Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.13.10 Nitai: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: “My Lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Supreme Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage.” Prabhupada: bhavad-vidha bhagavatas tirtha-bhutah svayam vibho tirthi-kurvanti tirthani svantah-sthena gadabhrta So tirthi, tirtha. Tirtha means holy place of pilgrimage. In every religion there is the system that the followers, they go to the holy place of pilgrimage. Just like in India, there are many holy places: Gaya, Prayaga, Mathura, Vrndavana, Haridvar, Ramesvaram, Jagannatha Puri, Navadvipa. Many. Some of them are very prominent, and still there are many nonprominent. Similarly, the Muhammadans they go to Mecca, Medina. The Christians they go Jordan. What is that? Bhagavan: Jerusalem. Prabhupada: Jerusalem. So human society, there must be some religious process; otherwise, it is animal society. And in every religion there is recommendation to go to the place, holy places of pilgrimage. This is one set up. Another set up is that bhagavatas tirtha-bhutah. Those who are devotees, they are themselves maha-bhagavata. They are first-class devotee. They themselves are the holy place. Not only they are themselves holy place, but wherever they go, they make that place holy place, pilgrimage. This is the idea. It was spoken by Maharaja Yudhisthira when Vidura came back home… Vidura left home. Although he belonged to the royal family, his nephew Duryodhana behaved with him not very nicely, so he left home. Before the beginning of the Battle of Kuruksetra, he was very fond of his eldest brother Dhrtarastra. So he was always giving him good counsel, “My dear elder brother, why you are intriguing against the Pandavas?” But he would not hear the younger brother’s advice. So his son, Dhrtarastra’s son, Duryodhana, he understood it that “This, my uncle, is always instigating my father not to take part in the matter of the vanquishing of the Pandavas.” So he used very harsh word, because Vidura, although he was the son of king, but he was not born of the queen. He was born of a maidservant. Formerly, the queens had many maidservants, and they also sometimes begot children by the king. So they were called dasi-putra. By legal significance, they were not inheritor. So Vidura was born like that. He was not born of the queen, but of the maidservant. But his elder brother Dhrtarastra liked him very much. He got him raised—he was younger—very nicely. He got him married and gave him sufficient property. He was very kind upon him. And therefore Vidura was also very much obliged to his eldest brother, and he was always giving him good advice, and a great devotee. So on this account of family dissension, he left home. And after the battle of Kuruksetra, when everything was finished, so still, he had affection for his eldest brother, “My dear brother, now everything is finished, your all sons, for whom you intrigued so much. And you are still living, I mean, shamelessly. Because you treated Pandavas, your nephews, very badly—you wanted to kill them in so many ways—you fell. Then there was battle. So your sons and grandsons all finished. And still, you are shamelessly living in the house of your nephew, with whom you treated so badly. You have no shame.” So in this way he very strongly criticized his brother, and then he surrendered, “My dear brother, what do you want me to do?” So he said that “You immediately come with me. Don’t remain here.” So immediately he left home, and then he underwent tapasya, and then he got salvation. So here when Vidura came, returned back, so Yudhisthira is receiving the uncle. He was also… He knew that “Our uncle Vidura was always in our side and tried to protect us.” So he was very pleased. So Vidura, during the time of war between the two section, he was traveling in the holy places of pilgrimage and talking with his spiritual master, Maitreya. So therefore because he was traveling in holy place, Yudhisthira Maharaja wanted to inform him that “My dear uncle, you are so exalted devotee, you do not require even to travel in the holy places of pilgrimage, because wherever you stay, that will turn into pilgrimage.” Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura says in his song, tirtha-yatra parisrama, kevala manera bhrama. He says, “To go to the holy places of pilgrimage, it is also a mental satisfaction.” Actually, if one is fully surrendered to the lotus feet of Krsna, he is so exalted that wherever he lives, that is a holy place of pilgrimage. That was Narottama dasa Thakura’s… And actually, that is the fact. The pure devotee of Krsna, he is always thinking of Krsna. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. They cannot forget Krsna even for a second, carrying Krsna. Therefore, because Krsna is with the devotee, such devotee, wherever he goes, that becomes a place of pilgrimage. It is also said that ordinary persons, they go to the holy places of pilgrimage, and they leave their sinful activities there in the holy place. That is the purpose of going to the holy place, that “During the whole life, whatever sinful activities I have done, now I leave it here, and I become purified.” That’s a fact. One becomes purified. But the ordinary man, he does not know how to keep purified life. Therefore again comes back home and again commits the sinful activities. And sometimes again he may go. Just like in your, the Christian church, they go to the church weekly, and they, what is called, atone, atonement. So this kind of business is not very good. Once purified, you remain purified. So when the holy places of pilgrimage become piled up with all the sinful reaction of common man, a saintly person when he goes there, he makes the holy place clean. The holy place becomes unclean due to the common men’s coming there and leaving their sinful reaction. So holy place becomes overburdened with the sinful results of other people. But in that holy place, when a devotee goes, then again the holy place becomes cleansed. This is the idea. Bhavad-vidha bhagavatah. So bhagavatah. Bhagavata means one who has his relation with Bhagavan. From Bhagavan… Bhagavan comes from the word bhagavata, and anything in relationship with Bhagavan, the Personality of Godhead, is called bhagavata. Just like this book is called bhagavata because it has nothing to do with any other thing except the activities of the Supreme Personality of… So Bhagavata. So there are two kinds of bhagavata: the book Bhagavata and the person bhagavata. So both of them are so pure that wherever Bhagavata reading is going on… And Bhagavata reading should be performed by the bhagavata, person bhagavata. Then it is very nice. Bhagavatas tirtha-bhutah. They are already purified, holy place of pilgrimage. Mahad-vicalanam nrnam grhinam dina-cetasam. Therefore, the bhagavatas, they travel all over the world to purify the ordinary human being because they are dina-cetasa. Dina-cetasa. Dina means poor. They are thinking… Materialistic persons, they think, “It is my duty to live comfortably, to give all facilities to the family or to the society or to the nation, earn your livelihood and spend for sense gratification.” This is their philosophy. They do not know anything more than that. Especially in the Western countries, they are very expert how to adjust materially for sense gratification. Just like we had been immediately to the park, very nice park. They know how to live comfortably in the material world, but there is no spiritual information. Missing point. That is the defect of the Western civilization. They have got some vague idea of God, practically no idea. But human life is not meant for that purpose, simply living very comfortably in material life. The other necessity is that they should know Bhagavan, become bhagavata. That is another necessity. So this Krsna consciousness movement, it is the desire of Krsna that these people who have no information practically about Bhagavan, so they should learn something from this Krsna consciousness movement. And therefore we have published so many nice books. It is the desire of Krsna they should read these books and try to understand the Krsna philosophy, the science of Krsna, the science of God. Then their life will be perfect. Otherwise, this one-sided civilization, material comforts, that will not help them. Because however you may create your city, home, very nice, clean, materially comfortable, you will not be allowed to stay. That defect, they do not understand. And after you leave this body, there is no certainty what kind of body you are going to have. There is certainty according to the material laws. There is certainty, but they do not know it. That body will be manufactured according to the association of the material modes of nature. There are three material modes of nature. If you keep yourself in touch with the material modes of nature of goodness, then you will be promoted to the higher standard of life. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah. Therefore at least, you may enjoy material life, but you should keep yourself to the standard of brahminical culture. Then there is guarantee that you don’t degrade yourself; you get higher status of life in the higher planetary system: Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Satyaloka. Then you will get… But if you keep yourself as it is, then you will remain in this planetary system. This is called bhur-loka. Bhur-loka. Om bhur bhuvah svah tat-savituh. You have gayatri-mantra. This is called bhu-loka. Bhuvar-loka. Then, above this, there is bhuvar-loka; then, above this, the heavenly planets. There is system. And if you keep yourself in the association of the modes of ignorance, or foolishness, then you go down. Jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. Jaghanya-guna. Tamasika means abominable character. The abominable character means these four things: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. This is tamo-guna, exhibition of tamo-guna. So, if you continue to keep yourself in the association of the modes of ignorance, then you are going to become adhah. Adhah means down. Down means there are many other planetary system. Just like upper there are bhur bhuvah svah, Jana, Mahar, like that, and down also: Tala, Atala, Vitala, Talatala, Patala, like that. There is system. So our only request is that… We don’t criticize you because you try to live comfortably in the material… Do that. But don’t associate with the modes of ignorance. That is very risky. That is very risky. So at least, either you remain in the householder life or brahmacari life or, I mean to…, sannyasa life, you keep yourself always in goodness. Then your position is all right. Otherwise, it is very risky. But these people, the Western people, they do not do that. They keep themselves in the modes of ignorance. That is very risky civilization. So at least you Europeans and Americans, you should know it, and you distribute this knowledge. It is your duty to save them. But these… They do not know it. As soon as there is talk of this goodness and sinful activity, immediately they go away. Immediately. Yesterday that gentleman came, and just when I began to talk about pious activities and impious activities, he immediately left, “I have got another meeting.” So this is the position. Upadeso hi murkhanam prakopaya na santaye. If one is a foolish person, if you give him good instruction, he will be angry. He will not take it. Upadeso hi murkhanam prakopaya na santaye payah-panam bhujanganam kevalam visa-vardhanam. A snake, if you kindly give him foodstuff, there is no… Snake is very fond of drinking milk. They are very much fond. So sometimes a snake charmer, they mix milk with banana and give them to eat for their satisfaction. But the result? What is the result? Result is as soon as he becomes strong by eating, the poison teeth becomes filled with poison. Just like with our healthy body, our different nerves and parts of the body become healthy, similarly, the snake’s most important part of the body… They have got a teeth. They keep… Within the pocket of the teeth there is venomous poison. So when they bite, from the hole of that teeth, the poison is emitted, and the man dies or the animal dies. But this is a fact. If you infect some disease, you will have to suffer from that disease. This is a fact. It is scientific. Similarly, if you are infected with the particular type of the modes of nature, then you will have to suffer like that. If you remain in ignorance, then you will get the body of animal. This is the… Therefore every one of you should become pure devotee, first-class devotee. First-class devotee is that… In this age it has been made very easy. Simply keep yourself cleansed, not to indulge in the four principles, prohibition, and chant Hare Krsna. Then you will be all first-class devotees. And wherever you will go, you will be able to purify there. Wherever you go. Wherever you speak, wherever you’ll sit. So keep this spiritual strength intact. Tirtha-bhutah. Tirthi-kurvanti tirthani sva antah-sthena. The Hare Krsna mantra chanting means keeping Krsna always within your heart. This is not… It is not expensive at all. You haven’t got to make a very exalted throne for Krsna. You can imagine that “In my heart I have placed now a very diamond throne, and Krsna is sitting.” That is accepted. It is… Actually it becomes. Even within the mind you think that “I have kept one diamond throne, very costly throne, because Krsna is coming. He will sit down here,” that is not false. That is a fact. So you create such s So here is the… If you simply carry Krsna within your heart always in a very devotional service, exalted devotional service, and chant Hare Krsna, and think of Krsna, wherever you will go, you will purify the whole place. Svantah-sthena gadabhrta. It is fact. It is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Try to remain in your position as devotee, and as far as possible teach these rascals who are simply attracted by the glaring material stones and woods, and let them have some knowledge and do benefit to your countrymen, to your society, to your family. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Geneva, June 1, 1974