Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.3 Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) nisamya bhismoktam athacyutoktam pravrtta-vijnana-vidhuta-vibhramah sasasa gam indra ivajitasrayah paridhyupantam anujanuvartitah Translation: “Maharaja Yudhisthira, after being enlightened by what was spoken by Bhismadeva and Lord Sri Krsna, the infallible, engaged himself in matters of perfect knowledge because all his misgivings were eradicated. Thus he ruled over the earth and seas and was followed by his younger brothers.” Prabhupada: So here is a responsible monarch, Maharaja Yudhisthira. It is not that some rascal gets some votes and some way or other he sits on the president’s chair and secretly doing all nonsense. Just like your President Nixon is now detected, so many things. The monarchy was not like that. Here it is clearly said, pravrtta-vijnana-vidhuta-vibhramah. Vijnana-vidhuta. Maharaja Yudhisthira was thinking that “For me, so many people have been killed. So I have become very, very much sinful. I am not fit for sitting on the throne, such responsible throne.” But his misgivings were dissipated by the words of Bhisma. Bhisma, he is authority. Next to Krsna, Bhisma is one of the authorities. There are twelve authorities. Svayambhur naradah sambhuh kapilah kumaro manuh, prahlado bhismo janakah [SB 6.3.20]. They are the authorities of piety, religion. They are… Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. We cannot decide what is actually piety, religion. But if we follow mahajana, great authorities, then certainly we are unmistaken. So Yudhisthira Maharaja, now all the Pandavas along with Krsna, they have come to Bhismadeva for taking his last instruction. He was lying on the bed of arrows for death. So his father’s benediction was that Bhismadeva would not die unless he desires to die. He was a very avowed brahmacari, truthful. And Bhismadeva recommended in the rajasuya-yajna that “Krsna is greater brahmacari than me. Although I am brahmacari, but Krsna is greater brahmacari.” Why? “I am brahmacari. I have avoided association of woman, but Krsna, He was young boy and He had so many young girlfriends, still, He was not sexually agitated. He is the greatest brahmacari.” That is the recommendation given by Bhismadeva. When Sisupala was criticizing Krsna, Bhismadeva supported Krsna, that “What kind of brahmacari I am? He is greater brahmacari than me. I think I could not save myself, keeping myself amongst the young girls. No. But Krsna can do so. He is real brahmacari.” So therefore His another name is Acyuta, “never falls down,” “infallible.” Every living entity is fallible. Only Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead… Brahma is fallible, what to speak of others, demigods. Brahma was attracted by seeing the beauty of his daughter. Lord Siva was fallible when he saw the beauty of Mohini-murti. So what to speak of others. And Indra, Candra, they are all fallible. Only Krsna is infallible. All others fallible. Therefore pravrtta-vijnana, bhismoktam atha acyutoktam. Acyuta. Krsna was addressed by Arjuna in the battlefield, “Acyuta.” Senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me acyuta. Acyuta. Acyuta means… He was addressing Krsna as Acyuta because he was feeling rather little hesitation that “Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has voluntarily accepted the position of my driver, and I have to ask Him, ‘Mr. driver, please take me there.’ I have to order Him, and He has to carry.” Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has taken the subordinate position of carrying order of Arjuna. Therefore he purposely addressed Him, “Acyuta, my dear friend Krsna, don’t mind I am ordering You, but You have promised to carry out my order. You are infallible; so kindly do not take into mind, I am ordering You.” This… Every word used in sastra has got so deep meaning. Senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya… He could address Him, “Krsna.” No, “Acyuta. You are correct to Your promise always.” And again, another place, Krsna says, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. Krsna asked Arjuna that “You declare to the world that My devotees will never be vanquished.” Why Krsna asking Arjuna to declare? He could declare. He could declare, but the meaning is that sometimes, for the sake of His devotee, He breaks His promise. For the sake of His devotee. Just like Bhisma. Bhisma promised, “Krsna, tomorrow either Your friend Arjuna will die, I am determined now, or You have to break Your promise.” Because Krsna said, “I will not fight.” But when Arjuna was practically devastated by the arrows of Bhisma, he fell down, his chariot broke, everything shattered. Now Krsna saw, “Now Arjuna is going to die.” So immediately Krsna took the wheel of the chariot and went to the front of Bhisma: “Now you stop; otherwise I will kill you.” So this is fighting. So Bhisma saw, “Now Krsna has broken His promise. I stop.” So to keep the promise of Bhisma, that Bhisma promised, “Either Arjuna will die, or Krsna, You will have to break Your promise,” two things, so Krsna said, “Yes, I am breaking My promise. Don’t kill Arjuna.” Therefore, for the sake of devotee, He sometimes break His promise. But if His devotee promises, “I shall do it,” Krsna will give him all protection: “Yes, it must be done. In all circumstances it must be done.” This is Krsna. If His devotee promises something, that “This must be done,” Krsna gives all protection. Therefore here it is stated, ajitasrayah. You cannot be successful without being ajitasrayah. Ajita. Ajita means Krsna. Nobody can conquer Him. Ajita. Jita means conquered. Nobody is there who can conquer Krsna. But Krsna also can be conquered by His devotees. Just like the gopis, they conquered Krsna. Krsna, I mean to say, accepted that “My dear gopis, the service which you have rendered, I cannot repay. You have conquered Me. There is no possibility of My repaying you your service. You better be satisfied with your service. That’s all.” So Krsna’s name is Ajita, Acyuta. These are Krsna’s different names. So Maharaja Yudhisthira, not that “Here I am getting the opportunity of becoming a prime minister or president. Let me jump over,” like monkey. Not like that. Not like that. He… He was convinced by the instruction of Bhismadeva, by the instruction of Acyuta, when he saw that “If I sit down on the throne to rule over the world, I will be right in my position.” And that is Maharaja Yudhisthira. Not only Maharaja Yudhisthira, all the kings who was emperor of the world, they were of the same nature, same nature. Therefore they were called rajarsi. Imam rajarsayo viduh. Evam parampara-praptam, rajarsayah. The Bhagavad-gita, it meant for the rajarsis. King, but they are saintly person. Therefore they are called rajarsi. Raja and rsi, both, combined together, rajarsi. So all the kings in those days, they were all rajarsis. Not this rascal president. So Maharaja Yudhisthira ruled over the earth. Now, it is clearly stated, paridhyupantam, “up to the limit of the seas.” That means all the seas—the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, the biggest oceans, the Indian Ocean. That means the whole world. Here is the proof, that formerly the emperors in Hastinapura, Maharaja Yudhisthira, he ruled over the whole world. There was only one flag. That is also stated. Up to the time of Maharaja Pariksit, there was no division. The whole world was Bharata-varsa, and the emperor of Hastinapura, they ruled over, paridhyupantam. Anujanuvartitah. He was not alone. His brothers, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula, Sahadeva, great fighters, great commander-in-chiefs, generals, they were at his command. Anujanuvartitah. Whatever Maharaja Yudhisthira will order… Otherwise, how could he manage such great empire? He had generals and commander-in-chiefs like Arjuna and Bhima, indefatigable. Nobody could conquer Arjuna or Bhima also. Maharaja Yudhisthira, personally he did not fight. His brothers were sufficient to fight for himself, as in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. He was not fighting, but his brother, Arjuna and Bhima, was fighting. So well- equipped, Maharaja Yudhisthira, completely, scientifically. Vijnana-vidhuta. Vijnana means scientifically. Jnana and vijnana. Jnana means ordinary knowledge, and vijnana means practical knowledge. Just like in science, B.A.C., one has to pass the theoretical examination and practical examination. Without passing practical examination, theoretical you may know: hydrogen and oxygen makes water. No. In the laboratory you have to pass the examination, how to transform into water, two gases, hydrogen and oxygen. This is vijnana. So he eradicated his ideas. He was thinking that he was wrong. So when everything was clearly explained by Bhismadeva, vijnana-vidhuta-vibhramah, scientifically. Sentiment… In the sastras there is no question of sentiment. In the Vedic knowledge, everything is vijnana-vidhuta-vibhramah. Education means to purify the knowledge, because we are all born animals. Abodha-jata. Abodha. Abodha means one who has no knowledge. The animals, children, they have no knowledge. Just like we see the behavior of small children and household cats and dogs, their behavior is almost the same, no distinction. Because in that stage everyone is abodha-jata, born fools and rascals. But the animals, there is no chance of educating them. Whereas human children, there is chance of educating them. Therefore, in the human society, there are educational institution. Children are sent there for education, and they become learned scholars later on. And if they are fortunate, by good education, they become vijnana-vidhuta-vibhramah. Vijnana-vidhuta-vibhramah. By instruction of high personalities, mahajana… Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. Bhisma is also one of the mahajanas, a great authority. So this is the position of Maharaja Yudhisthira, that completely being confident, completely being freed from all ignorance, then he sat on the throne. Just imagine what is the position of this monarch and these rascal so-called presidents. Sanatana Gosvami presented himself… Sanatana Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami, he presented, both of them presented themself by Caitanya Mahaprabhu as nica-jati. Nica. Nica means lowest, lowest grade; jati, born. But actually they were born of very high-grade brahmana family of Karnatak. But why they presented themselves as nica-jati? Because that is explained in Bhakti-ratnakara, that because their behavior on account of mixing with the Muhammadan kings degraded, therefore they considered themself as nica. That is confirmed by the sastras. You may take birth in high brahmana family, but by association and culture, if you become degraded, then you have to be designated as such degraded person. Not that you become degraded, at the same time, you keep yourself as brahmana. That is not possible. Yasya yal laksanam syat varnabhivyanjakam. In the sastra it is said that there are symptoms of varna. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita you will find the symptoms, who is a brahmana. So these are the symptoms. Satyam samo damas titiksa arjavam, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. So if you don’t find these symptoms, then how one can become brahmana? That is not possible. Therefore in our Krsna consciousness movement, we are trying to develop the symptoms of brahmana. Not by birth; to educate them, how to become samo damas titiksa arjavam. So therefore you all, you should know that… You are not born in the brahmana family. It may not be very hard word, but actually it is mleccha-yavanas. Mleccha-yavanas means the cow flesh eaters, meat-eaters. They are called mleccha-yavanas. Especially mleccha means cow-eaters. So you are coming from the mleccha-yavanas’ family, but you are being accepted as brahmana. Why? For the symptoms. You are being trained up to acquire the symptoms, samo damas titiksa. If you think that “Now I have got the sacred thread, I have become victorious,” no. You must always examine yourself, “Whether I am possessing all the symptoms?” Otherwise, you are no good. Simply by a thread, you do not become… Sutram eva hi dvijatvam. Just like Kali-yuga, it is said a sutram… Sutram means this thread. If some way or other one gets this thread, he thinks himself he has become brahmana, no. To become brahmana is not so easy thing. One must acquire all these qualities. Samo damas titiksa arjavam astikyam jnanam vijnanam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. Unless you… So you must be always alert whether you are fixed up in the symptoms. Then you are qualified brahmana. Otherwise you are again the same category as in India. Some of them, they are simply claiming to become brahmana on account of being born in a brahmana family, No. That is not the sa… Just like Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami. Actually, they were born in brahmana family, but they knew that “We have lost our culture, due to association with the Muhammadans always.” Therefore he presented himself, nica-jati. Nica-jati, nica-karma, nica-sangi. So if we deteriorate in our symptoms of brahmana, then that is not brahmana, that is not qualified brahmana. Therefore… It is a vijnana. Vijn\ ana-vidhuta-vibhramah. Everyone is uneducated. Everyone is born rascal and fool. He should be enlightened, elevated, by vijnana-vidhuta. Vijnana-vidhuta-vibhramah. This can be achieved when one is interested in the matter of self-realization, if one is interested. Atma-tattvam. Parabhavas tavad abodha-jato yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. If one is not interested in understanding his identification, what he is, ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya. As Sanatana Gosvami presented himself before Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his question was, “Ke ami?” Tad-vijnanartham gurum eva abhigacchet. Strictly according to Vedic principles. Sanatana Gosvami approached the spiritual master, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, tad-vijnanartham. What is that? “What I am?” To understand this, tad-vijnanartham, the atma-tattvam, self- realization. So to become a disciple of spiritual master, unless there is awakening of this knowledge, to know “What I am?” there is no need of making a show, accepting a spiritual master. There is no need. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. For whom guru is needed? Guru, spiritual master, is not a farce, that “Let me have a guru, nice guru. Then I become perfect.” And if you do not follow the instruction of guru… First of all, you must have a bona fide guru. And if you follow, then your life is perfect. So two things must be correct: the guru must be correct and the disciple must be correct. Then the business will be correct. And either of them, if guru is incorrect or the disciple is incorrect, there will be no action. So therefore Bhagavata says, tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam. Who shall approach? Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. According to Vedic instruction, everyone should approach a guru. But who is that everyone? One who is jijnasu. Athato brahma jijnasa. One who is inquisitive to understand “What I am? Am I this body or something else?” That is beginning of spiritual instruction. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita the first instruction to Arjuna was to know that beyond this body, there is the soul. dehino ’smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13] The first instruction. The so-called spiritual institution, spiritual system, but they do not know that what he is, what they are. The bodily identification. Anyone who is bodily identified, there is no question of spiritual instruction. He is an ass. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke, sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13] The first spiritual instruction is, one must be convinced thoroughly, vijnana-vidhuta-vibhramah, that he is not this body. “I am not this body. Aham brahmasmi.” This realization, “I am spirit soul. I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman.” Krsna is the Supreme Brahman. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. So mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. Krsna says, “All the living entities, they are My part and parcels.” So when the living entity understands that “I am part and parcel of Krsna. Krsna is Parabrahman. So I am not Parabrahman. I am the of the Supreme Brahman…” The Mayavada philosophy, they mistake this: “Because I am Brahman, therefore I am Supreme Brahman.” No. Supreme Brahman is Krsna. I am Brahman, because I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. Just like in your country, in America, you are American and the president Nixon is also American. Because you are American, therefore you are not President Nixon. That is rascaldom. President Nixon is different. Similarly, because you are Brahman, that does not mean you are Parabrahman. Parabrahman, is Krsna. There must be distinction between the Parabrahman and the individual Brahman. This is dvaita-vada philosophy. And the Mayavada philosophy, they say, “Because Parabrahman is Brahman, I am also Brahman; therefore we are one.” No. You are one qualitatively, Brahman. As Brahman you are one. But as Parabrahman and Brahman, you are different. This is acintya-bhedabheda, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s philosophy, simultaneously one and different. As Brahman we are one, but as Parabrahman… Vibhu and anu. The Supreme is vibhu, all powerful. I am anu, infinitesimal. Infinite and infinitesimal. So Maharaja Yudhisthira, when he was firmly convinced of his position, then he took charge, took charge of ruling over the whole world. Not… Just like at the present moment, India is a small tract of land, and that is also being divided now. Bangladesh has gone out. Pakistan has gone out. Some day some other province will… Not that. The whole world. He took charge of ruling over the whole world. sasasa gam indra iva. Indra. Indra is the king of heaven, heavenly planets. So as Indra is powerful… Nobody can even… Indra is never defeated. Sometimes there is fight between the devasura, asura and deva. But when there is fight between the deva and asura… Deva means the demigod, and asura means the atheist class. They are always existing, the atheist class, two classes of men, atheist class and theist class. Visnu-bhakto bhaved daiva asuras tad viparyayah. Those who are devotees of Lord Visnu, Vaisnava, they are demigods, and anyone else—all demons. Except Vaisnava, everyone is a demon. You can say, “Now I am devotee of Lord Siva. How can I be demon?” Yes, you are demon. Because Ravana was a great devotee of Lord Siva, but he is described as a demon, raksasa. Raksasa. Hiranyakasipu was a great devotee of Lord Brahma. Still, he is described as raksasa, demon. So if you are devotee of the demigods, you can become powerful for some time. Just like Hiranyakasipu became. He took benediction from Lord Brahma that “I shall not die at daytime, at nighttime, on land, on sea, on the sky. I shall not be killed by any animal, by any demigod, by any man, by any…” So many ways, definition by negation. “Not this, not this, not this.” First of all he wanted, “Make me immortal.” Brahma said, “I am not immortal. How can I make you immortal? That is not possible.” Then he thought, “I am intelligent enough. I shall indirectly become mortal. I shall not be killed in this way, I shall not be killed in this way. No animal can kill me, no man can kill me, no demigod can kill me. I shall not die at night, I shall not die in daytime, not on the land, not on the sea, not in the sky.” In this way, whatever imagination he could manufacture, he settled up, “Now I am immortal.” But Krsna is so cunning and intelligent that He kept all the promises of Brahma; still, he was killed, Hiranyakasipu. He was not killed at daytime. He was not killed at night. He was not killed in the sky, not on the land, not on the sea—on the lap. Hiranyakasipu, he did not think that “I will have to die on the lap of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” That was his fortune. Anyway… So this is the way. And here it is said, sasasa gam indra iva. Indra. Indra, the demigods, they are always protected by Visnu, always protected. Whenever there is fight between the demigods and demons, Lord Visnu takes the side of the demigods. Therefore Indra is ajita-asraya. He is confident that “I am protected by Lord Visnu, Ajita.” Similarly, Maharaja Yudhisthira also, when he was assured that “I am also protected by Krsna, I am also enlightened by the instruction of Bhisma; my brothers, such big brothers, Bhima, Arjuna, they will follow my instruction,” in this way, when everything was in complete, vijnana-vidhuta-vibhramah, then he accepted the throne. This is monarchy. This is king. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Mayapura, June 18, 1973