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In his final class, speaking on Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada gave an elaborate and careful analysis of the great responsibility that is afforded by the human form of life. Along with human life, he explained, came great intelligence and resourcefulness; but if that was not utilised in the proper cultivation of spiritual knowledge, then humans were no better than cats or dogs. If we instead chose to associate with other cat and dog-like human beings, then we would become infected.

"Originally, there were three kinds of infection: sattva guna or goodness, rajo guna, passion, and tamo guna, ignorance. These are just like the three primary colours: red, yellow and blue. Just like the expert artist can make a variety of colours from these three original colours, so similarly the three original qualities mix -- three times three is nine, nine times nine is eighty-one -- therefore there are 8,400,000 forms of life."

In his conclusion, Srila Prabhupada requested everyone to take advantage of the Krsna consciousness movement. "If you accept that 'simply by chanting I shall realise God', you can do that. If you prefer to study, don't blindly accept. Come here, read our books, and try to understand with your full knowledge. Whichever you prefer, you should come here and fully utilise this Melbourne centre."

Before allowing questions, Madhudvisa announced some good news: Srila Prabhupada would be coming to Melbourne again in January for an extended stay. The devotees were ecstatic and cheered, "Jaya, haribol! Haribol!"

Question time was lively. An initiated devotee -- now living apart from the community -- wondered, considering that everyone was influenced by different desires, whether each individual should be allocated a different type of sadhana or daily practice in devotional life. Some devotees suspected that the man was making a veiled attempt to gain sanction for a less-than-standard observance of the rules and regulations. Srila Prabhupada's in-depth reply was clear. He explained that those different desires would have to change, not the daily routine.

"Different desires means infection from different types of association. Therefore we recommend that you associate with us. Then there will be one desire: how to understand God."

The room was hot. Two bare-chested brahmacaris, standing on either side of Srila Prabhupada, fanned him reverently with yak-tail whisks. Raghunatha , a middle-aged devotee householder was having difficulty in coming to grips with some of the Bhagavatam's descriptions. Instead of studying his spiritual master's books more carefully, he had made the mistake of studying books from the Theosophical Society, which had only further compounded his doubts and confusion. He raised his hand, and asked sheepishly, "Srila Prabhupada, when it is cited in the scripture that Lord Brahma rides on a swan, a hamsa, is this, er, are we to take this to mean that it is a real swan, or is it something symbolic?"

Prabhupada sat up taller on his vyasasana. "Not symbolic, it is fact. Why do you say symbolic?"

Raghunatha answered with some reticence. "It's, er, rather unusual."

Prabhupada's eyes opened wide. "Unusual? What experience have you got? You have no experience. Have you got any experience of other planetary systems? What is there? Then? Your experience is very teeny. So you should not calculate Brahma's life and other things from your teeny experience. Now, in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that the duration of life of Brahma, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh. Now, a Brahma's life is stated in the sastras. We have already explained that we accept the authoritative statement of sastra. Now, Brahma's life is stated there. Arhat means his one day is equal to our four yugas. Four yugas means 4,300,000 years. And multiply it by 1,000. Sahasra yuga paryantam. Sahasra means 1,000. And yuga means 4,300,000 years. Now, multiply it by 1,000. That period is Brahma's one day. Similarly, he has got one night, one month, one year. And such hundred years he will live.

"So, how you can calculate? How it is within your experience? You will think something mysterious. No, your experience is nothing. Therefore you have to take experience from the perfect person, Krsna. Then your knowledge is perfect. That I have already said. Don't try to understand everything with your teeny experience. Then you will be a failure."


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu