Lord Nrsimhadeva s Appearance Day Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34. Los Angeles, May 27, 1972 Prabhupada: So today, appearance day of Lord Nrsimhadeva. Lord Nrsimhadeva appeared on this Nrsimha Chaturdasi on account of His devotee, Prahlada. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-Gita, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānam sr jāmy aham [Bg. 4.7]. paritrān āya sādhūnām vināśāya ca dusḳrṭām dharmasamśthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge [Bg. 4.8]. The Lord appears with two purposes. Paritrān āya sādhūnām : just to give protection and rescue the devotees, and to kill the demons, vināśāya ca dusḳrṭām. So Prahlada Maharaja, five-years-old boy, his only fault was that he was Krishna conscious. He was devotee of Krishna. That was his only fault. And the father was so unkind to a child, even five years old. He could not excuse, Oh, let this boy do whatever, chanting Hare Krishna. No. The demons are so much against God consciousness that even at his home he would not allow his own child to become God conscious. This is demoniac civilization. So you ll find many critics, many enemies, because you are making progress in Krishna consciousness. So the demons are always against this Krishna consciousness movement. That is the whole history. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified. What was his fault? He was preaching God consciousness, that s all. This society is so cruel. So Prahlada Maharaja was tortured in so many ways. The torturing methods, I think you will find as you will see in today s picture, how Prahlada Maharaja was tortured.
So one day, Hiranyakashipu... After all, he was his son. Affection was there. So one day, Hiranyakashipu asked the boy, hiran yakaśipur uvāca prahrādānūcyatām tāta svadhītam kiñcid uttamam kālenaitāvatāyusṃan yad aśiks ad guror bhavān [SB 7.5.22] śrī-prahrāda uvāca śravanạm kīrtanam visṇọh smaranạm pāda-sevanam arcanam vandanam dāsyam sakhyam ātma-nivedanam iti pumśārpitā visṇ au bhaktiś cen nava-laksạn ā kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye 'dhītam uttamam [SB 7.5.23-24] So he asked his son, My dear son, what you have learned? The best thing, what you have learned from your teachers, so you kindly let me know. So Prahlada Maharaja informed that I have learned like this. What is that? Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Visṇ u, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Krishna through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge. tan manye 'dhītam uttamam : one who is engaged in the matter of hearing about Vishnu, śravanạm kīrtanam visṇ oh. We are engaged in hearing and talking and chanting about so many things non-vishnu. Just like you ll find thousands of, millions of different types of magazines sold in your country, in all countries. Some of the magazines are sex literature, some cinema literature, some this literature, that... So many different types. There is one paper I have seen, Diabetes Literature. There are many patients of diabetes, so they have formed a society, Diabetic Society. I have seen it. (laughter) And there are many diabetic patients, they are being hoaxed, that You pay two dollars per year, and you get all information how to protect yourself from diabetes disease. So in America two dollars is nothing, but it is collecting millions and millions of dollars, Diabetic Society. Diabetic magazine. So that sort of hearing and chanting is not needed. We are not interested in all these magazines, because we are followers of Prahlada Maharaja. He s our äcärya. He s guru. Prahlada Maharaja s guru is Närada, and Närada is also our guru. Närada is guru of Vyäsadeva. So we are a branch, but the original guru is Närada, Brahma-sampradäya. So Prahlada Maharaja is also a disciple of Närada Muni. So he teaches that śravanạm kīrtanam visṇọh [SB 7.5.23]. We have to hear and talk and chant about Vishnu. śravanạm kīrtanam visṇọh smaranạm pāda-sevanam. To remember Him always, to worship His lotus feet, pāda-sevanam. Arcanam, temple worship, to keep the Deity nicely worshiped, offer foodstuff, ärati, this is called
arcanaà. Vandanam, offering prayers. Just like we offer prayer, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. These are prayers. There are so many prayers. Keshava dhruta-buddha-sarira, Keshava dhruta-narahari-rupa. These are all prayers. This is also part of devotional service. śravanạm kīrtanam visṇọh smaranạm pāda-sevanam arcanam vandanam dāsyam sakhyam ātma-nivedanam [SB 7.5.23] arcanam vandanam dāsyam. To be always in service of the Lord, dāsyam ; sakhyam, to make friendship with Him, to consider Krishna as your friend. He says... Even if I do not say that He s my friend, He says, I am friend of everyone. suhrḍam sarva-bhūtānām [Bg. 5.29]. He s friend of everyone. We don t want His friendship, but He wants our friendship. He wants us to go back to home, Godhead; we don t want. So He is more anxious to take us, exactly like the father is more affectionate than the son. That s a fact. So He s the supreme father. So He wants that we may be happy, and therefore He comes to show us. He sends His representative, son. He leaves behind Him books so that we may go back to home, back to Godhead. So, sakhyam. He s always sitting with me, within my heart. I am in the heart, and Paramätmä is also within the heart as friend to give me advice that Why you are bothering in this material world? Please come back to home, back to Me. This is going on. Sakhyam ātma-nivedanam. ātma-nivedanam means fully surrendered. So there are examples of devotees who, sarvätma-nivedanam. Just like Bali Maharaja. He gave everything to Krishna, even his body, everything, whatever, his kingdom, money, everything. So Prahlada Maharaja says, iti pumśārpitā visṇ au bhaktiś cen nava-laksạn ā. All these items means hearing. Hearing about Vishnu, chanting about Krishna, giving everything to Vishnu, offering prayers to Vishnu, offering arcana, temple worship, Vishnu. In this way Prahlada Maharaja summarizes that Anyone who is doing like this, everything about Vishnu... iti pumśārpitā vis nạu bhaktiś cen nava-laksạn ā, this nine kinds of different devotional services, kriyeta bhagavaty addhā, directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, tan manye 'dhītam uttamam, I think he is the best learned man in the world. He is the most learned. tan manye 'dhītam. He has studied everything very nicely. Actually, that is the fact. Jnana, knowledge. Knowledge means to know Krishna, God, and the Vedic injunction is, yasmin vijnate sarvamevam vijnatam bhavati. If you understand the Supreme Lord, then you understand everything. You haven t got to study differently different subject matters. Just like we sometimes talk of science, of astronomy, economics, politics. We talk sometimes. But we are not going to, or we didn t study all the subject matter separately. But in course of our studying Krishna consciousness, we know something of everything. So Prahlada Maharaja says, tan manye 'dhītam uttamam: One who is engaged in these nine kinds of devotional services directly... So Prahlada Maharaja recommends, kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye 'dhītam uttamam. niśamyaitat suta-vaco hiran yakaśipus tadā guru-putram uvācedam rus ā prasphuritādharah [SB 7.5.25] After hearing these words of devotional service from the mouth of his son Prahlāda, Hiran yakaśipu was extremely angry. His lips trembling, he spoke as follows to Sạnḍ a the son of his guru, Śukrācārya. As soon as he heard, Oh, what this nonsense boy is speaking? he became so angry that sphuritādharah. When one becomes angry, his lips quivering, I mean to say, jumps. What is called? Quiver, yes. So he became so angry that it is said, sphuritādharah. (He) immediately called his teacher. He s king... Because he thought, The rascal teachers, they have taught him like this. I have entrusted the boy to the teachers, to brahmanas, and they have taught this Krishna consciousness. So call him. Otherwise, how is that this small boy, five years old only, he s talking just like a great saint? So call his teacher!
brahma-bandho kim etat te vipaksạm śrayatāsatā asāram grāhito bālo mām anādrṭya durmate [SB 7.5.26] O unqualified, most heinous son of a brāhman a, you have disobeyed my order and taken shelter of the party of my enemies. You have taught this poor boy about devotional service! What is this nonsense? Hiranyakashipu became bitterest enemy of Vishnu because his brother Hiranyaksha, he was killed by Vishnu taking the shape of Varäha. You know the story. Since then, Hiranyakashipu was bitterest enemy. Oh, He has, Vishnu has killed my brother. So He is my greatest enemy. So he won t hear anything about Vishnu. Any Vishnu devotee, he will punish him, even his own son. That was his policy. So he immediately called him, the teachers, and addressed him, brahma-bandho kim etat te vipaksạm śrayatāsatā asāram grāhito bālo mām anādrṭya durmate So here... Teachers are generally brahmanas. Not generally. To become teacher is the business of the brahmanas. Brahmana means they have got six kinds of... Everyone must have livelihood. This material world is that you must work; otherwise you cannot get your livelihood. That is the law, whatever you may be. So the brahmanas means of livelihood, six things:. means he must be a very learned scholar, study the Vedic literature, and must teach others also. That is brahmana s business. And in that way, whatever the disciples bring, that is his income. No salary, no contract, that If you pay me hundred dollars or five hundred dollars weekly, then I can teach you. No. There is no such contract. Teaching is free. It is the business of a brahmana to give free education to everyone. Now, it is the... Just like in our institution, I am your teacher, but there is no such contract that you have to pay me. But you pay me more than anything. So, that is the means of livelihood of brahmana. And Kshatriya, they are kings. They can levy tax of the citizens because they are giving protection from being hurt by others. Kshatriya means one who gives protection (to) a man being hurt by others. That is the real root meaning. Kshatriya. And Vaisya means they should, krṣị-go-raksỵa-vānịjyam, they should engage themselves in producing foodstuff, food grains, krṣị, protect cows. Especially go-raksỵa. As the king is meant for giving protection to the man, similarly, a Vaisya is supposed to give protection to the cows, or they keep cows and produce milk products. They are Vaisya. And Sudra, simply service. So these are the different types of employment of different kinds of social order. And a king, the king has to see that everyone is employed. Not that hundreds of people are unemployed, and government has to give welfare, subsidy. Not like that. The king s duty is that everyone is independently earning his livelihood. That is king s duty. So here the teachers are addressed here brahma-bandho. Brahma-bandho means a person who is born by a brahmana father but is not acting as a brahmana. He s called brahma-bandho, dvéja-bandhu. Dvéjabandhu, one who is born of a, actually born of a brahmana father, but he s not acting as a brahmana. So Hiranyakashipu addressed the teachers brahma-bandho, not brahmana. Because you are untrustworthy. I gave you, I entrusted you with my son to be taught, and you have taught him this Krishna consciousness. So against my will... He says practically, brahma-bandho kim etat te vipaksạm śrayatāsatā: I entrusted my child for being educated by you, and you have instigated him to speak in favor of my enemy, Vishnu? Vishnu is my enemy. How is that? asāram grāhito bālo mām anādrṭya durmate. This rascal boy, he does not care for me, and he has learned this Krishna consciousness, and you have taught him. How is that? santi hy asādhavo loke durmaitrāś chadma-vesịnạh tes ām udety agham kāle rogah pātakinām iva [SB 7.5.27] In due course of time, various types of diseases are manifest in those who are sinful. Similarly, in this world there are many deceptive friends in false garbs, but eventually, because of their false behavior, their actual enmity becomes manifest.
So I think these demigods who are followers of Vishnu, they are coming in disguise and poisoning my son by teaching Krishna consciousness, and you did not take care of him. So what is this? Then the teachers replied, śrī-guru-putra uvāca na mat-pran ītam na para-pran ītam suto vadaty esạ tavendra-śatro naisargikīyam matir asya rājan niyaccha manyum kad adāh sma mā nah [SB 7.5.28] The son of Śukrācārya, Hiranỵakaśipu's spiritual master, said: O enemy of King Indra, O King! Whatever your son Prahlāda has said was not taught to him by me or anyone else. His spontaneous devotional service has naturally developed in him. Therefore, please give up your anger and do not unnecessarily accuse us. It is not good to insult a brāhmanạ in this way. They said, My dear King, don t think we have taught him like this. It is not... I know, it is not our duty to teach him against your will. But his Krishna consciousness is not due to our teaching; neither somebody is coming in disguise and teaching him. na mat-pran ītam na para-pran ītam. He is neither taught by us, nor by anyone else. suto vadaty esạ tavendra-śatro. The enemy... The Hiranyakashipu is the enemy of the demigods; therefore he is addressed as Indra-śatro. As he addressed the brahmana, brahma-bandho, so they retaliated also, that You are enemy of the demigods. naisargikīyam, By nature he is doing that. We try to forbid him. We try to stop him chanting Hare Krishna, but still he s doing. naisargikīyam matir asya rājan niyaccha manyum kad adāh sma mā. You don t be angry upon us. We never did it. So... He is, by his own nature he chants, he preaches, he s doing all this. śrī-nārada uvāca gurunạivam pratiprokto bhūya āhāsurah sutam na ced guru-mukhīyam te kuto 'bhadrāsatī matih [SB 7.5.29] Śrī Nārada Muni continued: When Hiran yakaśipu received this reply from the teacher, he again addressed his son Prahlāda. Hiranỵakaśipu said: You rascal, most fallen of our family, if you have not received this education from your teachers, where have you gotten it? Then he again asked his son, Now I understand that your teacher has not taught you all these things. You rascal, where you have learned all this Krishna consciousness? (laughter) Abhadra. kuto 'bhadrāsatī matih Wherefrom you got this rascal wisdom? Tell me. So this is the position, you see. Even father becomes enemy. Now, Prahlada Maharaja is replying. Prahlada Maharaja is replying, śrī-prahrāda uvāca matir na krṣṇẹ paratah svato vā mitho 'bhipadyeta grḥa-vratānām adānta-gobhir viśatām tamisram punah punaś carvita-carvan ānām [SB 7.5.30] Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krṣṇạ are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both. My dear father, don t be afraid. It is not a thing to be taught. matir na krṣṇ e. Nobody can become Krishna conscious, matir na krṣṇẹ paratah, being taught by others, matir na krṣṇẹ paratah svato vā, or by mental speculation or thinking oneself, mitho 'bhipadyeta, or by making conference meeting, religious meeting, conference. No. Three things. One thing is to learn Krishna consciousness by speculative method, selfrealization. Just like so many people are very much interested that Why shall I go to a guru? I can realize myself. I shall meditate. So that is called svato. And paratah means by others instruction. And mitho, mitho means by assembly. So who? Now, grḥa-vratānām. If one is grḥa-vratānām... There are two things: grhastha and grḥa-vratā, or grhamedhi. So those who are grḥa-vrata... because he is pointing out his father s position, that he s grḥa-vratā. He has no other business. He simply wants to get money, hiranya. Hiranya means gold, and kashipu, a nice apartment. That s all. So he says that grḥa-vratānām, If one makes it his point to remain in a comfortable home life, for him, either by speculation or by teaching or by meeting, he ll never develop Krishna consciousness. grḥa-vratānām. Then what is their position? Now, adānta-gobhir viśatām tamisram : They are
unable to control their senses, and as such, they are entering into the darkest region of material existence. punah punaś carvita-carvan ānām: [SB 7.5.30] Their only business is chewing the chewed. They have no other ways. grḥa-vratānām, those who want to be happy materially, actually they are chewing the chewed. Material happiness means sex life, ultimate, utmost, topmost happiness. So people are simply trying to, how to utilize this sex life in so many ways, in pictures and in... I do not wish to discuss. In dancing, in club, in so many ways. Because they cannot control the senses. The same thing, same thing, the same sex life in different way. Sometimes a naked dance, sometimes in this way, sometimes in that way. Therefore it is called punah punaś carvita-carvan ānām [SB 7.5.30]. I have heard that some people go to Florida and they spend fifty thousand dollars per week for organizing naked dance. So naked woman he has seen so many times, but still he spends more money to see it in a different way. That is called punah punaś carvita-carvan ānām [SB 7.5.30], chewing the chewed. So persons who are too much attached to sense gratification, and they have made it their conclusion that We shall be happy within our family life or this social life... Vidyäpati sings,. Our society means... Society, friendship, and love. There must be woman, must be children,. So there is some pleasure, undoubtedly. Otherwise, why people are working so hard to stick to this position? Vidyäpati sings that There is undoubtedly some pleasure, but that pleasure is so insignificant that it can be compared: a drop of water on the desert. Desert, if you want to utilize desert to make it a garden or productive field, you have to pour water. The whole ocean water you have to pour there. Now, if somebody says, All right, you want water. Now take this one drop water, then what it will do? Similarly, our heart is hankering after so many things. We are hankering... Actually we are hankering after Krishna, but we do not know. We are trying to satisfy our hankering in so many ways in material life. Actually we are hankering after Krishna. Just like a small child, it is crying. It cannot express, but it is wanting the mother s breast feeding. So you cannot stop him crying unless it is transferred to the mother. Similarly, actually we love Krishna. That is a fact. Because we love Krishna... Therefore you, who did not hear even the name of Krishna, say, four or five years ago, why you after so much Krishna? This is the proof, that actually we are after Krishna. This Krishna consciousness movement is being accepted in Western countries by the younger generation. Why? Because every one of us, we love Krishna. But it is now covered by mäyä. We have to simply take out the covering, mäyä; then we are Krishna conscious. That is explained in the Chaitanya charitamrita, nitya siddha krsna bhakti sadhya kabhu naya sravanadi suddha citte karaye udaya That Krishna consciousness is not an artificial thing, that we are making some propaganda on Krishna consciousness, publishing some books, magazines, and our preachers are going place to place. No, there are so many propaganda is going on. But they are not so effective. And our, what means we have got to make propaganda? We simply make this propaganda, Please chant Hare Krishna. That s all. Of course, we do sincerely. So if we propagate sincerely and seriously, as Caitanya Mahäprabhu has ordered, yare dekha, tare kaha 'krishna'-upadesa... [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. We must be sincere. Then, if we canvass, Please chant Hare Krishna, it will be effective. It will be effective. The business is not very serious or very difficult. Caitanya Mahäprabhu says, yare dekha, tare kaha 'krishna'-upadesa... Anyone you meet, you simply request him about hearing about Krishna. So... But if one is so much covered by materialistic enjoyment, it takes little time. It takes little time. Otherwise, automatically there is love for Krishna, and sravanadi sudha citte... Therefore Prahlada Maharaja says, sravanam. If we hear about Krishna constantly, through realized souls, not professional if we hear, satām prasańgān mama vīrya-sam vido [SB 3.25.25] then automatically, our dormant Krishna consciousness come out. So Prahlada Maharaja says, therefore, that Those who are determined to become happy within this material world, they cannot be raised to Krishna consciousness either by personal teaching or by making conference or by mental speculation. That is not possible, because he is determined. So our duty is that we should know that in the materialistic way of life we shall never be happy. This is called knowledge. And vairägya. So this vairägya and knowledge is not so easy. Prahlada Maharaja says, Adanta-
gobhir visatam tamisram: it is not possible. That means he assures his father, Don t be worried. You will never be Krishna conscious. (laughter) Because your only aim is to stick to home and money and women. Therefore rest assured, you ll not be... It is not that a person like you will be raised to Krishna consciousness. Then? How you have done? The next question should be: Why they are sticking to this materialistic way of life? That is answered by Prahlada, na te viduh svārtha-gatim hi visṇụm [SB 7.5.31]. These persons, those who are so much materially attached, they do not know the ultimate goal of life is Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu. That is actually the ultimate goal of life. We are here in this material world, forgetting Krishna, to enjoy, to lord it over the material nature. Everyone is trying to become the lord, master of material... That is struggle. Nobody can become lord or master of this material world. But that struggle to become master, they are taking it happiness. They are taking it happiness. That is the nature of persons who are influenced by the modes of passion. They ll work hard, and that will, they will take it is very good, pleasing. Because they do not know that the... na te viduh svārtha-gatim hi visṇụm durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninah [SB 7.5.31]. They are hoping against hope to become happy within this material world. That is the whole history. Take the history, any history, modern history. There are so many empires: the Roman Empire, the Carthaginian Empire, the Greek Empire, the British Empire recently, Hitler s Nazism, and so many. For some time they become very powerful. Just like Hiranyakashipu, he s now very powerful. He s thinking, Nobody can... Now today he ll be killed. keśava dhṛta-narahari-rūpa is coming. So this demonic civilization will never be successful. That s a fact. But they are so fool, they do not see even historical evidences. So many empires failed. The Roman Empire failed, the British Empire failed. Still, somebody is trying to create another empire, another, different empire. Just like your President Nixon, he s trying to influence all other nations under his control. Why? Of course, I should not speak all these things. There may be criticism. But that is the way, going on. That is the way. We can understand. We can understand politics, economics, everything, but we do not bother about. But our aim is that this way of life, to increase materially happiness, it will never be successful. That is our conclusion. We are not fools that we have given up everything for advance in Krishna consciousness. Because we know that this, this way we shall never be happy. It is not possible. That is explained by Prahlada Maharaja. These rascal people who are so much materially attached... Krishna also says in the Bhagavad-Gita, bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām tayāpahrṭa-cetasām vyavasāyātmikā buddhih samādhau na vidhīyate [BG 2.44] In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place. Those who are too much attached, bhoga, material enjoyment, aiśvarya, material opulence... bhogaiśvaryaprasaktānām tayāpahrṭa-cetasām. Persons whose heart has been misled by this kind of civilization, they cannot take to Krishna consciousness. Therefore to become too much materially opulent is a disqualification for attaining Krishna consciousness. It is a disqualification. Because they don t care. Just like in our temple, not very rich men, they are coming, because they (say,) What is this nonsense, Krishna consciousness? We have got everything. These boys, they haven t got to eat anything; therefore they are chanting Hare Krishna on the street. That s all. They think like that. They re needy. All right, they are needy. Give them some money. That s all. They don t like to take anything from us because the same business, matir na krṣṇẹ paratah svato vā. They ll never understand, because their aim is grha-vratanam. They want to be happy... Although they are seeing there is no happiness, they never can be happy, still... This is called punah punaś carvita-carvan ānām [SB 7.5.30], chewing the chewed. One, the sugarcane, is chewed by somebody. It is thrown away. And if somebody else comes and chew it again, what juice he will have it? So punah punaś carvita... na te viduh svārtha-gatim hi visṇụm durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninah andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāh [SB 7.5.31] Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Visṇ u. As blind men
guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries. na te viduh svārtha-gatim hi visṇụm [SB 7.5.31]. Duräçayä ye duräçayä viñaya väsé (reads Sanskrit commentary) tantraya käraëaà te hi Vishnuà na viduù. Tatra hetu svasminn eva arthe puruñartha yeñäà teñäà gatià grämyaà. Na tu te pi guru pati syät Vishnu jïäsyasi tatra bhak bahir viñaye bahavo yeñäà te bahir arthas tann eva guru tena mantra çélaà yeñäà te. So one who is fixed up in this conclusion, that We shall become happy with this materialistic way of life, they cannot take to Krishna consciousness. And they do not know also that our ultimate goal of life is Krishna, Vishnu. Then why it is so? Now, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāh. They have become blind. They are blind themselves, and they are also led by blind leaders. The leaders, at the present moment, leaders, they say that Why you are going to church? Why you are going to temple? If you want your bread... Just like in Christian religion you go to church, O God, give us our daily bread. But the atheist class, they are propagating, For bread, why you are going to church? You make industry, you make business, and you get bread. But actually... We were just talking that there are so many unemployment. Our Karandhara prabhu was... No. Who was talking? Shyamasundara. Shyamasundara said that the computer... What is called, computer? It can do thousands of men s business. So they have discovered this machine. That means thousands of men will be unemployed. That is actually happening in your country due to so many machines. Now, take for example, formerly... You have seen the picture, Krishna, Våndävana picture, Krishna s father transferring Krishna. They were going on bullock carts, no motorcar. You have seen the picture. So formerly, transport was bullock carts. The cows and the bulls, the bulls were employed for agricultural purpose, for drawing the carts. So there was no necessity of motorcar. Now you have got motor, motor-tractor. You don t want the bullocks. Therefore kill them. How you can utilize them? Therefore you must have slaughterhouse to kill them. And as soon as you kill them, then you have to eat them. So this is the, I mean to say, entanglement. If you kill, then you become responsible for being killed. The subtle laws... Therefore, without knowing our ultimate goal of life is Vishnu, na te viduh svārtha-gatim hi visṇụm... [SB 7.5.31]. That is our interest. The human form of life is offered by nature after so much evolutionary process. Just to understand Vishnu, God, this is the only business. But instead of attending our real business, we are trying to be happy in other ways. Then you can say that If we are engaged in real business, then how the economic question will be solved? We have to work. That s all right, you work. But work simple. Why you have invented so much botheration? Work is there. If you have cows and if you have got land, then you till the land, get grains, and there is milk, there is fruit, there is flower. Anywhere, you can live peacefully. Whole economic question is solved. And because we have forgotten, we have missed the real point, that our life is meant for God-realization. We are simply increasing botheration. punah punaś carvita. adānta-gobhir viśatām tamisram. andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās. The leaders are blind; we are also blind. So they are advising that If you want to solve your economic problem, why you are going to church? Why you are going to temple? Come here, increase business, industry. Take loan and start business. That s all. This is going on. But actually, the more we are trying to mislead this people... Because they are thinking it is all right. They are... That the social condition is becoming more and more grave. That s a fact. We are trying to solve one problem, but many other problems are coming because we do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. Because we are missing the real point. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja said, na te viduh svārtha-gatim hi visṇụm durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninah [SB 7.5.31]. These rascals, they are thinking that by so-called economic development, by exploiting material resources, we shall be happy. That is not possible. The best example your country has given. You have exploited the material resources, and other countries are also following, but where is the happiness? Instead of happiness, there is hippyness. (laughter) So still, they have no eyes to see that Where we are going? adāntagobhir viśatām tamisram punah punaś carvita-carvan ānām [SB 7.5.30]. Because we cannot control our senses,
we are driving, we are being pushed towards the darkest region of material existence, very hard to leave. Darkest region means that we are going to become animals next life. Because this is animalistic civilization. Nature gave us the opportunity to realize God, but God-realization is meant for human being. The human being, if he does not realize God, he s simply engaged in animalistic way of life eating, sleeping, mating then nature will call, All right, sir, again become animal. punar mushiko bhava: Again become a mouse. You know this story? punar mushiko bhava. There is a story. There is a very nice story. One rat, mouse, he came to a saintly person. Everyone comes to saintly person for some blessing, you see. Real blessing they don t want. Some material blessing. Real blessing, Krishna, they don t want. If you give him some blessing that You become very rich man and... These are all very well, this. So this mouse also came and begged the saintly person, Sir, I am in difficulty. If you give me some blessing? What is that? The cat chases after me always. I m very unhappy. So what do you want? Now, if you make me a cat, then I can get relief from this thing. All right, you become cat. So he became cat. So after few days, again he comes. Sir, again I am in trouble. What is that? The dog is chasing me. (laughter) Don t laugh, hear seriously. Dog is chasing me. All right, then, what do you want? Now, make me a tiger. All right, you become a tiger. So when he became a tiger he was staring on the saintly person like this. So he asked, Why you are staring upon me? You want to eat me? Yes. So he again curses, punar mushiko bhava: Again you become mouse. Again you become mouse. So that is our position. We are advanced in civilization. Now we want to kill God. So we are again going to be uncivilized, to remain in the forest and to remain naked. Actually, they are practicing that: nature s way. So again they are going to be aborigines. And that is being practiced. They are going to the forest, they remain naked. So actually, punar mushiko bhava: Again become mouse. Civilized human being means God conscious, happy life, no trouble, no enviousness, everything happy, no hard labor. Why hard labor? Everything is there. You just employ your little intelligence, you get sufficient food by grains, by fruits, by flowers, milk. There is no difficulty if we remain in our own way. So that is the difficulty, that we do not know that our ultimate goal of life is Godrealization. Then God has got all arrangement. You cannot produce fruits and grains in factory. They are given by God. Why? That You eat them and be Krishna conscious, chant Hare Krishna. But we don t want that. We want slaughterhouse, unnecessarily. Actually, if you go to the store... There are so many stores. How many stores are selling only meat? It is not possible. Ninety-nine percent fruits, vegetables, grains you are taking, and maybe a little percentage of meat. So why you cannot give up this little percentage? If you think that meat is very palatable, why don t you live on meat? Russia is also trying like that. That has become the fashion. In Moscow, it was very difficult to find out nice grains. With great difficulty Shyamasundara used to spend two hours daily to secure these things. So this is the problem. na te viduh svārtha-gatim hi visṇụm durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninah [SB 7.5.31]. They are trying to be happy by the arrangement of these material activities. andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām. They do not know that the material nature is so strong that you cannot get out of it unless you are prepared to suffer more and more. If you take to natural life and live peacefully and take to Krishna consciousness, that is your real life. And if you simply increase botheration and problems, then you ll have to suffer. That is the position of modern civilization. Actually, superficially we see that material advancement of material science, people have got so many machines, so many facilities. But actually, they are in trouble. Just like I gave you one example: the computer machine. It can work for thousands of men. So thousands of men means the thousands of men must be unemployed. And especially in your country, they are taking advantage of
this machine because the salary is If you want to pay to the worker, a big, big salary. So they want to save. They are taking machine, and they think they will save money, so many workers. But the workers are becoming unemployed. The government has to give them welfare. The government will tax. That s all. (laughter.) Government will not give money, welfare, from government s pocket. The government will increase your taxation. So you are..., you stop payment by importing some machine, now you have to pay that money to the government. This is called entanglement. This is a crude example. I don t say that you stop all this business, but the material world is like that. You want to solve something; instead of solving, you ll create so many problems. This is material life. Because our life is not meant for solving problems and creating problems. Our life is meant for understanding God. Then everything is all right. But that you have given up. na te viduh svārtha-gatim hi visṇụm durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninah andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāh [SB 7.5.31] They do not know that you cannot go an inch beyond the stringent laws of material nature. That is not possible. Then the next question is that how... People are not interested in Krishna consciousness, and then, they are misled by blind leaders. So how, what is the solution? That is Prahlada Maharaja saying, nais ām matis tāvad urukramāńghrim spr śaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthah mahīyasām pāda-rajo-'bhis ekam mahīyasām pāda-rajo-'bhis ekam [SB 7.5.32] Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaisṇ ava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Krṣṇạ conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination. Therefore one has to take shelter of a pure devotee. That is the only solution. He says, nais ām matis tāvad urukramāńghrim. The beginning was that They are not interested in Krishna consciousness. Then how to become Krishna conscious if that is the solution? Then Prahlada Maharaja says, nais ām matis tāvad: So long one does not approach a pure devotee, mahīyasām nisḳiñcanānām, great personalities, who has no more any material interest, nis kiñcanā, and takes the dust of his lotus feet on the head... nais ām matis tāvad urukramāńghrim : So long one does not approach such personality, there is no possibility of becoming Krishna conscious. nais ām matis tāvad urukramāńghrim. As soon as one approaches the pure devotee and takes the dust of his lotus feet and puts it on his head, immediately, anarthāpagamo, he ll be freed from all this nonsense. That means he ll forget this idea that Materially we can advance. This is the process. So we have to approach a nais ām, who has nothing to do with this material world. His only ambition is to serve more Krishna. And if somebody approaches him and takes the dust of his lotus feet, then he can understand. mahīyasām pāda-rajo- 'bhis ekam mahīyasām pāda-rajo-'bhisẹkam (aside:) Our time is over? All right. So in this way Prahlada Maharaja talked with his father, and the father became more angry. Instead of taking the lesson... Mürkhäya upadeça hi prakopäya na çäntaye. If you teach lesson to a foolish person, he ll be simply angry. He ll not take your lesson. How it is so? Payaù-pänaà bhujaìgänäà kevalaà viña-vardhanam. If you keep a snake and if you want to make friendly behavior with him, that, My dear snake, don t bite any more. I ll give you milk and banana. You eat here and stay here nicely, he ll not... His poison will increase, and one day he will... There is a story in the Hitopadeça: one day, one... The same thing. So payaù-pänaà bhujaìgänäà kevalaà viña-vardhanam. So these are lessons, stories. So his father, Hiranyakasipu, became more and more angry. So one day... Because after all, son and father... The son was simple boy. So one day he said, Prahlada, I shall now kill you. I shall see how your Krishna saves you. So immediately, Prahlada was seeing to the pillars of the hall. He was king. So Hiranyakashipu asked him, Is your God, Krishna, in the pillar? He said,
Yes, sir. Yes, my father, He is there. So immediately, with anger he broke the pillar and Nrsimhadeva came out. Now we can honor Him. (end) (Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.22-34. Los Angeles, May 27, 1972. ) All glories & glories & glories to Lord Nrisimhadev Bhagavan ki Jai Jai Jai