19860427_Srimad_Bhagavatam.1.17.24_Kuala_Lumpur_Malaysia

The following is a lecture given by HH Jayapataka Swami on April 27, 1986 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The class begins with a reading from the Srimad Bhagvatam first canto. Chapter 17, verse 24. tapaḥ śaucaṁ dayā satyam  iti pādāḥ kṛte kṛtāḥ adharmāṁśais trayo bhagnāḥ  smaya-saṅga-madais tava Translation by His Divine Grace Srila Abhay Charanaravinda Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada: In the age of Sathya (Truthfulness), your four legs were established by the four principles of austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness. But it appears that three of your legs are broken, due to rampant irreligion in the form of pride, lust for women and intoxication. Translation with repetition (audience repeat the translation). Here, who speaks English, raise your left hand. Okay, for those who don’t, let’s see who can translate. Who knows? Who is bilingual here? Who knows Tamil, English? Anay Krishnaiyya! You tell those people, who don’t know English to sit next to you. Other people who know English, shift this side. And then, as I am speaking, you just (men men) , give the translation in running way. Is there any women who doesn’t know English? Everyone raised their hands! .. (reads the purport. Not transcribed here) Thus ends the Bhakti Vedanta Swami purport to the text 24, chapter 17, canto 1 of the Srimad Bhagvatam, in the chapter entitled Punishment and Reward of Kali. Om Tat Sat! Here, the king Parikshit Maharaj, is talking to the Bull of religiosity. Previously, the bull was standing on four legs naturally. But he could see that three of the legs have been broken. This is very important verse, because it gives us the understanding that what is the age of Kali. The age of Kali, three legs of religiosity are crippled, cleanliness, austerity, mercy. Only truthfulness, in some percentage remains, as a principle, that people try to maintain. We can see that, in the modern world, people think that, free love, sex life, intoxication, all these things, they consider to be quite,… meat eating, … quite unobjectionable. No body things that these things are wrong. In the general, modern society. But they complain, if a leader misrepresents the truth to his followers. In America, when Nixon lied, he was impeached. When one minister in England didn’t tell the truth and he was caught, he had to resign. So, still this idea that a person should be truthful is something which society accepts in principle. In practice, it’s something else. But, they don’t even accept the principle that you should not eat meat, or you should not be able to mix freely with women, or that you should not take intoxication, simply the degree is there. Intoxication is accepted, but whisky is okay, Heroin is not. Or, sex is alright, but, then they have certain limitations in some place and some place they have none. In this way, these principles, give us an idea, how the age of Kali is actually progressing. We can see that although, this is written five thousand years ago, that it’s evident today. With so many examples, how this is right on. This is giving the exact explanation of our situation today. Prabhupada has very clearly said that all this propaganda about world peace, is a futile attempt. So long as people are addicted to this kind of materialistic activities, unless the principles of religion are established, unless the principles of irreligion are eradicated from society, the call for peace is just so much hot air. Ultimately speaking, nothing is going to come of it. What’s needed is that these principles of Brahmanical culture – austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness should be established. Unfortunately, just the opposite is evident. Development of pride, actually people are so proud, although people are going to die any minute, yet they are very proud of their scientific advancement. Prabhupada repeatedly advices how they are not able to solve the real problems of life - birth, death, old-age and disease. This is very obvious, yet they are so proud. They are so proud of their so called advancement. Their pride manifests in so many ways. Just like a person is proud of his sectarian religion. They are pride in their sectarian religion is more than any real love for God. So, as a result, people are killing each other, whatever their religion is, they are very proud of their religion. But they don’t even know what their religion teachings are, in most cases. Nor, are they interested to know. They are simply absorbed in pride. Since, I am the greatest person, and I belong to this religion, this must be the greatest religion. It’s actually what it comes down to. Somebody else is enemy of my religion, he is my enemy and therefore, he should be killed. This way people are manipulators. So, we have Muslims against Christians in Lebanon. We have Hindus against Budhists in Sri Lanka, Hindus against Muslims in India, Sikhs against Hindus in India, then Protestants against Catholics in Ireland and so on and so forth. So, this false pride, whereby people don’t actually understand what is the real principles of religion, what is the actual situation of another person. They are so self-centred that they simply are concerned with their own pride. When you read the newspapers, the leader of Libya and the leader of America, how they are calling each other different things. One thing that’s common is, definitely there is a tremendous amount of pride. Who is right and who is wrong is another thing, …to what degree…. No matter what they do, they think, what they are doing is right. Even if they are dead wrong, they think they are right. Unless there is some humility, unless there is some other consideration, then how can you create any kind of a unification or any kind of a peace? So, where to get these good qualities? How to curtail such a thing, as pride? Just talking about it, don’t be proud won’t go very far. What needs to be established is that the person if they are established in religious principles, automatically false pride reduces. If they are established in austerity, cleanliness, truthfulness and mercy; then they will be detached from false pride, over attachment to women and to intoxication. Therefore, the Krishna conscious movement is promoting this religious principle. And preachers of the Krishna conscious movement, they have to be themselves very careful to adopt and emulate these Brahmanical principles, to show them as examples for the rest of the society. If a preacher doesn’t show good qualities, rather shows bad qualities, then people will not take seriously what the preacher is saying. It’s said on a Sanyasi, Lord Chaitanya said, even a small mistake shows up like a black spot on a white sheet. Prabhupada used this example. So, if we have a black wall, you don’t see a black spot or a brown spot. But then a white wall, if somebody just throw some ink there on the wall, then everyone will see. Oh! There is a black spot on a white wall. See, even a small defect in a sadhu or a preacher becomes very pronounced. So, we have to be very careful so long as we want to propagate Krishna Consciousness not to allow any defects to become manifest. The preachers virtually get crippled by this type of defect, when they come out. Prabhupada used the word that a human society is going away from the path of salvation or the path of transcendental bliss. Rather this path of salvation and transcendental bliss has retreated far away from human society. The way to go back to godhead gradually goes further away from us when we take on all these sinful habits. Prabhupada says here, the rich people of the world spend 50% of their income and spreading God consciousness then the whole mass of the people being engaged in God consciousness, then the world could become very peaceful. Actually, people if they spend their income, as it mentions here, 50% for propagating God consciousness, it would be such a wonderful effect. Prabhupada used to say that there is one Mayavadic Guru, he’d never touch money. He gave lecture that when I , when money comes towards me, my hand goes away. Like a , you put money, the hand goes away. So someone gives money, the hand goes away. Of course, secretary will take money. Didn’t go away from the secretary’s hand. But, he’d would. “I can’t touch money”. Just signs checks. Or his secretary signs checks. Pretty weird sadhu. People in India are attracted by these gimmicks. So they give lot of money to someone who doesn’t touch money. Prabhupada, one time gave lecture that “if money comes to me, I will take it with two hands. Give it to Krishna! We are not shy to ask, to take money because we are using it for Krishna’s devotional service. It’s not material, it’s spiritual. Whatever money Srila Prabhupada got even, he spent it before he got it. In Bombay project, when he put the document claiming for the land and city was going to buy the land for 14 lakhs. We didn’t have any money. The secretary said, Prabhupada, we don’t have any money, how is it that you are buying the land. He said, “Krishna will provide”. So, he was very bold in this way. Somehow or the other, then he pushed his disciples and pushed the devotees to raise the fund, when there was some important project. This is how things got done so quickly. He used to say that, if a brahman gets a million dollars, the next day again he’ll be a beggar. He will spend it on Krishna. So this way, the devotees, he enjoined them, that whatever you get, you spend it on Krishna as quickly as possible. We don’t want to accumulate wealth. As soon as we get it we want to spend it on Krishna conscious purpose. So, in this way, you can see so much is to be done, by publishing books, distributing prasadam, building spiritual centres, so many movies can be made on Krishna consciousness, so many books can be published. So many ways people can be educated. There’s a tremendous need in society. Generally, what happens, one man in India, he told me how… he’s an industrialist. He said, I am going to give all my money to my children and then I am going to come and become a devotee. I said … this is Prabhupada, he advises against this. He said, you give all your money to your family, then you come empty handed to Krishna. You work hard your whole life and then your energy you don’t give anything to Krishna. It’s not very… considerate. Your going to Krishna, He’s giving you mercy but you are not giving any of your energy to Krishna. Persons heart is where his money goes. So explaining this, Rupa Goswami, he showed the perfect example by giving 50% from his accumulated wealth to service of his Guru and Vaishnavas for spreading Krishna Consciousness. The other 50%, he kept 25% for emergency and 25% he spent on his family. This is the proper way that one should divide wealth when it gets accumulated. Prabhupada used to criticize – ‘don’t come to Krishna empty handed’, giving away all their money for family members and giving nothing to Krishna. Rupa Goswami, the six Goswamis, practical! Wasn’t Rupa Goswami keeping 25% away then how would Sanatana Goswami have been saved. After Rupa Goswami left, then Sanatana Goswami started studying the Bhagvatam on the plea of being sick. Nawab Hussain Shah, first sent his physician, found nothing was wrong, one day suddenly appeared in his house. So there Sanatana Goswami was reading the Bhagvatam with his Brahmanas. Sanatan Goswami stood up to receive the emperor. The emperor said, what are you doing here, why are you not coming to the court and attending your duties. You are the Prime Minister. He said, well, I am not feeling any taste for this anymore. I would like to be relieved. Emperor became very angry that I want to go out and attack various kingdoms. Expand my empire. I need you to manage the Kingdom on my behalf. So, I can go out and do my campaigns. But Sanatan Goswami said, I am not.. ,don’t want to do it anymore. So, then King became angry that he arrested Sanatan Goswami, so that he wouldn’t escape. Then he went out on these campaigns. So, Sanatan couldn’t get out of the prison, but he bribed the gate keeper, the jailor! First he praised him – “ila ilaa mahal ma rasul illaha ----------------29.55(Not clear)..” that you are such a very great devoted person, you are very wonderful and I want to leave for religious purpose and since you are very religious man, so you should kindly let me free. He said, “how can I let you free? If I let you free, I will be killed by the king”. He said, “I will give you 5000 gold coins a----------------29.55(Not clear).” “No! No! How can I do that? It’s very dangerous for me.” He said, “No, you just say that I died. I will never show my face up here again.” “It’s very difficult for me”. “I will give you 10,000 gold coins”. “Well, for the service of God, I can do it.” So, because of keeping that little emergency fund, because the jailor was very religious, he accepted the donation of 10000 gold coins and somehow, Sanatan Goswami was able to escape. So, in this way, we can see that , practical value of following Rupa Goswami system. Somehow, people have to be preached this. It’s actually their duty to give 50%. It’s not that the devotees should come, pestering Grihastas, please give your 50%, please give a donation. The grihastha should be thinking that this money is linked with karma. Whatever money is over above what I need for my food, for my clothing, my housing, my basic expense, whatever else I have, If I don’t give it to Krishna, this 50%, then I am simply holding karma. This money is simply going to cause me repeated birth and death. So, I have to use it for Krishna as far as possible. Atleast, 50%. Of course, if someone, just to.. , Bhagvatam says that we are allowed to work for having a healthy body, for being healthy, for having clothes, shelter. So, this could be a subject of debate, what to do of his income, it’s such that 50% doesn’t pay for the food, doesn’t pay for the clothing. In which case, one would have to get some special dispensation from the Guru. What to do in such a case. Of course, Kolavecha Sridhar, he was a fanatic. You can say, or , he was very dedicated to this principle. He took an oath, that he’ll give 50% above, 50% of his income he’ll spend on Ganges Pooja. So, all he was doing was selling bananas, banana leaves, banana flowers, in Bengal that time Navadip, that time of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, so he was hardly making any income. Because, selling Bananas in Navadip is like trying to sell palm oil in Malaysia. Palm oil is everywhere; we don’t need to. Or, trying to sell rubber, latex here. Everywhere it’s growing. So, there in Bengal, everywhere, every house has got bananas. It’s only rare person wants extra bananas. So, somehow or the other he was getting some income. Or whatever income he could get, immediately he’d take 50% and spend it on incense, flower.., whatever he’d get he would spend that on ingredients and go to worship the Ganges and he’d take the rest and he would spend. Of course he was self-employed. He had his own land. He grew his own bananas. He sold them. But actually, he was very poor. His clothes were ripped, his house had holes in it. People used to criticise him. They used to say that “why you are living like this?” In the sense, “proper business sense is that you should stop giving 50% to the Ganges, invest your capital for one year. Build up your capital, become a … , have a good basis for that , then you spend it. Then you .. ah.. after one year is over you give 50%, you have bigger capital, so you have more income, in this way you can give more to Krishna.” He responded that if I start that now, then what… , If I stop giving 50% now, what is the guarantee that after one year, I will start it again. Once I get in to the habit of not giving, then there will always be excuse to bring up little more capital, build up little more wealth, build this, build that in this way then, maya could catch me. Now I am very safe, I am giving 50%, somehow or the other, things are going on, I am not going to change.” “But your clothes are ripped my man! Don’t you see you have holes in your cloth?” He said it’s quite cool in the hot weather. All of my body is covered. What is the matter if there is a little ventilation?” “But you have a hole in your roof!” , “Well, we have to have the light in, come in somewhere, little light, fresh breeze, very healthy.” So these…“Oh! You are very crazy!” And they’d all go off thinking, that Kolavecha Sridhar is totally mad. Wasting his good time and energy worshiping the Ganges. Every night Kolavecha Sridhar would chant (GM starts singing). “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”. Long into the night he’d chant the kirtan, so the materialistic neighbours, they started to complain, “Why is he howling all the time? Nobody can get any sleep!” Somebody said, “Oh! Hes’ so hungry, he can’t sleep himself. Because he is hungry, he’s howling in the night.” Like this, all the people were so nasty there, just criticising him. But, then he had so many intimate pastimes with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu would come as Nimai Pandit and take bananas only from him. Although, sometimes he’d do a change up on Kolavecha Sridhar, he’d give …, he’d take the bananas and give a short change. Kolavecha Sridhar would say, “Hey! You are not giving the right amount.” He used to grab back the bananas. “Give them back. Take your money. You pay the right amount or don’t take them at all.” Then Nimai Pandit would say, “Aha!” grab the bananas back again “So you are accusing a Brahmana, you are accusing me of cheating! You think I don’t have bananas in my house? You think I need your charity? Why are you accusing me like this? You are offending the brahmanas. Then Kolavecha Sridhar would get …. “You are charging double, that’s why!! Take this, don’t cheat anyone.” Actually he’d only charge the right price. This way they were having so many different arguments and things. Actually, Kolavecha Sridhar’s heart would melt every time, he’d see Lord Chaitanya, and Chaitanya, knew he was His pure devotee. So, He’d just tease him in this way. Actually Kolavecha Sridhar was a very honest business man. He’d just charge exactly the market rate. He’d say, “you test the market rate, you buy wherever you like, you won’t get any cheaper than I am selling. This is the actual price.” But still Lord Chaitanya would buy only from him somehow or another. So, in this way, even what normally profit he’d make, Lord Chaitanya cut into that already taking his percent. So, he was giving more than 50%. Because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would personally come as Nimai Pandit, he’d take a little tax, by taking some of the bananas and giving less money. So, ‘course Lord Chaitanya gave his mercy to Kolavecha Sridhar, gave him pure love for Godhead. After the ChandKhazi Samadhi, aahh… after Chand Khazi was approached and defeated by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, convinced, he gave an order to no longer disturb the Sankirtan movement of Lord Chaitanya. Then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went with his followers and took rest at the house of Kolavecha Sridhar. So, after all the processions, talking and kirtan, Lord Chaitanya was very thirsty. So, He said, give me some water. Kolavecha Sridhar had no brass, he was very poor. He only had broken steal cup. Just the clay pot of water. Then, Lord Chaitanya saw his broken steal, cast iron mug, he went over and picked it up, poured himself a glass of water. Well, Kolavecha Sridhar had gone out trying to get another glass for Him. Cause his wasn’t … So, when he saw what Lord Chaitanya was doing, he ran back, he said “No! No! No! No! No! This is not fit for you. This is not suitable. I am giving you another glass. Don’t take from that glass. He even went to… He was so excited, he even went to take it from Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Chaitanya held him back drank the water, and said “Aha! This is the sweetest water!” Lord Chaitanya, even used this broken vessel of His devotee. Giving His special mercy to Kolavecha Sridhar. Sometimes, the devotee takes some austerity on the behalf of the Lord, the Lord never forgets the devotee. Devotee becomes very dear to Him. So, they say that various devotees who are .. like Sanatan Goswami was a symbol of humility. Das Raghunath was a symbol of austerity. Kolavecha Sridhar is practically the top example of yukta vairagya, independent grihastha who was making his living for giving, the principle of giving 50%. Although Rupa Goswami showed that, practically, but he was after all the finance minister. When he divided his wealth up, he divided up into boat loads of gold. Four boat loads. One boat load, for his family. One boat load, two boat loads for Brahmans and Vaishnavas and Guru. Boat loads of gold in those days, even a boat load of gold today is quite valuable. What to speak of then? He was fabulously wealthy. So someone can say hey, if you give me billions of dollars I will also give 50%, Keep 50%. Someone may say that. So in the other extreme, which is we have, which is legitimate to do. Another example we have Kolavecha Sridhar who practically didn’t even have enough, just barely to live. Not adequately living. But he still maintained that principle. So, like this we find in Lord Chaitanya’s devotees that they live very strictly by principles. The Principles of austerity, truthfulness, cleanliness and mercy. That they very strictly avoid pride, attachment to sense gratification and intoxication. Therefore, we should try to follow in the footsteps of those great devotees. People will know the modern day devotees of the Lord Chaitanya to have these type of qualities. Prabhupada wanted them. Doesn’t want their devotees should be known by any negative connotation. Falsely we may be accused, that’s another thing. But we shouldn’t do something where we are actually deviating from the religious principles. Otherwise, how can we direct the common man to follow these principles, if we don’t follow them ourselves? First a devotee, being in devotional service, sometimes can stretch, to find a way of, reason for stretching some of these principles. In a sense, cause the principles of devotional service is even higher than these principles. Just like Krishna told King Yudhishtir to lie, or He didn’t, He just told him that Ashwathama is dead. Yudhishtir hesitated. He said, there is Ashwathama, he is not dead. Ashwathama was dead, Ashwathama the elephant was dead. Krishna …, didn’t have faith, this little bit doubt was there, Krishna said, he allowed Ashwathama was dead, knowing that it would crush Dronacharya’s heart. Then he’d have Arjuna take the finishing, or have the special strike against Dronacharya. But Yudhistir hesitated. Yudhishtir is known as Satyavaak, he never told a lie. If anyone else said that Satyavaak .. that Ashwathama is dead, then Dronacharya would just think that they are lying. But if Yudhishtir said then he’d think that this must be true. But Yudhishtir himself hesitated. “How can I tell a lie? I never told a lie.” So, by hesitating, to carry out Krishna’s order, he had to go to hell. For a short time. Krishna told if you say loudly, Ashwathama, softly the elephant, is dead, so, you are not telling a lie. See the principle is that Krishna’s direct order is higher. But sometimes, devotees think that whatever I want to do for devotional service is Krishna’s direct order. Therefore, I am above all laws. But, this is dangerous so we are preaching in society. Unless one does have a direct order from Guru and Krishna, we shouldn’t take, we should not ourselves become proud. “I am a devotee, whatever I do is right”. And then we do something which is wrong. We should be very careful to act only under the instruction of a higher authority. Yesterday, we were seeing, how to bring these people to the point of following these principles. If we tell the people, you immediately give 50% of your income, they’d say “Wow! Watch out for this Hare Krishna people, they want all our money.” If we tell people that yes, become a member of the Krishna conscious movement and you’ll have to give up all intoxication and all meet eating, all gambling, all illicit sex, people will get frightened, run! These people want to take away all the happiness of life. There is nothing left. Actually, when this was told to one English gentle man, he said that if we have to give up these things, then we might as well die. In the Bhaktisiddhantha, BhakthiSiddhantha Saraswati Thakur sent one preacher, if we have to give up these things then there is nothing else left. This is life. They couldn’t imagine how they could live without these things.

Transcriber : Savyasachi Krishna Das Date: 14-Mar-16

Tags: - Dharma standing only on one leg in Kali yuga, - Following principles strengthens the human civilization - Principle of giving 50% of income for Vaishnavas, Guru and Brahmanas , 25% for emergency and remaining 25% for family - Sanatana Goswami as symbol of humility, - Das Raghunath Goswami as symbol of austerity - Kolavecha Sridhar as symbol of Yukta Vairagya,