Krishna's Touch

[Guest guest]

Pusta Krsna: Translation: "O my Lord, O Supreme, what is my position

because I am born in a family which is full of the hellish material qualities of

passion and ignorance? And what to speak of Your causeless mercy, which was

never offered even to Lord Brahma and Lord Siva and the goddess of fortune,

Laksmi, because You never put Your lotus hand upon their heads, but You have

done so on my head."

 

Prabhupada:

 

kvaham rajah-prabhava isa tamo 'dhike 'smin

jatah suretara-kule kva tavanukampa

na brahmano na tu bhavasya na vai ramaya

yan me 'rpitah sirasi padma-karah prasadah

[sB 7.9.26]

 

This is the position. Prahlada Maharaja, humbly submitting, because he is

Vaisnava, that "What is my position? My position is that I am born of

rajas-tamo-guna." This birth takes place according to quality we acquire. Just

like I was rebuking that toilet. This is so nasty, tamo-guna, and if I have no

response to such tamo-guna place, that means I am also of that quality. Just

like fire and fire, there is no reaction, but in fire and water there is

reaction. Between fire and fire there is no reaction, but fire and water there

is reaction. Similarly, sattva-guna -- sattva-guna, there is no reaction.

Tamo-guna -- tamo-guna there is no reaction. It is... In English it is called

incompatible. When different qualities, there is reaction, chemical reaction,

acid and alkaline. Acid and acid, you mix; there is no reaction. But acid and

alkaline, if you mix, there will be effervescence immediately. So karanam

guna-sango asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu [bg. 13.22]. If one is developing

tamo-guna, then, if he becomes, he becomes a pig next life, there is no

reaction. He'll be very glad that "I am pig,I am dog." There is no reaction.

But if one is sattva-guna, then he cannot tolerate. Immediately obnoxious: "Oh,

such a nasty condition." So I am very sorry there was no reaction in such nasty

toilet room. And you are getting sacred thread, the quality of brahmana,

sattva-guna. It is very regrettable. Nobody reacted.

 

So this is the position, that unless we...

 

tada rajas-tamo-bhavah

kama-lobhadayas ca ye

ceta etair anaviddham

sthitam sattve prasidati

[sB 1.2.19]

 

We have to curb down these rago-guna, tamo-guna; otherwise there is no

improvement. If a person in Krsna consciousness is found, no reaction in

rajo-guna, tamo-guna, then he's a dull stone. It is not improving. It is simply

showbottle. So showbottle will not act help, Tada rajas-tamo-bhavah. This

prescription is there. If one develops Krsna consciousness, then it is to be

understood that he has surpassed sattva-guna, the brahminical qualification. Why

we offer sacred thread to a person who is coming from very, very low family?

Because it is to be understood by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, by following the

regulative principle, he has already come to the platform of sattva-guna. But if

it is a false thing, there is no need of second initiation. There must be. One

must come. This, our process, is "Don't do this. Do this: Chant Hare Krsna

mantra sixteen rounds, and don't do this -- no illicit sex, no meat-eating."

That means he's becoming purified. He's becoming purified from the rotten

condition of rajo-guna and tamo-guna. But if he does not, then there should be

no second initiation. This should be the rule.

 

So, so Prahlada Maharaja is claiming. He's not neither in rajo-guna,

tamo-guna, sattva-guna. He's Vaisnava; he's transcendental. Sa gunan

samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [bg. 14.26]. He's on the brahma-bhutah

stage, on the spiritual platform. Otherwise how Krsna touching? Krsna is

param-pavitrah. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [bg. 10.12]. He

cannot touch a rajas-tamas-bhava. No. That is not possible. When Lord

Nrsimhadeva touched his head, either by His touching he's already purified, or

because he's purified, therefore Lord touched his head. This is the conclusion.

So he is purified, but as a Vaisnava, he is placing himself in the platform of

rajas-tamo-bhavah [sB 1.2.19]. The whole world, at least in this age, Kali-yuga,

these two qualities, mostly tamo-guna, and little rajo-guna, that's all, but no

sattva-guna. No sattva-guna. Therefore people cannot understand what is Krsna

consciousness. They cannot understand. Rajas-tamo-bhavah, ceta etair anaviddha.

Therefore we have to purify ourself. The prescription is there, very simple

thing, to become purified, srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [sB

1.2.17]. If we simply recite all these mantras... The Srimad-Bhagavatam and

Bhagavad-gita, all these slokas, they're all mantras, just like as good as Hare

Krsna mantra. There is no difference. So if we hear... That is the prescription

given by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and we are trying to introduce this. Our so many

centers, we are inviting people in so many ways so that they can hear. This

class is meant for that. It is not that everyone will understand each word, but

simply if he hears, it will be beneficial, the mantra. Simply if one hears Hare

Krsna mantra chanting, he'll be purified. If he hears this mantra, a verse from

Bhagavad-gita, a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam, attentively, even he does not

understand the meaning, the purport, still, he'll get benefit. That is the way.

So we must hear.

 

So Prahlada Maharaja is saying, rajah-prabhava: "My dear Lord, Isa, my,

this body, I have got this body from father and mother. They belong to the

low-grade family." Suretara. Sura itara. Sura means high-class family, demigods,

brahmana. That is called sura. And itara means low grade. So suretara-kule:

"Because I am born... because everything is being done very perfectly by the

laws of material nature. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [bg.

3.27]. Prakrti, nature, is working. If you develop a kind of quality... There

are three qualities: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So if you develop

sattva-guna, then your body gradually will be sattva-guna-ized. Sattva-guna, the

goodness... The body will be purified and become good. Good, bad, and via media,

three kinds. So that is the process. Krsna consciousness movement means

everything is being gradually developed into goodness. And at last, to surpass

goodness... Here in this material world the goodness may be contaminated with

the other qualities, but in the spiritual world it is so good... It is called

suddha-sattva. There is no contamination, there is no tinge of rajo-guna and

tamo-guna. That is spiritual quality. So Krsna consciousness can be possible in

perfectness when we are above the quality of goodness. Above. Sa gunan

samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [bg. 14.26]. One who has surpassed the

three qualities and has come to the spiritual platform, then it is called

cinmaya. Cit means spiritual, and maya... These word, mayat-pratyaya, these are

used when it is in great extent, in large quality. That is mayat. And vikarat.

Vikara means transformed. Just like gold. Pure gold, you transform into a finger

ring -- this is also gold. This is called vikararthe. Gold has become now a

ring. And another meaning is that suppose it is made of iron or other base

metal, but it is covered with gold, large quantity. That is called adhikarthe

because a quantity of gold is there. That is not all gold, but there is gold,

covered. So in two meanings, the mayat-pratyaya is there. So similarly, cinmaya.

Cinmaya means if you cultivate spiritual knowledge in large quantity, then your

body is no more material. It is spiritualized. Cinmaya. Therefore great saintly

person's body, after demise it is not burned; it is buried, samadhi, because it

is cinmaya. So adikarthe mayat-pratyaya and vikararthe... So a Vaisnava, his

body is cinmaya, is cinmaya body.

 

So Prahlada Maharaja says that "My body is in large quantity this

rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So it is not possible for me to approach You, My Lord.

Because You are suddha-sattva and I am in the material contamination, how it is

possible that You shall touch my head? It is simply Your causeless mercy." This

is appreciation. "Otherwise how it is possible? You cannot touch this nasty

quality of rajo-guna, tamo-guna. My body is made by my father and mother. They

belong to the nasty rajo-guna, tamo-guna quality. So it is not possible that

You'll touch my body, but You have done it. You have placed Your lotus hand on

my head. It is simply Your causeless mercy. Otherwise I am not fit for this. So,

and I... You are so merciful that this mercy You did not offer to Lord Brahma

even." Brahma is supposed to be the supreme creature within this material world,

Brahma. He's the first created creature, and he's called Svayambhu. He's not

born of any material father and mother but directly came through the lotus stem

which is growing from the navel of Visnu. So he's not ordinary person. He's not

ordinary person. He's not... Therefore he's known as Svayambhu. We are not

svayambhu. We are begotten by father and grown up by mother. We are not

self-sufficient. But Brahma is called Svayambhu because he is not born of any

material father and mother. So "He did not get this mercy. Although Brahma's

position is so exalted, still, my Lord, he did not get this opportunity."

 

Na brahmano na tu bhavasya. Bhava means Lord Siva. Lord Siva's position is

also very exalted, more than Brahma. Lord Siva is in between Lord Visnu and

living entity. We are living entity. So Lord Siva is not ordinary living entity.

Brahma is ordinary living entity, but very pious, exalted. But Lord Siva is more

than Brahma. "So he also could not get this mercy." Na vai ramaya. Ramaya means

Laksmi, the goddess of fortune. (S)he always remains with Narayana. She is

not... She's... Her position is more than Lord Brahma or Lord Siva. She is

Narayana in a different energy only. Radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir ahladini

saktih. She is the manifestation of the pleasure potency of the Lord. The Lord

has got unlimited potencies, parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya

13.65, purport]. So one of the potency is Radharani or Laksmi or Sita. They are

equal. There is no difference. Radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir ahladini-saktir

asmat. These loving affairs between Radharani and Krsna or Narayana and Laksmi

or Sita and Rama, they are both of them the same. One is potency; another is

potent. That is the difference, potent and potency. So "Such Rama, the goddess

of fortune, she also could not get this compassionate mercy or causeless mercy."

So he's feeling proud that "You are so affectionate to Your devotee." Therefore

Lord's name is bhakta-vatsala. He can offer to His bhakta any position, more

than Himself. Just like mother Yasoda. She is bhakta, and Lord has given her the

position for punishing Him. Mother Yasoda is threatening Krsna that "Krsna, You

were very naughty. Now I shall bind You." So Krsna, out of being afraid, was

crying. So Krsna has given the position to the bhakta that "You chastise Me.

I'll accept it." This is bhakta's position. This is Krsna's causeless mercy. He

can do that.

 

So Prahlada Maharaja is appreciating that "I am worthless. I have no

qualification." That should be the position of the bhaktas always. Never we

should think that "I have become a big bhakta." No. Caitanya-caritamrta author

says humbly, purisera kita haite muni se laghistha: [Cc. Adi 5.205] "I am lower

than the worm in the stool." Does it mean that he is actually? No. But he's

feeling like that. An advanced devotee, they're always so humble and meek, they

always think of himself as worthless. And still, the Lord is so kind and

favorable. That is His causeless mercy, that "I am not qualified, I am not

worthy of this facility." This is the humbleness. Kvaham rajah-prabhava isa tamo

'dhike 'smin. "Not only I am influenced by rajo-guna, but mostly, seventy-five

percent, I am infested with tamo-guna." Adhika. Akhika means "in larger

quantity." And there is no question of sattva-guna. Adhika 'smin jatah sure...

"Otherwise why I am born in this family?" That is the test. Now they are... By

force they are trying to be equal. Of course, in this age everyone is sudra.

That is an... Otherwise lowborn means this differentiation of different low

qualities. By nature it will give. I have several times explained that as you

infect a certain type of contaminous disease, you get that, you suffer from

that. So the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, then antaja, (?) candala, mean,

so many, kirata, huna, pulinda, pulkasa, abhira, sumbha -- so many, low-grade,

low-grade, low-grade, low-grade, low-grade. Then why this low-grade birth? That

is due to this karanam guna-sango 'sya [bg. 13.22]. In the Bhagavad-gita it

says. It is due to our association with low-grade qualities.

 

Therefore the human life should be very cautious that we may not be

contaminated by low-grade qualities. There are so many rules and regulations,

but it is very very difficult to follow. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has

recommended, just to remain purified, "Chant Hare Krsna." Harer nama harer nama

harer nama eva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty eva [Cc. Adi 17.21]. You cannot...

Otherwise you cannot purify. So kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. We should

always chant Hare Krsna mantra. Then we'll gradually be spiritualized, cinmaya,

spiritualized. Then our life will be successful.

 

Thank you very much. (end)

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.26 -- Mayapur, March 4, 1976