Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.23 Pradyumna: “In the last millennium I was born as the son of a certain maidservant engaged in the service of brahmanas, who were following the principles of Vedanta. When they were living together during the four months of the rainy season, I was engaged in their personal service.” Prabhupada: aham puratita-bhave ’bhavam mune dasyas tu kasyascana veda-vadinam nirupito balaka eva yoginam susrusane pravrsi nirviviksatam So this is the previous life history of Narada Muni. Narada Muni is explaining about his previous life to Vyasadeva. What was the previous life? The son of a maidservant. Maidservant means sudrani, not born of a brahmana family. Low class, maidservant. So from this position, Narada Muni became the greatest muni. He is describing his own life. This is most important point, that even… First of all, he was a boy, three-, four-or five-years-old boy, no knowledge. And second point is that he was not born in a very high-grade family, aristocratic family, rich family. No. Maidservant’s son. He did not give any information of his father also. Dasyah. Dasyah means there is no certainty who is father. Dasi. Dasi-putra. The… Formerly, big, big men, especially ksatriyas… Just like when Vasudeva was married with Devaki, so with Devaki many hundreds maidservants were given, with Vasudeva. That is the system, especially among the ksatriyas. When a ksatriya king is married, then along with the queen, many girlfriends of the queen, they are also taken away. This is also nice solution of social problem. Yes. Because female population is always greater than the male population. And… Therefore, the royal order, they would accept all these girls as associates. And sometimes they would be pregnant, and there will be son. They were called dasi-putra. They were not neglected. They were equally taken care of. But they were not heir to the throne. Only the married wife’s son… Just like Vidura. Vidura’s birth was like that. Vidura was not born of the queen, but maidservant. And Dhrtarastra, he took him as his brother. There was no discrimination, because one is born of the maidservant… No. Equal treatment. Only the restriction was that he would not inherit the throne. That was the system. So here… Of course, it appears that Narada Muni was not of that kind of dasi-putra. Ordinary dasi-putra. Because the such dasi, or the maidservant, they do not come out for common service. They remain within the palace. So the point is that Narada Muni in his previous life was not very recognized family, neither brahmana nor nothing of the sort. Still, he became next life the Narada Muni. And what is the cause? What… The cause is, nirupito balaka eva yoginam: “I was appointed a boy servant of the devotees.” The importance is that devotee is so important that if anyone renders a little service, then he becomes elevated to the spiritual life. What balaka… Balaka means there was a boy. “You, boy, bring me this,” or “Do this. Just wash my cloth,” or “Just set up my bedding.” Like that. This much servant. Or “Wash this dish.” So the devotional service is so powerful, by doing this… This will be described later on, that simply by doing this little service to the yoginam, he was so blessed that next life he became Narada. This point is very important point. That is being explained. Another point is that when one is situated… Narada, after this life, he became situated in his spiritual life. In the spiritual life, therefore, he was able to go anywhere. Narada is traveling all over the universe. Not only within this material world, in the spiritual world also. He goes to see Narayana in the spiritual world. (aside:) This boy is sleeping. You can… You go back side. Those who will sleep can go back side. So this is one point, that in spiritual life one is free to move. There is no requisition of this airplane or… Even in this material world, those who are very highly elevated… That is called… They live in the Siddhaloka. There is a… That is described in the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Siddhaloka. Now, Siddhaloka, the inhabitants of the Siddhaloka, they don’t require any plane. They can go… Because siddha means the inhabitants in that planet, they are all perfect in asta-siddhi-yoga. By yogic perfection, one can travel in the space. Just like Durvasa Muni. He traveled in the space. When there was chasing by the Sudarsana-cakra, he, by yogic power, he fled from one place to another, one place… He even entered the spiritual nature and saw Visnu personally. Still he was condemned. The Sudarsana-cakra was after him, chasing. He tried to insult Ambarisa Maharaja, Vaisnava. So… He wanted to kill. Not only insult, but he wanted to kill him. A demon was immediately produced by his hair. The yogis can do that. Anima… Anima, laghima, prapti-siddhi… Whatever they like… Immediately he brought one demon. So… But Vaisnava, Maharaja Ambarisa, he was neither yogi, nor he could display any yogic perfection. But he was protected by Krsna, by the Sudarsana-cakra. This is Vaisnava’s… Vaisnavas do not require to practice any yogic power to become materially powerful. He doesn’t require. Simply his surrender to Krsna makes him all-powerful. This is the position of Vaisnava. Vaisnavas, they do not care for all these yogic powers. They depend on Krsna. And who can be… Krsna is the yogesvara, all, master of… Yatra krsno… yatra yogesvarah krsnah. So if one takes shelter of the Yogesvara, the master of all mystic power, why he should bother about this yogic power? A poor man may try to earn money by hard labor, but one who is a very, very rich man’s son, why should he labor? The father’s money is sufficient. Similarly, a devotee, a sincere devotee, he is under the protection of Krsna. And under the protection of Krsna means under the protection of all six kinds of opulences: riches, then strength, then reputation, wisdom, renunciation, beauty—the six kinds of opulence. Krsna, under… Yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah. This is stated here. Because if you get somehow or other Krsna’s favor, then there is no question of any more profit. Sufficient profit. You have got everything. Simply be sincere to the service of Krsna. Then you have got everything. There is no need of trying for this or that. Yasmin sthito gurunapi duhkhena na vicalyate. If one is situated under the shelter of Krsna’s lotus feet, then gurunapi duhkhena na vicalyate. If there is dangerous type of inconvenience, then he’s not disturbed. He knows… Just like Ambarisa Maharaja, Prahlada Maharaja… There are many instances. His father, Hiranyakasipu, was giving him trouble, chastising. He was patient, not disturbed. So be sure that if you are, if you have actually taken shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna, there is no question of danger. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. And Krsna confirms it: “Kaunteya, My dear Arjuna, you declare to the world that My devotee will be never vanquished by any enemy.” That is Krsna’s assurance. So why should we try to… Of course, if Krsna’s order is there, that is another thing. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was ordered by Krsna, “You fight.” When Krsna says, “You fight,” you must fight. Not that Krsna says, “You fight,” and you say, “No, I have taken Your shelter. Why shall I fight?” No, that is not. That is disobedience. When Krsna says, “You fight,” you must fight. When… Our life should be that whatever Krsna says… That is full surrender. Or His representative says, that is my life. Visvanatha Cakravarti has explained in the Bhagavad-gita. vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana bahu-sakha hy anantas ca buddhayo ’vyavasayinam So our… We should be fixed up on the order of Krsna coming through the spiritual master. Then our life is successful. This is the secret of success in spiritual life. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. This is assured. We have to please the spiritual master. And if he’s pleased, then Krsna is pleased. The argument that “We do not see Krsna personally. How we can satisfy Him?”… You satisfy your spiritual master, then Krsna is pleased. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadat… **. And if you want to please directly Krsna, and show your spiritual master plantain, then na gatih kuto ’pi. It will be all useless. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ’pi **. So this Narada Muni’s history is very interesting, that he was not educated, a boy, and not coming from cultured family— maidservant’s son. The only qualification was that nirupito balaka eva yoginam. He was engaged as a boy servant to the yogis. So how he got this opportunity? That is here: susrusane. Susrusane means in service; pravrsi, during the rainy season. Because saintly persons, mendicants, sannyasis, their business is to travel. Travel. When, of course, something established, then a sannyasi can rest, paramahamsa stage. When there are many disciples, workers, it is going on, then he can take rest. Otherwise it is the business of the sannyasi to travel. So these yogis, or the sannyasis, they were traveling all over the world or all over the country or all over the province… Their business is traveling. But during rainy season, because it is very difficult… Formerly, there was no airplane. Or might be, but they were not traveling, walking. So for these four months, rainy season, they used to take shelter at a nice place in a pilgrimage and wait. Until the rainy season is finished, they would not go out. That is called caturmasya. This is the meaning of caturmasya. So Narada Muni got this opportunity. Now, you can calculate. This is knowledge. Then he had the opportunity to serve these yogis for four months only. Not more than that. And he became Narada. Just understand how much powerful is service to the Vaisnavas, devotees. And that is also confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah ye ’nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah sudhyanti tasmai prabhavisnave namah Yad-apasrayasrayah means if anyone takes the shelter of the devotee, apasrayasrayah… A devotee takes the shelter of Krsna’s lotus feet, and if somebody else takes the shelter of the lotus feet of the devotee, sudhyanti, becomes purified. This is our Krsna consciousness movement. And who becomes purified? Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha ya… All the people who are less than the sudras. They are called pancamas, fifth grade. First grade, brahmana, second grade, ksatriya, third grade, vaisya, fourth grade, sudra, and all others— fifth grade. They are called candalas. The candalas… The sweeper, the cobbler, and the… Low grade. Still, in India, these fifth-grade persons only, they eat meat, pigs, and sometimes cows. Fifth grade. Now it has become a practice. And he’s a first-grade man. So just see. What was the business of the fifth-grade men, that has become the business of the so-called politicians. You see. So if you are ruled by the fifth-grade men, then how you can be happy? That is not possible. How there can be any social tranquillity? That is not possible. But even the fifth-grade man, he can be purified by Krsna consciousness movement. Therefore there is great need of this movement. Because at the present moment there is no first-class men, no first-grade men, no second-grade men. Maybe third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade, like that. But they can be purified. That is… The only process is this Krsna consciousness movement. Anyone can be purified. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. They are called papa-yoni, born in low-grade, sinful family. Papa-yoni. Krsna says, ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah. Never mind what kind of papa-yoni. Mam hi partha vyapa… “If he takes shelter of Me, then…” That shelter can be taken because Krsna’s representative is canvassing. So there is no scarcity. Simply one has to take shelter of him. That’s all. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission is to create this canvasser. “Go everywhere.” Amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128] “Go.” He used to send Nityananda Prabhu, Haridasa Thakura and, to canvass, “Please chant Hare Krsna. Please chant Hare Krsna. Please surrender to Krsna.” Also there was a crowd on the street. Nityananda Prabhu and Haridasa Thakura saw, and they asked, “What is this crowd?” “No, there are two brothers, Jagai and Madhai, very troublesome. They are drunkards, woman- hunters and meat-eaters, and they are, create always trouble.” So Nityananda Prabhu immediately decided, “Why not deliver these persons first? Then My Lord’s name will be glorified. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s name will be glorified.” This is the business of the disciple, how to glorify the spiritual master, parampara. I glorify my spiritual master, you glorify your spiritual master. If we simply do that, glorify, then Krsna is glorified. That was the decision of Nityananda Prabhu, that “Why not deliver these fallen souls first?” Because Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s incarnation is to deliver the fallen souls. And in… And there is no scarcity of fallen souls in this age. patita-pavana-hetu tava avatara, mo sama patita prabhu na paibe ara Narottama dasa Thakura is placing himself to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that “My dear Lord, Your incarnation is to reclaim all these fallen souls. But I am the lowest of the fallen souls. So my claim is first. Kindly deliver me.” Mo sama patita prabhu na paibe ara. “You are, Your determination is to deliver the fallen. So I am the first-class fallen. Please accept me.” So Kali-yuga, people are suffering. They’re all fallens, all meat- eaters, all drunkards, all fifth-grade, sixth-grade men. They are puffed-up, but actually they are fifth-, sixth-and tenth-grade men, not even gentlemen. Therefore my Guru Maharaja used to say that “No gentleman can live here. The society is so polluted.” And… But the, there is opportunity of serving Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because the society is so fallen, therefore there is good opportunity to serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s incarnation is to reclaim these fallen souls. So you have got the opportunity to serve Sri Caitan…, to please Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu because He wanted the fallen souls to be delivered. Krsna also wanted. Yada yada hi glanir bhavati bharata, dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata. Krsna comes… This is… God’s business is going on like that. He’s very anxious to reclaim all these rascals, rotting in this material world. Krsna is always anxious. He comes Himself. He comes as devotee. He comes…, sends His bona fide servant, bona fide son. So this is Krsna’s concern, to reclaim all these fallen souls. Therefore these are the opportunity. The yoginis, the yoginah, they are traveling all over the world. Only during the rainy season they were resting. Not that in other seasons eating and sleeping only. No. Because in the rainy season, to travel, there is inconvenience, therefore only four months. So during the four months, wherever they stay, simply being served by somebody as, like a boy servant, they become delivered. There was no question of preaching. Simply giving the opportunity to serve, the fallen souls become delivered. But you must be competent, not to take service for nothing. Then you’ll go to hell. If you are actually in spiritual position, then by giving others little opportunity to serve you, he’ll be delivered. No question of understanding the philosophy. A devotee must be so perfect. The system is, therefore, as soon as one sees a devotee, he falls down and takes the…, touches the feet. This is the system. Because by touching the feet… Mahat-pada-rajo-’bhisekam. If one is actually elevated to the spiritual life and he is, mean, takes, the people takes the opportunity of touching his lotus feet, then he becomes devotee. This is the process. So here, how he became Narada Muni will be described. But here it is said… One thing is that when you are liberated… Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. You become an associate of Narayana, Krsna, Visnu. Then you can remember your past lives. Remember your past lives. Just like you can remember your dreams, “I was dreaming like that.” So this is all dream. Our, this life, at the present moment, because this body is false, so whatever we are acting, it is just like dream. Just like in dream at night we also work. So this is gross dream and that is subtle dream. But real life is spiritual life. But we foolish people, we are taking this life as permanent life, permanent settlement. It is not permanent settlement. Here is…, Narada Muni’s saying, aham pura atita-bhave abhavam. Atita-bhave. This nature… Just like everything material… Bhutva bhutva praliyate. It appears for some time like bubbles in the ocean, few seconds. Again finished. The whole cosmic manifestation in which we are millions and millions of years, it is just like a bubble in the ocean. It is just like a bubble. Bhutva bhutva praliyate. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita. So Narada Muni confirms that “Formerly, in the millennium…” That is Brahma’s night. When Brahma’s night comes, everything becomes devastated in water. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh [Bg. 8.17]. First of all sahasra-yuga. One yuga means forty- three hundred thousands of years. Multiply it by one thousand. That is the period of manifestation. Now, what is the period? Forty-three lakhs of years, and multiply it by a thousand. How many years? Devotee: Four billion. Svarupa Damodara: Four point three billions. Prabhupada: Eh? Svarupa Damodara: Four point three billions. Prabhupada: Four point three billions of years this thing will go on. And then again, for… This is ksana-pralaya. (?) Ksana-pralaya means when Brahma’s day and night. But there is maha-pralaya. That will stay we do not know how many millions of years. So this is called millennium. So Narada Muni remembers this. Therefore he says, aham pura atita-bhave. This is called bhava, bhava. Bhava means to come into existence and again finish. Just like this bhava-samsara. It is called bhava-samsara. Bhava-samsara means I have got this body, and it will be finished. Again I shall get another body. Again it will be finished. So where is the science to understand these things? Who can explain? Where is the scientist? Pura atita-bhave? Is there any scientist? Is there? So what is their knowledge? Very meager knowledge. Two plus two. That’s all. (laughs) And they’re very much proud. Who can explain this? Pura atita-bhave. They do not know pura, they do not know atita, bhave. And abhavam. And “I existed. And I can remember.” Is that perfection possible? But this is a fact. It is a fact. One may believe or not believe. They are making research institute, big, big… Yesterday Bon Maharaja was speaking… What is this research? Research here. And Narada Muni says that “In my previous life I was like this.” Where is, where is the research? So comparing this or comparing that, real research is here. If actually one is research scholar, “Now, what does this Bhagavata says? Pura atita-bhave. What is this?” Go on researching. That is required. That is real research work. So pura atita-bhave abhavam mune. Mune. He’s addressing Vyasadeva, mune. “So I was the son of a maidservant, and I was engaged as the boy servant of yogis, and they were taking rest for four months. So I had the opportunity of serving them four months as their boy servant. Just to take, whatever they left, prasadam, I used to take. To wash their dishes or to wash their cloth. In this way he got the opportunity of serving perfect devotees for four months,” and he became Narada. This is the importance. This is the importance, that simply by rendering… Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. He became Narada means he was saved from the mahato bhayat, very great, fearful, dangerous position. What is that fearful, dangerous position? They do not care. We are so fool that we are always on the brink of dangerous position… If we don’t utilize this life properly, I may fall down again to the cycle of birth and death. Tatha dehantara-praptih. I shall get another body. There is no guarantee what kind of body I am going to get. I do not know. This foolish civilization is going. Save them by this Krsna consciousness. That is the best welfare activity. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vrndavana, August 4, 1974