Srila Prabhupada on Janmashtami, 1973

[Guest guest]

Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day Lecture (Listen)

 

Lecture by Srila Prabhupada, London, August 21, 1973

 

Prabhupada:

 

His Excellency, the High Commissioner; ladies and gentlemen, I thank

you very much for your coming here and participating in this

ceremony, Janmastami, advent of Krsna. The subject matter I've been

ordered to speak on is advent of Krsna. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-

gita,

 

janma karma me divyam

yo janati tattvatah

tyaktva deham punar janma

naiti mam eti kaunteya

[bg. 4.9]

 

This fact, that we can achieve such a stage of life when we can stop

our birth and death... Sa 'mrtatvaya kalpate. This morning, I was

explaining this verse:

 

yam hi na vyathayanty ete

purusam purusarsabha

sama-duhkha-sukham dhiram

so 'mrtatvaya kalpate

 

Amrtatva means immortality. So the modern civilization, they have no

idea, either the great philosopher, great politician or great

scientist, that it is possible to attain the stage of immortality.

Amrtatva. We are all amrta. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, na

jayate na mriyate va kadacin. We living entities, we never die,

never take birth. Nityah Sasvato yam, na hanyate hanyamane sarire

[bg. 2.20]. Every one of us, we are eternal, nityah sasvato; Purana,

the oldest. And after annihilation of this body, we do not die. Na

hanyate. The body is finished, but I have to accept another body.

Tatha dehantara praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati. Dehino 'smin yatha

dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [bg. 2.13].

 

This simple thing, at the present moment, they are lacking

knowledge, that we, all living entities, part and parcel of Krsna,

we are eternal, we are blissful, and we are cognizant. Krsna is

described in the Vedic Sastras:

 

isvarah paramah krsnah

sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah

anadir adir govindah

sarva-karana-karanam

[bs. 5.1]

 

Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah. God, Krsna, when I speak Krsna, that means

God. If there is any important name... God, it is sometimes said God

has no name. That's a fact. But God's name is given by His

activities. Just like Krsna accepted the sonhood of Maharaja Nanda,

or Yasodamayi, or Devaki, or Vasudeva. Vasudeva and Devaki were

Krsna's real father and mother. Nobody is real father and mother of

Krsna, because Krsna is the original father of everyone. But when

Krsna comes here, advents, He accepts some devotees as His father,

as His mother. Krsna is the original, adi-purusam. Adyam Purana-

purusam nava-yauvanam ca [bs. 5.33]. He is the original person. Then

must be very old? No. Adyam purana purusam nava-yauvanam ca. Always

fresh youth. That is Krsna. When Krsna was on the battlefield of

Kuruksetra, you have seen the picture, He's just like a boy of

twenty years or, at most, twenty-four years old. But at that time,

He had great-grandchildren. Therefore, Krsna is always youth.

Navayauvanam ca. These are the statements of Vedic literatures.

 

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam

adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam ca

vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau

[bs. 5.33]

 

So, to understand Krsna, simply if we read as a formality the Vedic

literature, it will be very difficult to understand what is Krsna.

Vedesu durlabham. Although all the Vedas are meant for understanding

Krsna. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is said, vedais ca sarvair aham eva

vedyo. Aham eva vedyo. What is the use of studying Vedas if you do

not understand Krsna? Because the ultimate goal of education means

to understand the Supreme Lord, the supreme father, the supreme

cause. As it is said in the Vedanta-sutra, janmady asya yatah [sB

1.1.1]. Athato brahma jijnasa. Brahma-jijnasa, to discuss about the

Supreme Absolute Truth, Brahman. What is that Brahman? Janmady asya

yatah [sB 1.1.1]. That Brahman means wherefrom everything emanates.

So science, philosophy, means to find out the ultimate cause of

everything. That we are getting from the Sastras, Vedic literature,

that Krsna is the cause of all causes. Sarva-karana-karanam [bs.

5.1]. Sarva-karana-karanam.

 

isvarah paramah krsnah

sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah

anadir adir govindah

sarva-karana-karanam

[bs. 5.1]

 

Cause of all causes. Just like try to understand. I am caused by my

father. My father is caused by his father. He is caused by his

father, his father... Go on searching, then you'll ultimately come

to somebody who is the cause. But He has no cause. Anadir adir

govindah [bs. 5.1]. I may be cause of my son, but I am also result

of the cause, my father. But the Sastra says that anadir adir, He is

the original person, but He has no cause. That is Krsna. Therefore,

Krsna says that janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [bg.

4.9]. The advent of Krsna, it is very important thing. We should try

to understand Krsna, why He advents, why He comes on this material

world, what is His business, what are His activities. If we simply

try to understand Krsna, then what is the result? The result is

tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [bg. 4.9]. You get

that immortality. The aim of life is to achieve immortality.

Amrtatvaya kalpate.

 

So in the advent of Krsna, we shall try to understand the philosophy

of Krsna. His Excellency was speaking of peace. The peace formula is

there, spoken by Krsna. What is that?

 

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam

sarva-loka-mahesvaram

suhrdam sarva-bhutanam

jnatva mam santim rcchati

[bg. 5.29]

 

If the politicians, diplomats, they are trying to establish peace in

the world... The United Nation is there, and there are many other

organizations. They are trying to have real peace and tranquillity,

no misunderstanding between man to man, nation to nation. But that

is not happening. That is not happening. The defect is that in the

root is wrong. Everyone's thinking "It is my country. It is my

family. It is my society. It is my property." This "mine" is

illusion. In the Sastra it is said, janasya moho 'yam aham mameti

[sB 5.5.8]. This "I and my" philosophy is illusion.

 

So this illusion means maya. maya... If you want to get out of this

illusion, maya, then you have to accept the Krsna's formula. Mam eva

ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. Everything is there in the

Bhagavad-gita for guidance if we accept the philosophy of Bhagavad-

gita as it is. Everything is there. Peace is there, prosperity is

there. So that is a fact. Unfortunately, we do not accept it. That

is our misfortune. Or we misinterpret it. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-

gita, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [bg. 18.65].

Krsna says that "You always think of Me," man-mana bhava mad-

bhakto. "Become My devotee." Mad-yaji, "You worship Me." Mam

namaskuru, "And offer obeisances unto Me." Is it very difficult

task? Here is Krsna's Deity. If you think of this Deity, Radha-

Krsna, is it very difficult? Man-mana. You come into the temple and,

just as a devotee, offer your respect to the Deity, man-mana bhava

mad-bhakto. As far as possible try to worship the Deity, patram

puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [bg. 9.26]. Krsna does

not want your whole property. Krsna is open to the poorest man for

being worshiped. What He is asking? He says, patram puspam phalam

toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati: "With devotion, if a person offers

Me a little leaf, a little fruit, a little water, I accept it."

Krsna is not hungry, but Krsna wants to make you devotee. That is

the main point. Yo me bhaktya prayacchati. That is the main

principle. If you offer Krsna little things... Krsna is not hungry;

Krsna is providing food for everyone. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati

kaman. But Krsna wants your love, your devotion. Therefore He is

begging little patram puspam phalam toyam. Man-mana bhava mad-

bhakto. There is no difficulty in understanding Krsna and to accept

Krsna consciousness. But we'll not do that; that is our disease.

Otherwise, it is not difficult at all. And as soon as we become

devotee of Krsna, we understand the whole situation. Our philosophy,

Bhagavata philosophy, is also communism because we consider Krsna

the supreme father, and all living entities, they are all sons of

Krsna.

 

So Krsna says that He is the proprietor of all planets, sarva-loka-

mahesvaram [bg. 5.29]. Therefore whatever there is, either in the

sky or in the water or in the land, they're all Krsna's property.

And because we are all sons of Krsna, therefore every one of us has

the right to use (the) father's property. But we should not encroach

upon others. This is the formula of peace. Ma grdha kasya svidhanam,

isavasyam idam sarvam [isopanisad mantra 1]. Everything belongs to

God. You are sons of God. You have got the right to use father's

property, but do not take more than you need. That is punishable.

These things are stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Stena eva sa

ucyate, in the Bhagavad-gita, "he's a thief." If anyone takes more

than he needs, then he's a thief. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra

loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [bg. 3.9]. If for the satisfaction of

Krsna... Yajna means Krsna. Krsna's another name is Yajnesvara. So

you act for Krsna, you take prasada Krsna. That what we are teaching

here. In this temple, we are residing Americans, Indians,

Englishmen, Canadians, Africans, different parts of the world. You

know that. Not only in this temple, all over the world. [break]

 

....when we forget this philosophy, that Krsna is the supreme father,

Krsna is the supreme proprietor, Krsna is the supreme enjoyer and

Krsna is the supreme friend of everyone. When you forget this, then

we come into this material world and struggle for existence, fight

with one another. This is material life. So you cannot get... The

politicians, diplomats, philosophers, they have tried so much, but

actually nothing has become fruitful. Just like the United Nations.

It was organized after the second great war, and they wanted that

peacefully we shall settle everything. But there is no such thing.

The fighting is going on between Pakistan and India, between Vietnam

and America, and this and that. It is not the process. The process

is Krsna consciousness. Everyone has to understand this fact, that

we are not proprietor. Proprietor is Krsna. That's a fact. Just like

America. Say two hundred years ago the Americans, the European

migrators, they were not proprietor-somebody was proprietor. Before

them, somebody was proprietor or it was vacant land. The actual

proprietor is Krsna. But artificially you are claiming that "It is

my property." Janasya moho 'yam aham mameti [sB 5.5.8]. This is

called maya.

 

So Krsna advents for give us lesson. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir

bhavati bharata [bg. 4.7]. Krsna says, "My dear Arjuna, I come when

there is discrepancies in the process of religious life." Dharmasya

glanir bhavati. And what is dharma? The simple definition of dharma

is dharmam tu saksad bhagavat- pranitam [sB 6.3.19]. This is dharma.

Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [sB 6.3.19]. Just like what do

you mean by law? Law means the word given by the state. You cannot

make law at home. That is not possible. Whatever the government

gives you, that "You should act like this," that is law. Similarly,

dharma means the direction given by God. That is dharma. Simple

definition. You create dharma. I have created this dharma, another

man creates another dharma; these are not dharma. Therefore, where

the Bhagavad-gita ends, that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam

saranam [bg. 18.66], this is dharma-to surrender to Krsna. Any other

dharma, they are not dharma. Otherwise, why Krsna asks sarva-dharman

parityajya: "Give up"? He said that dharma-samsthapanarthaya

sambhavami yuge yuge: "I advent to establish the principles of

religion." And at last He says, sarva-dharman parityajya. That means

the so-called dharmas that we have manufactured, man-made dharmas,

they are not dharmas. Dharma means what is given by God. But we have

no understanding what is God and what is His word. That is the

modern civilization defect. But the order is there, God is there-we

won't accept. Where is the possibility of peace? The order is there.

Krsna says, the Supreme, bhagavan uvaca. Vyasadeva writes bhagavan

uvaca. One should know what is bhagavan. Vyasadeva could have

written krsna uvaca. No. He says... If one may misunderstand Krsna,

therefore he writes in every stanza, every verse, Sri bhagavan

uvaca. So Bhagavan is there. Bhagavan is speaking. Bhagavan is

accepted by all the acaryas. Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnusvami.

Latest, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu also, even Sankaracarya, he also

accepts Krsna as bhagavan svayam krsna. So the verdict of the modern

acaryas, and in the past also, Vyasadeva, Narada, Asita, everyone

accepted Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna, who

heard from Krsna, after understanding Bhagavad-gita, he said, param

brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan purusam adyam sasvatam

[bg. 10.12].

 

So everything is there. Especially in India, we have got so much

asset for understanding God. Simple thing. Everything is there ready

made. But we won't accept. So what is the remedy for such disease?

We are searching after peace, but we won't accept anything which is

actually giving us peace. This is our disease. So this Krsna

consciousness movement is trying to awaken the dormant Krsna

consciousness in everyone's heart. Otherwise, how these Europeans

and Americans and other countrymen, they never heard of Krsna four

or five years ago, how they are taking Krsna consciousness so

seriously? Krsna consciousness is there in everyone's heart. It has

to be awakened only. That is described in the Caitanya-caritamrta

 

nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti 'sadhya' kabhu naya

sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya

 

It is awakened. Love for Krsna, devotion for Krsna, is there within

everyone's heart, but he has forgotten. So this Krsna consciousness

movement is simply meant for awakening that Krsna consciousness.

This is the process. Just like when you are sleeping, your, I have

to call you loudly-"Mr. such and such, such and such, get up. You

have got this business." No other senses will act when you are

sleeping. But the ear will act. Therefore, in this age, when people

are so fallen they will not hear anything, if we chant this Hare

Krsna maha-mantra, he'll be awakened to Krsna consciousness. This is

practical.

 

So actually if we are anxious for peace and tranquillity in society,

then we must be very serious to understand Krsna. That is our

request. Don't take it neglectfully, the Krsna consciousness

movement. This movement can solve all the problems of life, all the

problems in the world. Social, political, philosophical, religious,

economical-everything can be solved by Krsna consciousness.

Therefore, we request those who are leaders-just like His Excellency

is present here-you should try to understand this Krsna

consciousness movement. It is very scientific, authorized. It is not

a mental concoction or sentimental movement. It is most scientific

movement. So we are inviting all leaders from all countries: try to

understand. If you are sober, if you are actually reasonable, you'll

understand that this Krsna consciousness movement is the sublime

movement for the welfare of the whole human society. That's a fact.

Anyone may come. We are prepared to discuss this subject matter.

Krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare. We should not...

 

Our human life, the ultimate goal of human life is to achieve

immortality. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [bg. 4.9], This is

our..., we have forgotten this. We are simply leading the life of

cats and dogs, without any knowledge that we can achieve that

perfection of life when there will be no more birth, no more death.

We do not understand even that there is possibility of amrtatvam.

But everything is possible. Amrtatvam. Nobody wants to die. That's a

fact. Nobody wants to become old man, nobody wants to become

diseased. This is our natural inclination. Why? Because originally,

in our spiritual form, there is no birth, no death, no old age, no

disease. So after evolutionary process down from the aquatics,

birds, beasts, plants, trees, when you come to this form of human

form of body after... Asitim caturas caiva laksams tad jiva-jatisu.

This is evolutionary process. We come to the human form of body.

Then we should know what is the goal of life. The goal of life is

amrtatvam, to become immortal. That you can become immortal simply

by becoming Krsna conscious. Krsna says. It is a fact. We have to

simply understand. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. If you

try to understand Krsna in truth, tattvatah, then, tyaktva deham

punar janma naiti [bg. 4.9], after giving up this body, you don't

accept any more material body. And as soon as you don't accept any

material body means you become immortal. Because by nature we are

immortal.

 

So Krsna advents, Krsna advents to teach us this lesson, that "You

are immortal by nature. As spirit soul you are part and parcel of

Me. I am as immortal. So you are also immortal. Unnecessarily, you

are trying to be happy in this material world."

 

mamaivamso jiva bhuto

jiva-loke sanatanah

manah sastanindriyani

prakrti-sthani karsati

 

Simply struggle for..., unnecessarily. The best thing is that you

have enjoyed sense life in so many varieties of life, as cats, as

dogs, as demigods, as tree, as plants, as insect. Now, in this human

form of life, don't be captivated by sensuous life. Just try to

understand Krsna. That is the verdict of the Sastras. Nayam deho

deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye [sB 5.5.1]. To

work very hard like dogs and hog for sense gratification is not the

ambition of human life. Human life is meant for little austerity.

Tapo divyam putraka yena suddhyet sattvam. We have to purify our

existence. That is the mission of human life. Why I shall purify my

sattva existence? Brahma-saukhyam tv anantam. Then you get unlimited

pleasure, unlimited happiness. That is real pleasure. Ramante

yogino 'nante satyananda-cid-atmani iti rama-padenasau param

brahmabhidhiyate [Cc. Madhya 9.29].

 

So, at least in India, all the great personalities, saintly persons,

sages and acaryas, they have cultivated this spiritual knowledge so

nicely and fully, and we are not taking advantage of it. It is not

that those Sastras and directions are meant for the Indians or for

the Hindus or for brahmanas. No. It is meant for everyone. Because

Krsna claims

 

sarva-yonisu kaunteya

sambhavanti murtayah yah

tasam mahad brahma yonir

aham bija-pradah pita

[bg. 14.4]

 

Krsna claims that "I am everyone's father." Therefore, He is very

much anxious to make us peaceful, happy. Just like the father wants

to see his son is well situated and happy; similarly, Krsna also

wants to see every one of us happy and well-situated. Therefore He

comes sometimes. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati [bg. 4.7].

This is the purpose of Krsna's advent. So those who are servants of

Krsna, devotees of Krsna, they should take the mission of Krsna.

They should take up the mission of Krsna. That is Caitanya

Mahaprabhu's version.

 

amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa

yare dekha, tare kaha, 'krsna'-upadesa

[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

 

Krsna-upadesa. Just try to preach what Krsna has said in the

Bhagavad-gita. That is the duty of every Indian. Caitanya Mahaprabhu

says.

 

bharata-bhumite manusya janma haila yara

janma sarthaka kari para-upakara.

[Cc. Adi 9.41]

 

So Indians, Indians are meant for para-upakara. Indians are not

meant for exploiting others. That is not Indians' business. Indian

history is all along for para-upakara. And formerly, from all parts

of the world, used to come to India to learn what is spiritual life.

Even Jesus Christ went there. And from China and from other

countries. That is history. And we are forgetting our own asset. How

much we are callous. Such a great movement, Krsna consciousness, is

going on all over the world, but our Indians are callous, our

government is callous. They do not take. That is our misfortune. But

it is the Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. He says any Indian, bharata

bhumite manusya janma, if he's human being, he must make his life

perfect by taking advantage of this Vedic literature and distribute

the knowledge all over the world. That is para-upakara. So India can

do. They are actually appreciating. These Europeans, American young

men, they are appreciating that how great... I get daily dozens of

letter, how they are benefited by this movement. Actually, that is

the fact. It is giving the life for the dead man. So I shall

specially request the Indians, especially His Excellency, kindly

cooperate with this movement, and try to make successful your life

and others' life. That is the mission of Krsna, advent of Krsna.

 

Thank you very much.