19940212 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.44

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on February 12th, 1994 in Amsterdam. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, 1st Canto, Chapter 7 Verse 44.

(Verse with repetition)

sarahasyo dhanur-vedaḥ
savisargopasaṁyamaḥ
astra-grāmaś ca bhavatā
śikṣito yad-anugrahāt

Translation: It was by Droṇācārya’s mercy that you learned the military art of throwing arrows and the confidential art of controlling weapons.

Purport: Dhanur-veda, or military science, was taught by Droṇācārya with all its confidential secrets of throwing and controlling by Vedic hymns. Gross military science is dependent on material weapons, but finer than that is the art of throwing the arrows saturated with Vedic hymns, which act more effectively than gross material weapons like machine guns or atomic bombs. The control is by Vedic mantras, or the transcendental science of sound. It is said in the Rāmāyaṇa that Mahārāja Daśaratha, the father of Lord Śrī Rāma, used to control arrows by sound only. He could pierce his target with his arrow by only hearing the sound, without seeing the object. So, this is a finer military science than that of the gross material military weapons used nowadays. Arjuna was taught all this, and therefore Draupadī wished that Arjuna feel obliged to Ācārya Droṇa for all these benefits. And in the absence of Droṇācārya, his son was his representative. That was the opinion of the good lady Draupadī. It may be argued why Droṇācārya, a rigid brāhmaṇa, should be a teacher in military science. But the reply is that a brāhmaṇa should become a teacher, regardless of what his department of knowledge is. A learned brāhmaṇa should become a teacher, a priest and a recipient of charity. A bona fide brāhmaṇa is authorized to accept such professions.

Thus, end the Bhaktivedanta Swami translation purport of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Canto 1, Chapter 7, text 44 in the matter of The Son of Droṇa Punished spoken here Amsterdam yatra, 12th of February 1994, 507 Gaurābda.

Jayapatākā  Swami: Aśvatthāmā had been arrested by Arjuna because he had killed the sleeping sons of Draupadī and now Arjuna was ready to kill Aśvatthāmā for the hideous crime he had done. But Draupadī is so compassionate that although this person had killed her sons now she was feeling compassionate, if he is killed then his mother will feel the same, the way do.

His mother happens to be the widow of my husband's military teacher, military science teacher. So, for this reason she didn't want to have him killed. Now others they were presenting another case, Aśvatthāmā should be killed because he had committed murder in cold blood, premeditated, so should be given the capital punishment.

Arjuna he had to balance two different opinions and come up with a proper decision. Like this in life many times various approaches on how to solve a particular problem and a devotee by taking sādhu, śāstra, guru into consideration has to decide what to do, what not to do. Then there is also a consideration of time, place, circumstances, kāla, deśa, pātra.

Arjuna is put into this very difficult situation, trying to figure out what to do and what not to do. Other aspects which were stressed by Śrīla Prabhupāda is, glorifying the finer Vedic weapon which were controlled by mantra.

Mantras are purified sounds which are able to do different, have different effects. The Vedic mantras which produce material effects, they had to be chanted in the right meter and the right information and they create vibration which has a far-reaching effect. Aśvatthāmā, he had sent a brahmāstra, even though Arjuna was far away, he had sent a brahmāstra to destroy Arjuna. I will destroy Parīkṣit Mahārāja in the womb of the mother. This brahmāstra was so powerful that it could kill the child without killing the mother. It would seek out.

Nowadays the modern NATO countries they have developed this seek and find missile system. They program it, they can go about corner, city, street and somehow get to the destination but they tried to transcend to get The President of Iraq, they know it at once, here they didn't know where it was, the missile they drove directed it but he wasn't there. Somehow didn't get him but this brahmāstra is so powerful, that if you program it, find out this person, doesn't matter where he is, it's going to find him and annihilate him.

Unless he knows the counteracting mantras to take away that weapon. Aśvatthāmā released the brahmāstra bit he didn't know how to withdrew it, withdraw it. But Arjuna he knew the, how to neutralize the brahmāstra.

But in this case of Parikshit, once it was thrown against Arjuna, he neutralized it. In the case of Parikshit, Kṛṣṇa Himself went, saved Parīkṣit Mahārāja, in the womb of the mother. So, these are somethings that could be done by the Vedic mantras in a material plan.

Now a day’s people feel really, they are not qualified to chant those mantras effectively, very difficult to chant them properly. So, the material mantras, and then the category have been prohibited now in the Vedas. But the spiritual mantras which are not restricted to exact mechanical intonation, the spiritual mantras are recommended like chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

(devotees also chanting)

Chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa has got unlimited spiritual potency. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta Antya-līlā Lord Caitanya expressed to Haridāsa Ṭhākura how he was feeling great anxiety to consider that how the yavanas, how the meat eaters, those people against the cows and brahminical culture, those who eat cow meat, organs, spiritual life. How will they be delivered?

So Haridāsa Ṭhākura explains that even sometimes accidentally they chant the name of The Lord. And the vibration of The Lord's name is so powerful that even if syllables, for instance the Muslims, they say 'haram', harama means horrible or it means like the sacrilegious.

So he gives the example that since the long time certain categories, certain people they have this word 'harama'. That Narasiṁha purāṇa, there was on hunter was been killed by a boar and while the boar was jabbing him with the tusk, he was crying out harama, harama. So that he was chanting out that this is horrible, this is very bad, this is sacrilegious because he didn't want to be killed by a boar, considered it degrading, inauspicious. Because somehow, he was chanting harama, so ha means 'oh and Rama means the Lord. Even though in his mind he was thinking of something else, he got delivered because the vibration in the syllables are rā ma, so powerful, it delivers them.

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa then many other names of Kṛṣṇa, they are so powerful that somehow tells those names. It has the effect. In the Skanda Purāṇa it mentions the two syllables ha ri. If you simply chant those two syllables then you get free from unlimited karmas, reactions. Like Malaysia the word for day over there is hari.

So, they are going to say Christmas Day, they Hari Christmas, Hari, Hari is the word for day. You know how many times person has to say day, every day they have to, having a good day, hari is there. So they are chanting hari hari throughout the day. So somehow by, by wording that way syllable Hari, they get spiritual benefit. This is the science of transcendental sound vibration.

Lord Caitanya one time was walking along the, He was walking in Navadvīpa with His associates and they happen to walk by a place where there were some drunkards. Some people drinking wine, they were intoxicated, when he saw them, it appeared that some of these drunkards, they started following Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

One was mimicking him. O look at them Gaurahari, Gaura Hari, he chants and dances very beautifully, they were going behind, one was like

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

In some broken way he was imitating, dancing behind in a drunken way. The associates were like really upset. Upset about the whole thing, they didn't know what to do, they kept looking at Lord Caitanya. He didn't make or have any reaction, he just walked on, ignored them. And then few, some leaders when the man went back to his place and sat down.

One of the devotees asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu, why didn't he object his chanting and making fun. Lord Caitanya replied that now he is drunk, because of the influence of the alcohol he is acting in a foolish way. That influence of alcohol will wear off after a day but the fact that he somehow or another chanted the holy names of Kṛṣṇa, that effect will stay with him eternally.

Chanting the holy names of The Lord is so powerful. You hear upon them, mimicing and gaming but they chant playing around. Even then they get the benefit. Now this then Lord Caitanya also asks Haridāsa Ṭhākura what about the other conditioned living entities like the plants and the trees and the animals and the insects, how will they get delivered? He was saying that occasionally even if accidentally they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa or they chant some name of Kṛṣṇa and get benefit. What about the animals and because they cannot chant, they cannot produce that vibration, how will they get delivered?

So then Haridāsa Ṭhākura said that by the devotees loudly chanting (audio break) so all those living entities are delivered. The effect of hearing the chanting is all these movable and non-movable animals and insects and birds and bees, they all get delivered. That's why it's important, nāma-saṅkīrtana, sometimes have harināma to deliver all these living entities. What to speak of humans who don't chant they can hear also get delivered.

So, this chanting has such an inconceivable effect. Brahmanas, earlier people who lived, they didn't take a salary. They'll only take dakṣiṇā, someone would give them voluntary donation they'll accept but they won't take that fixed salary, they wouldn't if anyone hired, they weren't employees as such.

So, the students they wanted to learn from the teacher and they want to respect the teacher, they give the teacher dakṣiṇā, according to their ability. The teacher's duty was to teach all students. So now the (not clear 15:24) society doesn't have varṇāśrama but doesn't have that.

So now everybody is just an employee but you can see how it is important for teachers and priests, for kṣatriyas someone is going to be in government rule, a ruler a military kṣatriya (not clear 15:44) quality.

[devotee asking some question]

Everybody can preach everything, isn't it, I mean even śūdras teach other people how to do the, say someone is a carpenter, he'll teach his son how to be a carpenter. That's another thing that is profession he is a carpenter. He also teaches his, his, by engaging apprentices or something he may teach.

This is the whole system, even in Europe. Even now I think many of these diamond people they learn from the…  I don't know maybe there go to a university but up till recent history they've been learning from the families. Now it's probably all institutionalized, I don't know. But before it was something handed down.

So, just like vaidya type of practical teaching, you see Droṇācārya. He was, he was only a preacher. But this is, ...function to be a teacher. There were other things but, teaching was the main thing, other soldier maybe full-time soldier and he may also train some other soldier but it's not like he is a specifically a teacher or (not clear 17:02).

Just like Droṇācārya learns some of the art of fighting with the club from Balarāma. You can learn someone teaches a lesson, it doesn't. It's like someone who is always a teacher, that's his, Droṇācārya, he was the Guru of military science, dharma, being a teacher for others. So Droṇācārya left, he didn't become a ruler, he remained as a teacher. Sometimes he'll fight but he remained as a, he didn't take exactly the thing as other kṣatriya.

Kṣatriyas were rulers, they will become Lords, feudal lords under the kings they will have some area that they would control. They paid tax to the bigger king, the emperor. There was a different way of function.

Any other question?

Adoration and distinction. Lord Caitanya said one should be very humble and tolerant

tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amānina mānadena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

No desire or respect for yourself, but offer respect to others. Be more humble, strong as a tree, more tolerant than a tree. Maybe you can also chant the holy name. So then one can also become humble by serving the Vaiṣṇava, serving the pure devotees and help (not clear 19:08)

Nāma saṅkīrtana has this effect. The saṅkīrtana devotees ...they pray to Kṛṣṇa  ... try to inspire the person and engage him in Kṛṣṇa 's service.

Try to become an instrument in Lord Kṛṣṇa 's hand, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's hand. He wants to see the conditioned souls delivered, so it's our special service to Lord Caitanya, to see that they get the opportunity to read the Bhagavat class, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Lord is in your heart, same Lord is in your heart. Take to devotion of service, take to getting a book but some people they, they don't listen to the Supersoul ...pure, like Kṛṣṇa is the Supersoul.......atleast some devotees, maybe basically they are able to explain association to the different very happy to take book.

Some devotees (GM voice very feeble).  There was one man with the marathon, he wanted to take six Bhagavad-gītās and we wanted to see him and then somehow by Kṛṣṇa's mercy he got inspired and took six-hundred Bhagavad-gītās.

Somehow it is, I don't know how it happens, we see Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Sometimes people. So, the devotees ...give different people opportunity, engage in Kṛṣṇa's service.

Second Level Proofer: Karuṇāpati Keśava das

Second Level Proofed on: 19-Feb-2021