Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Remain in your place but be Krsnaconscious

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Remain in your place but be Krsna conscious

 

The evening program began late but was well attended. From 8:00-9:30 p.m.

thousands of people poured into the grounds and enjoyed bhajanas until

Prabhupada began his lecture on Bhagavad-gita 16.7: "Those who are demonic do

not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor

proper behavior nor truth is found in them."

 

Once more he spoke in English, his strong, clear voice amplified above the

clamor, and Jasomatinandana translated into Gujarati. He explained that one's

birth or upbringing are inconsequential -- Krsna consciousness is for anyone

who wants to take it. "According to varnasrama-dharma, the brahmanas are called

suci, means 'pure.' But this suci -- the opposite word is muci. So there is a

Bengali Vaisnava poet. He says that suci haya muci haya yadi krsna tyaje/ muci

haya suci haya yadi krsna-bhaje.' The purport is that if somebody takes to

Krsna consciousness, even he is born in the family of muci, then he becomes

suci. And if a person is born in the brahmana family or ksatriya family but he

does not take to Krsna consciousness, then he becomes a muci. This is also

confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh

papa-yonayah. Papa-yoni means muci, less than the sudras. If he takes to Krsna

consciousness, te 'pi yanti param gatim, he is also eligible to go

back to home, back to Godhead. So even a muci or a papa-yoni born in the

low-grade family, if he takes to Krsna consciousness, he becomes a devata. This

is also confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam [2.4.18] by Sukadeva Gosvami,

 

kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa

abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah

ye 'nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah

sudhyanti tasmai prabhavisnave namah.

 

"So it doesn't matter where we are born. If we take to Krsna consciousness,

then he becomes a suci, purified, and he is eligible to go back to home, to

back to Godhead."

 

Later in the lecture Prabhupada again displayed his determination to challenge

the atheistic scientists, whom he described as asuric. "Their main proposal is

that there is no creator, God. The modern scientists, philosophers, Western

people, they don't accept that God is the creator of everything. And their

theory of creation is the chemical composition. They think that chemical

combination is the cause of life. So the asuras' theory of creation is a chance

theory, but we don't accept. We are preaching against them, writing books

against them. We are challenging this atheistic theory of creation. The Krsna

consciousness movement is against the asuras. Krsna also comes down to kill the

asuras. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam. Asuras cannot flourish by

their atheistic theory. Unless one comes to Krsna consciousness, he has to be

put into the different types of asuric yoni [lower species] to suffer in this

material world."

 

Srila Prabhupada summarized by explaining how easy it is to become Krsna

conscious, urging everyone to adopt the universal panacea given by Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu. "To take to this Krsna consciousness is made very easy during this

Kali-yuga. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty

eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. Kalau, in this age, if you take to Krsna

consciousness, simply chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna mantra, then you become

devata. This is our program. So our only request is to you, that in whatever

position you are -- it doesn't require to be changed -- simply take to Krsna

consciousness. Chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and gradually you'll become

devata. That is the recommendation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sthane sthitah

sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir. 'Remain in your place but be Krsna conscious.'

It is not difficult at all. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna."

 

The crowd was clearly impressed. I doubt anyone had ever spoken so directly and

forcefully to them, yet they appreciated it. Even though it was very late, most

of the audience stayed after Prabhupada left to see a film depicting Krsna

consciousness around the world.

 

- From the "A Transcendental Diary Vol 1" by HG Hari Sauri dasa

 

 

 

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