Sankarshan Das Adhikari : Srimad Bhagwatam Canto 4 Chapter 19 Text 38

sa tvaṁ vimṛśyāsya bhavaṁ prajāpate

saṅkalpanaṁ viśva-sṛjāṁ pipīpṛhi

aindrīṁ ca māyām upadharma-mātaraṁ

pracaṇḍa-pākhaṇḍa-pathaṁ prabho jahi

Synonyms

saḥ — the aforesaid; tvam — you; vimṛśya — considering; asya — of the world; bhavam — existence; prajā-pate — O protector of the people; saṅkalpanam — the determination; viśva-sṛjām — of the progenitors of the world; pipīpṛhi — just fulfill; aindrīm — created by the King of heaven; ca — also; māyām — illusion; upadharma — of the irreligious system of so-called sannyāsa; mātaram — the mother; pracaṇḍa — furious, dangerous; pākhaṇḍa-patham — the path of sinful activities; prabho — O Lord; jahi — please conquer.

Translation

O protector of the people in general, please consider the purpose of your being incarnated by Lord Viṣṇu. The irreligious principles created by Indra are but mothers of so many unwanted religions. Please therefore stop these imitations immediately.

Purport

Lord Brahmā addresses King Pṛthu as prajāpate just to remind him of his great responsibility in maintaining the peace and prosperity of the citizens. Mahārāja Pṛthu was empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead for this purpose only. It is the duty of the ideal king to see that people are properly executing religious principles. Lord Brahmā especially requested King Pṛthu to conquer the pseudoreligious principles produced by King Indra. In other words, it is the duty of the state or king to put a stop to pseudoreligious systems produced by unscrupulous persons. Originally a religious principle is one, given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it comes through the channel of disciplic succession in two forms. Lord Brahmā requested Pṛthu Mahārāja to desist from his unnecessary competition with Indra, who was determined to stop Pṛthu Mahārāja from completing one hundred yajñas. Instead of creating adverse reactions, it was better for Mahārāja Pṛthu to stop the yajñas in the interest of his original purpose as an incarnation. This purpose was to establish good government and set things in the right order.

vande ’haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-
kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-
raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-
sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-
lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

So it is very important to note here that Maharaj, rather Lord Brahma wanted King Kripa to do his actual duty, not to be sidetracked by stopping, by trying to do a hundred sacrifices. His actual duty was to put a stop to pseudo-religious activities. And now here is the duty of the state or the king. That means even if you don't have a king, you don't have a monarchy. Even if there's a democracy, the same principle applies. The duty of the democratic leaders is to put a stop to pseudo-religion. The difficulty is they are themselves promoting pseudo-religion. That is a difficulty. So we need to have new leadership on this planet. Whether we have monarchy or democracy, we need to have enlightened persons at the head of the governments.

In the Vedic system it is Rajarsi, meaning Raja and Rishi at the same time. The king is not only a king, not only a monarch, but he is also a saint at the same time. So the same principle applies in democracy. We must have saints at the head of the government, whether it's the national government, the state government, the local government, and all the levels we need to have saintly persons in those positions. Unfortunately when you have a democratic system, the shlabdibhra ushta karai, those persons who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses, praise those men who do not listen to the transcendental path signs of Lord Sri Krishna, deliverer of all evils. The difficulty is when you have dogs, hogs, camels and asses voting for the leadership, what kind of leaders do you get? Dogs, hogs, camels and asses. It's a big problem.(pauses) We had at 1 time actually the In God We Trust Party, but we had to stop it because it's not legal. We had actually Prabhupad told us to make the In God We Trust Party. We actually ran various candidates in Gainesville, our town hall president ran for mayor of the city council. We got a lot of votes. So we can't do that as a religious organization. We lose our status. We can't do it. It will be illegal.  But individual devotees can do that. The trouble is we don't have the voters to vote for such persons who are actually qualified to lead the world. So what do we have to do? We have to educate. That's why Lord Caitanya said,

yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa

whoever you meet, instruct them in the teachings of Lord Sri Krishna. In this way become Guru and live with the people of this country. So That's what we actually require now. We require a lot of preaching to go on. Every ISKCON devotee should take it as his duty to educate as much as possible everyone. Educate educate educate. That's what we have to do. Education means to actually bring out what's already there within. It doesn't mean to artificially impose something, but it means to bring out what's already there within. Actually, everyone,

jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’

The constitutional position of every single living entity is that he is the eternal servant of Krishna. So in our Krishna consciousness movement we simply want to turn people back on, tune in, turn on, be who you actually are. Come out of this misidentification with the material body which is simply a lump of ignorance. Why should you, when your actual nature is to be eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, why should you misidentify with that which is temporary, full of ignorance and full of mystery? Isn't that stupid? Isn't that asinine? Actually I like that word asinine. It means very stupid. It means actually we understand the ass is very asinine. He's carrying this huge, huge burden on the back from the laundry man between the village and the river, carrying this huge burden of laundry, thinking well if I don't carry this burden the master will not feed me, I will starve. But there is so much grass on each side of the road. He could be eating the grass freely without carrying the burden, but he is carrying the burden out of foolishness. So this is the modern day personality. Actually God has provided very simply that we can live very, we can have plain living and high thinking but this is the opposite. Instead of plain living and high thinking we have high living and no thinking. We live very high in a nice house in suburbia, a two-car garage, very fancy automobiles, all this fancy, fancy stuff is working, working, working, working like asses. Big problem. We have an asinine society.

So we want to teach them to actually live simply. Why struggle so hard, the husband and wife both working, spending huge money in education, used to be much more simple, used to be like 50 dollars to pay your tuition for the whole semester, $50. Now it's thousands and thousands of dollars for the tuition, like 50 years ago. Like $50 would cover your tuition for the whole semester and the rent $30 a month. But now there's so much endeavor, endeavor, endeavor, endeavor, endeavor, So you can keep up with this huge humongous, very expensive situation. Now the banks are collapsing, the big huge collapse, the major bank, there's a whole ripple, many many banks are going under. This whole big artificial society building money, money, money, money, money. It's artificial, you see. Instead of basing it on land and the cows, that's the actual basis of the economy and the vedic culture. Land and cow, you see. But now they want to play the land and kill the cow. Why don't we get back to the most simple of the 2? This is real intelligence. Somebody asked a question. (reads from the chatbox) The question is why... Why was India was creating so many pseudo-religions.

Gurumataji : Can they wait or not?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : They are not purfe devotees, obviously.

Gurumataji : Can they wait or not? Question. You finish with your lecture? You open it for the questions.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : Yeah, we'll save the questions in for later on.

So how do we actually come to this point? Are we going to have a simple God conscious civilization? How can we come to that point? To do that we ourselves have to understand our actual identities. If we are going to manifest a Krishna conscious world civilization that means we have to manifest pure Krishna consciousness. But to whatever extent we actually purify ourselves, to that extent we will have an uplifting potency in the world around us. Devotees are not strictly following the regulative principles, then it creates havoc, creates chaos. We need our devotees who are strictly following the principles of no illicit sex, no meat eating, no intoxication, no gambling. Devotees themselves are cheating on the principles so what's the hope for Vedic culture. We ourselves cannot follow the Vedic culture, what's the hope of having Vedic culture? Even only 1 person can purely follow this path of Krishna consciousness, purely chant the holy name, strictly follow the regular principles. Now 1 person will have a big impact on the world around them. But if we ourselves are cheating, we're not strictly following the regular principles for having illicit sex, even in marriage, having recreational sex is illicit. Sex is only for procreation, it's not for recreation. So if you cheat by taking a little intoxication here and there, then it spoils everything. If we can have even a small number of devotees who are strictly following the regulative principles and purely chanting the holy names, we can make a big difference on this planet and make a big difference in world history.

So this movement is meant to go down in history for having saved the world in its darkest hour of despair. That's actually the mission that we've been given by Srila Prabhupada. So we have to take our duty very seriously to strictly follow this process for our own deliverance and the deliverance of others. Devotees should not think only of his own deliverance. His main interest is to please the Lord. Even if he is a devotee he doesn't even care whether he goes back to Godhead or not. He just wants to serve, he just wants to please Guru and Krishna. That's more important to him than his own liberation. If I can do what is pleasing to my spiritual master and Krishna, that's already a liberated position. You don't have to wait to go back to home, back to Godhead to be liberated. You can be liberated right here, right now, by fully embracing the principle of being totally dedicated, giving all pleasure to my spiritual master and Lord Krishna and Lord Caitanya with my every thought, word and deed in all times, places and circumstances. So why should we cheat ourselves by trying to squeeze out a little sense gratification, subtle or gross? Why should we be so stupid to cheat ourselves out of the highest ecstasy of Krishna consciousness? Sometimes the devotees complain, well, I can't control my sex desire, I'm masturbating, I can't control my lust, what to do, what to do, what to do. It's very simple, you just have to be Krishna conscious. Pick up the Krishna book and start reading these amazing pastimes of Krishna. Actually when you read the Krishna book or when you chant Hare Krishna you are directly associating with Krishna. And in that position there is unlimited ecstasy, there is unlimited nectar in associating with Lord Sri Krishna. So 1 is carried away by sense gratification, it just means he is not putting Krishna in the center.

yato yato niścalati

manaś cañcalam asthiram

tatas tato niyamyaitad

ātmany eva vaśaṁ nayet

'From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self'

So we have a tendency to think, we are thinking this, thinking that, thinking, thinking, thinking all day long. So why not put Krishna in the center of our thoughts? Why not be intelligent and bring the mind back to Krishna? See everything in relation with Krishna. How can I please Krishna by the way I am doing this service right now, by the way I am speaking right now, by the way I am thinking right now? A way that pleases Krishna. How can I give this class in a way that pleases Krishna? How can I give this class in a way that pleases Krishna? We always think how can I do everything? How can I think? How can I speak everything? How can it all be in such a way that pleases Krishna? If we do that we will get unlimited nectar every minute.

But right now instead of nectar we're taking so much poison. We're drinking poison. Because I'm putting myself in the center. That's the difficulty. Keep putting so and so das, so and so dasi in the center of existence. What's pleasing for me? I want to do what's pleasing for me. Of course in the higher sense, you actually understand that you will get unlimited nectar by giving pleasure to Krishna. It's like what is Bhagavad Gita said,

yo ’ntaḥ-sukho ’ntar-ārāmas

tathāntar-jyotir eva yaḥ

sa yogī brahma-nirvāṇaṁ

brahma-bhūto ’dhigacchati

'One whose happiness is within, who is active and rejoices within, and whose aim is inward is actually the perfect mystic. He is liberated in the Supreme, and ultimately he attains the Supreme.'

So he is liberated right now, even though he hasn't gone back to Godhead, he is still in the material world because he is putting Krishna in the center, he is already liberated. He is a perfect mystic, always with Krishna in the center. You don't have to be a mystic yogi, you know, you can only attain the tip of the lotus feet of the Lord. Why not attain the full Supreme Personality of Godhead and become an intimate associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? That's intelligence, that's the pathway of the bhaktas. Instead of doing the mystic yoga system, become even a greater mystic by always putting Krishna in center.

So there is no sense in going on cheating ourselves again and again and again through 8 million 400,000 species. Trying to enjoy in this way and that way. Somebody thinks let me enjoy by flying in the sky and become a bird by swimming in the ocean and become a fish. Like the surfers, the sea surfers, probably called them the sea sufferers. They can become fish in the next life. They can enjoy sporting in the way they can become a fish. There are people who like to skydive and skydive and they become birds in the next life. So All these people enjoy in this way and this way, this quality, that type of animal body. So we like to eat, eat, eat, eat, eat. They become pigs in next life. So instead of qualifying a different type of animal birth, we should qualify for an eternal body which is filled with bliss and knowledge, sat-cid-ananda-vigraha. We should qualify ourself for that kind of body in the future. Become one of the associates of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in his transcendental pastimes. If you are reading Krishna book, why not be in Krishna book? Why not be 1 of the associates of Krishna, 1 of those cowherd boys, cowherd girls, Even a cow or a calf or a peacock, it doesn't matter what position you have, they are all fully conscious. They all have human consciousness. Even though they take the body of cows and calves and peacocks, they all have human consciousness associating with Krishna in that particular way that gives Him the greatest pleasure. So let's become actually intelligent and not continue being foolish to try to enjoy separately from Krishna. It is like cutting our own throat trying to enjoy separately from Krishna.

So let's see we have some questions here.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Reads question from Chatbox) : Why Indra is creating so many pseudo religious things or initiatives?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (answers) : It's foolish not to be a pure devotee. The demigods are different from the pure devotees. They still have some desire to lord it over in the material world, because they are very pious, they get these positions, big positions. So that's why we are not running after the demigods. We want to go after the God of the gods. That's who we want to go after, Krishna.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (reads question from chatbox) : He is not punished, but King Prithu was asked to compromise.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (answers) : King Prithu's duty was to establish religious principles, give all protection to the citizens as he stated. His great responsibility was in maintaining peace and prosperity of the citizens. So that was his main duty, not to curb down Indra. So since trying to curb down Indra, who was creating so many problematic situations, it would bring great turmoil in human society. Therefore, King Prithu was advised not to do that, to focus on his actual duty, maintaining the peace and prosperity of the tradition.

Any other questions? (Pauses) Anybody want to ask verbally? Anybody want to speak a question?

Paramatma Das : Hare Krishna Gurudev, this is Paramatma Das. Am I audible Gurudev?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : I can hear you, go ahead.

Paramatma Das : Dandavat Pranams. So, the thing is, I was wondering, I mean, Lord Brahma is the father and the creator. He could directly ask Indra to stop all those nonsense what he is doing instead of stopping Prithu Maharaj. In 1 sense Prithu Maharaj is asking to...

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : Do you think Indra would have surrendered to Brahma? Do you think he would have surrendered to Brahma?

Paramatma Das : Ah, ok.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : You are assuming he would have surrendered to Brahma?

Paramatma Das : Ok. He is not surrendered to Brahma.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : He is a rascal. He is doing his own thing. He is not surrendered to Krishna or to Brahma.

Paramatma Das : So I I'm just connecting this with Gurudev, like you know when a leader is doing nonsense things and because he is not surrendered to a senior or something, if he is not punished then how can the system work on that's my bottom question now. Indra is also a responsible leader.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : That's the problem with the material world. That's the big problem with the material world. That's why the rascals are going on. That's the reason the movement is introduced, to try to give people the higher attention. So they give up their nonsense. Everybody has independence, they can be good or bad, according to their choice. Everybody has a free choice to be a rascal or to be a sadhu. Everybody has a choice. That's the material world. The place where people... Everybody is rascals here actually. Everybody who came to this material world is a rascal. That's why we are all here, rascals. Now some may rectify it and become sadhus, but that's a minority. We can see even Indra is rascal.

Paramatma Das : The only concern here is Gurudev, a leader being a rascal and innocent devotees will be put off and they may run away from Krishna consciousness.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : But there are no innocent devotees, they are all rascals. Everyone is a rascal here. There is nothing here. We are all guilty. There is a lot of guilty people.

Paramatma Das : Hare Krishna.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : Gurumataji, you want to make a point?

Gurumataji : There was a question asked the other day also. And I think we answered. He did not hear that. That the intelligent person will guide the person who is going to take that instruction, not to fight with somebody who is not going to take the instruction. So Brahmaji being very, very intelligent, he asked Prithu Maharaj because Prithu Maharaj is himself surrendered devotee. Instead of telling Indra who is acting like a king of the heaven, king of the demigods, he may not listen. So why instruct the person who will follow?

Paramatma Das : Yes it makes sense Gurumata, I perfectly understand. But if the entire system goes like this, then it is becoming more chaotic. So nobody has having control over...

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : This is a world of chaos.

Gurumataji : As you say, the devotees will run away. Devotees will not run away, because if they are devotees, they will select.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : Sure, devotees are not so. They can't maintain it. Like Krishna said, out of a thousand among men, one of them will attain perfection, and hardly one will know Me in truth. We see many people come to this movement and they end up being rascals. It is a very rare thing that somebody actually becomes a devotee of Krishna, give up all their nonsense.

Paramatma Das : That completely makes sense Gurudev. I understand when you say that everybody is a rascal in that sense, not surrendered fully. I agree.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : We initiate so many devotees, but how many are strictly following? I have initiated 300 disciples, how many are strictly following? You see the problem is material world. People are rascals, they may make a show of it, make some meager attempt to become pure but how many of them actually can maintain it and become a pure devotee and go back to Godhead? It is a very rare thing. Now we have a question from Amala Purana.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (reads question from chatbox) : In the purport, Srila Prabhupad says that originally the religious principle is one given by the Supreme Personality of the Godhead. It comes through the channel of the disciplic succession in 2 forms. What are the 2 forms? How do they come down?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (answers): I have the same question. Well, 1 way of saying it is the spiritual master and the scriptures. There's 2 forms there in the way religious principles have come. They come through the Supreme Personality and they come through the scriptures. That's 1 way of seeing 2 forms. (pauses). Now we have Paramahamsa.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (reads question from chatbox) : Finding peace or happiness inwardly not being affected by externals. Is it possible within the current civilization?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (answers) : Yes. One actually becomes fixed in Krishna consciousness. He can be in a state of pure transcendental bliss even if all chaos is going on around him. Lila Manjari.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (reads Lila Manjari Devi Dasi's question from chatbox) : Does it depend on one's solely, on one's free will to be among the pure devotees following purely or is it 1 who is a specifically empowered soul to influence the whole world?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (answers) : Actually every devotee who is strictly following this process has a potency which is helping to purify the world atmosphere. Every devotee who is strictly sincerely following this process is having an uplifting impact on the world atmosphere. And according to the degree of his purity, he has more and more, more or less potency on the world around him, uplifting the world around him. Those who are more advanced they have greater potency, those who are less advanced have less potency, but everybody has potency to have an uplifting impact on the world around him. Every ability he has according to his degree of advancement in Krishna consciousness.

yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas

tat tad evetaro janaḥ

sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute

lokas tad anuvartate

'Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.'

So whatever degree of greatness 1 may have, whatever degree of advancement 1 may have, that has an uplifting impact on the world around him. Anything else? Gurumataji, do you have any more points?  No more questions?

Devotee : Srila Gurudev I have a question.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : Okay.

Devotee : So, Brahmaji told Prithu about his status or did he remind him of his status? I ask this question because the empowered devotees are still under maya or not?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : Well here Brahma is telling him, O Prithu, O people in general, please consider the purpose of your being incarnate by Lord Vishnu. Lord Brahma is reminding Prithu of his actual duty in this verse. Brahma is speaking to Prithu, reminding him of his duty.

Devotee : Does it mean Prithu was under maya or was he acting?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : King Prithu is a Shaktivesh avatar. He is actually a living entity that is specifically empowered by the Lord to execute a mission or a purpose. He is called Shaktivesh avatar. He is not under maya influence at all. He is great empowered personality. Shaktivesh Avatar.

Devotee : Yes, that makes me think that because he's so, he doesn't have to be told or reminded and he didn't have to do even the 99 yajnas.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : Even great personalities take instructions. Prabhupad took instructions from his spiritual master.

Devotee : Ah, I see. I get it.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : Even great personalities take instructions. That's how they show their greatness, being humble servants of their superior authorities.

Devotee : Perfect, got it, thank you. Thank you, Srila gurudev.

Gurumataji : Also keeping the words of Krishna, discipline succession, message is delivered through the discipline succession.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : All the great Personalities, they are under their previous authorities.

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam

imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ

'This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way.'

Now we have some more questions coming in. Gabriel.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Reads Gabriel's question from the chatbox) : How to always remain in a mood that I'm a rascal and everything is the mercy of Krishna?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (answers) : You have to find devotees who can constantly point out your faults and take shelter of them. That's 1 way. The devotees are very expert at pointing out your faults and take shelter of their association. That's 1 way to do it. And also to study the prayers of the great Vaishanava Acharyas. How they're always feeling themselves to be rascals. Now we have Alakananda.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (Reads Alakananda Devi Dasi's question from the chatbox) : How much should we tolerate and how much should we speak up against, speak out against injustice?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari (answers) : To speak out as much as possible, preaching means according to time, place and circumstance. I mean, for example, the grocery store is selling beef. So I said, should I go down to that grocery store and have a picketing and hope everyone should boycott this grocery store because they are selling beef? Should I do that? No, it's not very practical. I just see what way I can get excellent results. I should find people who are eager to learn about how to become spiritually perfect and enlighten them about the science of giving up eating beef. So we have a mission to actually put a stop to all the slaughterhouses and all the nonsense going on, the brothels and liquor shops. Our mission is to stop all these things. We have to see what is the most practical way to go about doing it. The most practical way is to find people who are inclined to spiritual advancement, enlighten them and give up these things so that gradually, gradually, gradually you can put a stop to all these things.

Anything else? Any complaints? Any corrections? Any additional points? Anybody want to speak up on the internet? Unmute yourself and ask some questions. You're welcome. Is everybody sleeping? Are you tuned in? Turned on and listening out? Okay, we'll stop here. We thank everybody for tuning in.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare .