Gour Govinda Swami:
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
vatsa prahlāda bhadraṁ te
prayāhi sutalālayaṁ
modamānaḥ sva-pautreṇa
jñātīnām sukham āvaha
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear son Prahlad, all good fortune unto you. For the time being, please go to the place known as Sutala and there enjoy happiness with your grandson and your other relatives and friends.
(Prabhupāda’s translation in Oriya)
Next verse. Text 10
nityaṁ draṣṭāsi māṁ tatra
gadā-pāṇim avasthitam
mad-darśana-mahā-ahlāda-
dhvasta-karma-nibandhanam
nityam — constantly;
draṣṭā — the seer;
asi — you shall be;
mām — unto Me;
tatra — there (in Sutalaloka);
gadā-pāṇim — with a club in My hand;
avasthitam — situated there;
mat-darśana — by seeing Me in that form;
mahā-ahlāda — by the great transcendental bliss;
dhvasta — having been vanquished;
karma-nibandhanam — the bondage of fruitive activities.
nityaṁ draṣṭāsi māṁ tatra
gadā-pāṇim avasthitam
mad-darśana-mahā-ahlāda-
dhvasta-karma-nibandhanam
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda
The Supreme Personality of Godhead assured Prahlād Mahārāja: You shall be able to see Me there in My usual feature with conchshell, disc, club and lotus in My hand. Because of your transcendental bliss due to always personally seeing Me, you will have no further bondage of fruitive activities.
(Purport)
Karma-bandhana, the bondage of fruitive activities, entails the repetition of birth and death. One performs fruitive activities in such a way that he creates another body for his next life. As long as one is attached to fruitive activities, he must accept another material body. This repeated acceptance of material bodies is called saṁsāra-bandhana. To stop this, a devotee is advised to see the Supreme Lord constantly. The kaniṣṭha-adhikārī or neophyte devotee is therefore advised to visit the temple every day and see the form of the Lord regularly. Thus the neophyte devotee can be freed from the bondage of fruitive activities.
(Maharaja repeats Prabhupāda’s purport in Oriya)
“To stop this, a devotee is advised to see the Supreme Lord constantly. The kaniṣṭha-adhikārī or neophyte devotee is therefore advised to visit the temple every day and see the form of the Lord regularly. Thus the neophyte devotee can be freed from the bondage of fruitive activities.”
The Supreme Lord asked Prahlād Mahārāja to go to Sutala with his grandson Bali Mahārāja. And he assured him that, there you will live very happily and you will see Me always there in My usual feature, two-handed form with the club, conchshell, disc, and lotus. So, when you see Me personally, you will have transcendental bliss (due) to the good fortune of always seeing Me. That means the reactions of your sinful activities will be destroyed. This is the only means to destroy this bondage of fruitive activities. No other means is there. In Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa has advised that thing:
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇam vraja
ahaṁ tvām sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucah (18.66)
Giving up all varieties of dharma, just surrender at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Fearlessly you surrender. Without any fear you surrender. “I will destroy all the reactions of your activity, even the reactions of pāpa, sinful activity.” karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām. In Brahma-saṁhitā also it is said:
indragopaḥ athavendram aho sva-karma-
bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanaṁ ātanoti.
Just as indragopa (a tiny worm), now Lord Indra.
aho sva-karma- bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanaṁ ātanoti
karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām
govindaṁ ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.54)
In Brahma-saṁhitā it is said: One becomes indragopa, a tiny worm, reddish worm, and another jīva has become Indra, king of the heavenly planets. Why? Because of karma-phala, the result of sinful activity. Yes. By the result of fruitive activity, one has become indragopa, a tiny worm, small worm, reddish worm, and another (jīva) has become Indra. sva-karma-bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanaṁ ātanoti, everybody is just getting this birth or body according to the result of their fruitive activities.
karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām
govindaṁ ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
How is this karma-phala, the result, the reaction of your fruitive activity destroyed? How will it be destroyed? Nobody can destroy it, karma-phala. Nahī. Nobody can destroy it. You have to reap the result.
(1 minute of the class lost because some person has recorded over the class)
Eating stool? Now he is eating stool. That is the result. (He had) completely forgotten that he was Lord Indra. Many, many years passed. So many children produced, all are eating stool. She-hog, enjoying she-hog, eating stool, producing so many children. Whole night eating stool, great mounds of stool. Anyhow, very happy, yes, very happy, very nice, yes, definitely.
Brahmā thought, “What is this? This fellow was once Indra, the king of heaven. So Much opulence (he was) enjoying and taking nectar, but now eating stool.”
So Brahmā came and took pity on him. He came and said, “Hey, what are you doing? Don’t you know who you are? What are you doing eating stool here? Once you were Indra. Don’t you know it?”
But he didn’t hear it. He turned a deaf ear to Brahmā’s words. So Brahmā thought, “Oh, he’ll never listen to me. My words will never enter into his ears because he had developed so much attachment to this stool-eating, enjoyment here, enjoying, eating stool, attachment to his wife and children. Oh, my words will never enter. Unless this attachment is completely destroyed, he will never listen.” That, Brahmā thought. So Brahmā first killed all his children, hundreds, hundreds of children. All were eating stool. When Brahmā killed them, that hog became very angry. He roared, roared, raised his tusks, and ran towards Brahmā, “aaaayy!” But what could Indra do? Brahmā is very powerful. Still, Brahmā said, “Don’t you know who you are? What are you doing here? Once you were Indra, now you are eating stool?”
Still, he didn’t hear because the attachment was still there. “My children are killed. My wife is there.” Again (he) produced children. Yes. Indra was so attached. So wife is there. As long as material attachment is there, the hari-kathā will never enter into your ear. Do you understand, Ācāryavān? Yes, hari-kathā will never enter. Always thinking, “My wife, my wife is there, so nice.”
kathaṁ priyāyā anukampitāyāḥ
saṅgaṁ rahasyaṁ rucirāṁś ca mantrān
(Bhāg. 7.6.11)
“Oh, my wife, such a nice smiling face she has. Smiling, she cuts jokes with me. Makes so nice... our house. How can I forget all these things, bābā? How can I forget? I cannot forget.” He cannot forget such a nice smiling, laughing, cutting jokes. All these things are there fresh in my mind. Hari is never there. Is Hari there? Is Kṛṣṇa there, Ācāryavān? (He is) saying, “No.” This is there:
kathaṁ priyāyā anukampitāyāḥ
saṅgaṁ rahasyaṁ rucirāṁś ca mantrān
Oh, so nice. How can I forget all these things? How can I give up all these things and develop detachment and do hari-bhajana? Impossible! Impossible! Impossible! Yes. Yes. Yes, it’s a fact. As long as your material attachment is not completely destroyed, hari-kathā will never enter into your ear. You are just pretending and sitting here as if hearing but not hearing at all. Not hearing. It is not entering into your ear. If it enters, it enters through this ear and gets out of this ear. It never goes deep into the heart. That’s a fact, isn’t it?
So Brahmā thought of the attachment Indra had for his wife. Again he produced children, so he is not listening to my words. Then Brahmā killed his wife. His children were killed. His wife was killed. He roared, roared, and raised his tusk and ran towards Brahmā. “Hey! Rascal, what are you doing? Don’t you know who you are? Once you were Indra, the heavenly king. So much nice nectar, such nice things you were eating, now you are eating stool here.”
“Hey, what? What? What?” Then he heard what Brahmā said. What is that Indra?”
“Oh, heavenly king. You were king in heaven and eating so many nice things there, nectar, such sweet things. Now you are eating stool.”
— “Indra? Heaven? You want me to go there?”
— “Oh yes.”
“Is stool available there? Is stool available there? A she-hog is there? Then I’ll go.”
If Lord Viṣṇu comes, “Hey Ācāryavān, come to My abode.” You will say, “Oh, what is that? Is stool available there? If my wife will be available there, then I’ll go.” Such attachment, so strong attachment, material attachment, you see. Unless this strong attachment is completely cut off, finished, destroyed, you cannot hear hari-kathā, Kṛṣṇa-kathā. It will never enter into your ears.
This is a story in... He committed such a... that he became a hog. He was Indra. According to one's karma, one takes birth, and dies. We say 84 lakhs of species, 84 lakhs of material bodies. How? Why is it? How does one get (such bodies)?
jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi
sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati
krimayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ
pākṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam
krimayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ;
pākṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam;
triṁśāl-lakṣāni paśavaḥ
catur-lakṣāni mānuṣāḥ
There are 9 lakh types of aquatic animals. Twenty lakh types of sthāvarā, trees, mountains, hills. 20 lakh. Eleven lakh types of krimi, kiṭa, pataṅga, germs, worms, insects. Eleven lakh. Daśa-lakṣaṇi pakṣiṇām, 10 lakh types of birds. triṁśāl-lakṣāni paśavaḥ, Thirty lakh types of animals are there. Yes. catur-lakṣāni mānuṣāḥ, four lakh types of human beings are there. (This is) 84 lakh. One (jīva) has gotten the body of an aquatic animal. One has gotten the body of a tree. One has gotten the body of a worm or insect. One has gotten the body of a hog, monkey, dog, cat. One has gotten the body of a bird. One has gotten the body of a human being in India, a human being in Australia, a human being in America, a human being in Africa, a cannibal eating human flesh, a human being in Greenland, an Eskimo. Yes, four lakh types (of human beings). Why? Because of karma-phala, because of the result of my fruitive activities, there are 84 lakh of bodies.
Many, many stories are there. Gītā (3.9) says,
yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra
loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ
Understand? No? Why don’t you understand? Eating stool. Why are you eating stool, thinking of eating stool, stool-enjoying hog? Hog enjoying she-hog. Why? Why don’t you read Gītā? Read Gītā! Hear Gītā. Gītā class is going on here, why don’t you hear? Why don’t you read?
yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra
loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ
“If your activities are never done for yajña-puruṣa...” Who is yajña-puruṣa? Bhagavān Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. (It is) for His enjoyment, for His pleasure, that yajña-karma. Then there is sakarma karma, fruitive activity. The reaction will come to you, karma-bandhan. There will be bondage of karma unless your activities are done for yajña-puruṣa, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu.
So many births are there, 84 lakh. Many examples are there in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Māndūkya Muni. One muni was there. Muni, you understand? Sage, speculator muni, or muni.
Māndūkya Muni was there. The king of that land where he was staying inflicted some punishment on him. What [type of punishment]? To sit on śūla, one very pointed trident-like, spear-like thing. He had to sit on it. That pointed spear would pierce through his anus. Yes, very painful. He inflicted such punishment on him, the king, because some thieves were staying there, and the king understood, this is the leader of the thieves, so he gave him such punishment.
So the muni, he had some sādhana. Anybody else would have died, but he didn’t die. At last, he did die but he survived. He died, then he was brought to the abode of Yamarāj because in Yamarāj’s court there will be a decision. Yamarāj is Dharmarāj. He very strictly follows the religious principles, morality. Naiti kathā, dhārmik principles he follows. And he gives justice, stern justice. He is the master of stern justice, Yamarāj, very strong justice. So, in Yamarāj’s court, it will be decided what will be the next birth. What activities he has done, what will be the reaction will decide the next birth.
Chitragupta is there, the minister who is keeping accounts. He maintains a book in Yamarāj’s court. Chitragupta maintains it for every human being, yes, a very big book for you, yes...
So that muni said, “Why, I have never committed any sinful activity. I am a muni. I am doing sādhana. I have not done any sinful activity. Why such punishment is there? Why this spear entered into the anus?” Yamarāj said, “When you were a small boy. You have forgotten this thing. You have pierced a thorn into an insect. You were playing. A child is like these wicked boys. So he caught an insect and pierced a thorn into it. So that is the reaction. So this spear was pierced through your anus. Yes, you have forgotten. You were a child. So, karma-phala. You have to reap it, the karma-phala, karma-bandhana. Nobody can destroy it.
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucah
Only Kṛṣṇa can do it. If you surrender to Kṛṣṇa... Krishna assures that thing. “Don’t fear. I will destroy the reaction of your karma, even the reaction of all pāpa karma, sinful activities.” Yes. No other means. karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām. There it is saying: one has become Indragopa, a tiny, reddish insect, a worm. One has become Indra because of the karma-phala.
karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām
govindam ādi-puruṣam tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
One who comes to the path of devotion, accepting such a guru, bonafide vaiṣṇava-guru, and treads this path of devotion, bhajan-patha, then your karma-phala is destroyed. Otherwise, nobody can destroy it, karma...
In Mahābhārata, there is a story. A very powerful king was there. His name was Nahusa. Do you know it? The temple president doesn’t know?
In Mahābhārata, it is said, a very powerful king was there. He was the king of the Soma dynasty, moon dynasty, the son of Ayu. His father’s name was Ayu. He was very powerful. He performed many pious activities, therefore he was promoted to the heavenly planet and he became Indra. Yes, because of his karma, pious activities... When he became Indra, he became very proud, “Hey, one who becomes Indra, Sācī will be his queen. Anyone who will become Indra, he gets Sācī. But this cannot be...she-hog. You cannot become.
So, he became so puffed-up. Nahusa became one Indra, proud. He didn’t deal nicely with Sācī. He didn’t behave nicely with Sācī. He also ordered the Brahmins to carry his palanquin, like Indragopa. He engaged Jada Bharata to carry his palanquin. Similarly, Nahusa engaged the Brahmins. Even Agastya Muni was engaged in carrying his palanquin. This activity, [such] bad, sinful activity. Once Agastya Muni was carrying his palanquin. He was very puffed-up, proud, and his leg touched Agastya Muni. Agastya Muni got angry and cursed him, “Take birth as a snake, sarpa hua.” Sarpa, “become a snake.” He became a snake. So, he was Indra, but now a snake. This is karma, the result of karma-phala. Similarly, I was telling that story how once Indra became a hog.
Also, you know, these brothers, Nalakūvera and Maṇigrīva, they were there in the heavenly planet. They had taken to such a way, shamelessly becoming naked, enjoying the girls of the heavenly planet, playing in a pond, jala krīḍā. Narada Muni was passing that way. They were so shameless they didn’t feel ashamed. They were so proud, puffed-up, shameless. Narada Muni became angry. “What are you doing here? This is a heavenly planet. You don’t deserve to stay here. Such nasty activities you are doing here and... Narada cursed, “Sthāvara-yoni.” Go down to the earth planet and take birth as trees, sthāvara-yoni.” Because of this activity, karma. So, they became twin Arjuna trees in the courtyard of Nanda Mahārāja for thirty-six thousand years; sthāvaras. And sādhus' curse is a blessing, yes, sādhus' curse is a blessing. Sādhu's punishment is a blessing. If you get the punishment from a sādhu-vaiṣṇava, that is a blessing. As long as you have not gotten punishment from a sādhu, you have not gotten blessings. You should understand you have been cheated, cheated. Sādhu has two things, blessing, kṛpā, and vañcanā. Blessing, mercy, and cheating also, yes. What one deserves he gets. If someone deserves mercy, he gets mercy. If he deserves cheating, he gets cheating.
So Maṇigrīva and Nalakūvera got mercy from Narada Muni. Narada Muni’s curse is a blessing. They remained in the courtyard of Nanda Mahārāja, and Kṛṣṇa appeared there and manifested His childhood līlās there. If they would have undergone thirty-six thousand births they would not have seen Kṛṣṇa, but they saw Kṛṣṇa in one lifetime by the...
janma saphala tā’r, kṛṣṇa-darśana jā’r,
bhāgye hoiyāche eka-bār
His life becomes successful if fortunately he sees Kṛṣṇa. Yes. Here, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, “You will personally see Me there in Sutala. You’ll personally see Me. You’ll have no force of bondage of fruitive activities if you see Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Then no fruitive activities, apunar bhava-darśanam. Kuntidevī’s prayer:
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād
apunar bhava-darśanam
“O Lord, if someone will see You then he’ll never come down here again to this material world, getting a material body (rebirth).” Yes, that is real blessing. So these two brothers acted in such a way that they got the birth of trees, Arjuna trees.
King Bharata, a great king, he gave up his kingdom, gave up his opulence, everything... He stayed with... sādhus. But he had one weakness. He developed attachment to a deer. He kept a deer-child... He developed attachment and gave up hari-bhajana, always thinking of that deer. Yes. When he was going to die, he thought of the deer, so his next birth was a deer’s body.
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
Gītā (8.6) says, at the time of quitting the body, (it is applicable for human beings, not for other species), at the time of death, if someone can think of Kṛṣṇa, mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ (BG 8.5). There is no doubt in it. Kṛṣṇa says, “At the time of quitting the body, if someone can think of Me, he will go to Me. Undoubtedly he will go to Me.” He will never come down here again to this material world, getting a material body (rebirth). If you cannot think of Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa, thinking of anything else, then...
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
That verse is there in Bhagavad-gītā. What is the translation? Bolo.
Devotee: Whatever one remembers at the time of death, that destination he will achieve.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. At the time of death, whatever one remembers accordingly he will get the next birth. Bharata Mahārāja thought of a deer, so his next birth was in a deer’s body. (Where there is) fruitive activity, birth is there. There is also another story in Mahābhārata.
One Brahmin was there. He was proficient in Veda... and a scholar, he knew Veda, vedajña, very proficient (in Veda). He had acquired Vedic knowledge. But he was a greedy fellow. Brahmins are very greedy in eating nice (food). So once he ate the food prepared and offered for the ghosts. Yes, worship of ghosts is there. In Bali, many are there who worship ghosts. They also prepare nice food and offer it in the street. Yes, I have seen, nice food offered on the street. “What is that? They are offering it to the ghosts?” Yes. So ghost worshipers are there. They prepare nice food and offer to the ghosts. That Brahmin and his friends were going by and saw some very nice food still lying there. Gulab-jāmuns were there, khērā, sweet rice was there, palāo was there, so much nice (food). So they developed greed and ate it. That Brahmin ate and also gave to his friends, the other Brahmins. So all ate it. After a few days or a few months or a few years, they died, so they were all brought to the abode of Yamarāj because it would be decided what will be their next birth. Yamarāj said, “Next birth is ghost body, preta-dāna, ghost body. You have done such activity.” Then that vedavit Brahmin said, “Why shall I get a ghost body?”
“Oh, you have done so. Yes, you have done so. You are a Brahmin, but you have not done the activity of a Brahmin. You have violated the principles of dharma. You ate the food offered to ghosts, given to them. They have all eaten, so ghost body.” Ghost body means no gross body. They will be in a subtle body. Ghosts are in a subtle body. No gross body, and very painful. One who remains in a ghost body, subtle body, it is very painful. Generally, those who commit suicide get this ghost body. It is very painful. Also, this karma kāṇḍīya, preta-kriyā we say, karma kāṇḍīya... is there. Do you understand karma kāṇḍīya? It is followed in India but you don’t follow in Western countries because you don’t accept Veda. Faithless persons, no faith in Veda. Many ghosts are there, many ghosts are there, yes, many ghosts are there in the Western world. When one dies, he becomes a ghost. All ghosts. So we have here, in India, when some person dies, after death, some ritualistic activities, rites are performed, karma kāṇḍīya, preta-kriyā. Tenth day after death, 11th day, 12th day, generally, for each person, every day also they perform some rites, karma kāṇḍīya rites. It is known as preta-kriyā, rites for ghosts. And the son of this person, the dead body will do it. Thereby this deceased person will not get a ghost body. He must get a gross body at least. He’ll never remain in a ghost body. To remain in a ghost body is very painful. Therefore this karma kāṇḍīya preta-kriyā is performed. Follow me? Yes.
If the father dies, the son performs it. Therefore the son is said as putra, who delivers his father from that hell named put; that is putra, from that hell named put. The name is putra. The Sanskrit word putra. He will deliver his father from going to that hell called put. He will do this preta-kriyā, perform some pious activities, then his father will never
Go to hell. At least he will get a gross body, what he deserves, guṇa karma doṣa, at least guṇa and karma. So then those Brahmins became ghosts. Yamarāj said, “Become ghosts. Stay in a deserted place.” That vedavit Brahmin, he paid obeisances, “Please tell us how can we be delivered?”
Dharmarāj said, “You have to stay there for many, many years in that deserted place. If by chance, fortunately enough, a vaiṣṇava goes there, a devotee of Viṣṇu goes there, so he will become thirsty and hungry because in the desert there is no water. If you can render service to him and get his blessings, then you will be delivered. Otherwise, there is no other means of deliverance.”
They stayed there in that deserted place for many hundreds, thousands of years, those Brahmins. So, by chance, one vaiṣṇava came. They remembered the words of Yamarāj. A vaiṣṇava came. He was very hungry and thirsty. The leader of the ghosts, the vedavit Brahmin, understood this thing, so he immediately assumed the form of a brāhmaṇa. Some of the others assumed the form of trees, some of them, human beings, like that.
So that vaiṣṇava got a chance, “Oh, nice tree is here, shady and cool.” It was shady, so he sat down there. They saw. Then they paid obeisances to the brāhmaṇa vaiṣṇava and said, “How can we serve you?”
“I am hungry and thirsty. Bring cold water for me and some food for me.”
So they went, brought some nice cool water and some food. Ghosts know very nice work. There are some sādhakas. Do you understand sādhaka? They do this bhūta sādhana, ghost sādhana. They do sādhana, how to keep the ghosts with them and engage them in activity and get benefit. They order the ghosts, “Go to Jayant Kṛid’s house, much wealth he has kept, bring it.” Ghosts will go. Nobody can see them because there is no gross body. They are in a subtle body. They can enter into a small hole and can take away everything, plunder everything and give it to their “master.” Yes, they do it. So sādhakas are there. Here I have seen such sādhakas. They utilize the ghosts. They do much work.
So the ghosts went. Some went and got some fruits from a [fruit seller], shorbet-walla, nice drink they got from him and offered it to the brāhmaṇa vaiṣṇava. So the vaiṣṇava offered it to Lord Viṣṇu, making it prasāda, then vaiṣṇava/Kṛṣṇa ate. His thirst was quenched and hunger was satisfied, his remnants he gave them. The remnants he gave, and the ghosts, they only smelled it because they have a subtle body. They have no mouth. They cannot eat. They only smell. They smelled it, thereby they got vaiṣṇava remnants. By the mercy, blessings of vaiṣṇava, immediately their ghost bodies were gone. They got very nice demigod bodies. Then they paid obeisances to that vaiṣṇava. The vaiṣṇava became amazed. He asked them, “What is this?” Then they told the whole story. This is how ghosts can be delivered.
So you should understand, “As you sow, so you reap.” This saying is there, as you sow, so you reap. If you commit some sinful activity, then you’ll go to hell. If you perform pious activities, then you will get a demigod body. You will be elevated to svarga. According to your activity, karma, you will have svarga or naraka. Take birth, accordingly, out of 84 lakhs of species. Karma-phala can only be destroyed by the mercy of a sādhū, thereby [you will get] the mercy of Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. There is no other way that karma-phala can be destroyed. Only sādhū-kripa, Kṛṣṇa-kripa. There’s no other way.
So many evidences are there. Therefore...
karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājāṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.54)
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvām sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucah
The last concluding instruction, most confidential instruction: “Giving up all varieties of dharma, just surrender unto Me.” Fearlessly surrender. Fearlessly you surrender... everything that you give up, dharma, then you’ll commit some pāpa, adharma, how? Then Kṛṣṇa assures, “Don’t fear. If there is some pāpa, I’ll destroy the reactions of pāpa also, sinful activities. Don’t fear.” This is the only means, the only way to destroy one’s karma-phala. Only Kṛṣṇa can, only Lord Viṣṇu can. Nobody else can destroy it.
karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājāṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.54)
That verse is there.
yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra
loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ
All are engaged in these fruitive activities, so karma kārana... are there. That means... the result of that, fruit of that... So there is karma-bandhana, the bondage of karma. All are revolving in the repeated cycle of birth and death, getting one after another a body out of 84 lakhs of species of forms.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, mahājana, has sung many nice songs.
hari he!
heno duṣṭa karma nāi, jāhā āmi kari nāi,
sahasra sahasra-bāra hari!
sei saba karma-phal, peye abasara bal,
āmāy piśiche jantrōpari
Ah, who can help me? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Can you sing with me this nice song, mahājana’s song? Can you sing? You should sing it.
hari he!
heno duṣṭa karma nāi, yāhā āmi kari nāi,
sahasra sahasra-bāra hari!
sei saba karma-phal, peye abasara bal,
āmāy piśiche jantrāpari
“O Lord Hari, thousands and thousands of times, not once or twice, thousands and thousands of times I have performed many nasty, abominable activities, many types of nasty activities, abominable activities, sinful activities. Yes, thousands and thousands of times. Now the reactions are coming to me, yes . . . . . . . . . . . karma-bandhana . . . . . .sinful activities must come. That is karma-bandhana, bondage. You cannot avoid it, karma-bandhana nāi. Those who are brahmavādīs, those who want to merge into Brahman. Jñānīs do this sādhana, very severe sādhana to merge into Brahman. They are called brahmavādīs. Even their karma-phala cannot be destroyed. Yes. Their . . . . . . . only by bhakti. Unless they come to the path of devotion and surrender unto the lotus feet of Bhagavān Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, the karma-phala cannot be destroyed. That is the only means. They have to reap the consequence, the result of their karma. Brahmavādīs . . . . others.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, “O Lord Hari, I have done many, many types of abominable activities, nasty activities, sinful activities for thousands and thousands and thousands of times. Now all the reactions, the result of karma, are coming to me and, āmāy piśiche jantrāpari, just crushing me like a sugarcane rod into that crushing machine.” Yes. The sugarcane rod and the sugarcane machine crush. The reactions of that karma-bandhana are coming and crushing me like that,
piśiche jantrāpari.
gati nahi dekhi ar, kande, hari, anibar,
tomar agrete ebe āmi
ja' tomar hoy māne, danda deo akincane,
tumi mor danda-dhāra swāmī
“I cannot find out any way. No way out is there for me now. O Lord Hari, now I am crying before You:
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
Are you crying? Are you crying? No crying, no crying. Very happy eating stool, why you’ll cry, bābā? “I am happy, I am happy, I am happy. So nice things, sweet things, rasogulla eating. Eating stool hog thinks, “The human beings are foolish, yes, human beings are foolish. They are eating other things. I am eating such nice thing, eating stool. Yes. Human beings are foolish not eating stool. I am a hog-eating stool. Hog thinks they are foolish, yes, he is eating something else. I am eating stool.
gati nahi dekhi ar, kande, hari, anibar,
tomar agrete ebe āmi
Why he’ll cry? He’s happy in fool’s paradise? He’s in fool’s paradise and says “I’m happy.” Why he’ll cry? Are you crying? No. Crying for his wife. Not crying before Hari.
tomar agrete ebe āmi
kande, hari, anibar,
“O Lord Hari, now I am crying and crying before You. I cannot see any way out of it, how I can get out of this karma-bandhana, debt of karma.”
ja' tomar hoy māne, danda deo akincane,
tumi mor danda-dhāra swāmī
“Now You inflict the punishment as You like, O Lord Hari. You are my master. You are my eternal master. You have all right on me, to inflict punishment.” Yes.
mārabi rākabi — yo icchā toḥārā
nitya-dāsa-prati tuyā adhikārā
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says. What is that song?
mānasa, deha, geha, yo kichu mora
ārpiluṁ tuyā pade nanda-kiśora!
mārabi rākabi — yo icchā toḥārā
nitya-dāsa-prati tuyā adhikārā
(Śaraṇāgati)
“O Nanda-kiśora, O son of Nanda Mahārāja, You are always kiśora, 11, 12-year-old boy. O Nanda-kiśora, I dedicate my body, mind, speech, everything completely unto You.” Complete surrender. mānasa, deha, geha yo kichu, whatever I dedicate becomes Yours.
mārabi rākabi — yo icchā toḥārā
nitya-dāsa-prati tuyā adhikārā
“As You like, as You please, if You want to kill me, kill me. If You want to protect me, protect me. As You like, according to Your sweet will, O Lord. I am Your eternal servant. You are my eternal master. You have full right on me, adhikāra. Yes.
ja' tomar hoy māne, danda deo akincane,
tumi mor danda-dhāra swāmī
The same thing Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, Narottama dāsa says . . . . . the same thing.
“O Lord Hari, You are my eternal master. You have full right on me, to inflict any punishment You like.” Yes.
klesa-bhoga bhāgye jata, bhoga mor hao tata,
kintu eka mama nibedana
je je dāsa bhoga āmi, āmāke nā chādo swāmī,
bhaktibinoder prāṇa-dhāna
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, “Alright, as I deserve, such punishment I deserve. Such suffering I deserve. Such pain I deserve. Yes. I am such a rascal, such a sinful person. I have committed many, many, many, many types of sinful activities, abominable activities, thousands and thousands of times. I deserve punishment. I deserve suffering. Yes. Whatever I deserve let me have it, let me have it. But I have one prayer." What is that, do you know?
Devotee: To be a devotee.
je je dāsa bhoga āmi, āmāke nā chādo swāmī,
bhaktibinoder prāṇa-dhāna
Gour Govinda Swami: “Please don’t kick me. Please don’t desert me, O my Master, O Lord Hari. Let me have such suffering as I deserve, but, I have one prayer, please don’t kick me. Please don’t desert me.”
That means, “Please, give me a place at Your Lotus feet as a speck of dust.”
ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ
patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
kṛipayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
sthita-dhūlé-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya
In Śikṣāṣṭaka (5) Mahāprabhu has taught this thing.
ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ
patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
kṛipayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
sthita-dhūlé-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya
“O Nanda-tanuja, O son of Nanda Mahārāja, I am Your kiṅkara, I am Your servant. Though I am Your servant, still, somehow or other, I am fallen here in this dreadful ocean of material existence as a result of my karma, karma-phala. So I have been drowning, drowning here from time immemorial, suffering, suffering, suffering here from time immemorial. But I am Your servant.”
ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ
patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
kṛipayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
sthita-dhūlé-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya
“Please, out of mercy, think of me as a speck of dust at Your lotus feet, O Lord Hari, O Lord Viṣṇu, Nanda-nandana, Yasodā Nanda Mahārāja. In other words, let Your servant serve You.”
Tumi nitya dāsa, tomar sevaka kari tomar sevan
let Your servant serve You. This is the only prayer.
kiṭa janma hao yathā tuyā dāsa. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says. According to my guṇa and karma, if I deserve to take birth as a worm, kiṭa, let me have it. But, in that birth also, please give me such an opportunity that I’ll serve You. I’ll become Your dāsa, become Your servant.” Understand? This is the only means.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has written many nice songs. Here in . . . .
bhūliyā tomāre, saṁsāre āśiyā,
peye nānā-vidha vyathā
tomāra caraṇe, āśiyāchi āmi,
bolibo duḥkheṛa kathā
(Śaraṇāgati)
Bolo! Why don’t you sing? Prabhupāda sings this song many times. Isn’t it? Don’t you have this song?
bhūliyā tomāre, saṁsāre āśiyā,
peye nānā-vidha vyathā
tomāra caraṇe, āśiyāchi āmi,
bolibo duḥkheṛa kathā
— Can you sing?
“O Lord Hari, forgetting You, I am fallen here in this dreadful ocean of material existence, in this material world, and have been suffering and suffering and suffering from time immemorial. But now I have come to You, O Lord Hari, to tell You the tale of my woe.”
jananī jāṭhare, chilāma yakhon,
biṣama bandhana-pāśe
eka-bārā prabhu! dekhā diyā more,
vañcile e dena dāse
O Lord Hari, when I was in the womb of my mother, it was a prison house. The womb of the mother is a prison house, a very painful situation, painful place, a prison house. Yes. Once You gave me darśana there. Once You gave me darśana, then immediately disappeared. You cheated me, You cheated me, O Lord Hari, You cheated me thereby.
takhon bhāvinu, janama pāiyā,
koribo bhajana tava
janama hoilo, paṛi' māyā-jāle,
nā hoilo jñāna-lava
At that time I thought, “This time I will go, get out of this painful place, the prison house of mother’s womb, and do Your bhajana, do hari-bhajana this time. I will never forget again.” Isn’t it? You have given (your) word to Lord Hari. Isn’t it? Ah? Have you not given (your) word? Ah? Ah? Yes.
takhon bhāvinu, janama pāiyā,
koribo bhajana tava
janama hoilo, paṛi' māyā-jāle,
nā hoilo jñāna-lava
In mother’s womb, you thought like that. “This time I’ll go, I’ll not forget You, O Lord Hari. I‘ll do Your bhajan.” But as soon as I got out from my mother’s womb again, I was entrapped by māyā. Again. Again. Again entrapped by māyā, again I forgot You and didn’t do Your bhajan. Finished.
ādarera chele, sva-janera kole,
hāsiya kāo'ānu kālā
janaka jananī-snehate bhūliyā,
saṁsāra lāgilo bhālo
“Now I am completely attached to this material world, this material attachment, family, friendship, and love.” He says, ādarera chele, sva-janera kole, hāsiya kāo'ānu kālā, “My father took care of me. My mother took care of me. I was a small child. They took so much care of me, janaka-jananī, father and mother, giving so much affection, so much love. I completely forgot You getting such love and affection from father and mother, friends, kith and kin, thinking this world very nice, so much love and affection is here, but, for a short time.
krame dina dina, bālaka hoiyā,
bhelinu bālaka-sahā
āra kichu dine, jñāna upājilo,
pāṭha poḍi ahar-ahaḥ
Then as I grew up, I engaged in frivolous activities, playing with the same-aged boys, children. Then when I grew up more, my father took me to school, got me admitted there. Then I was engaged in acquiring knowledge. I studied, got some education. Then I grew up, became a young man thinking that, “Now I will earn money, dhana upārjana kari.” I’ll earn money, isn’t it? India is a poor country, so, not much money is available, and he has become an engineer, a doctor, so he expects a good earning. But not so much money is here. “Let me go to America. Much money is there.”
"Hundreds, thousands of dollars I’ll make.” Yes. Therefore, Indians are going to Western countries to earn money. Yes, that he says.
vidyāra gaurave, bhrami' deśe deśe,
dhana uparjana kori
sva-jana pālana, kori eka-mane,
bhulinu tomāre, hari!
“O Lord Hari, therefore I am moving from one place to another, from my mother country to a foreign country to earn money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, brighter than sunshine, sweeter than honey. Yes, thinking and thinking like this, and so much wandering. Then I got myself married. A beautiful wife came. I enjoyed a she-hog, then produced so many children. ‘Mummy.’ ‘Daddy.’ ‘Mummy.’ ‘Daddy.’ So nice sayings. Little kids, yes, little kids, very nice, sweet sayings. So much love and affection. Yes, isn’t it, Jayanta Krid? Can you forget? ‘Daddy.’ ‘Mummy.’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yes, little kids, so much nice saying, ‘Daddy.’ ‘Mummy.’ So much love and affection, so much attachment. sva-jana pālana, kori eka-mane, “O Lord, engaged in these activities, taking care of my family, my wife, my children, my sons, daughters, small children, their nice, sweet sayings, I completely forget You, completely forget You. Again reminded, ‘Oh, my wife is there.’ Do you have a son? Son? Yes, he has a son. ‘My son is there, my daughter is there. I have a daughter, a son.’ But not thinking of Lord Hari.”
bārdhakye ekhonā, bhaktivinoda,
kāṇḍiyā kāṭara ati,
nā bhajiyā tore, dina brāthā gelo,
ekhona ki have gati?
“Old age came. Now I am old, O Lord Hari.” Bhaktivinode Thakur says. “I am old. I am crying. I am afraid. I am in fearful condition. I cannot see what is my destination, O Lord Hari. I have just wasted all my valuable time of this human birth. I was not engaged in Your bhajana. Now at time, old age, what shall I do? I cannot say.”
pīḍāya asthira, cintāya jwarita,
abhāve jwalita citta,
upāya nā dekhi, andhakāra-moya,
ekhona ho'yechi bhéta
“O Lord, so much suffering, vṛddha-kāla ālo, when old age will come all happiness gone. If some material happiness, as long as you are young, senses are very strong so you may be having some enjoyment, but when old age comes senses are weak, fatigue, weak and fatigued, though you are aspiring, desiring for enjoyment still you cannot enjoy because senses are old, weak, fatigued. Here he says,
pīḍāya asthira, cintāya jwarita,
abhāve jwalita citta"
So many pains are there, so much suffering is there, old age is there, distress, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, jarā, old age. Always in anxiety, always suffering, so much deficiency, deficiency, deficiency. Monetary condition is very bad. I cannot see any way out,
upāya nā dekhi andhakāra-moya,
ekhona ho’yechi bhéta
I am very much afraid, O Lord Hari.
saṁsāra-taṭanī-srota nahe śeṣa,
maraṇa nikate ghorā
saba samāpiyā bhājibo tomāya,
e āśā biphala mora
One after another so many problems come here in this material world. Unending problems. I was thinking, why face all these problems. Let me solve this problem. Let me solve my monetary problems. Let me solve the maintenance problem, all maintenance of the family. Make some nice arrangement for them, nice savings for them, Life Insurance, everything. Life insured, everything insured. All finished. All anxieties are gone. Now I will sit down and chant, hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare. Just a daydream, just a daydream, I was thinking like. Now I am disappointed, disappointed. It is all fruitless. I am disappointed. Yes.
ebe śuno prabhu! āmi gati-hēna,
bhaktivinoda koya
tava kṛpā binā, sakali nirāśā,
deho' more padāśraya
Bhaktivinode Thakur says, “O my Lord Hari, I am without a destination. I cannot find out my destination, where should I go. Please, I now think, without Your mercy I am disappointed. Please give me shelter at Your lotus feet, O Lord.”
So this arises. Hear this advice. The Supreme Lord says to Prahlad Maharaja, “Prahlad, you shall be able to see Me there in My usual feature with conchshell, disc, club, and lotus in My hand. Because of your transcendental bliss due to always personally seeing Me, you will have no further bondage of fruitive activities.”
Yes, if you can see the Lord there is no bondage of fruitive activities.
janama saphala tā’r, kṛṣṇa-darśana jā’r,
bhāgye hoiyāche eka-bāra
His life becomes successful, his human birth becomes successful, fortunate, if he sees Kṛṣṇa. If someone can have the darśana of Kṛṣṇa once then it should be understood that his life is successful.
Śrīla Prabhupāda in the purport says, a neophyte devotee, kaniṣṭha-adhikārī every day will come to the temple and see Kṛṣṇa. If you cannot see Kṛṣṇa in your . . . . . come to the temple daily, see Kṛṣṇa there. If you can chant pure name, abhinnatvāṁ nāma-nāminoḥ, there is no difference between the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself. Pure name is Kṛṣṇa, isn’t it? If your chanting is offenseless, that is pure name, that is Kṛṣṇa. And you’ll see Kṛṣṇa always. śrī nāma smarile rūpa āise saṅge saṅge, as soon as you chant hare kṛṣṇa purely, immediately all-beautiful Śyāmasundara form will appear before your eyes. Yes, yes, that will manifest. You see, Jayanta Krid? Because your chanting is not pure you cannot see.
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
You see nice Śyāmasundara form, yes, nice Śyāmasundara form. Here, see how Prahlāda Mahārāja saw in a stone pillar, but his demoniac father couldn’t see. That means life is successful.
janama saphala tā'r, Kṛṣṇa-darśana ja'r,
bhāgye hoiyāche eka-bāra
Fortunately, if someone sees Kṛṣṇa once, his life has become successful. And it is a very easy process that Mahāprabhu has given. Dear devotees of Mahāprabhu, Gaurā-bhaktas, they have given (instruction) chant,
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
Chant the offenseless pure name, and you will be able to see the all-beautiful form of Śyāmasundara always, constantly chanting, seeing constantly. Then where is the bondage? Where is karma-bandhana?
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād
apunar bhava-darśanam
(Bhāg. 1.8.25)
Kuntīdevī says, “O Lord, if there will be darśana of You, there will be no bandhana, no material bondage. I will never come back again here. Finished forever.” That is success. That is the success of life, human birth.
śrī nāma smarile rūpa āise saṅge saṅge,
Immediately, as soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa purely, you will see the beautiful form of Śyāmasundara. It will appear before you. Not only that, all His transcendental līlās will manifest before you. That means you are always with Kṛṣṇa, always in Vṛndāvana, always in the līlā. Yes. So? Why are you in this māyā whirlpool, material suffering, Ācāryavān? Why are you eating stool? Hog, two-legged hog. See Kṛṣṇa. So this is advised: every day come to the temple and see Kṛṣṇa’s form if you cannot see by chanting pure name. See.
nāma' svarūpa vigraha tina cid-ānanda-rūpa
tine ‘bheda’ nāhi,
There is no difference between the name of Kṛṣṇa, the vigraha, deity form installed by a vaiṣṇava, pure devotee, prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā, and Kṛṣṇa’s own form, svarūpa. There is no difference.
Tina cid-ānanda-rūpa, the three are transcendental. So we build such nice temples and install the deities, and we are giving opportunity to one and all to come and see Kṛṣṇa. Yes, be free. Destroy your karma-bandhana, destroy your bondage of fruitive activity. Make your life successful. Hearing, chanting, smaraṇam, kīrtana, śravaṇam, kīrtanam, smaraṇam, vandanam. It is constantly going on here, yes. Such powerful mercy. This is the mercy of ISKCON... so merciful. This opportunity is offered to you.
...“Mahārāja, Mahārāja, I will go to Australia and eat stool there. My she-hog is there. I cannot forget her.” Such opportunity you don’t want, two-legged hog? You don’t want? What do you say? Here, says, “Yes.” Here, “No.” Here, no. Here, yes.