Bhakti-rasa exists eternally (Part -1)
Lecture by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada given at Bombay, December 28, 1972
Pradyumna: (reading) "Bhakti-rasa, however, the mellow relished in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, does not finish with the end of life. It continues perpetually and is therefore called amrta, that which does not die, but exists eternally."
Prabhupada: This is the importance of Krishna consciousness, that in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said:
tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim
ko vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah
[SB 1.5.17]
Just like sometimes they say that in this movement, just like the cinema, the hippies are joining. Hippies means they're useless. They are joining. Bhagavata says that those who are very dutiful, they are called sva-dharma nistha. According to Vedic culture, there are different divisions of the society. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha. So these are called sva-dharma, means, engaged in one's occupational duty. Or, in the modern sense, somebody's engaged in business, somebody's engaged in other occupation, profession.
Every man has got some engagement. That's a fact. So Bhagavata says that: tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer [SB 1.5.17]. Anyone, even by sentiment, or by any reason, he gives up his own occupational duty and takes shelter of Krishna, or joins this Krishna consciousness movement, tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer... If one has joined this Krishna consciousness movement, doing very nicely, he's improving, that's all right. But if he falls down... Because sometimes they come out of sentiment, join this movement and again falls down. Not very occasionally. But there is chance because maya is very strong. One may fall down. Bhagavata says bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi. He's not mature. In immature stage, by some reason or other, if he falls down, then yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim. Then what is the loss there? There is no loss. Suppose he joined out of sentiment and executed devotional service for some time under the direction of the spiritual master, according to the regulations of the sastras, but incidentally, he falls down. He becomes a victim to the maya. Bhagavata says still there is no loss. On the other hand, a person who is engaged in his occupational duty very sincerely, he has not become a devotee, Bhagavata says: "What does he gain?" One who is engaged in his occupational duty very sincerely, doesn't care for Krishna consciousness, then Bhagavata says: "What does he gain?" He doesn't gain anything. But that man who joined this Krishna consciousness movement out of sentiment, but immaturely he falls down, he has no loss.
Try to understand this. Because this Krishna consciousness is the consciousness of the spirit soul. That is reality. Therefore as the soul is eternal, his advancement in that consciousness, that also becomes an eternal asset. That will never be lost. Even if (he) falls down in this life, he could not execute cent percent the duties in Krishna consciousness, even he falls down, so whatever he has done in this life, that becomes a permanent asset. So that, from next life, he'll be given chance. In ordinary karmi's life, there is no guarantee that he'll get next life a human body. According to his karma he'll get a body. Maybe animal body or maybe demigod's body. But there is no certainty that he'll get a human body. But this man, who out of sentiment joined in Krishna consciousness movement, and immaturely falls down, he's guaranteed to get a very nice human body.
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that sucinam srimatam gehe yogo bhrasto sanjayate [Bg. 6.41]. He'll get birth in a family, sucinam. Sucinam means pious brahmana family or devotee's family. He'll get birth. Or in rich family. The second-class will get in rich family. But both these families will give them chance to begin where he ended his Krishna consciousness in the last life. He'll begin from there. That is his
Pradyumna: "This is confirmed in all Vedic literatures. The Bhagavad-gita says that a little advancement in bhakti-rasa can save the devotee from the greatest danger, that of missing the opportunity for human life."
Prabhupada: Yes. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Just Ajamila. Ajamila in his boyhood, he was very sincere brahmana. He was conducting devotional service under the direction of his father. But in youth hood, he fell down. He became a victim of a prostitute. He forgot everything. He became a rogue, drunkard, meat-eater, woman-hunter, all fallen down. But at the end of life, when he was afraid of the Yamadutas, out of fearfulness he called for his youngest son whose name was Narayana. Because when you are in danger, naturally... Just like a child, cries for the mother. Because mother is the only... Similarly affection is there. Similarly this Ajamila asked for the youngest child: "Narayana." But immediately he remembered that Narayana whom he served in his boyhood. So immediately the Narayana messengers came and saved him. Svalpam apy. He executed very little service in his boyhood as a devotee. That saved him from the greatest danger. He was being dragged out by the men of Yamaraja, but the Visnudutas came and protected him and took him to Vaikuntha. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. By chance, he remembered Narayana because he executed Narayana's service. Then he was saved. Go on.
Pradyumna: "The rasas derived from our feeling in social life, in family life, or in the greater family life of altruism, philanthropism, nationalism, socialism, communism, etc., do not guarantee that one's next life will be as a human being."
Prabhupada: Yes. There is no guarantee. Now today I am very great leader, minister. That's all right. But after death there is no guarantee that you'll become again minister or big man, big business man. There is no such guarantee. That we'll have to accept another body according to your karma. Suppose as business man, I've done very nicely. I have given in charity. That's nice. You get better life. But for business sake, I have earned money by hook and crook, my mentality's just like crocodile or dog; then I have to become a crocodile. That's all. Because after death you are in the hands of nature. You cannot dictate that "Give me this and that body." No. That you have to prepare in this life. If you prepare yourself in this life to go back to home, back to Godhead, you go back to home, back to Godhead. If you prepare this life as a crocodile, then you become a crocodile. So God is very kind. Ye yatha mam prapadyante [Bg. 4.11]. So it is your business to what kind of body you are going to get next. Just like the example I was giving last night. That we are staying in this room, and suppose after a month we have to give it up. So we must find out another apartment. It may be better or it may be lower. There is no guarantee. But if we can arrange, we can better apartment than this. And if we cannot, we may go to hellish apartment. This is the way. But for the devotee, at least it is guaranteed that he gets next life as a human being. Not only human being, but in the family of a devotee, or in the family of rich man. These alternatives are there. Then?
Pradyumna: "We prepare our next life by our actual activities in the present life. A living entity is offered a particular type of body as a result of his action in the present body. These activities are taken into account by a superior authority..."
Prabhupada: Yes.
Pradyumna: "...known as daiva."
Prabhupada: People do not believe this. They think that everything is going on automatically. No. There is everything, account, witness.
Anumanta upadrasta saksini. SaksiniIsvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese [Bg. 18.61]. Everything is being witnessed and that is being recorded. So just like in an office in government service, there is service record, and at the end of the year, everything is considered. So the man is promoted, given some bonus on the proprietor or the directors, they're not meeting that man. But the service record is there. Similarly, whatever we are doing, good or bad, that is being recorded and it is examined. Karmana daiva netrena [SB 3.31.1]. We are acting and there is superior authority. They are examining what kind of body he has to get next. So that science is not being taught, that what is our next body? They are thinking that there is no next body, there is no life, this life is finished. But that is not the fact. As this life I have changed. I was a child, I got next body, I was a boy, I got next body, I was a young man. I got next body. Now I have got this body. So now I will have not this body, I will get next body. Where is the difficulty to understand? I've already experienced the next body, next body, next body. Why not after death next body? That the intelligence is to know what is that next body. That is in my hand.
Just like if you become educated highly your next post is very nice. But if you are not educated, then your next post is not very nice. Similarly if you act in this body very nicely, yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah [Bg. 9.25]. So you can prepare your next life. So our, this Krishna consciousness is next life to go back to Krishna directly. That is our program. How? Simply by knowing Krishna. That's all. Krishna guarantees this: janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. If we want to go back to home, back to Godhead, simply try to understand what is Krishna. And He's explaining in the Bhagavad-gita. But if you foolishly misinterpret Krishna, then you go to hell. But if you understand Krishna as Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, then you go back to Krishna. Where is the difficulty?
The rascals, they will not understand Krishna as Krishna says. The rascal will mislead others and mislead himself. He'll go himself to hell and he'll drag all others to the hell. This is going on. Everything is there, very plain and clear. One has to act according to that. He gets the benefit. But they will not allow. These rascal leaders, they'll not allow. They will be represent Krishna as something else. The only business is to kill Krishna. That's all. Not to accept Krishna is fact. All the big commentaries on Bhagavad-gita, you'll see. They're simply trying to make Krishna is not a fact. It is some fictitious. It is some story, mental speculation. This is their business. Demonic. So the condition is very dangerous. People are being misled.
It is not our pride. It is a fact. We are the only institution. We are trying to give the greatest benefit to the human society, the Krishna consciousness. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. It is not possible to understand fully Krishna. Krishna is unlimited. But as, as He represents Himself, Krishna, as He says Himself, if you understand... Krishna says: "I am the origin of everything." You take it. Krishna is the origin of everything. He has proved. All the acharyas, big, big acharya accepted Him, Krishna is the origin of everything. Arjuna, who heard Bhagavad-gita, he accepted Him, Krishna is origin. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam [Bg. 10.12]. Why we should try to understand Krishna otherwise? What is this foolishness? But that is their scholarship. That is their knowledge. If somebody can most rascal explain Bhagavad-gita, oh, he's a great scholar. Just see the fun.(?) He's the rascal number one and misleading people, he's great scholar. And we are simply presenting Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna says: "Surrender unto Me." We say surrender to Krishna. "These are primitive." We are not scholars. This rascaldom is going on. So you want to save people from these rascals. That is Krishna consciousness movement. The rascals have created a situation by defying Krishna’s authority, atheistic situation, the whole world in chaos. That must be. When there are leaders, only demons, how there can be any peace? The people are also becoming demons. So our, this movement, is very scientific, authorized. If you preach, there is no difficulty. As it is described in the Bhagavad-gita, then you are successful and those who hear you, they also successful. Simple method. Go on.
To Be Continued...
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