Srila Prabhupada’s 1972 Bhagavad Gita As It Is Lecture notes: Part 1.4
Hare Krsna, pranams and all glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Bhagavad Gita As It Is 1. Chapter 1. Texts 13-14
Musical instruments in the olden days and their applications
Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) (leads chanting of verse)
tataḥ śaṅkhāś ca bheryaś ca
paṇavānaka-gomukhāḥ
sahasaivābhyahanyanta
sa śabdas tumulo ‘bhavat(BG 1.13)
(break)
tataḥ—thereafter; śaṅkhāḥ—conchshells; ca—also; bheryaḥ—bugles; ca—and; paṇava-ānaka—trumpets and drums; go-mukhāḥ—horns; sahasā—all of a sudden; eva—certainly; abhyahanyanta—being simultaneously sounded; saḥ—that; śabdaḥ—combined sound; tumulaḥ—tumultuous; abhavat—became.
Translation: “After that, the conchshells, bugles, trumpets, drums and horns were all of a sudden sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.”
Srila Prabhupāda: Hm. So, there are mention of various types of musical instruments. Those instruments are no longer in use. But different types of bugles, drums, kettledrums, as they use in modern days. So, the same principle. By musical instruments, the soldiers are kept alive so they can fight nicely. Sa śabdas tumulo ‘bhavat: “When simultaneously all the instruments were sounded, it become tumultuous.”
Difference between conch shells of Krsna and Arjuna and that of Bhismadeva
Pradyumna: tataḥ śvetair hayair yukte mahati syandane sthitau
mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaś caivadivyau śaṅkhau pradadhmatuḥ (BG 1.14)
(break)
tataḥ—thereafter; śvetaiḥ—by white; hayaiḥ—horses; yukte—being yoked with; mahati—in the great; syandane—chariot; sthitau—so situated; mādhavaḥ—Kṛṣṇa (the husband of the goddess of fortune); pāṇḍavaḥ—Arjuna (the son of Pāṇḍu); ca—also; eva—certainly; divyau—transcendental; śaṅkhau—conchshells; pradadhmatuḥ—sounded.
Translation: “On the other side, both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells.” (break)
Srila Prabhupāda: So, you have seen the picture. Kṛṣṇa is driving four white horses.
(reads from purport)
“In contrast with the conchshell blown by Bhīṣmadeva, the conchshells in the hands of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are described as transcendental.” Kṛṣṇa is transcendental. Nārāyaṇaḥ paro ‘vyaktāt. Kṛṣṇa is not of this material world. Kṛṣṇa’s body, Kṛṣṇa’s activities—everything of Kṛṣṇa—they are transcendental. They are not of this material world. Divyam. In the catuḥ-śloki Bhāgavatam it is said, when Kṛṣṇa was instructing Brahmā, aham evāsam evāgre (SB 2.9.33/34/35/36): “Before this material creation, I was existing.” In the Vedas also it is said, eko nārāyaṇa āsīt: “Before creation, only Nārāyaṇa was there.”
So Kṛṣṇa’s position is always transcendental. He is not any creation of this material world. But because He comes just like a human being and acts also just like human being, those who are less intelligent, avajānanti, they think of Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). Mūḍhāḥ. Mūḍhāḥ means asses, or less intelligent class of men. They cannot understand Kṛṣṇa’s position.
Bhakti is not any activities of this material world.
Kṛṣṇa’s position is always transcendental. When Arjuna inquired from Him about His instruction to sun-god, Kṛṣṇa said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). This bhakti-yogam of . . . as mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā . . . Bhagavad-gītā is bhakti-yogam: to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So, this literature is also transcendental. Bhakti is also transcendental. Bhakti is not any activities of this material world. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). So, bhakti is activity in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, it is not material. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate, māṁ ca ‘vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate (BG 14.26). Bhakti-yoga is transcendental. And because Kṛṣṇa is transcendental, you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by any material method. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). The method also is transcendental, not of this material world.
Krsna’s body vs Our material body
So, if we can understand simply these facts, that Kṛṣṇa is transcendental, Kṛṣṇa’s name is transcendental, Kṛṣṇa’s form is transcendental, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ . . . Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa’s body is sac-cid-ānanda, not body like this. This body is asat, acit and nirānanda—just the opposite. This material body is asat. Asat means temporary. It will not exist. But Kṛṣṇa’s body is not like that. Kṛṣṇa’s body is eternal. That is cit. Sat-cit. Full of knowledge.
Understanding Krsna via material senses
So less intelligent class of men, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). These indriya, these material senses, cannot speculate to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is not possible. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). That is simply laboring, wasting time. Kṛṣṇa should be understood as Kṛṣṇa says. He can explain Himself. Nobody can explain. Because our senses are imperfect. We are deficient by four kinds of faults: we commit mistake; we are illusioned; with imperfect senses we try to speak transcendental knowledge; therefore cheating. With imper . . . they will say: “Probably,” “Maybe.” This is the so-called scientists’ language. That means imperfect knowledge. Still they want to teach. This is cheating. Knowledge must be perfect. Then you can teach others.
Potency of Original Macmillan GIta – “Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is.”
So, our process is to receive the perfect knowledge from the perfect source and distribute it. We don’t manufacture knowledge. Therefore, we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. As it is. The Bhagavad-gītā is already perfect. Why shall I interpret with my imperfect senses? This is cheating. But people want to be cheated. Vañcita-vañcaka-sampradāya. The whole world is full of cheaters and cheated. Because they want to be cheated, there are so many cheaters. They don’t want real thing. Here is the real thing: Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead speaking personally about Himself.
Srila Prabhupada explains the position of those who interpret Bhagavad Gita whimsically to change its meaning
Why should we interpret? Does it mean that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme authority, left something unexplained to be interpreted later on by some rascals? No. But the rascals dare; they interpret. That is cheating. That is another fault. There are 640, -45 editions of Bhagavad-gītā. Simply cheating. Amongst them, there are big, big scholars. Not scholars; all rascals. But they cheat. They pose themselves as scholars, and people want to be cheated, so they take their words. So, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Cheated. They take the shelter of the cheaters; therefore, they are cheated.
Real Dharma
So, the māyā is very strong. Māyā always dictates so that we may be cheated, “Why you are taking Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Don’t take. He is ordinary man. You can be also equal with Kṛṣṇa. You also become God. You become also incarnation.” This is going on. And people flock there because they want to be cheated. What Kṛṣṇa says, they will not accept. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66): “Only take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” Sarva-dharmān. Because any dharma which is not approved by the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, that is not dharma. dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).
A human being or a demigod or very exalted person cannot manufacture dharma. That is not possible. Real dharma is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and that real dharma is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): “Just surrender unto me.” This is real dharma. Surrender to Kṛṣṇa and follow His instruction; your life will be perfect.
How to become perfect?
Because you follow the perfect instruction, therefore you are also perfect. Simple process. To become perfect, we have to follow the perfect instruction. So, in the Bhagavad-gītā there is perfect instruction. And if we take it as it is and follow it, then we become perfect. To become perfect is not very difficult job. But because we don’t want to become perfect, because we want to be cheated, we do not become perfect. This is the difficulty.
Transcendental strength of Krsna
So, we should know from the very beginning that Kṛṣṇa is transcendental. And all His activities, they are all transcendental. Although Kṛṣṇa appears just like ordinary human being . . . He does not appear like ordinary human being, because Kṛṣṇa, when He was three months old only, He killed the Pūtanā rākṣasī. A three months old child cannot kill such giant demon. It is not possible. Kṛṣṇa, when He was six or seven years old, He lifted the Govardhana Hill.
So, what is the difficulty for Kṛṣṇa? If Kṛṣṇa can float big, big, gigantic planets in the air just like cotton swab floating, so is it very difficult for Kṛṣṇa to lift a mountain with His hand, with His finger? That is not difficult for Kṛṣṇa. But those who want to be cheated, when Kṛṣṇa showed His transcendental strength, they don’t believe it—another cheating. They, they’ll admit, “Oh, these are . . .” What is called?
Devotee: Mythology.
Position of those who call transcendental literature as mythology
Srila Prabhupāda: Mythology. As if Vyāsadeva wrote this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to put before these rascals some mythology, some imaginary things. Just see how they want to be cheated. Such an exalted personality like Vyāsadeva, who has given us the Vedic literature, he presented something which is imaginary. What business he has got? Therefore, sometimes these cheated people, they deny to accept that Bhāgavata is written by Śrī Vyāsadeva. But those who are actually ācāryas, those who can guide us, like Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, big, big . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they do not say like this, that “It is mythology. It is imaginary.” They accept as it is.
Taking shelter of a bonafide spiritual master only
So, we have to follow these mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ dharmasya tattvaṁ nihito guhāyām (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow great personalities, ācāryas. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2). One who has got . . . one who has taken shelter of ācārya, bona fide spiritual master, he knows. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Because he is receiving the right knowledge from the right source, ācārya . . . Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Ācārya means by disciplic succession.
Acaryas never distort anything whimsically
As Kṛṣṇa says, disciplic succession, all the ācāryas will say the same thing. They will not change; they will not interpret. They can explain, but the original fact is not distorted. That is ācārya. Ācārya will never say that “Kṛṣṇa is material. Kṛṣṇa . . . there was no such thing as Kṛṣṇa. There was no such battle, Battle of Kurukṣetra. These are all imaginary.” So, if we don’t want to be cheated, then we should take Kṛṣṇa as He is presenting Himself and as it is confirmed by the ācāryas. Then our knowledge is perfect. So here it is said:
tataḥ śvetair hayair yukte
mahati syandane sthitau
mādhavaḥ pāṇḍavaś caiva
divyau śaṅkhau pradadhmatuḥ(BG 1.14)
Kṛṣṇa and His devotee Arjuna, they are on the same platform. Therefore, Mādhava and Pāṇḍava. They blew their transcendental conchshell. This is not ordinary.
Who can be a Krsna’s associate? What is the qualification?
(reads from purport)
“The sounding of the transcendental conchshells indicated that there was no hope of victory for the other side.” This is the sounding. Divyau. They are also sounding their conchshell, even Bhīṣma, but that cannot be compared with the conchshells of Mādhava and Pāṇḍava. Arjuna, associates, they are also equally powerful. Nobody can be associates of Kṛṣṇa without being very, very much advanced. Just like fire can mix with fire, similarly water can mix with water; similarly, unless one is transcendentally advanced, he cannot be associate of Kṛṣṇa. The Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings:
gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe, nitya-siddha bhuli māne,se jāy brajendranandana-pāś (Gaurāṅgera Duṭi Pada, 3) Gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa, and His associates:
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānandaśrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
All the devotees. So Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says: “So all these associates of Caitanya Mahāprabhu should be known they are also of the same category.” Gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe, nitya-siddha boli māne.
Nitya Siddha vs Nitya Baddha
This word nitya-siddha is significant. Nitya-siddha and nitya-baddha. There are two kinds of living entities. Nitya-baddha means ever-conditioned. Ever-conditioned means those who are in this material world, they do not know when they came in touch with this material world, neither they do know when they will be liberated. They are called nitya-baddha, ever-conditioned. And similarly, there are nitya-siddhas. Nitya-siddhas means they never come in contact with this material world, and even they come here for some business, they do not forget their position. That is nitya-siddha.
Try to understand. There are two kinds of living entities: nitya-siddha, nitya-baddha. Nitya-baddhas are within this material world. Beginning from Brahmā down to a small ant, insignificant ant, they are all nitya-baddhas. Anyone who is in this material world—nitya-baddha. And nitya-siddhas, they belong to the spiritual world. They never come in contact with this material world, and even they come for some business under the order of the Supreme Lord, they do not touch these material qualities. They remain always transcendental. As Kṛṣṇa remains always transcendental, even though He is in this material world, similarly, Kṛṣṇa’s nitya-siddha associates, they are also transcendental. They never touch this material world.
Understanding Krsna’s position
So, try to understand the position of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is nārāyaṇaḥ para, transcendental, paraḥ avyaktāt. That is puruṣottama-yoga in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa has said: “Anyone who has understood Me,” ajam avyayam, ajam, “I never take birth in this material world, neither I am deteriorated by material contact—he knows Me perfectly.” That is called puruṣottama. Puruṣa uttama. Uttama. Uttama means “not of this material world.” Ut. Ut means above, and tama means this darkness. So ut-tama means “above this darkness.” So uttama puruṣa. Puruṣa uttama.
We are prakriti (enjoyed)
Puruṣa, we are also . . . puruṣa means enjoyer. Prakṛti means enjoyed. So actually, we are not puruṣa; we are prakṛti. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Apareyam, these material elements, bhūmir āpo ‘nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā, these are separated energies, material energies of Kṛṣṇa. They are also prakṛti. As this material world is prakṛti, similarly, there is another prakṛti, Kṛṣṇa gives information. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. But that is parā-prakṛti. So we are not puruṣa; we are prakṛtis. Although by materially dressed we appear to be puruṣa, actually, we are not puruṣa. Just like if you dress one woman like a man, that does not mean she has become man. She is woman.
What is the last snare of Maya?
Similarly, we are puruṣa in the sense that we are trying to imitate the supreme puruṣa, Puruṣottama. Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. We are trying to become imitation Kṛṣṇa. Just like so many rascals, they declare that “God. I am God.” That is the last snare, Māyāvāda. First of all, we try to become enjoyer, like the head of the family man or a minister or this and that, so many. Everyone is trying to become head, enjoyer. And at last, being baffled in every respect, he wants to become God. This is the last snare of māyā. Nobody can become God. He is Puruṣottama and we are prakṛtis. Artificially, how we can become enjoyer? Prakṛti means enjoyed. Enjoyer and . . . predominator and the predominated.
So jīva-bhūta, we jīvas, we are all prakṛti. Puruṣa is only Kṛṣṇa. All living entities . . . Viṣṇu-tattva is puruṣa-tattva, and we are śakti-tattva, śakti, energy, marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa. So, energy is prakṛti. So prakṛti is not puruṣa. So Māyāvāda philosophy is wrong. They pose them as so ‘ham. So ‘ham, “I am the same.” How you can be same? In the śāstra it is said that, “You living entity, you are prakṛti.” How you can become same, you puruṣa? This is mistake.
What is the material conception of life?
How prakṛti, how a woman can become man? Artificially one can become. Here also, so-called woman, they are also puruṣa. They are thinking puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. Here woman is also thinking to enjoy, and the so-called man is also thinking to enjoy. Everyone.Nobody wants to serve. Everyone wants to be served. Puruṣa attitude. Everyone wants to be served. Nobody wants to serve. This is the material conception of life.
Who is a liberated person?
So, when we agree to serve, not to be served, that is liberated person. When we agree to serve only, not to be served. Not to accept service from others, but to serve others—that is real liberation. But here the material disease is that everyone is making plan, “How others will serve me.” This is called māyā. This is called māyā. Māyā means that artificially we want to be served. That is not possible. When we agree to serve . . . as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us the path of liberation, jīvera svarūpa hoy nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa, this is our position. We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.
On what basis is the whole Bhagavad Gtia spoken?
So, when we engage ourself in the service of Kṛṣṇa . . . the whole Bhagavad-gītā is spoken on this basis. Arjuna was artificially declining to serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight, and Arjuna was putting so many reason, how he could fight and kill the other side, who are his kinsmen, who are nephews, who are brothers, grandfather? This argument were being put. So that means he refused to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is material condition.
He was thinking in his own terms. He wanted to enjoy the family members, the so-called nephews, brothers that, “If they are killed, then what is the use of my this kingdom?” Everyone . . . (break) . . . but people thinks that “I get kingdom. I enjoy myself.” That is condition. But a liberated soul will take the kingdom, but it will be used for Kṛṣṇa’s service. That is liberated.
Kṛṣṇa’s name, Kṛṣṇa’s fame, Kṛṣṇa’s associates, Kṛṣṇa’s activities—all divyam, transcendental
In this way we should try to understand Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa’s name, Kṛṣṇa’s fame, Kṛṣṇa’s associates, Kṛṣṇa’s activities—all divyam, transcendental. They are not material. Therefore, it is mentioned here, divyau śaṅkhau pradadhmatuḥ (BG 1.14). Divyau śaṅkhau. The śaṅkha used by Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, they are not ordinary śaṅkha.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)
Part 1.4: Lecture notes on some verses of Chapter 1 of the Macmillan Bhagavad Gita As It Is 1972 Edition
1. BG 1.13-14-LONDON – July 14, 1973