Gour Govinda Swami:
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
8th canto
Chapter 23
Text 17
(Gurudeva recites all verses and translations up to text 29)
pāraṁ mahimna uruvikrāma-to gṛṇāno
yaḥ pārthivāni vimame sa rajāṁsi martyaḥ
kiṁ jāyāmāna uta jāta upaiti martya
ity āha mantra-dṛg ṛṣiḥ puruṣasya yasya
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda
One who is subject to death cannot measure the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Trivikrama, Lord Viṣhnu, any more than he can count the number of atoms on the entire planet earth. No one, whether born already or destined to take birth, is able to do this. This has been sung by the great sage Vasiṣṭha.
Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda
Vasiṣṭha Muni has given a mantra about Lord Viṣhnu: na te viṣhṇor jāyamāno na jāto mahimnaḥ pāram anantam āpa. No one can estimate the extent of the uncommonly glorious activities of Lord Viṣhnu. Unfortunately, there are so-called scientists who are subject to death at every moment but are trying to understand by speculation the wonderful creation of the cosmos. This is a foolish attempt. Long, long ago, Vasiṣṭha Muni said that no one in the past could measure the glories of the Lord and no one can do so in the future. One must simply be satisfied with seeing the glorious activities of the Supreme Lord's creation. The Lord therefore says in Bhagavad-gītā (10.42), viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat: "With a single fragment of Myself, I pervade and support this entire universe."
The material world consists of innumerable universes, each one full of innumerable planets, which are all considered to be products of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's material energy. Yet this is only one-fourth of God's creation. The other three-fourths of creation constitute the spiritual world. Among the innumerable planets in only one universe, the so-called scientists cannot understand even the moon and Mars, but they try to defy the creation of the Supreme Lord and His uncommon energy. Such men have been described as crazy. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.4). Such crazy men unnecessarily waste time, energy, and money in attempting to defy the glorious activities of Urukrama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So how can one understand this Urukrama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead? That is a question. No one can understand Him by dint of his own intelligence, scholarship, learning, scientific investigation, research. Nobody can understand. In the past nobody had done so, and in the future nobody can do so. Vasiṣṭha Muni has said that here. Only by the mercy of the Lord can one understand the Lord. No other way is there. Even those who are situated on the platform of mukti, they cannot understand the Supreme Lord.
The karmīs, yogīs, jñānīs, if some of them would have gotten siddhi, perfection in their field; if some karmī, if he would have gotten some siddhi in his field of activity, or if some yogī, if he would have gotten siddhi, some jñānī would have gotten some siddhi, still, being situated in that platform of siddhi, they cannot understand the Supreme Lord, what to speak of others.
The so-called material scientists, the paṇḍits, scholars, they are so puffed up, very proud, puffed up, their false ego is very great. They are one sort of crazy man, pramattaḥ, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. That is pramattaḥ, crazy man. Śrīla Prabhupāda Mahārāja has said here: nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.4), such crazy men unnecessarily waste time, energy, and money attempting to understand the glorious activities of Urukrama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But they cannot. Crazy men.
Those who are blind, madāndha, they are one sort of blind man who are very proud, they are one sort of blind men. How many blind men are there? Bolo!
Four types.
Yes. What are they?
Devotee: Janmāndha...
Gour Govinda Swami: Janmāndha, yes.
Devotee: Kāmāndha... Kāmāndha, madāndha. Premāndha.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. janmāndha, kāmāndha, madāndha. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has said:
na paśyati ca janmāndhaḥ kāmāndho naiva paśyati
mada unmatta na paśyanti hy arthé doṣam na paśyati
These are blind men. From very birth, they are blind. How can they see? They have no vision. From the very birth, janmāndha, from very birth, he has no vision, so he cannot see. He has not seen the sun. He was born blind. He has not seen the sun. There is a poem, ‘blind boy’ poem. When I was a teacher, I was teaching that poem. It is an English poem, a short poem. I was teaching that poem. What to do? I had to teach it. I was serving (as a teacher). So that poem says, one blind boy, born blind boy was there but he had never seen the sun.
The people, those who have eyes, they see the sun, they speak about the sun. They’d say, “Now the sun has arisen. Night has gone. Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! jīva jāgo, jīva jāgo... kota nidrā jāo.” That song is there also. The blind boy said, “What is this? What are they saying, sun, sun, sun? Who is that sun? The sun has arisen, night has gone. Wake up, wake up, wake up. What is that?” Then he became angry. “Hey, what is that? Why are you speaking about the sun? Don’t speak about the sun. What is that, your sun makes your day and night? I make my own day and night. When I am asleep that is my night.
When I am awake that is my day. What is that, your sun makes your day and night? Don’t speak about the sun. I am very peaceful. I am sleeping now. Don’t break my peace. Don’t speak about the sun.” He became angry. Āre bābā, you are a blind man. You have no eyes, no vision. You have not seen the sun. From your very birth, you are blind. If someone speaks about the sun you get angry. “Hey! Don’t break my peace. I am making my own day, my own night. What is that, the sun makes your day and night?”
He’s a blind man, so puffed up, so proud. One who speaks about the sun and who sees the sun, he becomes angry. That is the theme of the poem. I was teaching that poem. So, when I was teaching I thought, oh, what is this? I am teaching nonsense. A blind man. From very birth he is blind, born blind, who said. That means that there is no sun? Because I cannot see, so there is no sun. I cannot see the sun, so there is no sun. Don’t speak about the sun. If somebody sees and speaks, then he gets angry. “Hey! Don’t speak about the sun.” What is this?
Similarly, who can see the sun? And who can see the Lord? And who sees the Lord? So those who are very great in material society, great scientists, very big scientists, big philosophers, paṇḍits, they cannot understand the Supreme Lord. And they have no vision. They are blind in that respect. So they cannot see the Lord. If you speak about it, one who sees, one who is endowed with vision, sees the Lord.
premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santāḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Brahma-saṁhitā) This is the vision, the eye required to see the Supreme Lord. premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena, one who has smeared the ointment of love, love of Godhead, on his eyes, who is endowed with bhakti-vilocanena, devotional eye, only he can see. That is the eye required to see the Supreme Lord Śyāmasundara. He sees the Supreme Lord Śyāmasundara within and without. Yes. Who has seen, he speaks. Those who see the sun they speak about the sun. The born blind boy cannot see.
“Hey! Why are you speaking about the sun? Where is that sun? Don’t speak and don’t break my peace!” When such sādhus, such devotees speak about Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord Śyāmasundara, the so-called big scientists, philosophers, paṇḍits, great persons, leaders, political leaders: “Hey! Is there a Lord? Has anybody seen Him? I am such a great person, great leader. So many followers I have gotten. Lakhs, lakhs of people supporting me. I have not seen. Who has seen Him?” These persons only speak, they only speak, only speak. “Has anybody seen the Lord?” They say so. They say, “Hey, have you seen the Lord?” They ask.
“Yes, yes.”
“Have you seen the Lord? You are speaking, but have you seen?” They ask.
If we say, “Yes, yes.”
“Can you show me? Then I will accept.”
Because their principle is, seeing is believing. Yes, seeing is believing. That is their principle. They ask, “Have you seen the Lord?”
If you say, “Yes.”
“Show me, show me. If you can show me, if I can see, then I will believe.” Because seeing is believing. “Otherwise, I won’t believe.”
“Āre bābā, you are a blind man.”
He says, “What! I am blind and you have eyes?” Then he will beat you, bābā, he will beat you. He will slap you, beat you with shoes.
“What is that? I am blind, and you have eyes?”
They are not prepared to admit that they are blind. Yes. The eyes required to see the Lord are not with you. How can you see? You are blind. But they are not prepared to admit it. Yes. They are not prepared to admit, and they are so proud, puffed up, yes, that’s why they are blind men. This is mada unmatta, madāndha. Those who are very proud, puffed-up, they are one sort of blind men.
na paśyati ca janmāndhaḥ kāmāndhaḥ naiva paśyati
mada unmatta na paśyanti hy arthi doṣaṁ na paśyati
Those who are janmāndhaḥ, from very birth blind, they cannot see because they have no eyes. Kāma-āndhaḥ naiva paśyati, those who are very lusty persons, very lusty. Too much addicted to the other sex. They are a sort of blind men. They are blind men, kāmāndhaḥ. They cannot see. Then, mada unmatta, they are such proud fellows, puffed-up fellows. So proud, so puffed-up. They are one sort of blind men. They cannot see. Then the fourth one? Bolo!
Devotee: (inaudible)
Gour Govinda Swami: What are you saying? Hy arthi doṣaṁ na paśyati, very opulent person. Very opulent. Material opulence. He is one sort of blind man. He is very puffed-up in that respect. Chanakya Paṇḍita says:
na paśyati ca janmāndhaḥ kāmāndhaḥ naiva paśyati
mada unmatta na paśyanti hy arthi doṣaṁ na paśyati
So these are blind persons, they cannot see the Lord. They cannot understand the Lord. They have no faith in the existence of the Lord. How can they understand? How can they say? Their false ego is very great. They are very puffed-up and proud. How can they understand such glorious activities, transcendental līlā-s of the Lord? So, by dint of their own speculation, material intelligence, learning, scholarship, they cannot understand. Some are there, those who try to understand the Supreme Lord and His glorious activities through the material vision of the historians.
Some historians are there, they have given some descriptions. They say about Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They have recorded it in history. “Oh, one dharma-pracāraka.” What do you say in English? “A religious leader came, to propagate vaiṣṇava-dharma, Paresnath, Mahāvīra, religious leaders, His life was like that, Caitanya.” These are historians. How can they understand Caitanya, who He is? They say He is one of these religious leaders like Paresnath, Kumārī Lal Bhatta, Mahāvīra, like this. So puffed-up.
So those who try to understand the Supreme Lord and His glorious activities, through a historian’s vision, they cannot understand. They are all mūḍhās, rascals. Kṛṣṇa has said this thing. Lord Kṛṣṇa says they are mūḍhās,
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram
(Bg. 9.11)
nāhaṁ prakāśo 'savyasya
yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti
loko māṁ ajam avyayam
(Bg. 7.25)
When Kṛṣṇa comes here; Kṛṣṇa had come here 5,000 years ago, last Dvāpara-yuga, in His own form, svarūpa. Though He was here and manifested His līlā-s, wandering here as the son of Nanda Mahārāja, tending the cows, calves of Nanda Mahārāja, in the jungle of Vṛndāvana, how many understood Him? How many have known Him? If the Supreme Lord will come here now and wander here, will you understand Him, recognize Him? Have you acquaintance with Him, Mr. Larry? You have no acquaintance with Him, so how can you recognize Him? If He comes here wandering. “Oh yes, some person has come, like me or like you.”
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram
Kṛṣṇa said, “When I come in My own svarūpa, they deride Me as an ordinary human being, yes, ordinary person.” Yes. They are mūḍhās, rascals.
nāhaṁ prakāśo 'savyasya
yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
“I never manifest Myself everywhere and before everybody. I am covered up with My yoga-māyā potency.”
In other words we may say, Kṛṣṇa keeps Himself hidden, always, yes, rakṣe lukāya ke. Always Kṛṣṇa keeps Himself hidden. So who can see Him? yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ,
He is covered up with His yoga-māyā potency, so who can see Him? Mūḍhās cannot see Him. He says, “I never manifest Myself before everybody and everywhere.” Those who are His dear devotees, who have gotten His mercy, only they can see, or before their vision Kṛṣṇa cannot keep Himself hidden. That is what we may say. Though He keeps Himself hidden He cannot keep Himself hidden before the eyes of such premi-bhaktas, dear devotees. They see Him because they are endowed with such vision, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. They are endowed with vision, such dear devotees, who have smeared this ointment of love on their eyes, and they are endowed with the devotional eye, so they see. They see everywhere.
yāhaṁ netra paṭe,
tāhaṁ dekhaye āmare
bhakta mā preme
bāndhiyāche hṛdaya-bhitare
yāhaṁ netra paṭe
tāhaṁ dekhaye āmare
(CC. Madhya 25.127)
“That devotee has bound Me in his heart with the rope of love. Wherever he looks he sees Me.” Oh, very beautiful, Śyāmasundara.” For example, Prahlāda Mahārāja saw in a stone pillar, whereas his demoniac father, very powerful, who had conquered three worlds, couldn’t see. Such a puffed-up fellow. So, he is a mūḍhā. Unless Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself, unless Kṛṣṇa showers His mercy on some fortunate soul, jīva, and manifests Himself, how can one see? Therefore we say, how can you see the sun, Mr. Larry? How can you see the sun? Huh?
Devotee: By making an attempt.
Gour Govinda Swami: Making attempt? Can you see the sun at night? What attempt will you make to see the sun at night? Huh? Can you? Can any great scientist show the sun at night, inventing, manufacturing very powerful instruments, like telescope or microscope, or any scope? Can he show? No. He has to wait till the sun rises. Yes. There will be dawn, night will go, then the dawn, then the sun will rise, then sunshine will be there, then he can see. That means, by the help of sunshine one can see the sun. Without that, nobody can see. Only with the help of sunshine one can see the sun. Similarly, only by the mercy of the Lord can one see Him, or one can know Him and understand Him. Otherwise nobody can.
Caitanya-caritāmṛta you see, that description. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya was a great learned scholar, the incarnation of Bṛhaspati, yes, follower of Śaṅkarite Śaṅkarācārya, very puffed up. He was a gṛhastha but he was teaching Vedānta to the sannyāsīs.
They have no vision. How can they see the Lord and understand the Supreme Lord? Such a person couldn’t understand Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When Mahāprabhu went there, taking up sannyāsa, he was staying at that time in Jagannātha Purī. His residence is still there in Jagannātha Purī, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s residence. He couldn’t understand Mahāprabhu. Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. His brother-in-law, Gopinātha Ācārya is a devotee. He knows.
A devotee has that vision, premāñjana-cchurita. He tried his best to convince him that He’s the Supreme Lord, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t understand. He said, “Oh, what is that? How do you say it?” He knows śāstra. He quoted śāstra. Tri-yugatā. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, in three yugas, Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, in three yugas the Lord comes. The Lord doesn’t come in Kali-yuga. So this is Kali-yuga, how do you say that He is the Lord?” He quoted śāstra, but he doesn’t know the meaning of that verse, tri-yuga. He doesn’t know. And no tattva-jñāna, real tattva.
Gopīnātha Ācārya said, “You are such a great scholar. You know śāstra. Still, you cannot understand tri-yuga, what tri-yuga means. Tri-yuga, here it says that, in Kali-yuga the Lord has no līlā-avatāra, but yuga-avatāra is there. So how do you say that He doesn’t come?” Still, he could not understand. They say, anumāna pramāṇa, speculation; anumāna means speculation, all speculation, anumāna. They have their logic. What is that logic?
Parvata vahminān dhūmāt, yes, that logic. They have one logic, where there is smoke there must be fire. That is logic. Parvata vahminān dhūmāt, you see a hill from a distance. How can you see, it is covered up by smoke? It looks like that, so there must be fire. This is the proof. Go there and examine that... fire is there. This is anumāna pramāṇa, logic. Gopīnātha Ācārya said, anumāna pramāṇa nahe, this is not proof, bābā.
īśvarera kṛpā-leśa haya ta' yāhāre
sei ta' īśvara-tattva jānibāre pare
(CC. Madhya 6.83)
One who has gotten the mercy of the Lord, only he can understand īśvara-tattva. Only he can understand the Supreme Lord. Only he can see the Lord.
athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-
prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi
jānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.29, quoted in CC. Madhya 6.84)
He quoted that verse from the tenth canto Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Gopīnātha Ācārya). This is a statement of Lord Brahmā.
athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-
prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi
jānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan
O Lord, one who has gotten some mercy from Your lotus feet, only he knows Your tattva, padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvaṁ, he knows You in tattva, in truth. na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan, one who has not gotten mercy and tries to understand You through speculation only, if he goes on speculating and speculating for hundreds and hundreds, thousands of lives, still he cannot understand.
So, these brahmavādīs, māyāvādīs, impersonalists, they are speculators, and very puffed-up, very puffed-up. “We know Veda. We know Vedānta. We know better than you.” So puffed-up. Madāndha, they are one sort of blind men. They say anumāna, this logic. This is the logic, where there is smoke, there is fire. So from a distance the mountain or hill looks like it is covered up with smoke so there must be fire. Is there fire? Madāndha, they cannot see.
When Gopīnātha Ācārya said this thing, he became angry. Gopīnātha Ācārya became disgusted. He couldn’t convince him. He said, uṣara-bhūmite yena bījera rūpaṇa, “I am just sowing seeds in a barren land.” uṣara-bhūmite yena bījera rūpaṇa, I am sowing seeds in a barren land, how will they fructify? The land is not fertile; barren. This verse he said.
Sarvabhāuma Bhaṭṭācārya became angry. “Hey! What are you saying? Gopīnātha, shut your mouth. You have gotten mercy and I have not gotten?” He got angry. “You’ve gotten mercy, I have not gotten?” He said. Āre bābā, all right. Gopīnātha said, “All right, all right, I am sowing seed in a barren land. It will never fructify.”
tomāra upare tāìra kṛpā yabe habe
e-saba siddhānta tabe tumiha kahibe
(CC. Madhya 6.106)
At last, he says this, the desire, then you’ll get the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then you can understand it. The mercy is required. Only by the help of the sunshine can one see the sun. Similarly, only by the mercy of the Lord can one understand. Otherwise, nobody can understand.
Here Kṛṣṇa says,
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
When Kṛṣṇa comes in His own form; how is His form? It is a human form. Two-handed form, dvi-bhuja, cira-kiśora, a cowherd boy, eleven, twelve-year-old boy, eternally. Muralīdhara, flute in hand, touching the lips, muralīdhara. Two-handed, cira-kiśora, cowherd boy, in human form. So mūḍhā, they say, “Oh, an ordinary person like me.” They deride Me, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā. How can they understand?
kṛṣhṇera yateka khelā,
sarvottama nara-līlā,
nara-vapu tāhāra svarūpa
gopa-veśa, veṇu-kara,
nava-kiśora, naṭa-vara,
nara-līlāra haya anurūpa
This is Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 21.101).
Kṛṣṇa Himself says. Mahāprabhu Gaurāṅga is Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says to Sanātana Goswāmī, when He was teaching Sanātana Goswāmī, He said this thing. Unless Kṛṣṇa says, unless Kṛṣṇa speaks, Himself, unless Kṛṣṇa makes Himself understood, how can you understand? But Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. He came assuming the mood of a bhakta. He came as a bhakta, as a devotee, to teach us bhakti, and He is speaking. He Himself is speaking about Himself. He says, kṛṣṇa's pastimes are unlimited. How many pastimes do you know? Speak!
Devotee: Janma-līlā.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes.
Devotee: Asura-sudarśana-līlā.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes.
Devotee: Rāsa-līlā.
Gour Govinda Swami: Āre bābā. Gokula-līlā, līlā in Gokul. Paravyoma-līlā, līlā in Paravyoma, the spiritual sky – Vasudeva-Saṅkarṣaṇa. In the form of Vasudeva-Saṅkarṣaṇa, His līlā is paravyoma, paravyoma-līlā.
Puruṣāvatāra-līlā. In the form of Karoṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī, three puruṣāvatāra-līlā. His puruṣāvatāra-līlā. Then, naimittika-avatāra-līlā, in the form of fish, tortoise, boar, Varāha. Guṇāvatāra-līlā, in the form of Brahmā-Śiva-Viṣṇu, three guṇāvatāras. Āveśa-avatāra-līlā, empowered incarnations like Pṛthu and Vyāsa. Paramātmā-līlā, līlā in the form of paramātmā. Nirviśeṣa-brahma-līlā, impersonal Brahman.
Innumerable līlās in this way. What are you saying? Understand? Innumerable līlās, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes. These are all play, transcendental play, pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. So, of all innumerable līlās and pastimes and playings of Kṛṣṇa, nara-līlā sarvottama, the best is nara-līlā, His līlā in human form, His svarūpa-līlā. His svarūpa is nara-vapu, human body, Kṛṣṇa's svarūpa, nara-vapu, human body. Gopa-veśa, cowherd boy, ten, eleven-year-old boy. Vēṇu-hasta, flute in hand. Nava-kiśora, eternally a kiśora, ten, twelve-year-old boy, eternally. Naṭa-vara, an expert dancer. He dances in rāsa-līlā-kṛdā. Can you dance like Him, Mr. Larry? Imitating, imitating. Mr. Larry is imitating. Dancing in a club, nude club, isn't it? Mr. Larry is imitating, dancing in a Nude Club, with nude girls, imitating rāsa-līlā. Nobody can imitate, bābā.
Can you imitate Kṛṣṇa? Those who are duplicitous persons they imitate Kṛṣṇa. Duplicity is His, what do you say in English? Monopoly, bābā. Duplicity is Kṛṣṇa's monopoly. He is a great duplicitous person. You see, śyāma-tribhaṅga-lalita, such a crooked person. Three places crooked, not one or two. You see Śyāma, three places crooked. Such a crooked person, śyāma-tribhaṅga-lalita. So, not straight at all, very crooked. Three places crooked, but very beautiful. Such a crooked person. This crookedness, duplicity is His monopoly. That is His monopoly. Jīva, if you become duplicitous, Mr. Larry, then you will imitate Him. Nobody can imitate Him.
Because duplicity, kāpatya is Kṛṣṇa’s monopoly. Jīva cannot. If you do become duplicitous then you will imitate Him, like sahajiyās, gaurāṅga-nāgarīs, they imitate. This is what Gour Kishore Dāsa Babājī Mahārāja has said. Therefore, we say, simplicity is Vaiṣṇavism. Give up your duplicity. Don’t imitate Kṛṣṇa. These imitators, they imitate – “Kṛṣṇa dances with the young girls of Vrajabhūmi, the damsels of Vrajabhūmi, at midnight in the jungle of Vṛndāvana. All right, we‘ll do it in our nude clubs at midnight. Nude boys and girls will dance. Why we’ll not do it, imitate?” Mr. Larry. How can you do? Kṛṣṇa's svarūpa, then,
sarvottama nara-līlā,
nara-vapu tāhāra svarūpa
gopa-veśa, veṇu-kara,
nava-kiśora, naṭa-vara,
This is the svarūpa of Kṛṣṇa. All these activities, glorious activities, uncommon, wonderful activities of Kṛṣṇa, are so wonderful, they are all transcendental, not material activities. But they seem to be like the activities of a human being. But He is not an ordinary human being. There is no tinge of materialism there. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says,
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
Those who are mūḍhās, rascals, they deride Me when I come in My svarūpa, because He is nara-vapu, human body. They deride. They cannot understand how it is. Kṛṣṇa's sweet form,
śuṇa, sanātana
ye rūpera eka kaṇā,
dubāya saba tribhuvana,
sarva prāṇī kare ākarṣaṇa
(Cc. M. 21.102)
Mahāprabhu says. Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, but He speaks as a bhakta, devotee, ācārya, and He teaches to Sanātana Goswāmī. So beautiful is Kṛṣṇa. He is the source of all beauty. Even one fragment of His beauty, one tiny fragment of His beauty can inundate tribhuvanas in that flood of beauty. One tiny fragment of beauty. Tribhuvana; what is that tribhuvana?
Devotee: Three planetary systems?
Gour Govinda Swami: What is that?
Devotee: Bhu, bhuva, sva...
Gour Govinda Swami: Svarga, Martya, Pātāla you say? Heavenly planet, Martya-loka, Bhu-loka, Pātāla, Nether planet. No, no, no. Gokul, Mathurā, Dwārakā. Ācāryas say. Some say His inner chamber, Vṛndāvana, Goloka, intermediary chamber, Paravyoma, Spiritual sky, and outer chamber, this Devi Dham, material world. These three. Understand? These three, bhuvana, they said, what the ācāryas say. Why are you speculating? Give up speculation. Follow the ācārya, what ācāryas have said, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Then you can understand Kṛṣṇa.
One fragment, a tiny fragment of the beauty of Kṛṣṇa can inundate the tribhuvanas, these three. And it attracts all the inhabitants and creatures there in the tribhuvana. So beautiful is Kṛṣṇa. He is so beautiful.
rūpa dekhi’ āpanāra,
Kṛṣhṇera haila camatkāra,
āsvādite mane uṭhe kāma
’sva-saubhāgya’ yāṁra nāma,
saundaryādi-guṇa-grāma,
ei-rūpa nitya tāra dhāma
So beautiful, even Kṛṣṇa Himself becomes attracted to His own beauty. Yes. Kṛṣṇa Himself becomes attracted to His own beauty. What to speak of others. Are you attracted, Mr. Larry, to the beauty of Kṛṣṇa? He is attracted towards the ugly witch. Isn’t it? Isn’t it? Why don’t you say yes or no?
Devotee: Yes.
Gour Govinda Swami: “Oh, yes.” Say yes. Admit, admit it. Yes, that’s good, admit. He admits. Frankly admit. Yes. He is attracted to the ugly witch. And you? Oh, you are president. Please excuse me. I forgot. He is attracted to the ugly witch. Kṛṣṇa is the only attraction. Such beauty that even He Himself becomes attracted, what to speak about others.
Once, Kṛṣṇa saw His own beauty in that pillar. What is that pillar? Mārakata stambha, sapphire, a sapphire pillar. He saw Himself reflected there in a sapphire pillar. He became amazed. “Who is this? Oh, such wonderful, beautiful, handsome figure. Who is this?” His own figure.
rūpa dekhi’ āpanāra,
Kṛṣhṇera haila camatkāra,
He Himself became amazed, “Wonderful, Oh!” Some of His friends were standing beside Him so as He turned His head towards them, “Oh!” that figure also turns His head. “Oh, it is Me. Oh, what! I have such beauty? I didn’t know how! I didn’t know I had such beauty. Oh, it is Me!”
rūpa dekhi’ āpanāra,
Kṛṣhṇera haila camatkāra,
āsvādite mane uṭhe kāma
’sva-saubhāgya’ yāṁra nāma,
saundaryādi-guṇa-grāma,
ei-rūpa nitya tāra dhāma
“Such beauty is within Me? I didn’t know.” Then that desire, that greed developed. O kāmaye rādhikeva. That mood, that greed developed. “Oh, then this greed is now in Me to embrace such a beautiful figure, this boy, youth, young man, like Rādhārāṇī. Let Me embrace.” Then He became Gaurā to fulfill that desire.
So beautiful is Kṛṣṇa. How can you understand Him? How can you see such Kṛṣṇa? How can you understand Him through your speculation, Mr. Larry? No.
brahmandopari paravyoma,
tāhāṅ ye svarūpa-gaṇa,
tāṁ-sabāra bale hare mana
pati-vratā-śiromaṇi,
yāṁre kahe veda-vāṇī,
ākarṣaye sei lakṣmī-gaṇa
(Cc. M. 21.106)
How He is all-attractive, He has such a beautiful form.
kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-
viśeṣa-śobhāṁ
Brahma-saṁhitā says. His beauty, Kṛṣṇa’s beauty far excels that of crores of Cupids. Cupid is very beautiful here, material Cupid. Cupid, Kāma, Kāmadeva, he is very beautiful here. That Cupid has a bow and arrow. It is made up of flowers, phula dhanus phula śara. He shoots that arrow through you, then you become enchanted with māyā, with that Cupid, and it makes you enchanted. Lust develops in you. But He is ‘aprākṛta navīna madana’,
vṛndāvane ‘aprākṛta navīna madana’
Kṛṣṇa is Cupid, but transcendental Cupid in Vṛndāvana, and ever fresh and newer Cupid. Such beauty.
brahmandopari paravyoma,
tāhāṁ ye svarūpa-gaṇa,
tāṁ-sabhāra bale hare mana
pati-vratā-śiromaṇi,
yāṁre kahe veda-vāṇī,
ākarṣaye sei lakṣmī-gaṇa
Far beyond this, above this is paravyoma, the spiritual sky. In Vaikuṇṭha lokas, there are many, many, innumerable lakṣmīs, those who are very devoted wives of the Supreme Lord, pati-vratā-śiromaṇi, crest jewels, devoted wives. Veda says, even those lakṣmīs, they are attracted. They are attracted towards Kṛṣṇa, what to speak of others. They want. Why don’t you want? You don’t want, Mr. Larry? You don’t want?
Devotee: I want.
Gour Govinda Swami: You want? No, you want māyā. He doesn’t want Kṛṣṇa. Two-legged hog, do you want? Kṛṣṇa is so attractive. Even such lakṣmīs, those who are pati-vratā-śiromaṇi, crest jewels of devoted wives, pati-vratā, they are attracted. They cannot get, still they are attracted, “How can we get?”
nija-sama sakhā-saṅge,
go-gaṇa-cāraṇa raṅge,
vṛndāvane svacchanda vihāra
yāṁre veṇu-dhvani śuni’,
sthāvara-jaṅgama prāṇī,
pulaka, kampa, aśru vahe dhārā
(Cc. M. 21.108)
mādhurya bhagavattā-sāra,
vraje kaila paracāra,
tāhā śuka—vyāsera nandana
sthāne sthāne bhāgavate,
varṇiyāche jānāite,
tāhā śuni’ māte bhakta-gaṇa
(Cc. M. 21.110)
How beautiful! How glorious His activities! Very wonderful. It is inconceivable. We cannot conceive of His activities. Like an ordinary boy, cowherd boy He goes, every day to the jungle of Vṛndāvana with the cowherd boys to tend the cows and calves of Nanda Mahārāja. It looks ordinary. It seems to be ordinary but it is so transcendental. And, He plays His flute so sweetly there in the jungle of Vṛndāvana. Such sweet singing of His flute. It is so enchanting, so attractive even the moving and non-moving entities there in Vṛndāvana, all became attracted, all became ecstatic, all became blissful. They shed tears. The hairs on their bodies are erect in blissfulness, ecstasy hearing the sweet singing of Kṛṣṇa’s flute.
Are you hearing? Mr. Larry, are you hearing? No, not hearing. Why have you ears then? What is the necessity of having these ears if you cannot hear the sweet flute-singing of Kṛṣṇa? Ananta? Why do you have these? Cut them off, cut them off. Like Śūrpaṇakhā, I’ll cut it off? Cut it, or shorten? The ears are meant for hearing such sweet flute-singing of Kṛṣṇa.
yāṁre veṇu-dhvani śuni’,
sthāvara-jaṅgama prāṇī,
pulaka, kampa, aśru vahe dhārā
Even the moving and non-moving entities, sthāvara-jaṅgamas, they become so ecstatic. They shed tears. Such aṣṭa-sāttvika symptoms manifest in their bodies.
mādhurya bhagavattā-sāra,
vraje kaila paracāra,
tāhā śuka—vyāsera nandana
sthāne sthāne bhāgavate,
varṇiyāche jānāite,
tāhā śuni’ māte bhakta-gaṇa
The son of Vyāsadeva, Śukadeva Goswāmī has described in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam about these glorious activities of kiśora-Kṛṣṇa, nandānandana-Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, how beautiful are His Vṛndāvana-līlā, His līlās, His glorious activities, wonderful activities in Vrajabhūmi. And that description is so nice, so sweet, so enchanting. That description Śukadeva Goswāmī has given. Those who are devotees, by hearing such descriptions they become enchanted, yes, they become enchanted by hearing such descriptions.
He is bhagavattā mādhurya, His beauty. He is Bhagavān, He is completely full with six types of opulences. What are they? All opulence, aiśvarya, all riches; all prowess, strength; all fame; all beauty; all knowledge; and all vairāgya, renunciation - six. This is bhagavattā, six types of opulence completely full in Kṛṣṇa. That is known as bhagavattā, Bhagavān.
But here it says, mādhurya bhagavattā-sāra, the essence of all these bhagavattā, opulence is what? Mādhurya. The essence of all six types of aiśvarya is mādhurya. Mādhurya means sweetness, mādhurya. That is in Kṛṣṇa, sphūrti, in the form of Kṛṣṇa. This sweetness is not in the form of Nārāyaṇa. It is only in the form of Kṛṣṇa. This is mādhurya. And, it is in Vṛndāvana-līlā, in Vrajabhūmi. Those who are such prema-bhaktas, only by hearing it, such descriptions given by Śukadeva Goswāmī in Bhāgavatam, they become mad, they become enchanted. Such descriptions are so sweet.
So when Kṛṣṇa comes here in His own svarūpa, still the mūḍhās they cannot understand Him. They say He is an ordinary human being.
Those who want to understand the Supreme Lord through speculation, by a whim of mind, what reward do they get? Āre bābā, they get the kicking of mahā-māyā only. That is their reward. Those who try to understand the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa through their speculation, that is their reward, they get the kicking of mahā-māyā again and again, nothing else. That is their reward.
That story we always say, a famous story. One blind man was there. One day he thought, “What is the color of milk?” He wanted to understand the color of milk, so he asked a trusted person. He said, “O my brother, please tell me, what is the color of milk?” His friend said, “It is very plain, it is plain.” “What is that plain?” “Oh, it is like a crane.” His friend said, “It is like a crane.” “Crane? What is that crane?” He is a blind man. He has not seen a crane. Then his friend raised the upper portion of his hand, like this, and the upper portion he bent like this, and held it before him. Then the blind man touched it and kept himself mum for one minute. “Now I understand, now I understand, now I understand. I’ll never drink milk in my life. It will stick in my throat.” How he understood the color of the milk, like this.
So those who are blind, those who are very puffed-up, I say, madāndha, very puffed-up persons. Material scientists, they are very puffed-up because of their wonderful inventions and discoveries. Learned scholars, pandits like Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, very puffed-up, they are such blind men. Those who are running after their name, fame, prestige, adoration, they are a sort of blind man. They try to understand the glorious activities, pastimes of the Supreme Lord by dint of their own speculation, by their scholarship, merit, intelligence. They fail. They cannot understand. Their understanding will be like the blind man’s understanding of the color of milk.
Similarly, these puffed-up blind men’s understanding of the Lord is like that. So how can one understand? How can one understand the Supreme Lord?
āśraya laiyā bhaje tāre Kṛṣṇa nāhi tyaje
āra saba māre akāraṇa
(Prārthanā)
Taking shelter of sādhū-guru, I said, by the mercy of the Lord, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa only, can one understand Kṛṣṇa. How can one get the mercy of the Lord? āśraya laiyā. One who takes shelter of sādhū-guru, His dear devotee, and does bhajana under his guidance, he gets mercy. Kṛṣṇa never showers His mercy directly. Do you understand, Mr. Larry? No direct mercy. Kṛṣṇa showers His mercy through sādhū-guru.
Kṛṣṇa yadi kṛpā kare kona bhāgyavān
guru-antaryāmi-rūpe śikhāya āpane
(Cc. M. 22.47)
Understand, Mr. Larry?
Kṛṣṇa yadi kṛpā kare kona bhāgyavān
guru-antaryāmi-rūpe śikhāya āpane
guru-rūpe Kṛṣṇa kṛpā karena bhakta-gaṇe
Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 1.45).
If Kṛṣṇa showers His mercy on some fortunate soul, He appears before him as a sādhū-guru, then He teaches. He teaches. As I say, Mahāprabhu speaks about Kṛṣṇa. Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. He teaches Sanātana Goswāmī. I was quoting. Unless Kṛṣṇa teaches, unless Kṛṣṇa says, how can we understand Him? Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswāmī Prabhupāda Mahārāja says, Kṛṣṇa massages His own legs. Understand what I say? Kṛṣṇa massages His own legs with His own hands. What do you mean by that?
Devotee: Therefore, I am the ācārya.
Gour Govinda Swami:Yes.
ācāryam māṁ vijānīyān
navamanyeta karhicit
na martya-buddhyāsūyeta
sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ
(SB 11.17.27)
One who is ācārya, one who teaches this thing, he is as good as Myself. As good as Myself. That ācārya, sādhū-guru serves Kṛṣṇa, pāda-sevanam, serving the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So, Bhaktisiddhānta says, Kṛṣṇa massages His own legs with His own hands. Understand my language? Understand? Understand? This is the purport, tattva. This is tattva. Unless Kṛṣṇa says, unless Kṛṣṇa teaches, unless Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself, how can you understand? We cannot understand. No, cannot. That is Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.
āśraya laiyā bhaje
tāre Kṛṣṇa nāhi tyaje
āra saba māre akāraṇa
(Prārthanā)
Those who take shelter at the lotus feet of sādhū-guru, they get mercy. No direct mercy. Kṛṣṇa showers His mercy through sādhū-guru-vaiṣṇava.
Kṛṣṇa yadi kṛpā
kare kona bhāgyavān
guru-antaryāmi-rūpe
śikhāya āpane
(Cc. M. 22.47)
He appears as sādhū-guru and teaches, thereby He showers mercy.
guru-rūpe Kṛṣṇa kṛpā
karena bhakta-gaṇe
In the form of guru, Kṛṣṇa showers His mercy. Therefore, guru is known as Kṛṣṇa-kṛpā śrī-mūrti. He is the embodiment of Kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. Isn’t it? Kṛṣṇa-kṛpā śrī-mūrti, guru is Kṛṣṇa-kṛpā śrī-mūrti, guru is the embodiment of Kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. Kṛṣṇa-kṛpā is the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and has assumed a body, that is guru. So, in this way one gets the mercy. Without that mercy, nobody can understand Him. That is,
āśraya laiyā bhaje
tāre Kṛṣṇa nāhi tyaje
āra saba māre akāraṇa
This is Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura’s saying. Those who have taken shelter of sādhū-guru and are doing bhajana under the guidance of sādhū-guru, they get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, the mercy received through sādhū-guru. No direct mercy. Only they can understand Kṛṣṇa.
āra saba māre akāraṇa
Others, those who have not taken shelter at the lotus feet of sādhū-guru and try to understand Kṛṣṇa through their speculation, through their material learning, scholarship, merit, they get this reward: again and again, kicking from mahā-māyā. They cannot understand Him. This is the way one can understand.
So this is a question. How can one understand, and what is the way to understand the Supreme Lord? Bolo, Mr. President? Excuse me, I am asking you.
Devotee: If one honestly surrenders to a ṣaḍ-guru, then, by his mercy, he can approach Kṛṣṇa and get Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.
Gour Govinda Swami: One has to hear from the lips of sādhū-guru, Kṛṣṇa-kathā. One has to hear from the lips of sādhū-guru with full faith, śraddhā-pūrvaka, Kṛṣṇa-kathā. Completely surrendering oneself at the lotus feet of sādhū-guru and hearing from his lips, Kṛṣṇa-kathā, with complete faith. That is the only means. No other means is there to understand the Supreme Lord. Only they can understand. Otherwise, nobody can understand the Supreme Lord. This is the only way, only way, only way. No other way.
Thereby you’ll receive mercy taking shelter, surrendering unto the lotus feet of sādhū-guru, putting complete faith in his words. He speaks Kṛṣṇa-kathā, and, with concentrated attention and complete faith, if you hear from his lotus lips Kṛṣṇa-kathā, by the mercy, you’ll get the mercy of vaiṣṇava-sādhū, that is, the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, then you will be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, no other way is there. Understand? This is the only way.
Those who are such devotees, they understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the only object of love. Kṛṣṇa’s satisfaction, Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure is required, so he is always engaged under the guidance of sādhū-guru in the loving service of Kṛṣṇa, to give Him pleasure and satisfaction. He is completely dedicated. Completely dedicated, do you understand, Mr. Larry? He is completely dedicated, and all his activities are meant for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa and His dear devotees, vaiṣṇavas. All his activities are meant for that, and he is completely dedicated. He only desires the satisfaction and pleasure of Kṛṣṇa, guru, and Gaurāṅga, nothing else. So, they get ahaitukī-kṛpā, the causeless mercy of Kṛṣṇa through sādhū-guru.
That is their only asset. That causeless mercy is their only asset, and that mercy is very powerful and very enlightening. Through that enlightenment received from the mercy, he sees the beautiful form of Kṛṣṇa and understands Him, His mysterious, uncommon, glorious līlā-s, otherwise not.
Thank you.
Devotee: If one person has a desire, say, for the ISKCON movement, then why are there so many conflicting ideas?
Gour Govinda Swami: Bah, stop it. No conflict. No conflict. Pāgal, mad fellow. Stop that madness. No conflict, no confusion. It’s all clear. It’s all clear, bäbā. Conflict, confusion is within you; therefore, you find conflict and see conflict. If you put on yellow glasses, everything looks yellow. Understand me? Conflict and confusion are within you; therefore, you see it. No conflict. With the glasses you put on, you see. Man sees the reflection of his mind. In your mind, there is conflict and confusion, therefore you see it. Otherwise, no conflict, no confusion.
Devotee: ??
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. In Rāmāyaṇa, you know Hanumān? When Hanumān went to Laṅkā, Rāvaṇa’s capital, Laṅkā, he was very angry, extremely angry because that demon Rāvaṇa had kidnapped his master’s wife, Sītādevī. Yes. Very angry. His eyes were red-hot out of anger. Anger is inside, so his eyes were red-hot. Rāvaṇa had kept Sītā in a very lovely garden. That is Aśokavana, the name is Aśoka, where there is no lamentation. Very lovely. It is Indra’s. He had brought all heavenly plants there with varieties of nice flowers, fruits, ponds, all heavenly plants there, varieties of nice flowers, fruits, ponds, springs, birds. So many nice, lovely things are there, varieties, so beautiful. Hanumān went there, but he saw everything red, everything red, all varieties of red because anger is inside. His eyes were red-hot. Do you understand what I said? Doubts cleared? No.
Devotee: No.
Gour Govinda Swami: No? Why no?
Devotee: Well, for instance, when Śrīla Prabhupāda was directing ISKCON, then everything was under that direction, and . . .
Gour Govinda Swami: He is still directing. You cannot see it. You have no vision. It will take time. For you, it will take time to understand. All right, wait, wait, wait. All these things are there inside. So, conflict, confusion is in you; therefore, you see conflict, confusion. I gave many examples, still you cannot understand. You understood, Ananta?
Devotee: A little, yes. Still so much . . . A little . . . a little.
Devotee: Mahārāja, that anger that Hanumān felt when he saw red, is that a material anger or is that a spiritual anger?
Gour Govinda Swami: He utilized that anger for the service of the Lord. That’s very good.
Devotee: Jaya... haribol!
Devotee:... bhakta Hanumān kī jaya!
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. Anger should be utilized in that way, for the service of the Lord. Yes.
Devotee: Why is anger coming?
Gour Govinda Swami: Why? You want something. If somebody stands in your way, you get angry. “Oh, he stands in the way.” So you get angry.
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa
rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
It is out of passion, rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ. It is your material desire. If your desire is not fulfilled, then its younger brother, krodha, anger, comes. The younger brother of kāma is krodha. Understand, Ananta?
Devotee: Yes.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes.
Devotee: So, one has to become free of lust then one will become free of anger?
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. If you have passion in you, then you have so many material desires. If they are unfulfilled and somebody stands in the way, then krodha comes, anger comes. Yes.
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa
rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
mahā-śano mahā-pāpmā
viddhy enam iha vairiṇam
The Gītā says. You should understand, this is your vairi, this is your enemy. And, mahā-śano mahā-pāpmā, it never becomes satiated, yes, never becomes satiated, mahā-śano mahā-pāpmā. It wants more, more, more, more, more. No satiation. Yes. Great sinful... commits so many sinful activities. It’s a sort of krodhāndha. We say krodhāndha. He is a sort of blind man, yes, krodhāndha, one sort of blind man. Isn’t it?
Devotee: Kāma-āndha, krodhāndha.
Gour Govinda Swami: Kāma-āndha, krodhāndha. It is out of anger he becomes blind. He cannot see. He cannot see others. Even he cannot see himself also, what I am doing. Yes. Generally, a blind man cannot see others. But such a person, kāma-āndha and krodhāndha, even cannot see himself, what to speak of seeing others.
Jaya Guru Mahārāja kī jaya!
Śrīla Prabhupādji kī jaya!