Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.1-2 Prabhupada: (leads chanting, etc.) variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam nrpa atmavit-sammatah pumsam srotavyadisu yah parah [SB 2.1.1] srotavyadini rajendra nrnam santi sahasrasah apasyatam atma-tattvam grhesu grha-medhinam [SB 2.1.2] So Pariksit Maharaja questioned. So Sukadeva Gosvami… “What is my duty? Now I am going to die within seven days, what is my duty?” So he enquired about Krsna because Pariksit Maharaja, born in a Vaisnava family, Arjuna’s grandson… Pandavas, they are Vaisnavas and devotee of Krsna, so from the childhood he had the opportunity to worship Krsna. He was playing with Krsna Deity, so naturally he was inclined to hear about Krsna. So he enquired, “What is my duty? Shall I simply hear about Krsna, or something else?” So on hearing this question, Sukadeva Gosvami is congratulating, variyan esa te prasnah: [SB 2.1.1] “Oh, your question is very wonderful, very welcome, variyan.” Variyan means “very welcome,” what I have given, variyan. “Glorious, yes. Glorious prasnah, because you have enquired about Krsna.” So variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam nrpa: [SB 2.1.1] “My dear king, this question is all-auspicious for all the people of the world.” If you simply enquire about Krsna or hear about Krsna, even though we do not understand, but that vibration of Krsna… Just like we are chanting “Hare Krsna,” we may not understand what is meaning of Hare Krsna, but still, because it is transcendental sound, it is auspicious. Wherever you chant Hare Krsna, they may hear or they may not hear, it is auspicious for them. So we are sending our men for street sankirtana. It doesn’t matter whether people are eager to hear it or not, but it is auspicious. It will create an atmosphere which is very, very congenial to the human society. That should be our principle. Not that because we are chanting, nobody is taking care, we shall not be disappointed. Our, this sankirtana movement is so nice that simply by chanting, the vibration will create an auspicious atmosphere, variyan esa te prasnah [SB 2.1.1] Now you can practically see, those who are old members… So I began in this New York in that storefront simply by chanting. So I did not bribe you American boys and girls to come after me. This is the only asset was chanting. That in Tompkinson square park, this Brahmananda Swami he first came to dance in my chant. (laughter) He and Acyutananda, that was the first dancing of our Krsna conscious movement. (laughter) Yes. And I had no mrdangas. That was a, what is that? Devotee: (indistinct) drum. Prabhupada: Drum, little drum. So I was chanting Hare Krsna for from two to five, three hours, and so many boys and girls were coming and joining, and there was first photograph in the Times, New York Times, they appreciated, and people also appreciated. So this chanting, the beginning was only chanting. There was no, nothing more. At that time there was no program of prasada distribution. That, later on it came. So we should always be confident that this chanting is not a vibration of this material world. This is not vibration of material world. Narottama dasa Thakura says, golokera prema-dhana hari-nama-sankirtana. It is imported from the spiritual world. It is completely spiritual. Otherwise how it is possible? Sometimes the so-called yogis, they say that chanting… In Bombay there is a so-called rascal, he says, “The chanting of Hare Krsna mantra and chanting of Coca-cola is the same.” He is such a rascal. He does not know that this is not a vibration of this material world. But one who has no knowledge, they think that “What is the meaning of this chant, ‘Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna’?” But they can practically see that we can go on chanting day and night, still we shall not become tired, but any other material name you take, after chanting three times you will feel tired. That is the proof. You can go on chanting day and night, you will never feel tired. So these people, poor people, they have (no) brain to understand. Anyway, the chanting is so auspicious, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given His benediction, ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. We are suffering in this material world because we are not cleansed of our understanding or of our heart. The heart is not cleansed. So this chanting will help us to cleanse the heart. srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana kirtanah hrdy antah stho abhadrani vidhunoti suhrt satam [Bhag. 1.2.17] Chanting is so nice that as soon as you take to chanting, or hear about Krsna—the chanting is also hearing about Krsna—so immediately the cleansing process begins, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12] And as soon as our heart is cleansed, bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam, then we become free from the blazing fire of this material existence. So chanting is so auspicious, therefore Pariksit Maharaja here, Sukadeva Gosvami says, variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam nrpa [SB 2.1.1]. In another place also, Sukadeva Gosva…, Suta, Suta Gosvami says, yat krtah krsna-samprasno yayatma suprasidati. When the great saintly persons in the Naimisaranya enquired about Krsna, he replied like that. Yat krtah krsna-samprasnah: “Because you have enquired about Krsna, it will cleanse your heart, yenatma suprasidati. You will feel a very transcendental bliss, comfort, within your heart.” So variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam [SB 2.1.1]. Loka-hitam. Actually our, this movement is the prime welfare activities to the human society, loka-hitam. It is not a business. Business means my hitam, my benefit only. It is not. It is Krsna’s business. Krsna’s business means Krsna is for everyone; therefore Krsna’s business is meant for everyone. We therefore welcome everyone. There is no distinction. “Come here and chant,” loka-hitam. And a sadhu, a saintly person should always think of loka-hitam. That is the difference between sadhu and ordinary man. Ordinary man, he thinks only of himself, or expanded himself, for family, for community, for society, for nation. These are all expanded selfishness. Expanded. When I am alone, I am thinking of my benefit only. When I am little grown up, I think of my brothers and sisters, and when I am little advanced, I think of my family. Little advanced, I think of my community. Little advanced, I think of my country, my nation. Or I can think of the whole human society, internationally. But Krsna is so big that Krsna includes everyone. Not only human society, animal society, bird society, beast society, tree society— everything. Krsna says, aham bija-pradah pita: “I am the seed-giving father of all these forms.” There are 8,400,000 different kinds of forms. Krsna claims “They, all of them, are My part and parcel living entities, but they are now covered by different dress only. But they are living entities.” This is Krsna consciousness vision. Therefore one who is actual Krsna conscious, pandita, panditah sama-darsinah… [Bg. 5.18]. Panditah, he does not see the outward dress; he sees the living entity encased in this particular type of body. So he has no concern with the body. Therefore a sadhu always thinks of everyone’s benefit. Just like Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami. Of the Gosvamis it is said, lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau. Because they were benefactor for all kinds of living entity, therefore they were honored tri-bhuvane, in three worlds. Tri-bhuvane. Lokanam hita-karinau. Nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau. A sadhu’s business is for the benefit of all living entities. A sadhu does not like to cut even a tree, because he knows, “Here is a living entity. He is standing here for many years by his karma, and he has to continue this for many years more. So he cannot avoid this because it is nature’s law.” Just like if you are put into prison for six months, nobody can save you, nobody can make you less, one day less than six months. So we get our particular type of body, we have to remain in that body for a certain period by the laws of nature. So by cutting the body—the living entity does not die—but because we check the continuation of his period, therefore we become sinful. You cannot cut even a tree without Krsna’s purpose. Without Krsna’s purpose we cannot kill even an ant, we cannot cut even a tree, then we shall be liable to punishment. So a sadhu sees that “Here is also a living entity.” Panditah sama… vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini suni caiva sva-pake ca panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18] Pandita does not make any discrimination that “Here is an animal, here is a man.” No, he sees, “The animal is also part and parcel of Krsna. He has got a different body, and the man also, he is also a part and parcel of Krsna, he has got a different body. Karmana, according to one’s karma, he is put into different type.” So loka-hitam. Now, this krsna-samprasnah, the question and answer about Krsna, if we simply hear, that is recommendation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir. You remain (in) your position, but you try to hear about Krsna. That is recommended. Simply you come in this temple and try to hear about Krsna, sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van. That will purify. Krsna-kirtana, Krsna’s name is so powerful, simply if you hear “Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna,” you become purified. You become purified. Therefore it is said, variyan esa te prasnah krto loka-hitam nrpa, atmavit-sammatah [SB 2.1.1]. Atmavit. It is not that I am only eulogizing. Atmavit-sammatah. All great personalities who is self- realized, atmavit. Atmavit means one who knows atma. General people, they do not know atma. But atmavit means one who knows atma, aham brahmasmi, “I am spirit soul, I am not this body,” and one who is well-acquainted about this atma-tattva. So unless one becomes aware of this atma-tattva, whatever he is doing, he is being defeated. They are seeing… Generally people, they are thinking that “I am now constructing this big skyscraper building. I am successful. I have become Rothschild, I have become Paul(?).” That is not atma-vit. Atma-vit… Because he is materially opulent, that does not mean atma-vit. That’s a subject matter that will be discussed in the next verse, apasyatam atma-tattvam [SB 2.1.2] One who cannot see his atma: grhesu grha-medhinam. They are compact in this materialistic way of life, grhesu grha-medhinam. Their condition is very… Actually this is the position of the whole world. They are not atma-vit. They do not enquire atma-tattvam; therefore they are less intelligent. Therefore I say that we, our propaganda is to make people more intelligent. They might not have taken it very nicely. They thought that “This poor swami has come to make us intelligent.” But actually that is the fact. That is the fact. This is not intelligence, that, bodily concept of life, “I spoil my whole life for bodily comforts, and then after giving up this body, I become a cat and dog.” Then what is that intelligence? Is that very good intelligence? Actually it has happened. I do not wish to discuss. Our Godbrother, Sridhara Maharaja, says… He was speaking from a paper that one of our great politician, very, in India, he has now become a dog in Sweden. It is published. There were enquiries about some prominent men in India, and he has answered, and one of the answer is, “Such-and-such politician, he is now one of the two dogs of a gentleman in Sweden.” You see. So this time, in this life I may become very big man, or big politician, big diplomat, big businessman, but next life, after your death, it is your big, your greatness of this material will not help you. That will depend on your work, and nature will offer you a certain type of body, you’ll have to accept. Of course you will forget. That is the concession given by nature. Just like we do not remember what we had been in our past life. If I remember that suppose I was a king in my past life, now I have become a dog, then how much suffering it will be. Therefore by nature’s law one forgets. And death means this forgetfulness. Death means this forgetfulness. So this is a great science. People do not know it. Our Krsna consciousness movement is very scientific, authorized, so our business is to enlighten people as far as possible, and at the same time we must remain enlightened. We may not be again covered by the darkness of maya. That we should be… That you can keep yourself very fit not to be covered by the maya. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]. If you very strictly adhere to the principle of Krsna consciousness, then maya will not be able to touch you. That is the only remedy. Otherwise maya is always looking after the opportunity, loophole, how she can capture you again. But if you remain strictly in Krsna consciousness, maya will not be able to do anything. Mam eva ye prapadyante. Daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya. It is very difficult to get out of the clutches of maya. It is very difficult. But Krsna says, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te: [Bg. 7.14] if one is strictly adhering to the lotus feet of Krsna, always… Therefore our, this program is twenty-four hours thinking of Krsna. Satatam. Satatam cintayo krsna. Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. adi 17.31]. These are the recommended. So if we simply think of Krsna… If you cannot do anything, simply think of Him. That is the highest meditational perfection. So always chant Hare Krsna mantra, be in touch with Krsna in so many ways, then you are secure. Maya will not be able to touch you. And if we can somehow or other pass our days and at the time of death we remember Krsna, then the whole life is successful. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
New York, April 19, 1973