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“All their hearts were melting for Him on the pot of attraction. They looked at Him without blinking their eyes, and they moved hither and thither in perplexity.” (SB 1.10.4)

Yes. Krsna, the very name, suggests attractive. Krsna means all-attractive. (from Srimad Bhagavatam lecture June 19, 1973 in Mayapura India)

Full lecture

Krishna Means All Attractive
Lecture by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.4
Mayapura, June 19, 1973

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

sarve te ‘nimisair aksais
tam anu druta-cetasah
viksantah sneha-sambaddha
vicelus tatra tatra ha

“All their hearts were melting for Him on the pot of attraction. They looked at Him without blinking their eyes, and they moved hither and thither in perplexity.”

Prabhupada: Read the purport also.

Pradyumna: Purport: “Krsna is naturally attractive for all living beings because He is the chief eternal amongst all eternals.”

Prabhupada: Yes. Krsna, the very name, suggests attractive. Krsna means all-attractive. He has got, because He’s complete, purna, so He has got all the attractive features, from material point of view, spiritual point of view. Therefore His name is Krsna. And He delivers the fallen souls from the miserable condition. He attracts and He delivers. Krsna. Therefore krsna means Param Brahman. Param brahman iti sabdyate. Rama also, the same thing, Param Brahman.

So Krsna is all-attractive, by opulence, by His power. Our definition of God is very simple. We do not define God as avyakta. Avyakta means “cannot be explained.” If you cannot explain, then what you will understand? The Mayavadis, they say that God cannot be explained. In the Vedanta-sutra there is a sutra: na sabdyat. I, I forget the… “God is explainable.” Because in the Vedas there are mantras. Sa aiksata, sa asrjata. He glanced over the material nature. He created. Sa aiksata. So these things are explainable. So we don’t see that the Absolute Truth is not explicable. It is explicable. We have got our explanation. Purna. Purna means complete. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He’s also a living entity like us. (yelling in background) (aside:) Ask the rascals to stop talking. But He’s purna. That is the difference. We are not purna. We are defective. Especially when we come in the material world, we are defective in so many respects. By nature, we are defective. Or not purna, incomplete, subordinate. He’s therefore called the nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He’s complete, the chief all living entities.

So how do we explain it? It is very simple thing. Suppose I am here, and you are here. So you may be better than me. Nobody is equal. You don’t find. We don’t find. In every respect, two bodies equal, you won’t find. In bodily features, in qualities, in action, in thinking, in feeling. All you’ll find varieties. Var… That is… Variety is enjoyment. If I agree with you in every respect, then where is varieties? Just like if you are given a nice dish of foodstuff. Somebody says, “Give me this one.” Another says, “Give me this one.” So variety of taste. Although all sweetmeats are made of the same ingredients, sugar and yogurt or curd, but somebody says, “Give me this rasagulla,” somebody, “The sandesa…” Somebody says, “Give me panthva(?).” They’re made of the same ingredient, but it is different taste.

So you cannot neglect these varieties of taste. That is enjoyment. Anandamayo ‘bhyasat. We are all anandamaya, joyful. Therefore there must be varieties. Without varieties, there is no joy. Simply hackneyed, one thing, “Brahman, Brahman, Brahman,” nobody likes it. They keep with “Brahman, Brahman,” they fall down or they again come to the explanation of this Bhagavatam. I have seen so many Mayavadi sannyasis. By “Brahman, Brahman,” they could not attract audience. Then come to Bhagavata reading and explains in nonsense way all the Bhagavata, Mayavadi. But they come to… Because Bhagavata is full of varieties. But they explain in their own way. I have seen one big Mayavadi sannyasi, explaining Bhagavata that “God became pleased…” in some stanza. “So if you become pleased, then God becomes pleased.” This was his explanation. If I am pleased by drinking wine, then God is also pleased? This is his explanation. Yes. I’m a grand debauch. By debauchery I am pleased. So God is also pleased by my debauchery. Because God and I, the same. This is their explanation.

So it is very difficult. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given one line of Vaisnava behavior: asat-sanga tyaga ei vaisnava acara. Simply to give up these rascals’ association. The rascal means the Mayavadi, karmi, jnani, yogi, all they are rascals. It is our open declaration. So we have to give up the company of these rascals. If we actually serious about advancing in Krsna consciousness, we should not mix with them. We should not even invite them. Neither we shall take their foodstuff, accept their foodstuff. Dadati pratigrhnati bhunkte bhojayate ca… Guhyam akhyati prcchati ca. Bhunkte bhojayate caiva sad-vidham priti-laksanam. Priti. If you want to make one friends, then these six kinds of dealings must be there. Dadati. Dadati means there must be… One must give something to the other, a friend. Just like I am friend. You are friend. I give you something. In return you give me something. Dadati pratigrhnati. Guhyam akhyati prcchati ca. I open my mind to you, you also inquire confidential things from me. Or I inquire. Guhyam akhyati prcchati ca. And then bhunkte bhojayate. Whatever you give me, I eat. And I give you, you eat. By these six kinds of dealing, priti, love increases.

So in our Krsna consciousness movement, we practice this. As far as possible, we are giving and taking. We are… We have made this program, life membership. We are giving our books, knowledge. Whatever we have got, little knowledge, we have written in our books, we are giving them: “Take it.” And they are also giving: “Take this eleven hundred rupees.” So this is dadati pratigrhnati. And they also come here to inquire: “Swamiji, your movement is very nice. What is the meaning of this? What is the meaning of that?” Guhyam akhyati, expresses their mind. Prcchati. They explain, “This is my position. I cannot do it. How can I do it?” And the Vaisnavas reply them. Then we invite them in our love feast. In all our centers, we have got this arrangement. We invite everyone: “Come on, take prasadam.” And if somebody gives us something to eat, we also eat, provided he’s not a Mayavadi, karmi, jnani. Otherwise, we should not take. We can…, we cannot accept anything from these classes of men, atheist class. Then we’ll be… Sangat. Sangat sanjayate kamah. If we associate with these Mayavadi, atheist class, karmi, jnani, yogi, then we’ll infect their quality. So if we infect the Mayavadi quality, karmi quality, jnani quality, yogi quality… I see some of the students, still they practice some yoga asana. That quality is not yet… He’s not yet free. But this is nonsense. This is nonsense. We should, by promise, we should not associate with any of their qualities. That is…

asat-sanga-tyaga — ei vaisnava-acara
stri-sangi — eka asadhu krsnabhakta ara

Asat. Asat means bad element, bad association. So asat-sanga. We have to give up asat.

“So who is asat, Sir?” Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s speaking: asat-sanga-tyaga ei vaisnava-acara. Vaisnava’s behavior, Vaisnava’s character should be simply to give up the company of the asat. Now there are so many nice people, gentlemen. So if we give up, if we say everyone is asat… So we must know. The Caitanya Mahaprabhu next line gives: “Yes, asat eka stri-sangi.” Eka stri-sangi. One asat is stri-sangi. Stri-sangi means too much attached to women. Or attached to women. Or attached to women. Too much or little — it doesn’t matter. Attached to women. He’s asat. And krsna-abhakta — and who is not a devotee of Krsna. So these Mayavadis, karmi, jnani, yogi, they are not krsna-bhaktas. They’ll say, “Krsna is not God. I am God. I am also God. Krsna is not God. I am God. But Krsna is not God.” This is their version. Therefore they’re rascals. “I am God.” They’ll declare, “I am God. You are God.” But Krsna is not God. Except Krsna, everyone is God.” This is their version.

So how much rascal they are we must know. So therefore we should give up their company. Asat-sanga-tyaga vaisnava-acara. Otherwise, asat… Asat eka stri-sangi krsna… There are stri-sanga, vaidha-avaidha. Vaidha means regular, according to sastra. According to sastra means restricted. Sastra restricts. Sastra means sas-dhatu. Sas-dhatu means sasana, ruling. From sas-dhatu, sastra has come, sastra, weapon, has come. And sas-dhatu, from sas-dhatu, sisya also comes. These words are derived from sas-dhatu. Sastra, sastra, sasana. Sasana means ruling. Sanskrit is very nice language. From one verbal root, you can manufacture so many words; therefore it is very difficult to make Sanskrit dictionary. It is very difficult. The so-called Sanskrit dictionaries available in the market, you won’t find all the words. It is not possible. Because so many words are manufactured by one dhatu. How many they will add? But there is one book, what is the name of that book? Meaning, this word means this, this, this, that…?

Devotee: Thesaurus.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Devotee: Thesaurus.

Devotee: Synonyms and antonyms.

Prabhupada: What is that? Name?

Devotee: It’s a…?

Devotee: Thesaurus.

Devotee: Thesaurus.

Prabhupada: Disorder?

Bhavananda: Thesaurus. Thesaurus.

Prabhupada: Oh. The Sanskrit name or Persian name?

Bhavananda: No, that is the name for the book. Any book which gives so many different words, word meanings for one word, is called thesaurus.

Prabhupada: So this sastra, sastra-vidhi. Sastra-vidhi. Loke vyavayamisa-madya-seva nitya hi jantoh. Nitya hi. Na hi tatra codana. One does not require encouragement. One is not taught in the school how to learn sexual intercourse. No. These things are already there. Nitya, nitya hi jantoh. Every living entity has got these propensities: intoxication, sex intercourse. Vyavaya amisa. Amisa: meat-eating, fish eating. They’re there already. One does not require to be educated, how to eat meat, how to drink, how to use sexual intercourse. No. It is already there. Nitya hi… Na hi tatra codana. There is no need of encouragement. Then why the sastra’s ordering that “You eat meat in this way. You drink in this way. You have sexual intercourse in this way”? What is the purpose? The purpose is to restrict him. Because by natural propensity he’ll have… Just like in Western countries there is no marriage practically. But they have sexual intercourse. They think, “Sex is there, available. Why we should bound ourselves by marriage tie?” They think like that. So why the marriage is there? Just to restrict. Without marriage, the man and woman will be open to so many other men and women. Therefore it is to restrict. One man, one woman. Otherwise, if you associate with so many men and so many women, this is animalism. So in order to check him from the animal life, sex intercourse, the marriage is there. This is the purpose. Therefore sastra. Sastra means simply restrict. One who is accustomed to restriction, he’s perfect. Not indulgence. The animals are not restricted. But nowadays, better animal is restricted. They have got a time for sexual intercourse. But these, these animals, the four-, two-legged, two-hands animal, they have no restriction. Any time. Less than animal. Therefore sastra is there.

So vaidha. Vaidha means what is sanctioned by the sastra. That is vaidha stri-sanga. Yes. One may have association with the women… There must be association with women. By God’s creation, there is man, woman. They’re meant for being united. So therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that dharmaviruddho kamah aham. “When sex intercourse is there according to the sastra, that is I am. That is I am.” Dharmaviruddhah. So there are rules and regulations, how to have sex life. So… There are two kinds of association with women, vaidha and avaidha. Vaidha means according to sastra, and avaidha means without any restriction, without any restriction of the sastra. So asat, eka stri-sangi. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said. And the sahajiyas, rascals, they interpret: asat eka stri-sangi. One who has got only one wife, he’s asat. One must have many wives. The sahajiyas, you know. They keep so many women, like monkeys, in their company. You see, they have interpreted in this way. Asat eka stri-sangi.

So we, we, sastra restricts, but rascals, they interpret in a different way, and they enjoy. The real purpose comes… Just like what is that sannyasi in Australia who wrote against… What is the name?

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupada: Where is Pradyumna? What is the name of that rascal sannyasi? In Australia?

Devotee: Aghananda. Aghananda.

Prabhupada: Oh, Austria, Austria.

Devotee: Aghananda. Aghananda.

Devotee (2): No. Aghananda Bharata.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Pradyumna: Aghehananda Bharata.

Prabhupada: Agyanananda? No?

Pradyumna: Aghehananda

Prabhupada: Aghehananda. That rascal says that “This, this is our ultimate goal: unrestricted, eating meat and sex.” Is it not? Did he not say like that?

Devotee (3): No, I think that’s Rajneesh Acarya.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Devotee (3): Rajneesh Acarya says that one should have unrestricted sex life.

Prabhupada: So there are so many rascals. Therefore…

Indian: Shakespeare writes in his books that marriage is nothing but legal prostitution.

Prabhupada: Yes. So that is their interpretation. Marriage, Vedic sastra enjoins marriage, and it is for prostitution. Just see the interpretation. All the great rsis, they recommended: “Yes, you can go on, prostitution, with your prostitution, under the sanction of the sastra.” No, it is not that. The real purpose is to restrict. Just like meat-eating. Meat-eating is recommended in Vedic literature. There is kali-puja. Kali-puja. By sacrificing one goat before Goddess Kali. Goddess Kali’s worshiped on the amavasya. Amavasya takes place once in a month. Therefore these rascals who are meat-eaters, they’ll be restricted. If they accept the sastra, “No, no, if we eat meat from the butcher’s place, then we shall be sinful. Let us eat meat…” Just like in Calcutta you’ll find so many butchers, they have kept one Goddess Kali deity so that people will think now it is not sinful. Here the mamsa, the meat is not…, it is sanctified. Hindu-brahmana-kati(?). So these things are going on. Actually, it is restriction. And even when there is bali, the sacrifice is given, the mantra means, the mantra says that “This man is killing you. You’ll get next life a human being. But you have the opportunity, option, to kill him.” This is the mantra. Now, if somebody’s responsible, he’ll certainly think that “I am going to be killed by this goat again?” Mamsa khadati. Mam: “He will eat me.” That is mamsa. So no responsible man will take that responsibility, that “I will kill this animal. Again he’ll become a man and he’ll kill me. No, no. Stop this business.”

So this is the process of restriction. Similarly those who are drunkards, for them is recommended by offering liquor to Candi, they can drink. Similarly, marriage is also like that. It is restriction. It is not prostitution. It is restriction. Pravrttir esa bhutanam nivrttis tu maha-phala. This is natural tendency. If you want, if one can stop it, that is called tapasya. And human life becomes perfect by tapasya.

tapasa brahmacaryena
samena ca damena ca
tyagena satya-saucabhyam
yamena niyamena va
[SB 6.1.13]

This is human life. Not like animals, unrestricted. Animals are also restricted. So vaidha-avaidha. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu has strongly restricted that: “Don’t associate with these rascals. Asat.” Asat means those who are interested in material affairs. Asato ma sad gama. The Vedic injunction. That is Vedic injunction: sad gama. Just try to make progress towards sat. Om tat sat. Don’t be interested in asat. Asato ma sad gama. Jyotir gama. So these are the Vedic injunctions.

So because these Pandavas and their families were all sat by association of Krsna, therefore they were all perplexed within their mind, that “Krsna is going back to His home. How we shall live? How we can give up Krsna?” Those who are actually devotee of Krsna, they cannot give up Krsna at any risk. Just like Prahlada Maharaja, and the Haridasa Thakura in this Navadvipa area. He was a Muhammadan. He took to krsna-nama. The kazi called him, “You are Muhammadan. Why you are taking this krsna-nama?” “What is the fault, sir? There are many Hindus. They also become Muslim. So I like this.” So he was punished. But he did not give up. He did not give up. One cannot give up. Prahlada Maharaja could not give up.

So that is explained, that sat-sangan mukta-duhsangah. As soon as one associates with Krsna’s name, he associates with Krsna. Therefore asat, maya, cannot touch him. If he’s purely chanting without any offense, maya cannot touch him. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nir… [Cc. Antya 20.12]. And as soon as maya cannot touch him, then bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. The blazing fire of material existence extinguished immediately. This is the first gain by chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra offenselessly, the first gain is mukti. Bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam means mukti. By chanting Hare Krsna mantra, namabhasa, not pure name. As soon as one comes to the platform of chanting pure Hare Krsna mantra, without any offense, he becomes immediately enhanced in love with Krsna, prema, krsna-prema. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting as acarya. He was crying. Tava nama-grahane bhavisyati. Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me. So what is that verse? Caks…, caksusa pravrsayitam. Caksusa pravrsayitam. Tava nama, kada tava nama-grahane bhavisyati. This is the ultimate, ultimate realization of chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra, that one should cry. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said like that. So Krsna and Krsna’s name, identical.

These Pandavas were so purified by association of Krsna. So they were thinking, “How we shall live? If Krsna goes away to Dvaraka, then how we can live?” In this way, they could not make any solution. They were loitering here and there. Just like when you are disturbed in mind, you loiter, “What to do, what to do, what to do?” So they were doing that.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna

Source : https://theharekrishnamovement.org/2016/08/27/krishna-means-all-attractive/