattas ca. Now, Yamaraja says mattas ca. Not only from the enemies, but mattaḥ; means "my men," the Yamadutas. Because they were surprised. The Yamadutas were surprised: "How is that? Some four-handed, very good-looking persons came and checked our duty." So therefore Yamaraja said that "The devotees are protected from the Yamadutas by the men of Yamaraja." Mattas ca, martyan atha sarvatas ca. Therefore a devotee has nothing to fear. He is protected from the attack of enemies, from the attack of Yamadutas. How is that? There are many hundreds and thousands of instances—Prahlada Maharaja, Haridasa Ṭhakura... But don't think that a devotee will not have enemies. A devotee may have anything. Oh, he may be attacked by enemies. He may be attacked with severe type of diseases and so many things. But he will be protected. That is the difference between a devotee and a nondevotee. A nondevotee is neglected. That is stated by Prahlada Maharaja, that people may discover so many antibiotics or antiseptics for giving protection, or "anti—" measures, but unless he is given protection by Krṣṇa, all those "anti—" devices will not protect, help him. That is certain. Therefore we should take protection only of Krṣṇa. Otherwise our all protective measures will fail. Ravaṇa..., when Ravaṇa was attacked by Ramacandra... He was a great devotee of Lord Siva, so he began to pray. Because life and death question, he was praying to Lord Siva, "Please save me. I have served you so much." Ravaṇa was so great devotee of Lord Siva that he sometimes cut his head and offered to Lord Siva. So... And Siva was thinking very deeply what to do. And Parvati was requesting that "Your, such a great devotee, he is in danger, and he is asking your help, and you are sitting idly? You are doing nothing? How is that?" Lord Siva replied that "It is not possible to protect him. It is not possible for me." So as a woman, sympathetic, she came out and that "If you cannot protect, then I shall go and protect Ravaṇa." But she also could not protect. Therefore there is a... It is a verse, mare krṣṇa rakhe ke: "If Krṣṇa desires to kill somebody, nobody can protect." And rakhe krṣṇa mare ke: "And if Krṣṇa protects somebody, nobody can kill." This is the process. Mattas ca martyan atha sarvatas ca.

Dharmaṁ tu sakṣad bhagavat-praṇitam [SB 6.3.19]. Now, the Yamadutas may be in doubt, that "You are Dharmaraja. You are the protector of all religious principles. You are entrusted. So how your business can be interfered by the Viṣṇudutas?" So Yamaraja is explaining what is real dharma. This is very important. Dharmaṁ tu sakṣad bhagavat-praṇitam. (aside:) You can take sleep over here(?). Don't be inattentive. Better sleep. Dharmaṁ tu sakṣad bhagavat-praṇitaṁ na vai vidur rṣayo napi devaḥ; [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma means... This is authority. Yamaraja is authority. What is dharma? What is religion? Now, he says—he is authority—"Dharma means what is enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma." Dharmaṁ tu sakṣad bhagavat-praṇitaṁ na vai vidur rṣayaḥ;: "The essence of dharma is not known even to the great sages." Na vai vidur rṣayo napi devaḥ;: "Not by the demigods." Now, the authority, Dharmaraja, says that dharma cannot be manufactured by anybody, even great sages or demigods. But nowadays everyone is manufacturing a dharma, and the so-called rascals, they are supporting that "As many opinions there are, all of them are good." Yata mata tata patha. That is the preaching of the Ramakrishna Mission, that "Anyone can manufacture his own. It is personal." Is it not? And I have seen in your country also this, the same opinion he gave, that "Everyone has got his personal religion." And there is the hippies also. They are against any organized religion. These things are going on.

But here, we see, dharma means... Of course, it is a fact that you cannot make an organized religion by your concoction. So actually those who are religious, they have no difference, opinion, because religion means enacted by God. God is one. So not that God makes one kind of religion for one kind of person and another kind of religion for another person. Real dharma is, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead says, that "Don't manufacture your own religion. Simply surrender unto Me, the one God." That is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sakṣad bhagavat-praṇitam [SB 6.3.19]. Whatever the Supreme Personality says, "This is dharma," that is dharma. The same example, as I have given: law means which is enacted by the king or the government. You cannot manufacture laws by your whims. That is not possible. No, what to speak of you, here it is said, "Even great sages like Vyasadeva, Narada, they cannot also manufacture religion. And what to speak of the ordinary devas?" The Brahma... Brahma is the topmost of all the demigods. He cannot also manufacture religion. Nobody can. Here it is stated.

dharmaṁ tu sakṣad bhagavat-praṇitaṁ
na vai vidur rṣayo napi devaḥ;
na siddha-mukhya asura manuṣyaḥ;
kuto nu vidyadhara-caraṇadayaḥ;
[SB 6.3.19]

So when such great personalities... Na siddha-mukhyaḥ;. Siddha-mukhyaḥ; means the... There is a Siddhaloka. They are all yogis. They have got all the eight kinds of yogic perfection, Siddhaloka. Therefore they are called siddhas. They have got all the siddhis-bhukti, mukti, siddhi. Siddhi means perfection. So far as material world is concerned, a siddha can have anything he desires. Therefore Krṣṇa is called Yogesvara. By yogic power one can have anything he desires. But that is not possible in this material world, but people try to achieve as far as possible these yogic powers. They are called eight kinds of siddhis, perfection. So there is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. So here it is meant, siddha-mukhyaḥ;. Mukhya means the chief of the siddhas. They also cannot manufacture religion. Although they have got all the perfections of material existence, still, they cannot. Now, in this world, just like in Christian religion also... Because in... What is that king? John? He did not like that one man cannot marry more than once. He started the Protestant religion. Is it not?

Devotee (1): King Henry, he did it.

Prabhupada: That means because... Or whatever it may be, he thought "Because I am king, I can start a religion." So that is not possible. Dharmaṁ tu sakṣad bhagavat-praṇitaṁ na vai vidur rṣayo napi devaḥ;, na siddha-mukhya asura manuṣyaḥ; [SB 6.3.19]. (aside:) If somebody dozes, it gives me too much pain. And I asked you to go and sleep. It disturbs me, too much disturbs me. I tell you frankly. When I speak or when I speak if somebody dozes, better not to sit. Sleep twenty-four hours, but don't make show like that: "I am sitting here and dozing." This is very much disturbing to me. Better frankly sleep. Why this should be? I do not know. What is the reason? You don't have full sleep? And if you don't have sleep, then extend. You make it eight o'clock. But sleep sufficiently. If six hours', seven hours' sleep is not sufficient, sleep thirteen hours, fourteen hours. But don't make dozing like this.

So Yamaraja says, "My dear boys, that..." (reads commentary:) Tam eva dharmam ity aha etavani na ca pramaṇaṁ vaktavyam drstatyady aha nama-sarana iti yenaiva kevalayam sakrd ity aditena.(?) So Yamaraja says that "Nobody can manufacture, even the great sages or demigods, or the chief of the siddhas, who have attained all kinds of perfections, and what to speak of others?" This is very important verse, that any manufactured religion, that is not religion. That is not... The principle of religion is our relationship with God. In any religion where is no such conception, that is not religion. This is bhagavata-dharma, direct relationship with Krṣṇa or the Supreme Personality. This Krṣṇa consciousness is specially teaching this, I mean to say, fact, direct relationship with Krṣṇa. Na siddha-mukhya asuraḥ;, asura manuṣyaḥ;. Asuraḥ; means they are also very powerful, but almost atheists. Just like in the modern world there are many powerful men and materially advanced, many powerful men. But because they are godless—they have no sense of God—they are called asuras. The example is Ravaṇa, Hiraṇyakasipu. And manuṣyaḥ;, manuṣyaḥ;, ordinary men. So everyone is described here, that nobody can. You cannot say, "If the asuras cannot, then the demigods can, or the human society can, or the siddhas can." No. Everybody is denied, that "Nobody can manufacture the principles of religion." Kuto nu vidyadhara-caraṇadayaḥ;. There is a planet which is inhabited by the Vidyadharas and Caraṇas. They are very expert in singing. Vidyadhara-caraṇadayaḥ;.

Then he says... Then who knows the secret of religion? He describes: svayambhur naradaḥ; sambhuḥ; kumaraḥ; kapilo manuḥ; [SB 6.3.20]. Just like there are entrusted bodies in every department, in every state, similarly, Krṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has got also several very faithful or confidential, confidential authorities who can speak about religion. Therefore parampara system is so necessary, disciplic succession. Krṣṇa has got direct confidential servants. They know what is religion. Therefore it is said, mahajano yena gataḥ; sa panthaḥ; [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. If we are puzzled about the principles of religion, then we must follow the mahajanas. Mahajana. These mahajanas are described here. Who is mahajana? Svayambhu. Svayambhu means Brahma. Svayambhu. He is called Svayambhu. Svayambhu means "one who is born by himself." Of course, he is not born by himself, but he is not ordinarily born. Just like a child is born by the sex intercourse of the father and the mother, Brahma is not born like that. There was no sex intercourse to beget Brahma. Therefore he is called Svayambhu. Svayambhu. Automatically he has come out. He has come out from the father without the help of the mother. Therefore he is called Svayambhu. You know that there was a lotus flower from the navel of Garbhodakasayi Viṣṇu, and within that lotus flower, Brahma appeared. Therefore he is called Svayambhu. Svayambhur naradaḥ; sambhuḥ; [SB 6.3.20]. Svayambhu and next, Narada. Narada is mahajana. Svayambhu is mahajana. Sambhu, Lord Siva, is mahajana. Kumara, the four Kumaras, Sanaka, Sanatana, they are also mahajanas. And these four, they have got their disciplic succession: from Brahma, the Brahma-sampradaya; from Sambhu, Viṣṇu Svami-sampradaya; from Lakṣmi, Sri-sampradaya; and from Kumara, this Nimbarka-sampradaya. Sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te niṣphala mataḥ;. Unless one who comes through the sampradaya, their principles are not authorized. And Krṣṇa also says, evaṁ parampara-praptam imaṁ rajarṣayo viduḥ; [Bg. 4.2]. Parampara, sampradaya. Krṣṇa also says. So this is very important. Unless one comes to the disciplic succession, anything he prescribes, that is null and void. It is not to be accepted. Svayambhur naradaḥ; sambhuḥ; kumaraḥ; kapilo manuḥ; prahladaḥ; [SB 6.3.20]. Prahlada, Maharaja Prahlada, he is also.

So how they have become mahajana, that is also described. Mahajana means one who can sacrifice everything for the sake of the Supreme Lord. Prahlada Maharaja, he personally saw that the father is killed before him. But from material point of view, this is the most abominable, I mean to say, incident, that a son is seeing that his father is being killed before him without any protest. Similarly, Bali Maharaja, he gave up the connection of his spiritual master. To give up the connection with spiritual master, that is also most abominable. So these people became mahajanas because as soon as they saw that "My father or my spiritual master is against the Supreme Personality of Godhead, such person immediately should be given up." Jiva Gosvami says... In Indian, according to Indian custom, there is a family spiritual master, family priest, family spiritual master. So Jiva Gosvami says that for advancement of spiritual life, one should give up the family spiritual master if he is not competent and accept actually a bona fide spiritual master. Because people are under impression that... Impression... It is a fact that one cannot give up the connection of the spiritual master. That is a great sin. But Jiva Gosvami says that if your family spiritual master does not help you in your matter of making progress in spiritual life, then you should give up his connection and accept a bona fide spiritual master. That is their direction. Gurur apy avaliptasya karyakaryam ajanataḥ;, parityago vidhiyate: "If a spiritual master is not competent to help the disciple to make progress nicely, or if he goes against..."

Just like spiritual master of Bali Maharaja, he tried to advise his disciple Bali Maharaja not to give to Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu, as Vamanadeva, came to ask some alms from the Bali Maharaja, "Give Me some alms. I want three feet of land." And Sukracarya prohibited: "He is Viṣṇu. He is asking you three feet of land, but He will take everything from you." So in this way, he was against this charity. And when Bali Maharaja understood that "For his personal interest, he is going against Viṣṇu," he immediately gave up his connection. Similarly, the gopis also, they flaunted the social law. At midnight they left their husbands and home and came to Krṣṇa. There are so many instances. For Krṣṇa's sake they sacrificed everything. They became, I mean to say, social outcaste. They transgressed the laws of the Vedas. But because they did it for Krṣṇa, they have been accepted as mahajanas, as authorities.

So prahlado janako bhiṣmo balir vaiyasakir vayam. These are twelve mahajanas. Just remember. The first one is Lord Brahma, the second is Narada, the third is Lord Siva, and the fourth, the Kumaras, and the five, Kapila, and then Manu, Vaivasvata Manu. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavan aham avyayam, vivasvan manave praha [Bg. 4.1]. This Manu, he is also mahajana. This, this time is going on, Vaivasvata Manu. Vivasvan manave praha. Manu is also mahajana, Prahlada Maharaja, and Janaka, Janaka Maharaja, the father of mother Sita, he is also mahajana. And Bhiṣma. Bhiṣma, the grandfather Bhiṣma, he is also mahajana. Therefore Bhiṣma's instruction in the Bhagavata should be taken seriously. And on his deathbed, he instructed Maharaja Yudhiṣṭhira, and Krṣṇa also heard. So these are mahajanas. Bhiṣmo baliḥ;, Bali Maharaja. Vaiyasaki, Sukadeva Gosvami, the son of Vyasadeva, he is mahajana. And vayam. Vayam means Yamaraja himself. He says, "We are also."

Then he says, guhyaṁ visuddhaṁ durbodhaṁ yaṁ jñatva amrtam asnute. Dvadasaite vijanimo dharmaṁ bhagavataṁ bhaṭaḥ;: "My dear boys, these twelve men..." Dvadasa. Two and ten, dvadasa. Dvadasaite vijanimaḥ;: "We know what are the principles of dharma. We know, we twelve personalities, authorities." Dharmaṁ bhagavatam. Dharmam means bhagavata-dharma, the relationship with God and the living entity. That is dharma. Bhagavataṁ bhaṭaḥ;, guhyaṁ visuddham: "This is very confidential and without any material contamination," durbodham, "and very difficult to understand, the principles of religion, very difficult." They are reading Bhagavad-gita so many years together, but when the question comes that "Surrender unto Me," they cannot understand. Durbodham: "It is very difficult to understand." Durbodhaṁ yaṁ jñatva: "But fortunately, if anyone understands, jñatva..." Jñatva means "If one understands," amrtam asnute, "he can drink the nectarine." If actually one understands the religious principle, he becomes, I mean to say, free from all material contamination. Amrtam asnute: "He is a fit candidate to drink the nectar of devotion." Amrtam asnute. Etavan eva loke 'smin puṁsaṁ dharmaḥ; paraḥ; smrtaḥ;. Now, what is the best principle of executing dharma, religion? So he says, etavan eva loke 'smin: "Especially in this material world," puṁsaṁ dharmaḥ; paraḥ; smrtaḥ;, "this is the first-class religious principle." What is that? Bhakti-yogo bhagavati: "Of rendering devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That is first-class religion. Bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-nama-grahaṇadibhiḥ;. Tan-nama. And how it begins? "Simply by chanting His holy name." These are the authoritative statements of Yamaraja. Tam eva dharmam etavan iti. This is dharma.

So our movement, the chanting of the holy name of Krṣṇa, that is authorized. Here it is stated, tan-nama-grahaṇadibhiḥ;. And you have seen that our..., in Back to Godhead, Hayagriva has also quoted many passages from Bible, the chanting, Hare Krṣṇa mantra chanting. So this chanting of the holy name of Krṣṇa, or God, is authorized. And actually the effect is being felt, because we are advised to execute this kind of religious principles according to the law, offenseless, and avoiding these four regulative principles. Simply by chanting Hare Krṣṇa mantra and observing these rules and regulations, one is sure to go to home, go to back to Godhead. There is no doubt about it.

namoccaraṇa-mahatmyaṁ
hareḥ; pasyata putrakaḥ;
ajamilo 'pi yenaiva
mrtyu-pasad amucyata

Then he says the assistants, "My dear boys, just see how much powerful is the chanting of the holy name of God is that this Ajamila, he did not directly mean to chant the holy name of Krṣṇa, Narayaṇa, but indirectly, because he chanted the name of Narayaṇa, although this Narayaṇa was not the original Narayaṇa, his son, but it is so effective that he also became delivered." Namoccaraṇa-mahatmyaṁ hareḥ; pasyata putrakaḥ;, ajamilo 'pi yenaiva mrtyu-pasat: "He was saved from the imminent danger of death and being carried away by the Yamadutas." I think we have covered. Na tatra pramaṇaṁ vaktavyam:(?) "How powerful is the holy name of Krṣṇa, or God, there is no need of evidences. Just see practically how it is being done." And Sridhara Svami says that na tatra pramaṇam vaktavyaṁ drṣṭaḥ; syad ity aha namoccaraṇeti yenaiva kevalena sakrd uccaritena.(?) Once he uttered, simply, "Narayaṇa..." That's a fact. Once uttered, the holy name of God, without any offense, without any motive, immediately makes one free from this material world.

Any question?

Devotee (1): Does one have to be a pure devotee to be a...? The twelve authorities, are they all pure devotees?

Prabhupada: Why do you ask this question? You have no sense. Without pure devotee, how they became authority? You are ask the question, "Is Mr. Rockefeller a rich man?" Your question is like that. He is known a very rich man, and he has foundation. If you ask, "Is he a rich man?" is that very intelligent question? Unless pure devotee, how they are authorized?

Devotee (1): What I was wondering about was the four Kumaras were... And I wanted to ask about Lord Kapila.

Prabhupada: Kapilo manuḥ;.

Devotee (1): They weren't pure devotees right from..., they weren't devotees right from the first. The Nectar of Devotion says that the four Kumaras were first situated in the...

Prabhupada: Right from the... What do you mean by "right from the first"? What do you mean by that? Just like Rupa Gosvami. Rupa Gosvami was a minister of Muhammadan government. So what is his position? He was minister, he was working under government service, and he was rejected by the brahmaṇa community. Then how he became gosvami?

Devotee (1): From the beginning of their...

Prabhupada: Beginning... Bhaktivinoda Ṭhakura was a magistrate. What do you mean by "beginning"? As soon as he is situated in his own original position, then he is pure devotee. That's all. It doesn't matter what he has done in the past. It is called nagna-mati. Nagna-mati.(?) One's mother was naked in her childhood. So one is asking, "Mother, why you are putting on those saris? You were naked. You can remain naked." This kind of argument is no argument. Whatever one may be in his past, that's all right. As soon as he is situated in pure devotee, devotional state, that's all. One hasn't got to inquire, "from the beginning" or "from the end." There is no need of such inquiry. As soon as he is situated in his original position, hitva anyatha-rupaṁ svarupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ; [SB 2.10.6], gives up nondevotional activities, but is situated in devotional service, immediately he is all right, pure devotee. Doesn't matter whether he was in the beginning. Because even a person, ordinary person, ordinarily, he is not contaminated. He lives aloof from this material existence. But for sometimes, even if he is influenced, that doesn't matter. As soon as he comes to his real position, he is a pure devotee. There is no question of tracing his past history. There is no question. You be situated in pure devotional service; you are pure devotee. That's all. There is no question of inquiring what he was in the past. That doesn't matter. Is it clear? Yes. Just like Ajamila. In the past history he, simply sinful, Jagai-Madhai, simply sinful, but as soon as they come to the position of pure devotional life, he is pure. That's all. Yes.

Yamuna: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Kumara-sampradaya, yes. Kumara-sampradaya. That is called Nimbarka-sampradaya. Nimbarka. N-i-m-b-a-r-k-a. Nimbarka-sampradaya.

Yamuna: And Janaka, isn't he...?

Prabhupada: Janaka. Janaka Maharaja. Yes. King Janaka. He's the father of Sita, Janaka Maharaja. He was a great king, but he had no attachment. Even great sages used to go to learn from him about spiritual affairs. He was so..., such a great personality, although he was a king and grhastha. All of them were grhasthas. Lord Svayambhu, Brahma, he is also grhastha. Narada is brahmacari. Sambhu, he is also grhastha; he has his wife. Svayambhur naradaḥ; sambhuḥ; kapilaḥ; [SB 6.3.20], he is also grhastha. Kumaraḥ;, they are brahmacaris. And Manu, he is also grhastha, Prahlada Maharaja, grhastha; Janaka, grhastha; Bhiṣma, brahmacari; and Yamaraja, a grhastha. So the number of grhasthas are greater than the brahmacaris, but they are mahajanas. It doesn't matter whether he is a grhastha or brahmacari. Just like we are practically following. We are giving equal rights to everyone. Either grhastha or brahmacari or sannyasi, the main center is Krṣṇa. One who is advanced in Krṣṇa consciousness is all right. It doesn't matter what he is. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's recommendation.

kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya
yei krṣṇa-tattva-vetta, sei 'guru' haya
[Cc. Madhya 8.128]

Anyone who is conversant, well conversant in the science of Krṣṇa, he is guru. He is mahajana. He is following actually the mahajanas.

Revatinandana: In the Bhagavatam and also in the Teachings of Lord Caitanya you talk about the oṁkara and tat tvam asi vibration. Now, the impersonalists improperly emphasize tat tvam asi over the original oṁkara. I was wondering what are the significance of these two vibrations and what is their relationship to Krṣṇa? What is tat tvam asi?

Prabhupada: Oṁkara is Krṣṇa also. Krṣṇa is everything. Why not oṁkara? So tat tvam asi means "You are the same." Tat tvam asi. That means you are spirit soul. So what is the objection? And for every Vedic mantra, the oṁkara is there. Praṇama. Every Vedic mantra. Just like we also chant oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ; paramam. Oṁ bhur bhuvaḥ; svaḥ; tat savitur vareṇyam. So every Vedic mantra is preceded by the oṁkara.

So who is going to mop these two rooms? The ladies (indistinct). It is the ladies' business. Ladies' business. First after this, cleansing (indistinct). Then get some flowers, change dress. This is the procedure. And then offer breakfast. In this way. (end)

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