Today's lecture on srimad-bhagvatam that we had in our hostel.
SB canto 1 chapter 2 verse 26 (1.2.26) by Srila Prabhupada in Los-Angles (USA)-
Intelligent class of people like qualified brahmanas or vaishnavas desiring to be liberated deliberately reject worship of demigods like Indra, Brahma, Durga, Kali, Sheela, Shani, Shiva because they can only provide temporary things not the ultimate one (mukti or eternal life) although vaishnavas have no disrespect for these demigods.
Because first one should understand what is the aim of life? To become temporarily happy like for 10-20 years or 100 years suppose or become permanently happy beyond any measurement of time. Srila prabhupada said that the most ultimate or highest aim of life is to understand Radha-krishna.
Because if one can understand this, who is radha, who is krishna, what is the relationship between them then he surely will go to goloka vrindavan next life and enjoy in the rasa-lila dance of krishna and radha.
But, suppose if one is not able to understand this , then still he should be interested in some other form of relationship like Arjuna-krishna or yashoda-krishna or simply krishna of kurukshettra because all these understanding can only grant success in our life which is liberation from birth and death.
So, prabhupada ji was sharing his own experience that once he was called to talk on non-violence on the disappearance day of Gandhi. So, he went there and then he said that "Violence means suppose I have got some right and someone is taking away that right . That is violence. So, to take birth in bharatvarsa is very rare because it is the perfect place to become liberated as the culture inheritance is so strong that everybody here is god-conscious by nature. They are taught all the principle is morality and religion from childhood , the Americans, the Africans, the Europeans don't have this kind of privilege. But, if this right of me is not given to me then that is violence means if modern education or political leaders of India do not educate people about the ultimate goal of life then that is violence. Not simply physically/mentally hurting someone. So, this was the broad definition of non-violence that he taught everyone on that day."
Before coming to west prabhupada even tried in India to propogate this KC movement but he was not encouraged to do so. How?
He gives one instance that he asked one father who had four sons to give his one sons to him and he will make him a Brahman." On which the parent replied "Swamiji, what will he do by becoming a Brahman. We have to earn our livelihood.
So, people are so much misguided or ill-educated that they don't know the real aim of life. They just want to settle down here in this material world (which is temporary and full of miseries as krishna says dukhalayam asasvatam) by accumulating all the so-called material-comforts without knowing what they are going to become in their next life maybe cats or dogs.
So, this is violence that today nowhere in any university/school this science of transmigration of soul from one body to another body is taught that's why people are in complete darkness or ignorance and everyone is simply trying to improve their material conditions that is either going up or coming down. But the shastra (like Gita or SB) says get out of this material life in this human form you have got otherwise you don't know for how many life-cycles you have to wait for another opportunity to come. Now, you have got the human life , so try to understand what is god, who is krsna, who is radha and make your life successful and get out of this darkness (tamaso maa jyotir-gamay).
SO, two comparisons he put here:
Preaching KC in America (or foreign countries):
I presented "you all are searching for god". So, "here is god. This is his name, krishna. Here is his address, form, activity." Since it is all scientifically explained with logic and philosophy so people accepted. Not that we wanted to convert someone to become hindu. No, that's not our motive, we just want to inform them about god and their relationship with god. Otherwise people have kicked me out a long time ago if I was doing this conversion only Muslim to hindu, christian to hindu. No, that's not our motive. You just learn this science of god. So, we are not some religious movement who preached that our religion (hindu) is better than christian so you become hindu. No, KC means "you study the contributions of great sages and go outside and preach to everyone and make your life successful."
Preaching in India-
When prabhupada presented the same things if India, people will say "why Krishna, why not Kali is the supreme god. She has got such a long tongue, she is killing such big demons." So, they are envious as well as are in ignorance. They don;t know that Kali worship prescribed in Vedas are meant for meat-eaters to satisfy their desire of tasting meat.
Similarly, because there are different people who want to enjoy materially so different directions are given for those people. But, Krishna himself when came set the example of not worshiping such demigods because they cannot provide the liberation from birth-death cycle.
Like he stopped Vrindavan people from worshiping Indra instead he told them to worship govardhan hill.
Similarly, in Bhagvad-gita 7.20 he directly says that
kāmais tais tair hrita-jñānāh
prapadyante 'nya-devatāh
tam tam niyamam āsthāya
prakrityā niyatāh svayā
TRANSLATIONS : Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.
SB canto 1 chapter 2 verse 26 (1.2.26) by Srila Prabhupada in Los-Angles (USA)-
Intelligent class of people like qualified brahmanas or vaishnavas desiring to be liberated deliberately reject worship of demigods like Indra, Brahma, Durga, Kali, Sheela, Shani, Shiva because they can only provide temporary things not the ultimate one (mukti or eternal life) although vaishnavas have no disrespect for these demigods.
Because first one should understand what is the aim of life? To become temporarily happy like for 10-20 years or 100 years suppose or become permanently happy beyond any measurement of time. Srila prabhupada said that the most ultimate or highest aim of life is to understand Radha-krishna.
Because if one can understand this, who is radha, who is krishna, what is the relationship between them then he surely will go to goloka vrindavan next life and enjoy in the rasa-lila dance of krishna and radha.
But, suppose if one is not able to understand this , then still he should be interested in some other form of relationship like Arjuna-krishna or yashoda-krishna or simply krishna of kurukshettra because all these understanding can only grant success in our life which is liberation from birth and death.
So, prabhupada ji was sharing his own experience that once he was called to talk on non-violence on the disappearance day of Gandhi. So, he went there and then he said that "Violence means suppose I have got some right and someone is taking away that right . That is violence. So, to take birth in bharatvarsa is very rare because it is the perfect place to become liberated as the culture inheritance is so strong that everybody here is god-conscious by nature. They are taught all the principle is morality and religion from childhood , the Americans, the Africans, the Europeans don't have this kind of privilege. But, if this right of me is not given to me then that is violence means if modern education or political leaders of India do not educate people about the ultimate goal of life then that is violence. Not simply physically/mentally hurting someone. So, this was the broad definition of non-violence that he taught everyone on that day."
Before coming to west prabhupada even tried in India to propogate this KC movement but he was not encouraged to do so. How?
He gives one instance that he asked one father who had four sons to give his one sons to him and he will make him a Brahman." On which the parent replied "Swamiji, what will he do by becoming a Brahman. We have to earn our livelihood.
So, people are so much misguided or ill-educated that they don't know the real aim of life. They just want to settle down here in this material world (which is temporary and full of miseries as krishna says dukhalayam asasvatam) by accumulating all the so-called material-comforts without knowing what they are going to become in their next life maybe cats or dogs.
So, this is violence that today nowhere in any university/school this science of transmigration of soul from one body to another body is taught that's why people are in complete darkness or ignorance and everyone is simply trying to improve their material conditions that is either going up or coming down. But the shastra (like Gita or SB) says get out of this material life in this human form you have got otherwise you don't know for how many life-cycles you have to wait for another opportunity to come. Now, you have got the human life , so try to understand what is god, who is krsna, who is radha and make your life successful and get out of this darkness (tamaso maa jyotir-gamay).
SO, two comparisons he put here:
Preaching KC in America (or foreign countries):
I presented "you all are searching for god". So, "here is god. This is his name, krishna. Here is his address, form, activity." Since it is all scientifically explained with logic and philosophy so people accepted. Not that we wanted to convert someone to become hindu. No, that's not our motive, we just want to inform them about god and their relationship with god. Otherwise people have kicked me out a long time ago if I was doing this conversion only Muslim to hindu, christian to hindu. No, that's not our motive. You just learn this science of god. So, we are not some religious movement who preached that our religion (hindu) is better than christian so you become hindu. No, KC means "you study the contributions of great sages and go outside and preach to everyone and make your life successful."
Preaching in India-
When prabhupada presented the same things if India, people will say "why Krishna, why not Kali is the supreme god. She has got such a long tongue, she is killing such big demons." So, they are envious as well as are in ignorance. They don;t know that Kali worship prescribed in Vedas are meant for meat-eaters to satisfy their desire of tasting meat.
Similarly, because there are different people who want to enjoy materially so different directions are given for those people. But, Krishna himself when came set the example of not worshiping such demigods because they cannot provide the liberation from birth-death cycle.
Like he stopped Vrindavan people from worshiping Indra instead he told them to worship govardhan hill.
Similarly, in Bhagvad-gita 7.20 he directly says that
kāmais tais tair hrita-jñānāh
prapadyante 'nya-devatāh
tam tam niyamam āsthāya
prakrityā niyatāh svayā
TRANSLATIONS : Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.
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