ERROR: Your browser does not support scripts.

srstam—in the creation; sva-saktya—by Your own potency; idam—this cosmic manifestation; anupravistah—entering afterward; catuh-vidham—four kinds of; puram—bodies; atma-amsakena—by Your own part and parcel; atho—therefore; viduh—know; tam—him; purusam—the enjoyer; santam—existing; antah—within; bhunkte—enjoys; hrsikaih—by the senses; madhu—sweetness; sara-gham—honey; yah—one who.

My dear Lord, after creating by Your own potencies, You enter within the creation in four kinds of forms. Being within the hearts of the living entities, You know them and know how they are enjoying their senses. The so-called happiness of this material creation is exactly like the bees’ enjoyment of honey after it has been collected in the honeycomb.

The material cosmic manifestation is an exhibition of the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but because dull matter cannot work independently, the Lord Himself enters within this material creation in the form of a partial expansion (Paramatma), and He enters also by His separated parts and parcels (the living entities). In other words, both the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead enter into the material creation just to make it active. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.5):

apareyam itas tv anyam
prakrtim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho
yayedam dharyate jagat

“Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which consists of all living entities who are struggling with the material nature and are sustaining the universe.”

Since the material world cannot work independently, the living entities enter into the material manifestation in four different types of bodies. The word catur-vidham is significant in this verse. There are four types of living entities born within this material world. Some are born by way of an embryo (jarayu ja), by way of eggs (anda ja), perspiration (sveda ja) and, like the trees, by way of seeds (udbhijja). Regardless of how these living entities appear, they are all busy in the pursuit of sense enjoyment.

The materialistic scientists’ contention that living entities other than human beings have no soul is nullified herein. Whether they are born through an embryo, eggs, perspiration or seeds, all living entities in the 8,400,000 species of life are parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and each therefore is an individual spiritual spark and soul. The Supreme Personality of Godhead also remains within the heart of the living entity, regardless of whether the living entity is a man, animal, tree, germ or microbe. The Lord resides in everyone’s heart, and because all living entities who come to this material world do so in order to fulfill their desire for sense enjoyment, the Lord directs the living entities to enjoy their senses. Thus the Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, knows everyone’s desires. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (15.15):

sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto
mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca

“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.”

Remaining within the hearts of all living entities, the Lord bestows remembrance by which the living entities can enjoy certain things. Thus the living entities create their enjoyable honeycombs and then enjoy them. The example of the bees is appropriate because when bees try to enjoy their honeycomb, they have to suffer the bites of other bees. Because bees bite one another when they enjoy honey, they are not exclusively enjoying the sweetness of the honey, for there is also suffering. In other words, the living entities are subjected to the pains and pleasures of material enjoyment, whereas the Supreme Personality of Godhead, knowing their plans for sense enjoyment, is aloof from them. In the Upanisads the example is given of two birds sitting on a tree. One bird (the jiva, or living entity) is enjoying the fruits of that tree, and the other bird (Paramatma) is simply witnessing. In the Bhagavad-gita (13.23) the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramatma is described as upadrasta (the overseer) and anumanta (the permitter).

Thus the Lord simply witnesses and gives the living entity sanction for sense enjoyment. It is the Paramatma also who gives the intelligence by which the bees can construct a hive, collect honey from various flowers, store it and enjoy it. Although the Paramatma is aloof from the living entities, He knows their intentions, and He gives them facilities by which they can enjoy or suffer the results of their actions. Human society is exactly like a beehive, for everyone is engaged in collecting honey from various flowers, or collecting money from various sources, and creating large empires for common enjoyment. However, after these empires are created, the bites of other nations have to be suffered. Sometimes nations declare war upon one another, and the human beehives become sources of misery. Although human beings are creating their beehives in order to enjoy the sweetness of their senses, they are at the same time suffering from the bites of other persons or nations. The Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramatma is simply witnessing all these activities. The conclusion is that both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the jivas enter into this material world. However, the Paramatma, or Supreme Personality of Godhead, is worshipable because He has arranged for the happiness of the living entity in the material world. Because it is the material world, however, no one can enjoy any kind of happiness without inebriety. Material enjoyment means inebriety, whereas spiritual enjoyment means pure enjoyment under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB4.24.65

TEXT 65

sa esa lokan aticanda-vego

vikarsasi tvam khalu kala-yanah

bhutani bhutair anumeya-tattvo

ghanavalir vayur ivavisahyah

sah—that; esah—this; lokan—all the planetary systems; ati—very much; canda-vegah—the great force; vikarsasi—destroys; tvam—Your Lordship; khalu—however; kala-yanah—in due course of time; bhutani—all living entities; bhutaih—by other living entities; anumeya-tattvah—the Absolute Truth can be guessed; ghana-avalih—the clouds; vayuh—air; iva—like; avisahyah—unbearable.

My dear Lord, Your absolute authority cannot be directly experienced, but one can guess by seeing the activities of the world that everything is being destroyed in due course of time. The force of time is very strong, and everything is being destroyed by something else—just as one animal is being eaten by another animal. Time scatters everything, exactly as the wind scatters clouds in the sky.

pramattam uccair iti krtya-cintaya

The process of destruction is going on according to the law of nature. Nothing within this material world can be permanent, although scientists, philosophers, workers and everyone else are trying to make things permanent. One foolish scientist recently declared that eventually life will be made permanent through science. Some so-called scientists are also trying to manufacture living entities within the laboratory. Thus in one way or another everyone is busy denying the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and rejecting the supreme authority of the Lord. However, the Lord is so powerful that He destroys everything in the form of death. As Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (10.34), mrtyuh sarva-haras caham: “I am all-devouring death.” The Lord is just like death to the atheists, for He takes away everything they accumulate in the material world. Hiranyakasipu, the father of Prahlada, always denied the existence of the Lord, and he tried to kill his five-year-old boy due to the boy’s unflinching faith in God. However, in due course of time the Lord appeared as Nrsimhadeva and killed Hiranyakasipu in the presence of his son. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.13.47), this killing process is natural. Jivo jivasya jivanam: “one animal is food for another animal.” A frog is eaten by a snake, a snake is eaten by a mongoose, and the mongoose is eaten by another animal. In this way the process of destruction goes on by the supreme will of the Lord. Although we do not see the hand of the Supreme Lord directly, we can feel the presence of that hand through the Lord’s process of destruction. We can see the clouds scattered by the wind, although we cannot see how this is being done because it is not possible to see the wind. Similarly, although we do not directly see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we can see that He controls the process of destruction. The destructive process is going on fiercely under the control of the Lord, but the atheists cannot see it.

SB4.24.66

TEXT 66

pravrddha-lobham visayesu lalasam

tvam apramattah sahasabhipadyase

ksul-lelihano ’hir ivakhum antakah

pramattam—persons who are mad; uccaih—loudly; iti—thus; krtya—to be done; cintaya—by such desire; pravrddha—very much advanced; lobham—greed; visayesu—in material enjoyment; lalasam—so desiring; tvam—Your Lordship; apramattah—completely in transcendence; sahasa—all of a sudden; abhipadyase—seizes them; ksut—hungry; lelihanah—by the greedy tongue; ahih—snake; iva—like; akhum—mouse; antakah—destroyer.

My dear Lord, all living entities within this material world are mad after planning for things, and they are always busy with a desire to do this or that. This is due to uncontrollable greed. The greed for material enjoyment is always existing in the living entity, but Your Lordship is always alert, and in due course of time You strike him, just as a snake seizes a mouse and very easily swallows him.

Everyone is greedy, and everyone makes plans for material enjoyment. In his lust for material enjoyment, the living entity is described as a madman. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (3.27):

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities which are in actuality carried out by nature.”

Everything is enacted by the laws of nature, and these laws are under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The atheists, or unintelligent men, do not know this. They are busy making their own plans, and big nations are busy expanding their empires. And yet we know that in due course of time many empires have come into existence and been destroyed. Many aristocratic families were created by people in their extreme madness, but we can see that in the course of time those families and empires have all been destroyed. But still the foolish atheists do not accept the supreme authority of the Lord. Such foolish people unnecessarily concoct their own duties without referring to the supreme authority of the Lord. The so-called political leaders are busy making plans to advance the material prosperity of their nation, but factually these political leaders only want an exalted position for themselves. Due to their greed for material position, they falsely present themselves as leaders before the people and collect their votes, although they are completely under the grip of the laws of material nature. These are some of the faults of modern civilization. Without taking to God consciousness and accepting the authority of the Lord, the living entities become ultimately confused and frustrated in their planmaking attempts. Due to their unauthorized plans for economic development, the price of commodities is rising daily all over the world, so much so that is has become difficult for the poorer classes, and they are suffering the consequences. And due to lack of Krsna consciousness, people are being fooled by so-called leaders and planmakers. Consequently, the sufferings of the people are increasing. According to the laws of nature, which are backed by the Lord, nothing can be permanent within this material world; therefore everyone should be allowed to take shelter of the Absolute in order to be saved. In this regard, Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (5.29):

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.”

If one wants peace of mind and tranquillity in society, he must accept the fact that the real enjoyer is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is the proprietor of everything all over the universe, and He is the supreme friend of all living entities as well. By understanding this, people can become happy and peaceful individually and collectively.

SB4.24.67

TEXT 67

kas tvat-padabjam vijahati pandito

yas te ’vamana-vyayamana-ketanah

visankayasmad-gurur arcati sma yad

vinopapattim manavas caturdasa

kah—who; tvat—Your; pada-abjam—lotus feet; vijahati—avoids; panditah—learned; yah—who; te—unto You; avamana—deriding; vyayamana—decreasing; ketanah—this body; visankaya—without any doubt; asmat—our; guruh—spiritual master, father; arcati—worships; sma—in the past; yat—that; vina—without; upapattim—agitation; manavah—the Manus; catuh-dasa—fourteen.

My dear Lord, any learned person knows that unless he worships You, his entire life is spoiled. Knowing this, how could he give up worshiping Your lotus feet? Even our father and spiritual master, Lord Brahma, unhesitatingly worshiped You, and the fourteen Manus followed in his footsteps.

visvam rudra-bhaya-dhvastam

The word pandita means “a wise man.” Who is actually a wise man? The wise man is described in Bhagavad-gita (7.19) in this way:

bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhah

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.”

Thus when the wise man actually becomes wise after many births and whimsical attempts at self-realization, he surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Such a mahatma, or learned person, knows that Krsna, Vasudeva, is everything (vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]). Learned persons always think that life is wasted unless they worship Lord Krsna or become His devotee. Srila Rupa Gosvami also says that when one becomes an advanced devotee, he understands that he should be reserved and perseverant (ksantih) and that he should engage in the service of the Lord and not waste time (avyartha-kalatvam [Cc.Madhya 23.18-19]). He should also be detached from all material attraction (viraktih), and he should not long for any material respect in return for his activities (mana-sunyata). He should be certain that Krsna will bestow His mercy upon him (asa-bandhah), and he should always be very eager to serve the Lord faithfully (samutkantha). The wise man is always very eager to glorify the Lord by chanting and hearing (nama-gane sada rucih), and he is always eager to describe the transcendental qualities of the Lord (asaktis tad-gunakhyane). He should also be attracted to those places where the Lord had His pastimes (pritis tad-vasati-sthalePritis tad vasati sthale). These are symptoms of an advanced devotee.

An advanced devotee, or a perfect human being who is actually wise and learned, cannot give up his service at the lotus feet of the Lord. Although Lord Brahma has a long life-span (4,320,000,000 years constitute twelve hours in a day of Brahma), Brahma is afraid of death and consequently engages in the devotional service of the Lord. Similarly, all the Manus who appear and disappear during the day of Brahma are also engaged in the Lord’s devotional service. In Brahma’s one day, fourteen Manus appear and disappear. The first Manu is Svayambhuva Manu. Each Manu lives for seventy-one yugas, each consisting of some 4,320,000 years. Although the Manus have such a long life-span, they still prepare for the next life by engaging in the devotional service of the Lord. In this age human beings only live for sixty or eighty years, and even this small life-span is gradually decreasing. Therefore it is even more imperative for human beings to take to the worship of the lotus feet of the Lord by constantly chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, as recommended by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

trnad api sunicena
taror iva sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih

[Cc. adi 17.31]

When one is engaged in devotional service, he is often surrounded by envious people, and often many enemies come to try to defeat him or stop him. This is not new in this present age, for even in the days of yore Prahlada Maharaja, who was engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, was harassed by his demoniac father, Hiranyakasipu. The atheists are always prepared to harass a devotee; therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu suggested that one be very tolerant of these people. Nonetheless, one has to continue chanting the Hare Krsna mantra and preaching the chanting of this mantra because such preaching and chanting constitute the perfection of life. One should chant and preach about the urgency of making this life perfect in all respects. One should thus engage in the devotional service of the Lord and follow in the footsteps of previous acaryas, beginning with Lord Brahma and others.

SB4.24.68

TEXT 68

atha tvam asi no brahman

paramatman vipascitam

akutascid-bhaya gatih

atha—therefore; tvam—You, my Lord; asi—are; nah—our; brahman—O Supreme Brahman; parama-atman—O Supersoul; vipascitam—for the learned wise men; visvam—the whole universe; rudra-bhaya—being afraid of Rudra; dhvastam—annihilated; akutascit-bhaya—undoubtedly fearless; gatih—destination.

My dear Lord, all actually learned persons know You as the Supreme Brahman and the Supersoul. Although the entire universe is afraid of Lord Rudra, who ultimately annihilates everything, for the learned devotees You are the fearless destination of all.

For the purpose of creation, maintenance and annihilation of this cosmic manifestation, there are three lords—Brahma, Visnu and Siva (Mahesvara). The material body is finished at the time of annihilation. Both the universal body and the small unit, the individual living entity’s body, are susceptible to annihilation at the ultimate end. However, the devotees do not fear the annihilation of the body, for they are confident that after the annihilation they will go back home, back to Godhead (tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so ’rjuna [Bg. 4.9]).

If one strictly follows the process of devotional service, he has no fear of death, for he is predestined to go back home, back to Godhead. The nondevotees are fearful of death because they have no guarantee of where they are going or of the type of body they are going to get in their next life. The word rudra-bhaya is significant in this verse because Rudra himself, Lord Siva, is speaking of “fear of Rudra.” This indicates that there are many Rudras—eleven Rudras—and the Rudra (Lord Siva) who was offering this prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is different from the other Rudras, although he is as powerful as they are. The conclusion is that one Rudra is afraid of another Rudra because each and every one of them is engaged in the destruction of this cosmic manifestation. But for the devotee, everyone is afraid of Rudra, even Rudra himself. A devotee is never afraid of Rudra because he is always secure, being protected by the lotus feet of the Lord. As Sri Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (9.31), kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati: “My dear Arjuna, you may declare publicly that My pure devotee will not be vanquished under any circumstances.”

SB4.24.69

TEXT 69

idam japata bhadram vo

visuddha nrpa-nandanah

sva-dharmam anutisthanto

bhagavaty arpitasayah

idam—this; japata—while chanting; bhadram—all auspiciousness; vah—all of you; visuddhah—purified; nrpa-nandanah—the sons of the King; sva-dharmam—one’s occupational duties; anutisthantah—executing; bhagavati—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; arpita—given up; asayah—possessing all kinds of faithfulness.

My dear sons of the King, just execute your occupational duty as kings with a pure heart. Just chant this prayer fixing your mind on the lotus feet of the Lord. That will bring you all good fortune, for the Lord will be very much pleased with you.

The prayers offered by Lord Siva are very authoritative and significant. Simply by offering prayers to the Supreme Lord one can become perfect, even though engaged in his occupational duty. The real purpose of life is to become a devotee of the Lord. It does not matter where one is situated. Whether one is a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, American, Englishman, Indian, etc., one can execute devotional service anywhere and everywhere in the material existence simply by offering prayers unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Hare Krsna maha-mantra is also a prayer, for a prayer addresses the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His name and invokes good fortune by petitioning the Lord to allow one to engage in His devotional service. The Hare Krsna maha-mantra also says, “My dear Lord Krsna, my dear Lord Rama, O energy of the Lord, Hare, kindly engage me in Your service.” Although one may be situated in a lowly position, he can execute devotional service under any circumstance, as stated, ahaituky apratihata: “Devotional service cannot be checked by any material condition.” (Bhag. 1.2.6) Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu also recommended this process:

jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
ye prayaso ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyam

(Bhag. 10.14.3)

One may remain situated in his own place or his own occupational duty and still lend his ear to receive the message of the Lord from realized souls. The Krsna conscious movement is based on this principle, and we are opening centers all over the world to give everyone a chance to hear the message of Lord Krsna in order to go back home, back to Godhead.

SB4.24.70

TEXT 70

tam evatmanam atma-stham

sarva-bhutesv avasthitam

pujayadhvam grnantas ca

dhyayantas casakrd dharim

tam—unto Him; eva—certainly; atmanam—the Supreme Soul; atma-stham—within your hearts; sarva—all; bhutesu—in every living being; avasthitam—situated; pujayadhvam—just worship Him; grnantah ca—always chanting; dhyayantah ca—always meditating upon; asakrt—continuously; harim—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Therefore, O sons of the King, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is situated in everyone’s heart. He is also within your hearts. Therefore chant the glories of the Lord and always meditate upon Him continuously.

The word asakrt is significant, for it means not just for a few minutes but continuously. That is the instruction given by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka 3. Kirtaniyah sada harih: [Cc. adi 17.31] “The holy name of the Lord should be chanted twenty-four hours daily.” Therefore in this Krsna consciousness movement we request the devotees to chant at least sixteen rounds on their beads daily. Actually one has to chant twenty-four hours daily, just like Thakura Haridasa, who was chanting the Hare Krsna mantra three hundred thousand times daily. Indeed, he had no other business. Some of the Gosvamis, like Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, were also chanting very rigidly and also offering obeisances very rigidly. As stated in Srinivasacarya’s prayer to the six Gosvamis (Sad-gosvamy-astaka): sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-krtau. The word sankhya-purvaka means “maintaining a numerical strength.” Not only was Raghunatha dasa Gosvami chanting the holy name of the Lord, but he was also offering obeisances in the same prolific numbers.

Because the princes were ready to enter into some severe austerity in order to worship the Lord, Lord Siva advised them to constantly chant of and meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is significant that Lord Siva personally offered his prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead just as he was taught by his father, Lord Brahma. Similarly, he was also preaching to the princes according to the parampara system. One not only should practice the instructions received from the spiritual master but should also distribute this knowledge to one’s disciples.

The words atmanam atma-stham sarva-bhutesv avasthitam are also significant. The Personality of Godhead is the origin of all living entities. Because the living entities are parts and parcels of the Lord, He is the father of all of them. One can search out the Supreme Lord very easily within one’s heart, for He is situated in every living entity’s heart. In this verse the process of worshiping the Lord is considered to be very easy and complete, for anyone can sit down anywhere and in any condition of life and simply chant the holy names of the Lord. By chanting and hearing, one automatically engages in meditation.

SB4.24.71

TEXT 71

yogadesam upasadya

dharayanto muni-vratah

samahita-dhiyah sarva

etad abhyasatadrtah

yoga-adesam—this instruction of bhakti-yoga; upasadya—constantly reading; dharayantah—and taking within the heart; muni-vratah—just take the vow of the great sages, the vow of silence; samahita—always fixed in the mind; dhiyah—with intelligence; sarve—all of you; etat—this; abhyasata—practice; adrtah—with great reverence.

My dear princes, in the form of a prayer I have delineated the yoga system of chanting the holy name. All of you should take this important stotra within your minds and promise to keep it in order to become great sages. By acting silently like a great sage and by giving attention and reverence, you should practice this method.

In the hatha-yoga system one has to practice bodily exercises, dhyana, dharana, asana, meditation, etc. One also has to sit in one place in a particular posture and concentrate his gaze on the tip of the nose. There are so many rules and regulations for the hatha-yoga system that it is practically impossible to perform it in this age. The alternative system of bhakti-yoga is very easy not only in this age but in others as well, for this yoga system was advocated long ago by Lord Siva when he advised the princes, the sons of Maharaja Pracinabarhisat. The bhakti-yoga system is not newly introduced, for even five thousand years ago Lord Krsna recommended this bhakti-yoga as the topmost yoga. As Krsna tells Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita (6.47):

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

“Of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.”

The topmost yogi is he who constantly thinks of Krsna within himself and chants the glories of the Lord. In other words, this system of bhakti-yoga has been existing from time immemorial and is now continuing in this Krsna consciousness movement.

The word muni-vratah is significant in this regard because those who are interested in advancing in spiritual life must be silent. Silence means talking only of krsna-katha. This is the silence of Maharaja Ambarisa:

sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor
vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane

“King Ambarisa always fixed his mind on the lotus feet of the Lord and talked of Him only.” (Bhag. 9.4.19) We should also take this opportunity in life to become as good as a great saint simply by not talking unnecessarily with unwanted persons. We should either talk of Krsna or chant Hare Krsna undeviatingly. This is called muni-vrata. The intelligence must be very sharp (samahita-dhiyah) and should always be acting in Krsna consciousness. The words etad abhyasatadrtah indicate that if one takes these instructions from a spiritual master with great reverence (adrta) and practices them accordingly, he will find this bhakti-yoga process to be very, very easy.

SB4.24.72

TEXT 72

idam aha purasmakam

bhagavan visvasrk-patih

bhrgv-adinam atmajanam

sisrksuh samsisrksatam

idam—this; aha—said; pura—formerly; asmakam—unto us; bhagavan—the lord; visva-srk—the creators of the universe; patih—master; bhrgu-adinam—of the great sages headed by Bhrgu; atmajanam—of his sons; sisrksuh—desirous of creating; samsisrksatam—who are in charge of creation.

This prayer was first spoken to us by Lord Brahma, the master of all creators. The creators, headed by Bhrgu, were instructed in these prayers because they wanted to create.

Lord Brahma was created by Lord Visnu; then Lord Brahma created Lord Siva and other great sages, headed by Bhrgu Muni. These great sages included Bhrgu, Marici, Atreya, Vasistha and others. All these great sages were in charge of creating population. Since there were not very many living entities in the beginning, Visnu entrusted Brahma with the business of creation, and Brahma in his turn created many hundreds and thousands of demigods and great sages to continue with the creation. At the same time, Lord Brahma cautioned all his sons and disciples by reciting the prayers now recited by Lord Siva. The material creation means material engagement, but material engagements can be counteracted if we always remember our relationship with the Lord as that relationship is described in these prayers recited by Lord Siva. In this way we can remain constantly in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus despite our engagement in the creation, we cannot be deviated from the path of Krsna consciousness. The Krsna consciousness movement is especially meant for this purpose. In this material world everyone is engaged in some particular occupational duty which is prescribed in the varnasrama-dharma. Brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas, sudras and everyone are engaged in their occupational duty, but if one remembers his first duty—keeping in constant contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead—everything will be successful. If one simply executes the rules and regulations of the varnasrama-dharma in the role of a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra and keeps busy and does not remember one’s eternal relationship with the Lord, one’s business and activities as well as occupational duties will simply be a waste of time. This is confirmed in the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.8):

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam

The conclusion is that even if one is busy executing his occupational duty, his business in Krsna consciousness need not be hampered. He has simply to execute the devotional service of sravanam kirtanam—hearing, chanting and remembering. One need not abandon his occupational duty. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.46):

yatah pravrttir bhutanam
yena sarvam idam tatam
sva-karmana tam abhyarcya
siddhim vindati manavah

“By worship of the Lord—who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading—man can, in the performance of his own duty, attain perfection.”

Thus one can continue with his occupational duty, but if he worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Lord Siva herein prescribes, he attains his perfection of life. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam (Bhag. 1.2.13). We should continue executing our occupational duties, but if we try to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead by our duties, then our lives will be perfected.

SB4.24.73

TEXT 73

te vayam noditah sarve

praja-sarge prajesvarah

anena dhvasta-tamasah

sisrksmo vividhah prajah

te—by him; vayam—all of us; noditah—ordered; sarve—all; praja-sarge—at the time of creating population; praja-isvarah—the controllers of all living entities; anena—by this; dhvasta-tamasah—being freed from all kinds of ignorance; sisrksmah—we created; vividhah—various kinds of; prajah—living entities.

When all the Prajapatis were ordered to create by Lord Brahma, we chanted these prayers in praise of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and became completely free from all ignorance. Thus we were able to create different types of living entities.

In this verse we can understand that the various types of living entities were created simultaneously at the very beginning of the creation. The nonsensical Darwinian theory of evolution is not applicable here. It is not that intelligent human beings did not exist millions of years ago. On the contrary, it is understood that the most intelligent creature, Lord Brahma, was first created. Then Lord Brahma created other saintly sages like Marici, Bhrgu, Atreya, Vasistha and Lord Siva. They in their turn created different types of bodies according to karma. In Srimad-Bhagavatam Lord Kapiladeva told His mother that the living entity gets a particular type of body in accordance with his work and that this body is decided upon by higher authorities. The higher authorities, as appointed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are Lord Brahma and all other Prajapatis and Manus. Thus from the beginning of creation it can be seen that the first creature is the most intelligent. It is not that so-called modern intelligence has developed by the gradual process of evolution. As stated in Brahma-vaivarta Purana, there is a gradual evolutionary process, but it is not the body that is evolving. All the bodily forms are already there. It is the spiritual entity, or spiritual spark within the body, that is being promoted by the laws of nature under the supervision of superior authority. We can understand from this verse that from the very beginning of creation different varieties of living entities were existing. It is not that some of them have become extinct. Everything is there; it is due to our lack of knowledge that we cannot see things in their proper perspective.

In this verse the word dhvasta-tamasah is very important, for without being free of ignorance one cannot control the creation of different types of living entities. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.31.1), daiva-netrena—bodies are awarded under the supervision of superior powers. How can these superior powers control the evolutionary process of the living entity if they are not free from all imperfection? The followers of the Vedic instructions cannot accept the Darwinian theory of evolution, for it is marred by imperfect knowledge.

SB4.24.74

TEXT 74

athedam nityada yukto

japann avahitah puman

acirac chreya apnoti

vasudeva-parayanah

atha—thus; idam—this; nityada—regularly; yuktah—with great attention; japan—by murmuring; avahitah—fully attentive; puman—a person; acirat—without delay; sreyah—auspiciousness; apnoti—achieves; vasudeva-parayanah—one who is a devotee of Lord Krsna.

A devotee of Lord Krsna whose mind is always absorbed in Him, who with great attention and reverence chants this stotra [prayer], will achieve the greatest perfection of life without delay.

Perfection means becoming a devotee of Lord Krsna. As stated in the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.28): vasudeva-para veda vasudeva-para makhah. The ultimate goal of life is Vasudeva, or Krsna. Any devotee of Lord Krsna can attain all perfection, material gains and liberation simply by offering prayers to Him. There are many varieties of prayers to Lord Krsna chanted by great sages and great personalities such as Lord Brahma and Lord Siva. Lord Krsna is known as siva-virincinutam (Bhag. 11.5.33). Siva means Lord Siva, and virinci means Lord Brahma. Both of these demigods are engaged in offering prayers to Lord Vasudeva, Krsna. If we follow in the footsteps of such great personalities and become devotees of Lord Krsna, our lives will become successful. Unfortunately people do not know this secret. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum: “They do not know that the real interest and the highest perfection of life is to worship Lord Visnu [Krsna].” (Bhag. 7.5.31) It is impossible to become satisfied by trying to adjust the external energy. Without being a devotee of Lord Krsna, one can only be baffled and confused. To save living entities from such a calamity, Lord Krsna points out in Bhagavad-gita (7.19):

bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhah

“After many, many births and deaths, a wise man surrenders unto Me, knowing very well that I, Vasudeva, am everything. Such a great soul is very rare.”

We can achieve whatever benediction we want simply by becoming devotees of Vasudeva.

SB4.24.75

TEXT 75

sreyasam iha sarvesam

jnanam nihsreyasam param

sukham tarati dusparam

jnana-naur vyasanarnavam

sreyasam—of all benedictions; iha—in this world; sarvesam—of every person; jnanam—knowledge; nihsreyasam—the supreme benefit; param—transcendental; sukham—happiness; tarati—crosses over; dusparam—insurmountable; jnana—knowledge; nauh—boat; vyasana—danger; arnavam—the ocean.

In this material world there are different types of achievement, but of all of them the achievement of knowledge is considered to be the highest because one can cross the ocean of nescience only on the boat of knowledge. Otherwise the ocean is impassable.

Actually everyone is suffering within this material world due to ignorance. Every day we see that a person without knowledge commits some criminal act and is later arrested and punished, despite the fact that he actually may not have been conscious of his sinful activity. Such ignorance prevails throughout the world. People do not consider how they are risking their lives in an attempt to have illicit sex life, kill animals to satisfy their tongue, enjoy intoxication and gamble. It is very regrettable that the leaders of the world do not know of the effects of these sinful activities. They are instead taking things very easily and are succeeding in making the ocean of nescience wider and wider.

Opposed to such ignorance, full knowledge is the greatest achievement within this material world. We can practically see that one who has sufficient knowledge is saved from many dangerous pitfalls in life. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.19), bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate: “When one actually becomes wise, he surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah: “Such a great soul is very rarely to be found.”

This Krsna consciousness movement is determined to open wide the eyes of the so-called leaders, who are full of ignorance, and thus save them from the many pitfalls and dangerous conditions of life. The greatest danger is the danger of getting a body lower than that of a human being. It was with great difficulty that we attained this human form of life just to take advantage of this body and reestablish our relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. Lord Siva advises, however, that those who take advantage of his prayers will very soon become devotees of Lord Vasudeva and thus will be able to cross the ocean of nescience and make life perfect.

SB4.24.76

TEXT 76

ya imam sraddhaya yukto

mad-gitam bhagavat-stavam

adhiyano duraradhyam

harim aradhayaty asau

yah—anyone; imam—this; sraddhaya—with great faith; yuktah—devoutly attached; mat-gitam—the song composed by me or sung by me; bhagavat-stavam—a prayer offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adhiyanah—by regular study; duraradhyam—very difficult to worship; harim—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; aradhayati—he can, however, worship Him; asau—such a person.

Although rendering devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and worshiping Him are very difficult, if one vibrates or simply reads this stotra [prayer] composed and sung by me, he will very easily be able to invoke the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

It is especially significant that Lord Siva is a pure devotee of Lord Vasudeva. Vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh: “Amongst all Vaisnavas, Lord Siva is the topmost.” Consequently Lord Siva has a sampradaya, a Vaisnava disciplic succession, called the Rudra-sampradaya. At the present moment those who belong to the Visnusvami-sampradaya of Vaisnavas come from Rudra, Lord Siva. To become a devotee of Lord Krsna, Vasudeva, is very, very difficult. The word especially used in this connection is duraradhyam. The worship of the demigods is not very difficult, but becoming a devotee of Lord Vasudeva, Krsna, is not so easy. However, if one adheres to the principles and follows in the footsteps of the higher authorities, as advised by Lord Siva, one can easily become a devotee of Lord Vasudeva. This is also confirmed by Prahlada Maharaja. Devotional service cannot be practiced by a mental speculator. Devotional service is a special attainment which can be acquired only by a person who has surrendered unto a pure devotee. As confirmed by Prahlada Maharaja, mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam niskincananam na vrnita yavat: “Unless one accepts the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee, who is free from all material contamination, one cannot enter into the devotional service of the Lord.” (Bhag. 7.5.32)

SB4.24.77

TEXT 77

vindate puruso ’musmad

yad yad icchaty asatvaram

mad-gita-gitat supritac

chreyasam eka-vallabhat

vindate—achieves; purusah—a devotee; amusmat—from the Personality of Godhead; yat yat—that which; icchati—desires; asatvaram—being fixed; mat-gita—sung by me; gitat—by the song; su-pritat—from the Lord, who is very pleased; sreyasam—of all benediction; eka—one; vallabhat—from the dearmost.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the dearmost objective of all auspicious benedictions. A human being who sings this song sung by me can please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a devotee, being fixed in the Lord’s devotional service, can acquire whatever he wants from the Supreme Lord.

pranjalih sraddhayanvitah

As stated in Bhagavad-gita (6.22), yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah: if one can attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he has nothing to aspire for, nor does he desire any other gain. When Dhruva Maharaja became perfect by austerity and saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, he was offered any kind of benediction he wanted. However, Dhruva replied that he did not want anything, for he was perfectly satisfied with the benediction of seeing the Lord. Except for the service of the Supreme Lord, whatever we want is called illusion, maya. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’ (Cc. Madhya 20.108). Every living entity is an eternal servant of the Lord; therefore when one engages in the service of the Lord, he realizes the highest perfection of life. A faithful servant can fulfill any desire by the grace of the master, and one who engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord has nothing to aspire for separately. All his desires are fulfilled simply by engaging constantly in the Lord’s loving service. Lord Siva shows us that any devotee can be successful simply by chanting the prayers which he has recited.

SB4.24.78

TEXT 78

idam yah kalya utthaya

srnuyac chravayen martyo

mucyate karma-bandhanaih

idam—this prayer; yah—a devotee who; kalye—early in the morning; utthaya—after getting up from bed; pranjalih—with folded hands; sraddhaya—with faith and devotion; anvitah—thus being absorbed; srnuyat—personally chants and hears; sravayet—and gets others to hear; martyah—such a human being; mucyate—becomes freed; karma-bandhanaih—from all kinds of actions resulting from fruitive activities.

A devotee who rises early in the morning and with folded hands chants these prayers sung by Lord Siva and gives facility to others to hear them certainly becomes free from all bondage to fruitive activities.

gitam mayedam naradeva-nandanah

Mukti, or liberation, means becoming free from the results of fruitive activities. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.10.6): muktir hitvanyatha-rupam. Mukti means giving up all other activities and being situated in one’s constitutional position (svarupena vyavasthitih). In this conditional state, we are entangled by one fruitive activity after another. Karma-bandhana means “the bonds of fruitive activity.” As long as one’s mind is absorbed in fruitive activities, he has to manufacture plans for happiness. The bhakti-yoga process is different, for bhakti-yoga means acting according to the order of the supreme authority. When we act under the direction of supreme authority, we do not become entangled by fruitive results. For instance, Arjuna fought because the Supreme Personality of Godhead wanted him to; therefore he was not responsible for the outcome of the fighting. As far as devotional service is concerned, even hearing and chanting is as good as acting with our body, mind and senses. Actually, hearing and chanting are also activities of the senses. When the senses are utilized for one’s own sense gratification, they entangle one in karma, but when they are used for the satisfaction of the Lord, they establish one in bhakti.

SB4.24.79

TEXT 79

parasya pumsah paramatmanah stavam

japanta ekagra-dhiyas tapo mahat

caradhvam ante tata apsyathepsitam

gitam—sung; maya—by me; idam—this; naradeva-nandanah—O sons of the King; parasya—of the Supreme; pumsah—Personality of Godhead; parama-atmanah—the Supersoul of everyone; stavam—prayer; japantah—chanting; eka-agra—perfect attention; dhiyah—intelligence; tapah—austerities; mahat—great; caradhvam—you practice; ante—at the end; tatah—thereafter; apsyatha—will achieve; ipsitam—the desired result.

My dear sons of the King, the prayers I have recited to you are meant for pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul. I advise you to recite these prayers, which are as effective as great austerities. In this way, when you are mature, your life will be successful, and you will certainly achieve all your desired objectives without fail.