"Lion-killer Rabbit"

[Paramananda das]

"Lion-killer Rabbit"
Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.44
Los Angeles, June 10, 1976

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Pradyumna: Translation: "O inhabitants of Vaikuntha, you are sinless, but those within this material world are all karmis, whether acting piously or impiously. Both kinds of action are possible for them because they are contaminated by the three modes of nature and must act accordingly. One who has accepted a material body cannot be inactive, and sinful action is inevitable for one acting under the modes of material nature. Therefore all the living entities within this material world are punishable."

Prabhupada:

sambhavanti hi bhadrani
viparitani canaghah
karinam guna-sango 'sti
dehavan na hy akarma-krt
[SB 6.1.44]

This material world is karma-krt -- you have to do something. Krsna has explained that "Without acting, you cannot even maintain your body and soul together." Sarira-yatrapi te na prasiddhyed akarmanah. If you become idle, then you cannot even maintain your body. That is the difference between civilized man and uncivilized man or developed country... (aside:) Stop that. Developed country and undeveloped country. Just like America. This land was inhabited by the Red Indians. They could not do anything, but the Europeans, when they migrated, they made it so beautiful country. So karma-krt, one has to work. This material world is so made. Trtiya karma-sanga anya saktir isyate.

In the Padma Purana, Visnu Purana: parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. God's energy are varieties. All those varieties are grouped into three divisions. Out of that... Three divisions means tatastha-sakti, antaranga-sakti, cit-chakti. Tatastha-sakti and this external, or this karma-sakti... The... Trtiya saktih karma-sanga anya. It is mentioned that the spiritual world is just manifestation of cic-chakti, and this material world is creation of material energy or karma-sanga, where everyone has to work. Without work, it is said, na hi suptasya simhasya pravisanti mukhe mrgah. That is very nice example. In the forest the lion is supposed to be the mightiest animal, and he is sometimes called the king of the animals, pasu-raja. So in one place it is said that even the lion, who is the king of the forest, if he sleeps and he thinks that animals will come and enter in his mouth, that is not possible. He has to also find out how to eat. Na hi suptasya simhasya pravisanti mukhe mrgah. The lion is so powerful, but he cannot also dictate.

So there is another story,

buddhir yasya balam tasya
nirbuddhes tu kuto balam
pasya simho madonmatah
sasakena nipatitah

There is a story that a lion was killed by a rabbit. Sasakena nipatitah. Why? Now, buddhir yasya balam tasya: "One who has got intelligence, he has got power." A lion is very mighty, ferocious animal, and a sasaka, a ordinary rabbit, he killed a lion. How? Now the lion was disturbing all animals, so all the animals held a meeting and called the lion: "Sir, you do not try to kill us all, hunting after everyone. We shall go voluntarily every day, one of us. So you don't create disturbance. Let us become peaceful." So lion agreed, "All right, if you voluntarily come, I will sleep, and if you enter in my mouth..." So this was the agreement. There was the turn of one rabbit. So he planned something. So he went to the lion a little late. So lion was very angry that "Why you have come late? I am very hungry, and you did not come." (laughter) So the rabbit said, "Sir, there was a danger in the way." "What is that?" "There is another lion, and he wanted to kill me and eat, so I protested, 'No, sir, you cannot kill me. (laughter) I am destined to be killed by such and such lion, so you cannot do it.' " So he was very much pleased: "Where is that lion?" "Please come. I will show you." So he took him near one well. So he... The rabbit said, "He is living within this." (laughter) The lion immediately... "Come on. Make a how!' " So there was vibration, still higher sound, and he saw his photo, yes, shadow. So he thought it, "Yes, there is lion." He immediately jumped over him. (devotees laugh) Finished. So how the lion was killed by the rabbit? Now, buddhir yasya balam tasya: "One who has got intelligence, he has got power." The foolish... So everywhere you will find.

So how one is intelligent, how one is dull, how one is via media -- that is due to these three gunas: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. If one is intelligent, that is one of the qualification of sattva-guna. Jnanam vijnanam astikyam. The brahminical qualification... Satyah samo damo titiksa arjavam eva ca, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42]. In the society, human society, there must be a class of brahmana, intelligent class. So our Krsna consciousness movement is trying to create a section of the human society -- real brahmana, intelligence. And the intelligence means Veda. Veda means knowledge. Knowledge... One who has got sufficient knowledge, he is intelligence, not the fool, rascal. So therefore the... There is Vedas, and there are Vedanta, Vedanta. Veda, Vedanta, source of knowledge. So Vedas means knowledge, and Veda-anta... Anta means the last word. So that anta knowledge, or the last word in knowledge, is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Vidya bhagavatavadhih, they say. Knowledge, expansion of knowledge, the last word is Srimad-Bhagavatam. So it is the explanation of Vedanta. Bhasyam brahma-sutranam **. Vedanta's another name is Brahma-sutra. In India there are Mayavadi sannyasis. They advertise themselves as the Vedantists, "one who knows Vedanta." But actually they do not know Vedanta. Real Vedanta is Srimad-Bhagavatam, because this is commentary. Bhasya ayam brahma-sutranam. Brahma-sutra is Vedanta.

So Vedanta, what is that Vedanta? That is explained by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: [Bg. 15.15] "Vedas means to understand Me." That is Veda. If one does not understand Krsna, his so-called Vedic knowledge or Vedanta knowledge is useless, srama eva hi kevalam, simply labor.

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpayed ratim yadi
srama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]

Everyone is engaged in executing a particular type of faith or religious system, ritualistic. That's all right. Dharmah svanusthitah. You are Hindu; you are doing your Hindu ritualistic ceremony or religious rules and regulations. Or a Christian is doing nicely, or a Muhammadan is doing... That's all right, but we are interested -- those who are followers of real Vedanta -- to see the result. Phalena pariciyate. Phalena means "by the result." So what is the result? The result is by executing one's particular type of religious system, he must develop Krsna consciousness or God consciousness. That is the test. If you are unaware of what is God, what do you mean by God, and you are very, very religious, that is useless. One must know God. So therefore, those who are in the lowest grade of human life, they cannot understand. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. Naradhama ... Nara means human being, and adhamah means the lowest. So one who is in the lowest grade of human society, they are called the svapaca. Svapaca. Svapaca means those who are the dog-eaters. So in this way there is description. There are others also.

So here the same thing is...

sambhavanti hi bhadrani
viparitani canaghah
karinam guna-sango 'sti...

This guna-sanga... Why one is in the lowest grade, and why... There are three grades generally, and if you mix it, it becomes eighty-one. Three into three equal to nine; nine into nine, eighty-one. Therefore we have got so many species of life, 8,400,000. So how it is possible? Now, guna-sango 'sti. In the Bhagavad-gita also it is... Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu [Bg. 13.22]. Why there are different varieties of life, so many, 8,400,000? Now, what is the reason? Karanam... Karanam means reason, the cause. Guna-sanga. Guna-sanga. Now, here is temple, and a few yards after this temple there may be a brothel, there may be liquor house. So somebody is coming here, and somebody is going there. So what is the reason? Karanam guna-sango 'sti. One is attached to sattva-guna; one is attached to rajo-guna; one is attached... But everyone is working, and that working must be under the influence of one of these three qualities: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna.

So if one associates with the sattva-guna, then he is promoted gradually to the higher planetary system. Higher planetary system. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [Bg. 14.18]. Everything explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Those who are developing the good qualities of this material world, three qualities, so urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah. The upper planetary system, heavenly planetary system... Therefore we say that you cannot go to the moon planet, from the sastra. Because the moon planet, who will go? Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah. Unless one is in the modes of goodness, they cannot enter there. It is not possible. "By force," if you say, "Yes, we have gone; we are going," you may say, but we are followers of the sastra. Sastra-caksusah. We see through the sastra. We understand that these men, they are not even rajo-guna, or maybe in rajas-tamo-guna. But where is sattva-guna? Sattva-guna. So through the sastra we can understand that who is who through sastra. Therefore in my poetry, on the strength of sastra, I said that rajas tamo gune era sabai acchanna, vasudeva-katha ruci mahe se prasanna: [SB 1.2.16] "Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied; therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva. So I do not know how they will be able to understand it." Actually that is the fact. Everyone, so many swamis and yogis, come in this country. So they advertise in India that they went out of India for preaching Vedanta. But being influenced, what Vedanta they learned? When they returned to India, they have learned how to entice women and how to eat meat. This is their Vedanta. Because karanam guna-sango 'sya. If you are not strong enough, then association will induce or influence. If you are not a Vaisnava, then if you go in a brothel or a liquor house, then you will be influenced by the drunkards and prostitute-hunters. But if you are strong enough, then you will... The effect you will give your effect of association; they will be Vaisnavas. That is the difference.

There is a scientific story that one doctor friend, perhaps you know, the Dr. Ghosh who came. When he was student, he read in a medical magazine that one girl..., her name was Mary. So there was a Mary contamination. What is that? Typhoid, yes. Wherever she used to go, there was typhoid fever, so many people suffering, but she was not suffering. So by analysis of the blood, it was found that this girl, the blood was full of typhoid germs, but she was so strong that she could resist. She was not suffering, but wherever she used to go, everyone was infected with typhoid. So that is the explained. Karanam guna-sango 'sya [Bg. 13.22]. If you are strong enough, then the lower qualities will not affect you. And if you are not strong, if you are weak yourself, then where you are going to convert, they will induce their infectious quality, and you will be victimized. So karanam guna sango 'sya. So in the Western countries, everywhere, all over the world at the present moment, Kali-yuga, the guna, the rajo-guna and tamo-guna, is very prominent. The rajo-guna... How it is understood that the rajo-guna, tamo-guna, is prominent? Now, the rajo-guna, tamo-guna, the symptom, rajas-tamo bhavah kama-lobhadayas ca ye... Tada rajas-tamo-bhavah kama-lobhadayas ca ye [SB 1.2.19]. When one is infected with tamo-guna and rajo-guna, the symptoms will be that he is very greedy and lusty. This is the symptom. If one is very greedy and lusty, then you should know that he is infected with rajo-guna and tamo-guna. And if one is not greedy and lusty -- satisfied in every circumstances, and is Krsna conscious or trying to become Krsna conscious -- then it is sattva-guna. He is turned.

So by the culture of this Krsna consciousness, one comes to the sattva-guna, the immediate effect, sattva-guna. Just like our students: little association with this Krsna consciousness movement, they immediately come to the sattva-guna, at least officially. Although rajo-guna, tamo-guna, was there, but it overlaps. So how it overlaps? What is this process?

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah-stho abhadrani
vidhunoti su-hrt-satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Krsna is within everyone. If we simply hear the words and the instruction of Krsna, srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah... So this Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita -- full of Krsna's pastimes, Krsna's instruction. So if we hear this, especially these two books, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah, then you become pious. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. There is no need of separate attempt. If we simply hear every moment or as many times as possible, then we become purified. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. One who is speaking, he is also becoming pious, and one who is hearing, he is also becoming pious. Punya-sravana-kirtanah.

So, pious? What is the meaning of pious? Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah, hrdy antah-stho abhadrani. The... Everything is causing effects within the heart, within the heart. The civilization or not civilization means the change of heart. A man is civilized because he has changed his heart. A man is uncivilized? He has not changed. Just like you know the story of Sik... What is that? Sikari? The name, I forgot.

Candanacarya: Mrgari?

Prabhupada: Mrgari, yes. So Mrgari was in the lowest status of tamo-guna. He was killing animals half-dead, and he was enjoying. But when he became Krsna conscious, elevated, he was not prepared to kill even one ant. You know this story. That is the change, change of heart. The same man, same man who was killing animals in the jungle half-dead... And when Narada Muni asked him that "Why you are killing half? Kill them complete. They are suffering. You will be more sinful," he said, "My father taught me that this is pleasure."

So this is going on, tamo-guna, rajo-guna. But if we simply hear this Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita... Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. How it is possible? Nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. This abhadra -- inauspicious, nasty things within our heart, most uncivilized way of life, killing of animals -- this will be stopped. Nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18]. By hearing the message of God, bhagavatam bhaktih uttama-sloke bhavati naisthiki, gradually you become devotee. This is the process, how to transcend the material qualities. That is explained.

So this, my song... I was thinking on board the ship that rajas tamo gune era sabai acchanna, vasudeva-katha ruci mahe se prasanna [SB 1.2.16]. Nobody is interested. At the present moment, everyone is covered by the rajas-tamah, the base qualities, ignorance and passion, so they have no interest in Krsna consciousness. That is not possible. One has to purify himself. Tada rajas-tamo-bhavah kama-lobhadayas... [SB 1.2.19]. When we kill the rajas-tamo-bhavah, ceta etair anaviddham... When our heart is no more contaminated by the rajas-tamo-bhavah, ceta etair anaviddham sthitam sattve prasidati. There are three gunas. If you make minus these two gunas, rajas-tamo-guna, then the remaining -- only sattva-guna. So these rajas-tamo-guna can be counteracted simply by hearing about Krsna. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. So therefore I wrote, tabe jadi tava krpa hay ahaituki, sakala sambhava hay tumi se kautiki, that "God is all-powerful, Krsna is all-powerful. He can do everything impossible, possible." So whatever is being done in our Krsna consciousness movement, don't think that it is my influence of my... It is Krsna's. Krsna can do everything. He can change sattva-guna into tamo-guna, tamo-guna into rajo-guna, rajo-guna into sattva-guna. That is as He likes. Just like a expert electrician: he can turn the heater into cooler and cooler into heater. The electric energy is the same. Similarly, parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. He has His energy. If He likes... My point is that this Krsna consciousness movement has come to your country by the will of Krsna. So here is favorable situation because the will of Krsna is there, that "Now the Westerners, especially the Americans, they should become Krsna conscious." That is His will. So you take the opportunity, cooperate with Krsna, and you will be successful.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976



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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

[Paramananda das]

Srila Prabhupada states:
So by the culture of this Krsna consciousness, one comes to the sattva-guna, the immediate effect, sattva-guna. Just like our students: little association with this Krsna consciousness movement, they immediately come to the sattva-guna, at least officially.

At least officially everyone is given a change to be a devotee, Srila Prabhupada warned in so many places to constantly chant Hare Krsna .