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BY: SUN STAFF
 Apr 04, 2011 — CANADA (SUN) — A serial exploration of Srila Prabhupada's preaching on Srimad Bhagavatam. In our last segment, we presented Text 3 of the First Chapter, First Canto from the original Srimad Bhagwatam, offering a side-by-side comparison of the sloka and translation, and a few comments on the differences between editions. Today we will cover Srila Prabhupada's lectures on SB 1.1.3. In Folio 2.0 (1993), we find that Srila Prabhupada gave three lectures on SB 1.1.3, two in London and one in Caracas. The lectures were part of a series; Srila Prabhupada covered SB 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 in London between August 6th and 18th 1971, and in Caracas between February 20th and 23rd, 1975. The lectures on SB 1.1.3 were as follows: London, August 19, 1971 In his lecture from August 19, 1971 in London, Srila Prabhupada mentions the following (paraphrased) points, among others: We have no experience of kalpa-taru within this material world, but in the spiritual world there is kalpa-taru. Kalpa means "desire" and taru means "tree." The description of kalpa-taru is there in the Brahma-samhita. cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa (Bs 5.29). Krsna's planet is made of touchstone. You touch on iron, it becomes gold. We should not think that we have imagined something artistic and created a Krsna. No. It is completely supported by Vedic literature, Brahma-samhita. This is also Krsna's place. That is also Krsna's place. But here, because we are forgetful of Krsna, therefore we are accepting this place as material. But Krsna is the proprietor. If anyone wants happiness, santi, peace, then he must know that Krsna is the enjoyer of everything. bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram (Bg 5.29). You can perform yajna, you can perform austerities, penances, but the result should be enjoyed by Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. The karmis, they are working so hard, day and night. The ultimate aim is that he will enjoy, he'll satisfy his senses. Therefore he's working so hard. nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke (SB 5.5.1) "Simply for sense gratification we should not work so hard, because these things are done by even hogs and dogs." Krsna consciousness movement means we have to change the account, not for sense gratification. Because real proprietor is Krsna. When I think I am proprietor, I am enjoyer, that is illusion. janasya moho 'yam aham mameti (SB 5.5.8). In the cintamani-dhama, Krsna's abode, everything is there, but the account is different. Krsna is the supreme enjoyer, bhokta; He's friend also. Krsna is so nice friend that... isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati (Bg 18.61). Krsna, or the Supreme Lord, is situated in everyone's heart as friend. That is stated in the Upanisads. Two birds are sitting on one tree as friend. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other friend is simply witnessing. He is friend, He's supreme friend, not so-called friend. He's always trying to get us back to home, back to Godhead. Not only He's sitting within our hearts, but He's descending as Krsna. yada yada hi dharmasya (Bg 4.7) He comes and canvasses. What is that canvassing? sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja (Bg 18.66). "Why you are engaged in so many so-called occupations? You simply surrender unto Me." We are so engulfed in matter that we cannot take the advice of Krsna. Therefore Krsna again comes as a devotee, Lord Caitanya. Krsna said, "You surrender unto Me." Same Krsna came as devotee of Lord Krsna. panca-tattvatmakam krsnam (Sri Panca-tattva Pranama) Lord Caitanya's prayer. Veda means knowledge. vetti veda-vido jnanam. Anything from which you get knowledge, that is called Veda. What is the ultimate knowledge? That is called Vedanta. Ultimate knowledge means to inquire about the Supreme. vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah (Bg 3.26). sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto (Bg 15.15) People are after so-called Vedantists, but they do not know Krsna, so-called Vedantist. But one who is actually Vedantist, he knows Krsna. Therefore some times ago some of these Vaisnavas, they gave me this title, Bhaktivedanta. Bhaktivedanta means ultimate understanding of Vedanta is bhakti, not to become impersonalist. nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam (SB 1.1.3) -- all the Vedas, they are summarized in the Vedanta-sutra. This Srimad-Bhagavatam is explanation of the Vedanta-sutra. In Vedanta-sutra the first quote is athato brahma-jijnasa, "Now we have to inquire about Brahman, the Absolute Truth." That is the business of human being. ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam (Mahabharata) -- bodily necessities of life. The animals also have bodily necessities of life. Ahara, eating; nidra, sleeping; and bhaya, fearing or defending; and maithuna, sexual intercourse. The cats and dogs, they have got all these functions. Human being has the same functions, maybe a little polished. The only difference is athato brahma-jijnasa. A man can come here in this temple and he can inquire about Krsna or the Absolute Truth. That is the difference. There are different stages of inquiring about the Absolute Truth. vadanti tat tattva-vidas (SB 1.2.11). Some are accepting the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman, some are accepting the Absolute Truth as localized Paramatma, and some, like this Krsna consciousness movement, are understanding the Absolute Truth as Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna or Visnu. Srimad-Bhagavatam is describing the Absolute Truth in the beginning, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Vasudeva means Krsna, the son of Vasudeva. Vasudeva is the name of suddha-sattva, pure goodness. Not contaminated goodness. The symptom of ignorance and passion is greediness and lust. Above this greediness and lust there is another platform, which is Vedanta platform--to understand everything clearly. That is called goodness. Pure goodness means one has to transcend even this material platform of goodness, because in the material platform of goodness there is possibility of being contaminated by the other two qualities, passion and ignorance. Material type of goodness is just like a pure brahmana--satyam samo damas titiksa-- with all the good qualities: truthfulness, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, full of knowledge, tolerance, and knowledge. In material goodness there is possibility of being attacked with the other two qualities, thereby falling down, but when you come to the transcendental platform of goodness, then you cannot fall down. sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam (SB 4.3.23). isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati (Bg 18.61). Vasudeva is already there within your heart, but you simply realize it by placing yourself in the pure consciousness, pure platform. This can be done simply by our discussion of Srimad-Bhagavatam. nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam idam. It is the mature fruit of Vedic knowledge. suka-mukhad amrta-drava-samyutam. This Srimad-Bhagavatam was written by Vyasadeva. It was spoken for the first time by Sukadeva Gosvami, his son. He wrote Bhagavatam under the instruction of his spiritual master, Narada, and he taught his son, Sukadeva Gosvami, that "You preach. I am writing; you preach." That is the duty of the student. The spiritual master writes, and it is a duty of the disciple to preach. If the student is as pure as the spiritual master, very nice. suka-mukhat. suka-mukhad amrta-drava-samyutam (SB 1.1.3). Any fruit ripened in the tree is already very nice, very sweet. If you take an unripe fruit from the tree and keep at your home it also ripens, but is not so tasteful. If that fruit is cut by the lips or by the beaks of the parrot, which is called suka, it becomes still more tasteful. This fruit, the ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge, Srimad-Bhagavatam, is already very tasteful because it is the ripened fruit, but it has been tasted by the lips of Sukadeva Gosvami; therefore it is still more tasteful. "Now, this ripened fruit, just taste it," pibata, "drink it." pibata bhagavatam rasam (SB 1.1.3). Everyone is trying to get out of the painful situation, the struggle for existence. But they do not know what is the ultimate life, free from all painful activities. That is called liberation. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this point, how to get liberated and enjoy eternal happiness. ramante yogino 'nante (Bg 5.22) in this material world they are also engaged in ram, ramana, but that is sex life. But there is another ramana, that is Rama. If you take the shelter of Rama, that is real happiness. The yoga system that is practiced generally, hatha-yoga, astanga-yoga, that is preliminary. Nobody gets perfection even in the preliminary yoga system, what to speak of further progress. Those who are engaged in this bhakti-yoga system... mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). That is yogi. What is that bhakti-yoga system? sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam vandanam dasyam, sakhyam atma-nivedanam (SB 7.5.23). One who is engaged in the service of the Lord by accepting the bhakti-yoga system, sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate (Bg 14.26) immediately becomes transcendental to the three material qualities: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, and tamo-guna. And that is called mukti. pibata bhagavatam rasam alayam (SB 1.1.3). We are also merged into this material world. Just like your body, my body is material. But I am the soul, you are the soul. I am merged into this material... But because I am spirit, although I am merged, I am not getting happiness. You have to merge into the spiritual existence; then you'll be happy. That is bhagavatam rasam alayam.
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