Srimad Bhagavatam: Matsya The Fish Incarnation Of Lord | His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Archives

Verse: Srimad Bhagvatam 8.24.31

Date: July 25th, 1986

Place: ISKCON Heidelberg, Germany

Transcription: Krishna Rupa Mataji

Edited: Vraja Kumari Dasi

śrī-śuka uvāca

iti bruvāṇaṁ nṛpatiṁ jagat-patiḥ

satyavrataṁ matsya-vapur yuga-kṣaye

vihartu-kāmaḥ pralayārṇave ’bravīc

cikīrṣur ekānta-jana-priyaḥ priyam

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When King Satyavrata spoke in this way, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who at the end of the yuga had assumed the form of a fish to benefit His devotee and enjoy His pastimes in the water of inundation, responded as follows.

[SB 8. 24. 32]

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

saptame hy adyatanād ūrdhvam

ahany etad arindama

nimaṅkṣyaty apyayāmbhodhau

trailokyaṁ bhūr-bhuvādikam

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O King, who can subdue your enemies, on the seventh day from today the three worlds — Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ and Svaḥ — will all merge into the water of inundation.

[SB 8. 24. 33]

tri-lokyāṁ līyamānāyāṁ

saṁvartāmbhasi vai tadā

upasthāsyati nauḥ kācid

viśālā tvāṁ mayeritā

TRANSLATION

When all the three worlds merge into the water, a large boat sent by Me will appear before you.

[SB 8. 24. 34 – 35]

tvaṁ tāvad oṣadhīḥ sarvā

bījāny uccāvacāni ca

saptarṣibhiḥ parivṛtaḥ

sarva-sattvopabṛṁhitaḥ

āruhya bṛhatīṁ nāvaṁ

vicariṣyasy aviklavaḥ

ekārṇave nirāloke

ṛṣīṇām eva varcasā

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, O King, you shall collect all types of herbs and seeds and load them on that great boat. Then, accompanied by the seven ṛṣis and surrounded by all kinds of living entities, you shall get aboard that boat, and without moroseness you shall easily travel with your companions on the ocean of inundation, the only illumination being the effulgence of the great ṛṣis.

[SB 8. 24. 36]

dodhūyamānāṁ tāṁ nāvaṁ

samīreṇa balīyasā

upasthitasya me śṛṅge

nibadhnīhi mahāhinā

TRANSLATION

Then, as the boat is tossed about by the powerful winds, attach the vessel to My horn by means of the great serpent Vāsuki, for I shall be present by your side.

[SB 8. 24. 37]

ahaṁ tvām ṛṣibhiḥ sārdhaṁ

saha-nāvam udanvati

vikarṣan vicariṣyāmi

yāvad brāhmī niśā prabho

TRANSLATION

Pulling the boat, with you and all the ṛṣis in it, O King, I shall travel in the water of devastation until the night of Lord Brahmā’s slumber is over.

PURPORT

This particular devastation actually took place not during the night of Lord Brahmā but during his day, for it was during the time of Cākṣuṣa Manu. Brahmā’s night takes place when Brahmā goes to sleep, but in the daytime, there are fourteen Manus, one of whom is Cākṣuṣa Manu. Therefore, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments that although it was daytime for Lord Brahmā, Brahmā felt sleepy for a short time by the supreme will of the Lord. This short period is regarded as Lord Brahmā’s night. This has been elaborately discussed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta. The following is a summary of his analysis. Because Agastya Muni cursed Svāyambhuva Manu, during the time of Svāyambhuva Manu a devastation took place. This devastation is mentioned in the Matsya Purāṇa. During the time of Cākṣuṣa Manu, by the supreme will of the Lord, there was suddenly another pralaya, or devastation. This is mentioned by Mārkaṇḍeya Ṛṣi in the Viṣṇu-dharmottara. At the end of Manu’s time there is not

necessarily a devastation, but at the end of the Cākṣuṣa-manvantara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His illusory energy, wanted to show Satyavrata the effects of devastation. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī also agrees with this opinion. The Laghu bhāgavatāmṛta says:

madhye manvantarasyaiva

muneḥ śāpān manuṁ prati

pralayo ’sau babhūveti

purāṇe kvacid īryate

ayam ākasmiko jātaś

cākṣuṣasyāntare manoḥ

pralayaḥ padmanābhasya

līlayeti ca kutracit

sarva-manvantarasyānte

pralayo niścitaṁ bhavet

viṣṇu-dharmottare tv etat

mārkaṇḍeyeṇa bhāṣitam

manor ante layo nāsti

manave ’darśi māyayā

viṣṇuneti bruvāṇais tu

svāmibhir naiṣa manyate

LECTURE: “FOR I SHALL BE PRESENT BY YOUR SIDE”

So, the incarnation and the activities of Matysa avatara have been mentioned here. Actually, in the last few slokas, we got the whole story. There was a time during Cākṣuṣa Manu – in one day of Brahma there are fourteen Manus’ reign over the universe, and when there is a change of one Manu to another, that is called manvantara. The word is coming from manu antara – the change between two Manus. So, during the time of Cākṣuṣa Manu, there was a devastation, and at that time the Lord told King Satyavrata that – so I will repeat this one again:

“Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When King Satyavrata spoke in this way, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who at the end of the yuga had assumed the form of a fish to benefit His devotee and enjoy His pastimes in the water of inundation, responded as follows.

When all the three worlds merge into the water, a large boat sent by Me will appear before you.

with your companions on the ocean of inundation, the only illumination being the effulgence of the great ṛṣis.

Then, as the boat is tossed about by the powerful winds, attach the vessel to My horn by means of the great serpent Vāsuki, for I shall be present by your side.

Pulling the boat, with you and all the ṛṣis in it, O King, I shall travel in the water of devastation until the night of Lord Brahmā’s slumber is over.”

[SB 08.24.31-37]

KRISHNA ASSUMES THE MARVELOUS FORM OF MATSYA

This pastime also has been described by Jayadeva Gosvami as:

[Sri Dasavatara Stotram, verse 1]

pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedaḿ

vihita-vahitra-caritram akhedam

keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare

At the time of pralaya, Krishna (Kesava) appeared in the form of a fish to save the Vedas. Actually, in those days, Vedas were not written on paper by ink. The Vedas were retained by different personalities. There were great sages – those who were exponents of different Vedas – so by protecting those sages, Kesava or Krishna, at the time of inundation, at the time of devastation, saved the Vedas. And, here we get the mention of these seven great sages (sapta ṛṣis). Actually, the constellation that we see in the sky – the constellation consisting of seven stars – is called “sapta ṛṣi” or the abode of those seven sages. Is everyone familiar with [the] constellation? You know the polar star? Then, seven stars; actually, the two top stars indicate – point out to – that polar star. It looks like an interrogation mark, something like this. Anyway. So, according to the Vedic understanding, those seven stars are called sapta-ṛṣi mandala, or the abode of the seven sages. They rotate around the polar star. And, here also [there is] a very nice presentation that at the time of devastation there was no light; everything was in darkness. The only light was the effulgence of these seven ṛṣis. So, we can see that these personalities are very, very powerful personalities. They are literally as brilliant as the sun – very, very brilliant personalities.

DEVOTEES OF KRISHNA SHINE AS BRILLIANTLY AS THE SUN

We can see that when one attains, when one develops Krishna consciousness, he becomes brilliant. He literally shines. Especially the devotees can understand that. Like, we see a marked difference between devotees and karmis. Karmis look so morose and so run-down, although they may be wearing very nice clothes, very expensive clothes, and so on and so forth. But their faces look so pathetic, as if – their face looks so dark, in one word, we can say. Whereas, the devotee’s face is always effulgent, because they are connected to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Who is the source of supreme joy, and by being connected to Him, the devotees also become very joyful. And, this joy is actually the radiation of light. I noticed one thing: sometimes, I would see a devotee wearing a wig and walking by but somehow, I would be able to make out that he is a devotee, although he is wearing a karmi clothe and wearing a wig. In a crowd, in a crowded place – often I noticed while I’m travelling in different countries, I would see some devotee like that and I would just say, “Hare Krishna,” and he would immediately respond. It’s an amazing thing. And, this is the light, actually. And, I’m sure when the time of devastation comes, then the whole world will be illuminated by the effulgence of the Hare Krishna devotees, the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

Actually, that’s the only hope in this dark age. In this dark age of Kali, there is no hope, actually. There is no hope whatsoever. The only hope is this International Society for Krishna Consciousness and this society’s devotees. That’s why we have to become very, very serious; that Krishna somehow has bestowed a very great responsibility upon us, endowed us with a great responsibility. That is: to save this world. Our number may be few and the opposition may be great, but we have to take up this responsibility with great courage. Actually, if one person becomes pure, he can save the world, and what to talk about so many thousands of devotees that we have in our society. So, sure, the world has a good chance of being saved in spite of this degraded age of Kali.

So, another very important thing here I noticed was that it says that only three worlds were destroyed: Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ and Svaḥ. At the time of inundation, pralaya, three worlds were destroyed but actually there are seven higher planetary systems. That means the abodes, the planets, above Svarloka or Svargaloka – they are Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka – they were not destroyed. Actually, the only time that they are destroyed is at the time of Brahma’s death. Even when Brahma falls asleep, even at that time, those four higher planetary systems do not get destroyed. They remain all the time, throughout the duration of Brahma’s life, and ultimately when Brahma dies (when he completes his hundred years) then the whole universe dissolves and then these sages or saintly personalities from those higher planets also go back to Godhead with Brahma.

Now, these hundred years of Brahma is a very, very long time. We can calculate simply like this: there are four catur-yuga (Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga and Kali yuga). So, these four yugas, a thousand such four yugas make a day of Brahma. Now, to calculate the duration of this catur-yuga, we can say that Kali-yuga’s duration is 432 000 years, Dvāpara-yuga’s duration is 864 000 years, Tretā-yuga’s duration is 1 296 000 years, and Satya-yuga’s duration is 1 728 000 years. So now, these put together, like roughly say seventeen plus thirteen – that is thirty – and twelve plus eight. So, roughly about 5 million years. Five thousand thousand years – that’s 5 million years – make one catur-yuga, and a thousand such catur-yugas make a day of Brahma. And, the same duration is the night of Brahma. Brahma’s night also has the same duration. Another thousand catur-yuga’s – that is a thousand multiplied by 5 million years – make a night of Brahma. And, according to that calculation, Brahma has his weeks and months and years; and Brahma’s life is a hundred such years. So, we can see that Brahma lives for a very, very long time.

MIND OVER MATTER – ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR KRISHNA

Now, one may say, “That is just some imagination or just some mental concoction; speculation. There is nothing called… One cannot possibly live for so long.” But, our

argument is that a man lives for, roughly for about a hundred years. A man should live for a hundred years. And for how long does an ant live? The most for a few days. Right? There are even living entities that live only for a few seconds or a few minutes. And, the ant (who actually, according to our calculation, is living for only a few days, or a day or two) the ant’s life has 16 years of childhood to reach the youth, and then another 24 years of youth, then another 20 or 30 years of middle age, and then old age of another 30 years. So, in this way, an ant also lives for – according to an ant’s calculation – an ant also lives for 100 years (according to his calculation). Now, if an ant is told that, “Look, a human being lives for such a long period of time according to the ant’s calculation,” then other ants will say, “Oh, shut up, you are just saying some fairytales.” [Laughs] But, the thing is, we should not allow our intelligence to become like an ant’s; we should allow our intelligence to expand to a greater extent, and try to figure out that, yes, everything is possible.

TRANSCENDING THE TINY WORLD OF OUR FALSE EGO

We should not think that we are the only deciding factor. The way an ant is not a deciding factor – in the ant community, the ant may be very important, but according to our understanding, an ant is a very insignificant living entity. So, in the same way, in the human society we may be very important persons, but, according to the demigods’ calculation, or according to the sages from Maharloka or Tapoloka or Satyaloka, or according to Brahma’s calculation, we all are very insignificant. But, if we allow our intelligence to reach that understanding, then we benefit. We become wiser. If we believe in Brahma’s existence of the duration of his life or if we don’t, that doesn’t really affect Brahma so much, but it benefits us because we can get to understand a higher concept. Then we are able to transcend this small little world that we are living in. [This] small little earth planet that we are living in, if we think that that earth planet is the center of everything, and ultimately my house is the center of everything, and even then, finally, my body is the center of everything, then we are actually limiting ourselves to a very, very small area of understanding.

But the intelligent approach is to have an overall understanding that this universe consists of fourteen planetary systems, and there are so many elevated personalities (those who live in the higher planetary systems), and according to their calculation, things have a much, much greater meaning.

So, when we understand that, then we can very easily transcend the bondage of our small little world we are living in. In our practical experience also, we notice that if we limit ourselves to a small area or circle, then we become narrow. Our outlook becomes narrow. Our knowledge becomes very limited. But, as we go out, as we expand the field of our activities or the field of our knowledge, our mind expands; and, as our mind expands, our consciousness expands. So, if our business is to expand our consciousness, then we must allow our intelligence to reach the higher and higher planes of understanding. Like, I remember when I first left India and came out of India, it was such a wonderful experience. In India, I was living in a small little world of my own with a few friends and a few relatives, and then I came out and I saw this vast world and there are different people, and

as I became friendly with those people, I also felt that my world does not really limit only inside India or in Calcutta or so on and so forth. My world has a bigger sphere, and so the world that I had – a small little world in a small little city called Calcutta, in an insignificant place called Bengal, in India – all of a sudden, by coming out, I realized that actually I belong to the whole world. I don’t belong to a small little place called India or so on and so forth.

“I BELONG TO THE SPIRITUAL SKY; I BELONG TO KRISHNA”

And then, as I came to Krishna consciousness, then I realized that I don’t actually belong to this earth planet also. If I allow my sphere of activities to expand, then I belong to the entire universe, and ultimately, I actually belong to the spiritual sky. I am not a product of this material nature, and I’m not limited by the coverings or the boundaries of the material nature.

I belong to the spiritual nature, and I belong to Krishna. And, by belonging to Krishna, I get the real meaning of my existence. When we understand that we belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Proprietor, the Supreme Controller, the Supreme Enjoyer, then what a great realization it is. And, that’s what we understood after coming to Krishna consciousness. When somebody asks us, “Who are you?” so proudly we can answer, “I am the son of Krishna; I am the son of God.” Like, we can see that in Christian world, they say that only Jesus is the son of God, because since they are living in a very narrow world, they could not apprehend that they also are the sons of God. Not only that Jesus is the son of God, but they also are the sons of God, and although Jesus taught them that they also are the sons are God, but they couldn’t understand it. They thought that only Jesus is the son of God, but in Krsna consciousness we understand that we all are sons of God. Now, they have forgotten the father, but we have remembered the father.

They have rejected the father, but we have been related to the father. So, that is the important criteria: when one is linked up with Krishna, then he can claim himself to be the son of God. Like, we do not even say that we are sons of God. Actually, our understanding is even higher. Higher than being the son of God is being the servant of God, or we can even stretch it further: we can say that higher than being the son of God is being the friend of God. And, even higher than that is being the father or mother of God. This concept, no other religion has propounded. The most they can reach is that they’re the sons of God or the servants of God. That is the highest that they can reach. But, in Krishna consciousness, in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we have got the understanding that we can, or actually we are, some of us are the friends of God, some of us are parents of God, and even some of us are lovers of God.

In friendship, one becomes equal, so some people, those who are in friendship with the Lord, they are in the equal platform with the Lord. And, those who are in the parental relationship, those who are the parents of the Lord, to them the Lord has become smaller and they have become greater. Actually, this concept is so profound that no other religion has ever even thought of it. But, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, we have understood that; we have become aware of that fact that, yes, some can even be the parents of Lord. And, here the devotee becomes greater than the Lord and the Lord becomes smaller. And, this is no formal relationship as such. It’s a heartfelt relationship. Those who are the parents of the Lord, they think, they are convinced, that they are the parents of the Lord and the Lord is just a young little boy, and unless they take care of the Lord then the Lord will die.

Mother Yasoda thinks that if I don’t feed Krishna then Krishna will die. And, at the same time, she feels that if she does not chastise Krishna then Krishna will become a naughty boy. Right? So, when Krishna does some mischief, then Mother Yasoda takes some rope and ties Krishna [to] the mortar. Nanda Maharaja tells Krishna, “Krishna, please bring my shoes,” and Krishna, like an obedient little child, carries the shoes of Nanda Maharaja on His head. So, this is the most wonderful loving relationship that one can develop with the Lord. The Lord becomes their child. And, even higher than that is the conjugal relationship. In the conjugal relationship, the devotee becomes the lover of the Lord. And, the conjugal relationship has two aspects: one is the married relationship and the other is the unmarried relationship; and among these two, the unmarried relationship with the Lord is even higher.

THE FOUNDATION OF LIFE’S GOAL – WE ARE SPIRIT SOULS

So, we can see that this Krishna consciousness, as revealed to us by Srila Prabhupada in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is the most wonderful benediction that the world has ever received. So, when you become related to Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, our life becomes successful because then we are situated in our constitutional position. We all are lost, meaning we lost our identity – we do not know who we are. And, that’s why, by mistake, we are thinking that this body is ourselves. But, when we become related to Krishna, or when we get to understand that we are parts and parcels of Krishna (we are spirit souls), then we become situated in our spiritual identity, in our actual identity. And, that is the very foundation of our life’s goal. When we become related to Krishna in our inherent eternal relationship – like, everybody is related to Krishna somehow or other, in some relationship or other, starting from an insignificant ant; what to talk about starting from an insignificant ant, even starting from a tree.

This tree also has a relationship with Krsna, but unfortunately the tree has forgotten, like us, the way we also forgot. And, that’s why in the material nature, we all are suffering by identifying ourselves with matter. Like, bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. [SB 10.84.13] We think that this body made out of mucus, bile and air – these are the three dhatu: kapha, pitta, vāyu (kapha means mucus, pitta means bile, and vāyu means air) – so, this gross body made out of these three dhatus or five elements (like earth, water, fire, air and ether) we are identifying this body as our self and the land we are born, we consider that patch of land to be our homeland, and so on and so forth.

So, in this way by being deluded by the illusory energy of the Lord, we are limiting ourselves. We are limiting ourselves into the material nature; we are limiting ourselves into the land we are born; we are limiting ourselves in the family that we are born; and we are limiting ourselves in the body that we are born. So, in this way we can see that we are becoming very, very limited. But actually, we are unlimited. All of us are unlimited in relationship with Krishna. When you become related to the unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead, then we also become unlimited. Although we are minute, when we are related to Krishna then we also are unlimited, the way our mind is unlimited. We can see that although our mind is matter, it’s unlimited. The mind can store an inconceivable amount of information. Our consciousness is unlimited: it can stretch to any extent. So, since we are spiritual entities, we all are unlimited, but now we have become limited due to our bondage in this body.

FREEDOM FROM MATERIAL BONDAGE? EXPAND YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS IN KRISHNA!

So, the only way to get out of it is by expanding our consciousness in Krishna consciousness. Krishna consciousness means by linking our consciousness with Krishna. Now we are simply conscious of our body and everything relating to our body, but when we become related to Krishna and everything related to Krishna, then our consciousness also becomes unlimited spiritually. So, it's very important that the devotees should not be limited by a small little body or bodily concept or a small little boundary of their homeland. That’s why it has been warned, it has been reminded, that vaisnava’s body or his nationality or his religion should not be taken into consideration. Vaisnava is a spirit soul and all these material considerations do not apply to a vaisnava. We can’t apply these material considerations to a vaisnava. Vaisnava is neither a man nor a woman; a vaisnava is not Hindu or Muslim or Christian and so on and so forth; a vaisnava is not German or Indian. A vaisnava is a vaisnava: a servant of Krishna. That is the only identity.

So, it is a wonderful world of Hare Krishna that we have been very fortunately included in. We got the membership in the most wonderful society the world has ever seen. Like, as a karmi I used to know that there are some clubs and it’s very difficult to get a membership in those clubs, right? But, the most wonderful club is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and we have got its membership. Of course, we have to pay a big price for that. It’s not easy to become a member of this International Society for Krishna Consciousness. And, the price we pay, what’s the price we pay for that? The price we pay is – right – by dedicating our lives to Krishna. And, another price we pay is following the four regulative principles. That’s also a very important criterion. Unless and until one follows the regulative principles and chants 25 000 names a day, he can’t get a membership. He can become a life member. He can stay out, but he won’t be included as

an inside member. So, we must understand that it’s a very great benediction that we received. And also, sometimes people feel so proud of being born in a big family. I’m sure in Germany when somebody is born in a family of “Von so and so,” he feels very proud, when somebody is born in an aristocratic family. And, by being connected to Krishna, by being included in the family of Krishna, we have actually become the members of the most aristocratic family.

WE ARE OF GLORIOUS DESCENT

We have become members of the family of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the king of all the kings; Who is the proprietor of the entire creation. So, if somebody asks, “Who is your father?” and if we can say that my father is the Lord of the entire world, how proud one will feel? And, Krishna is that Supreme Father, and Krishna is the proprietor of the whole, both material and spiritual, world. And, even if we don’t go that far, then we can see that our family actually, our ancestry, has so many great personalities. Like, the controller of the entire universe – Brahma – is our great grandfather, right? Then, Narada Muni is also our ancestor. Then, Vyasadeva, who compiled the whole Vedas, He is our ancestor. Then came Lord Caitanya. Krishna Himself appeared as a devotee, only 500 years ago. If we go back about 20 generations – not even 20, I think 15 generations – then our ancestry goes to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Then we have Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami – such great personalities – Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada who spread Krishna consciousness, who brought Krishna consciousness to the world outside of India. And, this line will go on for thousands of years. Our ancestry will be remembered by the people thousands and thousands of years from now. And, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, by the mercy of our spiritual masters, we have been included in – [inaudible]. So, actually a devotee is very proud, because we have so much materials to be proud of. Our pride is not just some hollow pride or vanity. It is real – like, we see Prince Charles, the Prince of England, I mean he can be proud, because he comes from the British royal family.

So, if Prince Charles can be so proud being the son of Queen Elizabeth, so what to talk about the devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness – those who are the descendants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, and that also in the direct line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But we do not display our pride unnecessarily. Of course, we use everything, when it is needed, in Krishna’s service, but we don’t display our pride as such. Basically, since we have so much to become proud of, that’s why Caitanya Mahaprabhu warned that, “You become humble.” Because, Mahaprabhu knew that the devotees can become very proud, actually. Like, the Yadus, Krishna direct descendants, they were so proud that they didn’t give a damn about the sages. When they met the sages, they made fun of them. Great, great personalities – Narada, Durvasa – great, great sages. But, these Yadus were pulling their legs, because they knew that, “Who can do anything to us; Krishna is there to protect us.”

So, in the same way, Caitanya Mahaprabhu could foresee that the devotees can become very proud because the devotees will have so much, because they are actually the real aristocrats of this world.

REAL PRIDE IS HUMILITY

So, that’s why Mahaprabhu instructed, “Tṛṇād api sunīcena/ taror iva sahiṣṇunā. Become very humble.” [Sri Siksastakam, verse 3] Why? Because, when there are reasons to be proud, one must make an endeavor to become humble. And, it’s a natural thing, like the tree becomes full of fruits. When the tree bears a lot of fruits, then the tree automatically bends down. So, in the same way, a person who is really heavy with his transcendental qualities, he automatically becomes humble. He bends down in humility. So, that’s the reason we have to be very humble. And, actually, a person who is really qualified with many good qualities, he can be humble. He alone can be humble, and he should be humble. But at the same time, we also have to display our – not display but in the heart of our hearts, we must be aware of our great heritage that we are actually the most aristocratic people in this world, although we may look a little weird (because of shaved heads and saffron robes), and even, people may laugh at us. But they won’t be laughing for too long. Soon a time will come when Krishna consciousness will spread all over the world, and then when people see shaved-head, saffron-clad devotees, then they will give them the greatest honor.

Like, the other day, some people asked me why we indulge in such opulence of riding big cars and living in big houses. So, my answer was that, see, in Delhi, Delhi is the capital of India and the best area is the place where the foreign embassies are. And, the people involved in foreign embassies, they drive the best cars. So, I pointed out that look, they live in the best area in the best possible houses and they are riding the best cars. Why? Because, they are representing some state, right? So, if some state in this earth planet can display such opulence, what to talk about the ambassadors of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And, it is not that these embassy people make the arrangements themselves. It is the state that takes care of them. Even before they come, the state gets the house, the state sends the car, the state sends all kinds of facilities to them. In the U.S. consulate, U.S. embassy, they even send water from America. Even the water is sent from America. I don’t know about Germany, but in India they do. Probably, they don’t even trust Indian water, Ganges water.

They think that if they drink too much of Ganges water then they’ll become too spiritualized. So, they protect them by sending their mineral water from America. So, in the same way, the devotees are being taken care of by Krishna and Krishna’s associates. They make all the arrangements. We are not going out of our way to live in a big house. We are happy living just under a tree also. And, although we are living in big houses, how do we live? Like, yesterday when I was going around, I just saw the brahmacari ashram. Although it’s a nice house in Heidelberg, the brahmacari’s live so simply. So, that is the mood of a devotee. Although the facilities are coming, they don’t really care, they are happy sleeping on the floor, and they don’t care about big cars and so on and so forth, but they simply use it in Krishna’s service when Krishna gives it to them. So, if these embassies can enjoy so much facilities, then obviously devotees also will enjoy a lot more facilities because they are representing the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Hare Krishna. Does anybody have any questions?

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, COMMENTS, DISCUSSION

Devotee: You were talking about the relationship of the spiritual soul to Krishna. Now, my question is, how do we come to this relationship again? I read the purport of Upadeśāmṛta that a guide, a Vrindavana resident [inaudible].

Can you explain this a little further?

HH BCS: Yes, I can try. You see; to get the entry to Vrindavana, one has to surrender to some personality in Vrindavana. But that surrender is a spontaneous thing. You see, our relationship with Krishna is an inherent thing; it’s there in us. The spirit is already related to Krishna, right? And, as we render devotional service, we get purified. Right? And, as we get purified, that means we shed out all our material coverings. Then, our identity begins to develop, or we become aware of our identity. And, it is not actually that we try to relate ourselves to the personality in Vrindavana. That personality comes down to us. When the time is right, he comes to take us there. And, Gurudeva is that personality. Guru is that personality, and the Guru will reveal the disciple’s identity in due course of time. So that’s why we have to understand that the spiritual master is not just a living entity from the earth planet. We must understand that my spiritual master in an inhabitant of Vrindavana, an eternal associate of Krishna, and in due course of time, he will take me to Krishna in Vrindavana.

Devotee: I don’t know if this question is a good question because it certainly comes from the mental plain. [Inaudible]. There is one devotee, say Krishna Dasa, who has a certain relationship with Krishna, and there’s another devotee, Caitanya Dasa, who has a different relationship than Krishna Dasa. Now, the spiritual master [inaudible] in a certain way to Krishna Dasa and in a different way to Caitanya Dasa?

HH BCS: It’s actually a very pertinent question, very nice question. And, it’s true. The thing is that we have to understand that the spiritual master cannot be limited by his material form. We must not limit him, thinking that, “Well, this body of the spiritual master is the spiritual master.” He is a spiritual personality from the spiritual sky, and he has his way of taking us back to Godhead. So, I understand your point, you may say that somebody may be related to Krishna in parental relationship and somebody may be related to Krishna in friendship. So, how the same spiritual master can take two different personalities in two different mellows to Krishna? So here, the understanding is that a person related to Krishna in a parental [relationship], he will see the spiritual master in a parental relationship. He will see, say Nanda Maharaja or Yasoda Mayi in the spiritual master. And, someone who is related in friendship, he will see Subala or some friend of Krishna in the spiritual master. It’s actually inconceivable. Anyway, we can leave it up to that. This is how the spiritual master acts.

You see, I had this understanding because Prabhupada once chastised a devotee. One devotee came, an Indian devotee, he was a householder, he came to Prabhupada in his room in Mayapur and I was the only one with Prabhupada at that time. So, he came, and very hesitatingly, he asked Prabhupada, “Prabhupada, what is my rasa?” So, Prabhupada got very angry, he said “You rascal, your rasa!” Prabhupada just kept on chastising him for a long time, and then finally he said that, “Don’t worry about your rasa. Just keep on rendering devotional service to Krishna, and when the time comes, I will personally come and reveal your rasa to you.”

So, another aspect is that the devotee sees the spiritual master according to his mellow. This also, I had the understanding from one writing of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was saying that he sees Radharani in Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji. He’s seeing Radharani in Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji Maharaja. Now, if you take the spiritual identity of Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji Maharaja, then he’s Guna Manjari. He’s a Manjari. He’s not Radharani, he is an assistant of Radharani, assistant of Rupa Gosvami (Rupa Manjari). So, how come Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is seeing Radharani in this personality? But, Radharani is manifesting to him through the spiritual master. So, this is actually inconceivable, with all reason and mundane intelligence we cannot really fathom it. We have to leave it up to: when the time comes, it will be revealed. Intellectually, we cannot really analyze it.

Devotee: [Inaudible] …Does this mean that the relationship with the spiritual master can become like friendship?

HH BCS: No, what I meant is, if a devotee is related to Krishna in friendship, in the mellow of friendship, then the spiritual master, to him, appears as a friend of Krishna. Because, the spiritual master will take him to Krishna in that mood. But generally, whatever is the mellow of the spiritual master, his disciples also have the same mellow. It is the arrangement of Krishna, that if the spiritual master is in the mellow of conjugal relationship with Krishna, then his disciples also have conjugal relationship to Krishna. That is the basic, general understanding… Because the disciples are actually the rays of the spiritual master, the part and parcel of the spiritual master. Like, in the spiritual sky, Krishna’s devotees have different groups. Like, Subala, has his associates. Now, all the associates of Subala are related to Krishna or Balarama in the same mood of friendship. Also, there are different groups of the gopis. They have their associates, assistants, right? Like, Lalita has her assistants; Visakha has her assistants; and their assistants are also unlimited, right? So, in the same way, the spiritual master – the disciples are his assistants – so, whatever is the mood of the spiritual master, the disciples also have the same mood. Is that clear?

Is there any other question? Okay.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Thank you all very much. Hare Krishna!