Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.5 , Māyāpur , 1977-02-25

Prabhupāda:

So to become devotee or favorite to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very easy. It is not at all difficult. Here we see the example, Prahlāda Mahārāja, a five-year-old boy...

[break] ...being a devotee, he only knows the Supreme Lord, and he offered obeisances. That is his qualification. Anyone can do that. Anyone can come here in the temple and offer obeisances. Where is the difficulty? Simply one must have the sense that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa or Nṛsiṁha-deva or any one of His multi-expansions."

In the śāstra it is said, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Kṛṣṇa has ananta-rūpam. Therefore every rupa is expansion of Kṛṣṇa's original rūpa. The original rūpa is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. Then there are so many rūpas: Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Balarāma, Paraśurāma, Mīna, Tortoise, Nṛsiṁha-deva. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. He's always existing with different forms, not that He is existing only in Kṛṣṇa form. Every form, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu. The same example, as we have given many times = just like the sun, time of sun, twenty-four hours, so out of the twenty-four hours or twenty-four incarnations, any time is present. It is not that now it is, say, eight o'clock, then seven o'clock is finished. No. There is seven o'clock in any other part of the world. Or nine o'clock. Nine o'clock is also present. Twelve o'clock is also present. We have got one watch given by Gurukṛpa Mahārāja. [laughter] He has brought from Japan. It is very nice. Immediately you can see what is the time now in different places---immediately. So all of them are existing. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's līlā is called nitya-līlā, not that one līlā is going on, other līlā is finished, no. Everything is existing simultaneous. Therefore this word is used, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣ... Niyamena. Exactly in due time. Just like the sun, exactly. Formerly there was no watch, but by the shadow one could study. You can study now also, even now. In our childhood we used to study by seeing the shadow = "Now it is this time"---and exactly the same time. So kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan, not that haphazardly---now this shadow is one o'clock here, and next day, one o'clock there. No. The same place, you'll find. Kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan.

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's līlā, niyamena tiṣṭhan---exactly. There are innumerable universes. Here Kṛṣṇa is born. Now Kṛṣṇa is taken by Vasudeva to Vṛndāvana. Same thing---immediately here born, Kṛṣṇa has gone to Vṛndāvana---in another universe Kṛṣṇa is born, Kṛṣṇa is born again. In this way His līlā is going on. There is no cessation, neither there is any discrepancy of time. Exactly. Just like Kṛṣṇa comes upon this earth once in Brahmā's day. So, so many millions of years Kṛṣṇa will appear again, if not personally, by His expansion, aṁśena. Caitanya Mahāprabhu will appear exactly in due course of time. Lord Rāmacandra will appear. So rāmādi mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs. 5.39]. So this līlā, Nṛsiṁha-deva, that is also exactly in time.

So sva-pāda-mūle patitaṁ tam arbhakam. Very innocent child. If an innocent child like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he can get so much mercy of Nṛsiṁha-deva, so pierceful appearance of the Lord that even Lakṣmī could not approach... Aśruta. Adṛṣṭa aśruta pūrva. There was no such form of the Lord. Even Lakṣmī did not know. But Prahlāda Mahārāja, he's not afraid. He knows, "Here is my Lord." Just like the cub of a lion, he is not afraid of the lion. He immediately jumps to the head of the lion because he knows, "It is my father. It is my mother." Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja is not afraid, although Brahmā and others, all demigods, became afraid to approach the Lord. He simply as an innocent child came and offered his obeisances. Tam arbhakaṁ vilokya. So, so God is not impersonal. Immediately he could understand, "Oh, here is an innocent child. He has been harassed by his father so much, and now he's offering his obeisances unto Me." Vilokya devaḥ kṛpayā pariplutaḥ. He became very much, I mean to say, melted with mercy. So thing, all, everything is there. Don't think that God has no feeling, thinking, feeling. No. Everything is there. Unless He has got sympathetic feeling in Him, where we have got it? Because everything is coming from God. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. What is Brahman? Brahman means the original source of everything. That is Brahman. Bṛhatvāt bṛhanatvāt.

So if this feeling is not there in God, then how He can be God, this feeling? Just like if one innocent little child comes and offers some respect to us, immediately we become feelingly merciful = "Oh, here is a nice child." So Lord Kṛṣṇa, Nṛsiṁha-deva, He also became pariplutaḥ, feelingly merciful, not ordinary merciful, feeling that "How innocent this child is." So feelingly, utthapya, immediately got him up = "My dear child, get up." And immediately put His hand on the head. Utthāpya tac-chīrṣṇy adadhāt karāmbujam. Karāmbhuja, lotus hand, lotus palm. So these feelings are there. And He wanted... Because this boy was bewildered that such a big mūrti came from the [indistinct], the columns, and the father, gigantic father, is dead, naturally he is little disturbed in mind. So therefore vitrasta-dhiyāṁ kṛtābhayam: "My dear child, don't be afraid. Everything is all right. I am present, and there is no fear. Be pacified. I will give you protection." So this is the exchange. So there is no need of very..., becoming very learned man, Vedantist and... Simply these things are required = you become innocent, accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and fall down at His lotus feet---everything is complete. This is wanted = simplicity. Simplicity. Believe in Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa said, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañ... [Bg. 7.7]. Believe it! There is no more superior authority than Kṛṣṇa.

And He says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is the instruction. This is the substance of all instruction. Believe Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality. Here is Kṛṣṇa. Believe that here is Kṛṣṇa. Innocent child will believe, but our brain is so dull, we will inquire, "Whether the Deity is made of stone or brass or wood?" because we are not innocent. We are thinking that this Deity is something made of brass. Even it is brass, a brass is not God? Brass is also God. Because Kṛṣṇa says, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir..., apareyam..., bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā [Bg. 7.4]. Everything is Kṛṣṇa. Without Kṛṣṇa there is no existence. So why Kṛṣṇa cannot appear as He likes? He can appear in brass. He can appear in stone. He can appear in wood. He can appear in jewel. He can appear in painting. Any way He can... That is all-powerful. But we have to take it that "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Don't take it that "Kṛṣṇa is separate from this Deity, and here we have got a brass form Deity." No. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam [Bs. 5.33]. Advaita. He has multi-expansion, but they're all one.

So similarly, He is represented in His name. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. When you are chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, don't think this is sound vibration and Kṛṣṇa is different. No. Abhinnatvān. Nāma-cintāmaṇi-kṛṣṇaḥ. As Kṛṣṇa is cintāmaṇi, similarly, His holy name is also cintāmaṇi. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ. Caitanya, full consciousness, nāma-cintāmaṇi-kṛṣṇaḥ. If we associate with name, that you must know, that Kṛṣṇa is fully conscious of your service. You are addressing, "He Kṛṣṇa! He Rādhārāṇī! Kindly engage me in Your service." Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means, Hare Kṛṣṇa, "He Kṛṣṇa, he Rādhārāṇī, he energy, kindly engage me in your service." Ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching. "O my Lord, Nanda-tanuja..." Kṛṣṇa becomes very glad when you associate His name, His activities, with some devotee. He's not impersonal. Kṛṣṇa has no name, but when He deals with His devotee, there is a name. Just like Kṛṣṇa dealing with Nanda Mahārāja, that Nanda Mahārāja's wooden slipper... Yaśodāmayī asked the child Kṛṣṇa---you have seen the picture---"Can you bring the slipper of your father?" "Yes!" Immediately took on the head. You see? This is Kṛṣṇa. So Nanda Mahārāja became very pleased = "Oh, your son is very nice. He can bear such a load." So this is dealing.

Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu is addressing Kṛṣṇa, ayi nanda-tanuja: "O Kṛṣṇa, who is born out of the body of Nanda Mahārāja..." Just like the father is the body-giving person, seed..., seed-giving father, similarly, Kṛṣṇa, although He is the origin of everything, but still, He is born by the seed of Nanda Mahārāja. This is Kṛṣṇa-līlā. Ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavām-budhau [Cc. Antya 20.32, Śikṣāṣṭaka 5]. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never addressed Kṛṣṇa, "O the Almighty." This is impersonal. He says, ayi nanda-tanuja, limited, "son of Nanda Mahārāja." Son of Nanda Mahārāja. So this is bhakti. He's unlimited. Just like Kuntīdevī was surprised that when he thought that Kṛṣṇa was afraid of Yaśodāmayī. That śloka you know. So he was..., she was surprised that "Kṛṣṇa, who is so exalted and great that everyone is afraid of Him, but He has become afraid of Yaśodāmayī."

So this can be enjoyed by the devotees, not the... Atheist class of men or non-devotees cannot understand. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti [Bg. 18.55]. Only the devotees, no others. Others, they have no admission in this kingdom, to understand. If you want to understand Kṛṣṇa it is only through bhakti. Neither knowledge nor yoga nor karma nor jñāna, nothing---nothing will help you. Simply a devotee. And how to become devotee? How easy it is? See here the Prahlāda Mahārāja, innocent child, simply offering his obeisances. And Kṛṣṇa is also asking you, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. If you sincerely do these four items---always think of Kṛṣṇa... Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ [devotees join in chanting] Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So this is thinking of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā. And you can stick to this principle of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra if you are unalloyed devotee. Without being unalloyed devotee it is very difficult. It will be tiresome. But we shall practice. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena [Bg. 8.8].

Immediately we cannot be first-class devotee. We cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. That is not possible. But minimum. Saṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ [Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka]. We have to practice. Certain numerical strength we must maintain. And we have made it, therefore... Some of our so-called devotees, they criticize me that I have limited only sixteen rounds. No, why sixteen rounds? You can make three hundred rounds---but minimum, minimum sixteen rounds. Because we are not accustomed to devote much time. We must be busy always. But to sit down in one place and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra continuously, that is not possible for any conditioned soul---unless he is liberated. So don't try to imitate. My Guru Mahārāja has strictly forbidden, "Don't try to imitate big personalities like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Rūpa Gosvāmī." He used to say, rūpa gosvāmī ke mogha vāñchā[?]. Rūpa Gosvāmī, because he used to put on a loincloth... Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthā... So it is no use imitating Rūpa Gosvāmī, to imitate the dress, and then, as soon as there is opportunity, smoke biḍi. [laughs] [laughter] Don't do this nonsense. This is no use, imitation. Anusaraṇa, not anukāraṇa. Anukāraṇa is dangerous. Anusaraṇa. Sādhu-mārgānugamanam. This is bhakti. We shall try to follow the footsteps of big, big devotees, sādhus. We cannot... We shall try to follow. Don't try to imitate. That is very dangerous.

Some of our devotees, they left, that "There is no bhajana here," [laughter] and asking me my blessing to find out another guru. So he wants my blessing for find out a guru. So this rascaldom is no good. So best thing is that mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. Here is mahājana. Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the mahājanas. Out of the twelve mahājanas, Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the mahājanas. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilo manuḥ prahlādaḥ [SB 6.3.20]. Prahlāda Mahārāja name is there. Janako bhīṣmo balir vaiyāsakir vayam [SB 6.3.19]. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is mahājana. So follow, try to follow Prahlāda Mahārāja. Anusaraṇa. Sādhu-mārgānugamanam. So what Prahlāda Mahārāja did? He was put into so many troubles by his father, and what did he do? He was simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa = "What can I do? My father is against." That is man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. And at last, when the father is killed, he is offering obeisances. So these four things, follow in the footsteps sincerely, as an unalloyed devotee. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Prahlāda Mahārāja never thought that "I am son of Hiraṇyakaśipu." Never thought. He always used to think, "I am the servant of Nārada." That he said. When He wanted to give him benediction, so he asked Nṛsiṁha-deva, "Kindly engage me in the service of Your servant, Nārada, by whom I have got this instruction." He never said, "Let me serve my father." No. Because he got instruction, he always... Cakṣudana dilo janme janme pitā sei. He is father. No other father. Cakṣudana dilo yei, janme janme pitā sei. What is the next line?

Devotees: Divya jñāna hṛde prakāśito.

Prabhupāda: Ah, divya jñāna hṛde prakāśito. So he is the father. So we should always bear in mind. Don't be upstart and leave this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement whimsically... [break] [end]