Lecture Prabhupada: So this Prahlada-caritra play, drama, is very instructive. Although it is not played on a very nice stage, theatrical, but the feeling expressed by the devotees in playing this Prahlada-caritra has become very successful. We want to understand the feeling. Externally, we may not be very much equipped. Krsna takes the feeling. Bhava-grahi janardana. So Prahlada Maharaja is one of the great personality in devotional line. Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. It is very difficult to understand what is the purpose of religious principle. People actually do not know what is religion; therefore we have got so many religious system, man-made, or concocted ideas. Actually, religion means the law given by God. That is religion. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Just like the law given by the state, by the government, you have to accept it. There is no question that the government is Christian government or Muhammadan government or Hindu government. It doesn’t matter. The law given by the government, you must accept. You cannot deny it. So actually God is neither Hindu God nor Muhammadan God nor Christian God. God is God. His power is omnipotent. It is equally applicable to Hindu, to Muslim, to Christian—anyone—to animal, to human being. Just like God has given this law, “You must die.” This is applicable to everyone— Hindu, Muslim, Christian, man, animal, trees, birds, beasts, everyone. It cannot be disobeyed. That is law. That is God’s law. You may be very much advanced in knowledge or so-called science, but because God says that in the material life you must die, you cannot avoid this law. That is called dharma. Dharma means the characteristic, that God has given this law that everyone should die; therefore all living beings’ characteristic is that he must die. This is called religion. Similarly, God says that “You are My eternal servant. You must obey Me.” That is religion. You try to understand the meaning of religion. Religion means the law given by God, and you must accept it. That is religion. So people do not know. They manufacture religion. So how you can manufacture religion? Law can be given by the king, by the state, by the government. If you manufacture some law at your home, consulting your wife or father and mother, who will accept it? Nobody will accept. You may be puffed up that you have manufactured a law, but nobody will care for it. The law given by the state will have to be accepted, either you like it or don’t like it. The law will not depend on your liking and disliking. You must accept. If you don’t accept, then you are a law breaker; you will be punished. Similarly, the religion means, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad…, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. That is religion, that “You have manufactured so many types of religion. You give it up. Kick it out. This is religion: you surrender unto Me.” So if you become a surrendered soul to God—that means you become a devotee—then you are religionist. Otherwise you are criminal. Therefore sastra says that you should follow the great devotees. That is religion. You cannot manufacture religion, you cannot concoct religion. You just try to follow the great personalities, and that is religion. So there… In the sastra there are great personalities. They have been mentioned. Just like Lord Brahma, Narada Muni, Lord Siva, then Kumaras, then Kapila, Manu, and Prahlada. Prahlado janako bhismo. Prahlada Maharaja is one of the great personalities who knows what is religion. So he practiced it. Unfortunately, he was born of a atheist father, Hiranyakasipu. But by the grace of Narada Muni he knew what is religion. You have seen in the play that when his mother was pregnant, the demigods were taking her to the prison just to keep her observation, that the child which is born of a atheist father, Hiranyakasipu, may not be missed. They wanted to kill him also. But although he was born of an atheist father, demoniac father, he became a great devotee by the instruction of Narada Muni. Narada Muni took his poor mother. He asked the demigods, “Why you are harassing this lady? After all, she is woman. She is dependent.” So by the order of Narada Muni they let her go, and her husband was engaged in tapasya, so she had no protection. Therefore Narada Muni took her at his asrama and instructed her about God consciousness. That is the duty of saintly person. So Prahlada Maharaja, while he was within the womb of his mother, he heard all those instructions. His mother in due course of time—that is the nature of woman—she forgot the instruction. But Prahlada Maharaja remembered; therefore he became a great devotee. This is the history of Prahlada Maharaja. So Prahlada Maharaja became a devotee, not a so-called devotee, that “If my senses are gratified, then I shall continue to remain a devotee. Otherwise I shall slip away, go away. That’s all.” So he was not such kind of devotee. He remained devotee in all circumstances. You see his father wanted to chastise him is so many ways. But what was Prahlada’s fault? He was chanting Hare Krsna, and the father did not like it. So he wanted to induce him to stop this Hare Krsna, but he never stopped. In all circumstances he remained steady in…, when he was thrown into the boiling water… It is said oil. He was put into the oil. So he remained steady. So many demonic persons threatened him; he remained steady. His mother was instructed by the father to give poison in the food. So he remained steady. Then the father understood that “My son has got some mystic power.” The mystic power was that he was a great devotee of Krsna, that’s all. A devotee never practices any mystic power. But a devotee, being protected by the supreme mystic, Krsna, a devotee is never in danger in all circumstances. That is the instruction in this… So just to try… Try to remain a devotee always, and Krsna will give you protection in all circumstance. There is no fear. Devotees, they remain devotee of Krsna, and Krsna does everything. If something mystic or magic has to be shown, the devotee does not take any credit for that magic, because the magic is done by Krsna for the sake of devotee. So he doesn’t require to learn the art of magic to cheat the people. That is not. When magic is required, Krsna plays. Krsna is called Yogesvara. Yoga is mystic power, and He is the Yogesvara, master of yoga, mystic power. Yatra yogesvarah harih. Just like Krsna was on the chariot of the Kuruksetra battle, Arjuna. Arjuna was facing enemies, big, big enemies like Bhisma, Karna, Dronacarya, and many other who were very very powerful. Arjuna was nothing before them. They are compared with timingila, timingila, a big fish which swallows up the whale fishes. So Maharaja Pariksit said that “Although they were timingila-like, they could kill thousands of Arjuna, but still, because You were protecting him, sitting on his chariot, they were killed; Arjuna was not killed.” So the devotee, he doesn’t require to acquire any mystic power. What mystic power Prahlada could attain? He was only five years old. So there was no opportunity of acquiring any mystic power. But he was being protected by the supreme mystic, Krsna. That should be a devotee’s point of view. Don’t waste your time for acquiring so- called mystic power. Just devote yourself to remain a pure devotee of Krsna, and you become the supreme mystic. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah [Bg. 6.47] There are many yogis, mystics, but Krsna confirms that “Of all the yogis, of all the mystics, a person who is always thinking of Me,” sraddhavan bhajate yo mam, yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana, “always thinking Me, Krsna, within himself: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare…,” so Krsna said, “he is the best yogi.” Yoginam api sarvesam. Sarvesam means “of all.” “Of all kinds of yogis, the best yogi is who is always thinking of Me.” That is Krsna’s philosophy, He is teaching in the Bhagavad-gita. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65] Four things. If you sincerely do these four things—always think of Krsna, man-mana; just become His devotee, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto; mad-yaji, worship Krsna… Just like we do in the temple room. Man-mana… You can do worship anywhere if you are a devotee. A devotee can worship Krsna anywhere, underneath a tree. Because Krsna is in everyone’s heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. So if underneath a tree you think of Krsna and chant Hare Krsna, that is sufficient. Krsna does not require any big paraphernalia. He only wants how you are a sincere devotee. That’s all. And that devotional service can be discharged in any condition. Ahaituky apratihata. It cannot be checked by the material circumstances. This is the process of Krsna consciousness. And you see the five-years-old boy, how he was protected from all kinds of dangers and he refused to take any benediction. He refused. The devotee should not be a mercantile man: “If you give me something, then I shall give you something.” That is business. A devotee is not like that. He understands that he is eternal servant of Krsna, his duty is to serve Krsna. In the material world a servant works when money is paid, wages. A devotee is not like that. A devotee serves Krsna out of duty. That is God consciousness, Krsna consciousness, that “It is my duty.” And then Krsna takes the responsibility, “It is My duty to protect this devotee.” This reciprocation is called Krsna consciousness. There is no question of business transaction. Then he will be protected. Krsna is nobody’s servant, but everyone is Krsna’s servant. If everyone becomes Krsna’s servant, then everyone is protected by Krsna. Krsna is protecting. Krsna is God, so He is protecting everyone, He is giving food everyone, but especially inclined to the devotees. Samah sarvesu-bhutesu. There is a verse, samo ’ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo ’sti na priyah. Krsna says God must be equal to everyone. God is one, so He is giving everyone food. The birds, beasts, they are getting food. The elephant he is also getting food. So who is supplying him food? Krsna, God is supplying. So in that way He is equal to everyone in ordinary dealing. But especially deals with the devotees. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. When he was put into danger, then Lord Nrsimhadeva came personally to give him protection. That is the special duty of God. That is not unnatural. If somebody says, “God is partial, that He takes special care of His devotee,” no, that is not partiality. Just like a gentleman—in the neighborhood, he loves all children, but when his own child is in danger, he takes special care. That is not unnatural. You cannot blame him that “Why you are taking special care of your own child?” No. That is natural. Nobody will blame him. Similarly, everyone is God’s sons, but His devotee is special. That is God’s special attention. Ye tu bhajanti mam pritya tesu te mayi. So God is giving protection to every living entity, but if you become devotee of the Lord, pure devotee, without any motive, then God will take special care of you. That is Krsna consciousness movement, that we are being harassed by maya, the material energy, and if we take shelter of Krsna then we will be specially protected. Mam eva prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. So try to become devotee of Krsna. Our Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this philosophy. We have got so many books. Whoever comes here must read the books, devotee, the inmates of the temple, outsider, then you will understand what is Krsna consciousness. Or you should chant Hare Krsna only. Don’t talk rubbish things, waste time. That is not good. A single moment is so valuable that you cannot purchase it by millions of dollars. Now today is 25th May, four o’clock gone. You cannot bring it back. Four o’clock, 25th May, 1975, if you want to get it back again by paying millions of dollars, it will not be possible. Therefore we should be very careful of our time. Time once wasted, you cannot get it back return. Better utilize this time. The best utilization is to chant Hare Krsna or think of Krsna, worship Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness movement. Thank you very much. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Honolulu, May 25, 1975