19821213 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.37

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on December 13, 1982 in Bangkok, Thailand. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, 2^nd Canto, Chapter 1, Verse 37.

brahmānanaṁ kṣatra-bhujo mahātmā
viḍ ūrur aṅghri-śrita-kṛṣṇa-varṇaḥ
nānābhidhābhījya-gaṇopapanno
dravyātmakaḥ karma vitāna-yogaḥ
(ŚB. 2.1.37)

Translation: The virāṭ-puruṣa’s face is the brāhmaṇas, His arms are the kṣatriyas, His thighs are the vaiśyas, and the śūdras are under the protection of His feet. All the worshipable demigods are also overtaken by Him, and it is the duty of everyone to perform sacrifices with feasible goods to appease the Lord.

(*Gurudeva chants verse*)

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in this way all the people in society can engage their propensities for serving the Lord. As Prabhupāda has mentioned here, “The intelligent class of men, or brāhmaṇas, may give direction for such sacrifices in consultation with the previous ācāryas.”

The brāhmaṇas are those persons who are trained to advise rest of the society how to perform sacrifices, how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Not that they do so by their own imagination. But they do so, taking consultation with the advice of previous ācāryas. In this way the sacrifices are all perfect.

So, we need first of all the brāhmaṇas to teach people how to perform sacrifice. If people do not perform sacrifice, then it’s very difficult for them to become purified and become advanced. So, in any society, first thing is necessary are the brāhmaṇas, to train the ordinary, the rest of the society. But we find that in some countries where the government is not giving the facilities to perform such sacrifices, it’s more difficult for the brāhmaṇas to preach. So, the administrators or kṣatriyas, Prabhupāda says, “May give all facilities to perform such sacrifices.”

Just like in Bangladesh, it’s a Muslim government, so they’re not giving very much facility to the Kṛṣṇa devotees for performing sacrifice. So, it’s more difficult for preaching under such circumstances. Because, not only they don’t give facility but… much… but, many ways they may put up obstacles. Although, somehow or another, to whatever extent we get facility we are able to do. But even there, we get some facility, so we were able to do. But, say in some other countries like Peking, or something like that, it’s very difficult. The government gives absolutely no facility to perform any sacrifice for Kṛṣṇa, so therefore it’s very difficult.

On the other hand, if the government actually supports, makes it very easy. Just like some places we’re trying to get registration for ISKCON society. Where we get registration, immediately our activities they can expand in many ways. And where the registration is being withheld, we are experiencing so many difficulties, you see. That means that government support is also a factor. In spite of absence of government support, still then the preachers somehow or another, go on. But then its, in spite of that, it’s against that. It’s without support. But if we have the support, then it makes everything very easy.

So that’s the second point here. First you need the preachers, the intelligent class of people who can present Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then, after that you need the support of the government, you need the administrator’s support. Just like if actually, we had the full support of the government; they give so much money for welfare, so much money for so many different programs. If they gave regular budget for performing sacrifice to Kṛṣṇa, as they did in the Vedic time, then people would naturally be encouraged more and more to becoming God conscious. It would be very ideal situation. Even in America they give 100% tax exemption for religion. So, even though the government otherwise doesn’t involve itself, they take a hand-off policy, still indirectly they are helping by giving the tax exemption.

In India, if a donor gives money to a religion, he doesn’t get any tax exemption. So, indirectly the government fining the person to give to his religion. Because if he gives to the religion, he has to again pay income tax on that. That means he not only is he taking out from his pocket giving to the religion, but also again he has to pay tax on that to the government. So that’s like paying a fine. So, it discourages people from giving for religious purposes.

So that’s why we have seen that in India the religious practices are going down, as compared to the time when the British were there, where all the kings and the zamindars, they would make money, and they would give a lot of donation, for religious functions. Even a Muhammadan ruler at that time would also give money for the Hindu function. And even a Hindu ruler would give money for a Buddhist, or for a Muhammadan function. It was very open. And so, in this way, all the religious institutions were flourishing. As soon as the democratic government came in, all these landlords, kings, rajas, nawabs were abolished. Then the government took sectarian, “We don’t favor any religion.” Then at that point everything went down.

Now those same royal families are coming to us and begging us, “You please take over our temples, we cannot maintain anymore.” One is working in a bank, one is opened a factory, one is here, they are all scattered. There is no one to look at the temple, they have some property, some their old royal property, everything is taken away except for the deity house and a little land around the temple, stuck off in different parts of the country, as they were managing all the little princely states. Now there is no one to see for the religious activities.

So, this is, right before our eyes in the last thirty years we could see how due to lack of administrative support, how the religious enthusiasm of the people was down. First the brāhmaṇas lost, second administration was somehow or another keeping it going. When they came… when they left, then it was that much harder for the brāhmaṇas who were not that enthusiastic to begin with. There was no one to support the brāhmaṇas, then they came down.

And now, then the only other thing here, the next point is that the vaiśyas, “The vaiśya or mercantile community, who produce such goods, may offer them for sacrifice.” So, vaiśyas, generally speaking they are always very active in making money, in making goods, in making various kind of production, you see. They’re completely absorbed in this mood of production. So, especially if the government and the brāhmaṇas are favorable, if the government and the preachers are encouraging them, then the mercantile community they can give the products of their hard labor, of their business enterprises for propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So, Prabhupāda is saying here not only they should give ghee (clarified butter) but they should give the manufactured items. Sony tape recorders, PA systems, cars, whatever maybe they are producing, Boeing jets, they should give what they are producing, not only that they should give, “Alright, I give some… take some butter, here you go. Take some chapati.”

But here, whatever they are producing… All these big big companies, all the big Japanese firm, Mitsubishi etc., they should all be giving some percentage of their products, “All right, these products you take for propagating God consciousness all over the world.” Just like they’re giving under United Nation, Food organization, under UNESCO, so many things are being given, for… just like Swedish government gave 20 million dollars to an African country to buy nets to put over the orange trees, so that the birds would not eat the oranges, you see. Things like this, they’re spending so much money. So, then you know instead they use the nets to catch fish. Anyway, that’s another thing. (laughter)

The point is that they have so much money. The government is taking that money from the mercantile community, and they don’t know what to do with it, so they’re introducing so many ideas. One story happened that in Japan they sent one whole shipload of tractors and everything to Bangladesh. And this is a donation to Bangladesh, they can use the tractor for ploughing and everything like that. But then Bangladesh government said that, “You have to pay the duty, then only we’ll accept.” “They said, we are giving you the thing, why I have to pay the duty? You take it and use it, you can do whatever you like with it.”, you see. They said, “No. You are giving us, that’s all right. But who will pay the duty?” (laughs) They said, “We are giving you our duty, you see. You take it. The government, you can do whatever you want.” “No no! You have to pay the duty.” So, for one year that ship was just tied up. So finally the Japanese government got so fed up that they pulled their ship out of the dock and right in the bay outside the dock one by one they threw off all the tractor, all the bulldozer, right in the ocean there, just in front, “Here you take it, we don’t want.”, and then went off. (laughs)

So, these things are going on, you see. They don’t know what to do. Now if all these products were given to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we know how to use them in sacrifice, producing grains, producing different preaching programs, you see. The brāhmaṇas, they can advise, but then you also you need people who can offer their manual labor for the successful functioning of the sacrifice. Everyone… some are there who will give manual labor, you see. Not that everyone will be the… even though they may be technically all Vaiṣṇavas so they are all higher than brāhmaṇas, you see. But some will be there for using their brain how to perform sacrifice, some will be there administrating, some will be there producing the products, making the money and some will be there, they will be able to do just do the manual labor. Different type of service… some may do all the four services needed. That’s a separate thing, you see. Not that everyone will necessarily will always do all the four.

One person may do just one, one may do another. And someone may be so expert, obviously brāhmaṇa if needed he could even do manual labor, but he won’t be very expert. He won’t be very physically strong necessarily, you see. But if necessary, he may also be able to do something. But that won’t be his propensity. So, each person may have some specific propensity. Someone may be more versatile, some may be more specialized. Whatever it may be, that propensity should be used for offering a sacrifice.

What is meaning of sacrifice? Hari-toṣaṇam … saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam, that you get all perfection when you satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Sacrifice is not something abstract, but it means to satisfy the Lord. So, what can be more satisfying to the Lord in this Kali-yuga than chanting His Holy Names? Because by this all the people are benefited, you see.

“Thus, by their cooperation of all classes of human beings, the sacrifice recommended in this age, namely the sacrifice of congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord, may be executed for the common welfare of all the people of the world.”

So here, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, distributing Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and performing various types of preaching function, these can be executed. Just like now in Bangladesh, we were just there, they put on one drama. So, they used strobe light. They used the amplifying system. They used the lighting system. They used the tape recorder. They used so many equipments. Because of that the drama was very attractive. They had Lord Śiva coming out there with a strobe light, and then he was dancing with his trisur (trident) and he had some ghost dancing behind him, and because of the lighting was so dynamic, the people were all shrieking and shouting and crying out, you see.

So, we use all these things. Prabhupāda said, “We can use everything in the service of Kṛṣṇa”, you see. Even if they give us, even if they may give us the atomic bomb, we will find some way of using it. Maybe we will use to crack stones for building temples you see. Just knock down one mountain and have so many bricks, whatever. We’ll think of something or another. (laughter) So in this way, when people engage their products in the service of Kṛṣṇa, you see, then immediately they get purified. They get purified in so many different ways that all the little defects in their life, those things are rectified.

Just like what is sinful life? Sinful life means I am hurting my body, I am hurting others bodies. Just like you eat meat. That means you have to kill an animal. So, for killing an animal, that means you cause an animal suffering, you have to suffer. So, like this people are doing things throughout the day, throughout their life which are causing pain to others. So undoubtedly, they are going to have to suffer.

So, the thing is, by this chanting, by performing this sacrifice, so many other living entities are being benefitted, they are being purified, they are being uplifted, they are being brought closer to Kṛṣṇa. So that means you are relieving them of so many pains. That means that the person who in his own life he may commit so many sinful activities. But by helping others, then those are all counteracted. Sometimes people think that, “Oh! He is such a wealthy man. He is doing so much black market. He is doing so many illegal activity. Then he goes to the temple and he gives something. So how he will be forgiven for that?” But they are not understanding that by going to temple if that person gives something, so even though all right he may have something black, but yes he does get purified because he is doing with… even if there might be some black stigma on that money, although it’s technicality nowadays what’s black, what’s white, it’s all a relative affair, you see. But even take it that, alright it might be black. He is doing something for uplifting people. So yes, naturally it will counteract that.

In fact, if the upliftment is more than the contamination, say the black money is he smuggled in something from the government, he didn’t pay the proper tax. But whether or not how much he actually hurt anyone by that. He may have broken a law of man, but did he break any law of God. This is one factor. Then if he gives something to God and then he by this, he is benefitting other people. Yes, the result will be far greater in that sense. That will be weighed out that, by what the person is doing, how much benefit is given, and by what he did bad, how much harm was done, and accordingly it will be adjusted.

So, when one is engaging in preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in that sacrifice because the good is eternal, whatever is being done for a person who hears Hare Kṛṣṇa, who is taking prasāda, that benefit doesn’t go. That remains as a permanent asset. Therefore naturally, that effect is far greater than even the other small mistakes in his life.

So then the problem comes. Not a problem, but then the thing is there that, all right the person is doing some sinful activity, and then the person may be doing some sacrifice, so that sinful activity is counteracted by the sacrifice. But what happens is that, if that person doesn’t chant Hare Kṛṣṇa regularly, if the person doesn’t have any sādhanā, then actually the heart doesn’t become purified. The actual karmas may become purified. Suffering and enjoying may be adjusted, but the heart, the attraction to Kṛṣṇa, that doesn’t get purified by some ordinary just donation, or some ordinary manual labor.

But this is where the congregational chanting of the holy name is so important because by chanting

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

that actually cleans away the dirts in the heart. The dirts which block us from knowing that we are the servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Just as in Bhagavad-gītā it says,

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān mām prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
[BG 7.19]

that great great jñānīs, great yogīs, even after many many births only they are able to understand that Kṛṣṇa is everything. Then they can understand, “I am the servant of Kṛṣṇa.” But by this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa one becomes purified so quickly that anywhere in the world by chanting people can very quickly come to understand, “Yes, I am the servant of Kṛṣṇa.”

So, by understanding that they are the servant of Kṛṣṇa then it is very easy for them to make further advancement. That’s a very big hurdle. Even they may know that I am not the body, they may know I am the spirit soul, they may know about karma, they may know so many things. But then that actual understanding that, “I am the servant of Kṛṣṇa”, that is the most advanced stage. That’s their actual svarūpa-siddhi, of being situated in their real constitutional position. So that is given very quickly by this congregational chanting of:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Therefore, we should encourage people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and engage them somehow or another also in the preaching, because individually chanting will help them a lot. And if they engage in helping others to chant, then it also will help them more in getting rid of any offenses that they may be committing against the holy name. So, Prabhupāda is so merciful that he has engaged everyone immediately into the preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Actually, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura wrote a beautiful poem called the “duṣṭa mana! tumi kisera vaiṣṇava? - that “materialistic mind or you rascal mind what type of Vaiṣṇava are you?” And in the last stanzas of that poem he said that, “Yes, the devotees, they are also hungry for some kind of a position you see. But they are not hungry for any material position. They are not hungry for any material name, fame or glory. But they are hungry for a position in the service of Kṛṣṇa, they are hungry to see that Kṛṣṇa is put in everyone’s heart and everyone’s head. For that, they can accept any position, or any facility, or anything, whatsoever for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And within that, there is not even the slightest scent of any kind of material desire. That is a pure spiritual desire.”

And he stated, “Why they are preaching? They are preaching because they are the real Vrajavāsīs, they are the real residents of Vṛndāvana.” He says, prāṇa ache tāṅra… prāṇa ache tāṅra, sei hetu pracāra,, because they have prāṇa, because they have got life, they have compassion, they have actually spiritual assets, spiritual wealth of pure spiritual life, therefore they have this desire to preach this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” This desire to preach, actually to bring people to become servants of Kṛṣṇa is not a material desire, it is a pure spiritual desire, it is the symptom of being situated in confidential devotional service to the Lord.

So, we should absorb ourselves in the preaching mood of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whatever is necessary to bring people to that platform of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, of surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, we should simply throw ourselves - heart, soul, mind, words, deeds, everything, we should simply absorb ourselves in that mood of bringing people somehow or another to chanting the holy name of:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare…,

…reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books which will give them that faith and understanding, and taking Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and all the other programs which will bring them to complete surrender to Kṛṣṇa and to rendering devotional service.

Thank you very much.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Pañca-tattva kī… jaya!

Any questions?

Devotees: One technical question. I’ve heard two opinions about those who had first initiation from Prabhupāda, and second from now the present ācāryas, are they considered to be Prabhupāda disciple or their disciple. Lately, I’ve heard both opinions.

Jayapatākā Swami: When Tamal Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī asked Prabhupāda that, “What about those disciples of yours who have taken first initiation, but you have not yet given them second. And if they take initiation from one of your disciples, then what will be their position?”

Then Prabhupāda said, “They are my disciples. They are my disciples then.” So, it is just like when Ṛṣabhadeva left, He told all the hundred sons that, “You look at Bharata just like me. You follow him as your head.” You see.

So, if someone takes second initiation, that means they have to just see their initiating… this second initiator, just like the such a senior brother that directly Prabhupāda is working through that person. Still their direct relationship is there with Prabhupāda.

Just like say a person is born and just then the mother and father died. And he is brought up by their son. Then what is his situation? Still it is not that he is the father. But still the relationship is not just the same as brother, twin brother or something, it’s not going to be the same. Different type of relationship.

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: That means that Prabhupāda is considering they are his sons. But definitely there is some responsibility there for the second initiating gurus, so there should be some deep respect.

Devotee: Oh, yeah.

Jayapatākā Swami: …and because some responsibility is there, special responsibility no doubt.

Any other question?

Devotee: When we will be getting Lord Jagannātha?

Jayapatākā Swami: He is saying that we are supposed to get right away. So Prabhaviṣṇu Maharaj is going to go to Nepal, but now we are trying to convince him that, he should go on the way to Purī, and get Jagannātha, and order the Lord Caitanya, both.

Devotee: Ṣaḍ-bhuja

His Jayapatākā Swami: Ṣaḍ-bhuja.

Devotee: (inaudible.) what size …

Jayapatākā Swami: You see, this actually quite big, you can have very big Jagannātha here. You don’t have to have little… this big. This is big space. I think you can have four, five feet.

Devotee: But we must have some space between the deities... (inaudible discussion about space in the altar)

Jayapatākā Swami: The deities should be up a little bit.

Devotee: (inaudible discussion about the altar)

Jayapatākā Swami: You see, here… I think they have to have little more like overwhelming type of awe, and there should be some bright lights and... Maybe you can use the system of you know shoo shoo (swiping sound) opening and closing, like in Bāṅke bihāri temple (laughs)

Devotee: And just now you were saying that there will be one more deity of Ṣaḍ-bhuja Deity in bronze.

Jayapatākā Svāmī: For utsava Deity, you can have small Ṣaḍ-bhuja in the front. They could also like be wood or brass. But brass is easy for bathing and everything.

Devotee: Ṣaḍ-bhuja?

Jayapatākā Swami: Ṣaḍ-bhuja, six-armed Lord Caitanya will be here. Rama, Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya. Prabhupāda recommended in Hongkong or for in China that for Chinese people it should be six-armed Lord Caitanya. They need the mercy of Lord Caitanya but the six arms will be very… I think even in Thailand our best customers are the Chinese, Thais anyway. And in any case it’s all similar. But here also because Rama is very prominent in… so Ṣaḍ-bhuja Caitanya with Rāma, Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya must be very appropriate.

Devotees: Many people have small Nārāyaṇa Deities in their altars.

Jayapatākā Swami: In fact, you could have the small brass ones made here and then have them for sale so that people can worship them in their house.

Devotee: They have nice Deities.

Devotee: But they’re talking about Ṣaḍ-bhuja.

Jayapatākā Swami: They want out of wood so that they can paint the arms blue, green, yellow golden. Actually, Lord Caitanya He can be quite big.

Devotee: We can have the paraphernalia, real metal.

Jayapatākā Swami: Yes, real paraphernalia. What about Prabhupāda’s murti?