Our Supreme Lord (1991-120)
bavad vidha bhagavat,tirtha kurvanti tirthani ,swanthas ten a gata prtha My Lord devotees like your good self are really a holy places personified because you carry personality of Godhead within your heart you turn all places into places of pilgrimage. We are reading this evening from the Srimad Bhagvatam first canto.This verse is spoken by great king Yudhishtir Maharaj to his beloved and devoted uncle Vidura.Shrila Prabhupad explains in the purport that the personality of the Godhead is always with His pure devotees because of unalloyed devotional service which is without any tinge of fruit of action ,any speculation. They are in the actual service of the Lord specifically by the process of hearing and chanting.Vidura ,haribol ,haribol, In the Bhagavatam there is beautiful description of the real compassionate and kindness of Vidura and how much we can learn by hearing the qualities of these great Parmahansas.
 
These childrens were very well behaved during kirtan.This proves that kirtan is the Yugdharma.People are not very philosophically inclined in this age but the chanting and dancing is everyone is inclined,do you like to chant? ,do like to dance?,do you like to hear philosophy?, Do you like to eat Prasad?,keval anand kand,chanting ,dancing and feasting,that is the conlusions of all philosophy, but hearing the glories of these great devotees of the Lord is the door that opens wide for perfection of human form of this life,which is self realization. During the great intrigue between Pandavas and the Kurus in Hastinapur,we find how Pandavas were put in so many embarrassing and disgraceful situations. Although factually they did not do anything to deserve it.
 
Yudhishtir Maharaj was the embodiment of dharma ,truth, it is said that even in his mind he never considered a simple act ,simple word in his entire life and yet he and his noble brothers were prosecuted in so many ways because that is the way of politics.Throughout histry ,throughout all lands ,when people are greedy for power and control ,for wealth ,they will do anything.We find although Dhrtarastra was actually a very noble king and his son Duryodhana was the embodiment of all the good qualities.They will had one anartha or unwanted quality within their hearts and that is greed ,power and control and this one quality practically burn to ashes like ------(5.29) forest fire like all of the other qualities.Therefore in so many ways they defend the Pandvas ,they said evil things about them,they spread terrible rumors and propaganda against them.Even when they were children they try to poison them, they try to burn them in the house of lakh,they cheated them in dice game ,they banished them to the forest took away all of their belongings ,and that was not enough ,even in the forest time and time again they try to ridicule and humiliate them.And through all of this Vidura had to watch ,Kunti ,the mother of Pandavas ,she suffered hundreds of time more than the Pandavas themselves,why is this? Because devotes are willing to accept any inconvenience upon his own life and accept it is grace of the Lord but the devotees cannot tolerate seeing another devotee mishandled,mistreated,and therefore queen Kunti who has such soft hearted mother and loving devotees ,she had to witness all of these terrible atrocities upon her own beloved children.You can imagine what she was feeling not just one night but fourteen years while they were banished in jungles, she did not know where they were?,who they were with? She did not even know whether they were dead or live.And all along Vidura he was the one to take care of queen Kunti,he remained in his home,he was the always the well wisher,Vidura was such a noble and gentle soul ,time and time again ha was the one who saved the life of the Pandvas.It was by his divine arrangement that the Pandvas escaped house of their lakh ,that setoff fire,and yet Vidura was so soft hearted and loving that even the evil the evil minded Dhrtarastra and Duryodhana ,he was also their well wisher.
 
He was time and time again giving Dhrtarastra good advice,giving him the chance to rectify his sinful offences and to live according to the truth.And it is described that at one time Vidura he was instructing Duryodhana but he could understand that Duryodhana was so intoxicated ,by his great desire to be empowered his greed,his thrust for control of others that he could not hear.And although Dhrtarastra was actually the great gentleman ,because of his attachment to Duryodhana ,because of that association ,he was acting in the most abominable and sinful way, and all of the spiritual principle were compromised.No matter how great you are,if you choose bad association you will become abominable in the eyes if God.Who are we compare to Dhrtarastra? sometimes we thing that oh! Dhrtarastra is such an evil man but actually he was the great descendant of the kuru dynasty ,he was the eldest of the three brothers,he was factually the son of Vedvyas.Which means he was directly the son of literary incarnation of God ,what type of high birth did he have?,and he was spoon fed and trained by Bhishma himself.He had the best birth from the best family,he was trained by the best war man and actually he was a great loving soul,he only had one defect,he was attached to the association of somebody who lusted for power.Who could not control his mind and senses.in Bhagvatam it is said(Shloka) ,it means that associating with great souls and rendering service to them the doors to liberation are open wide,but by associating with those persons who are too much attached to the wealth of this world and the enjoyment of this world,the doors to the hell ,the doors to the lowest ignorance are open wide.Whoever we are we should know that our destiny is according to our association.Vidura was the man of grate wisdom ,he understood the truth of Dhrtarastra’s heart.And he understood if he could simply give up the attachment to association of the son named Duryodhana ,He would be such a great great person.His named would be enlightened through our history ,scripture. But everything was spoiled with this one purpose and therefore Vidura, he was speaking to Dhrtarastra,that you are attached to offence personified in the form of your son.Give up listening to him.Do what you know whats write within your heart.
 
Do what all noble and great souls are advising you to do.And on so many occasions Dhrtarastra was with tears in his eyes ,he prayed Duryodhana give Pandavas what they want.They are write we are wrong.But Duryodhana knew that his father was attached to him and he was very clever my dear father if you give him anything to Yudhishtir I will do suicide and you will be the cause of my death.This is how maya works.If you try to do anything good in life you should know that there will be opposition.Maya will strike where you are most ------------(14.07).To try to keep you away from the truth away from the God.So Vidura was like spiritual master.He was instructing Dhrtarastra to be so much manipulated and exploited by the sentiments of your son.Do what is write,Krsna is on the side of Pandavas.Whatever you do against them you are directly doing against God Himself.When King Duryodhana heard Vidura preaching to his uncle in this way,he became so angry like a serpant which was just trample upon.His eyes became red like hot coal.He began to hisk like a serpant.And very very harsh and rude words he screamed towards his beloved uncle.That if you do noy leave this palace and leave this kingdom at this very moment,you will not have even breath to live.You will Die.And Vidura knew that Duryodhana now about to beat him,punish him, perhaps kill him.Vidura was very pleased.
 
On one level and very sad another.He was very sad to see that Dhrtarastra was supporting his son.Because he was blind through the material attachment,he was blind to bad association.How pitiable? But at the same time he was happy that he could get away from such an offensive condition and leave that place to go to the holy places of world to worship the Lord in complete freedom.So at that ime Vidura left the palace and for many many years he traveled to various holy places simply in hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord.In fact he went to the holy dham of Haridwar on the bank of the holy river Ganges there he lived with Maitrey muni and fell at feet of Maitreya Muni and begged him to enlightening.You see even the greatest devotees of the Lord,even such Paramhamsas as Vidura they are always seeking out the association of other saints.They are always eagar to hear from them submissively.Sometime we find when people think that spiritually advanced ,they have to listen to anyone anymore. Everyone should listen to them.But we find hear that really truly the more advanced we become spiritually the more we aspire to humble ourselves to from the great souls.And after all of this, what is that? Accha! I don’t mind getting what but harmonium should be kept the right. This is auspicious. So here we find Vidura after the battle of Kurusketra was faought he did not have to take part in that,he was aloof.He was in holy place.After, Krsna and the Yadus left this world back for spiritual world Vidura is returning to returning to Hastinapur and he was returning for one purpose alone to try to somehow or rather continue his preaching to Dhrtrastra save him from wasting his human from of life.This is the compassion of the great devotees of the Lord.and we find in this story that anyone who tries to anything good in the name God will meet opposition.This is histry.Throughout all the great religions of the world.If there is no opposition that means we must be doing something wrong,people thing if I become devotee of God then I am striving to do His work in this world,why should be there any opposition ,God is the supreme controller.But the fact is He is the supreme controller means He will arrange opposition. Because it is required. In this age of Kaliyuga people are madly running towards material sense enjoyment.Do you think ,if you actually preach the word of God or try to do something to put forward the mission of the Lord people will not be afraid,people will not be threatening. Our Guru Maharaj A.C.Bhaktivedant Swami Prabhupada,he came to America when he was seventy years old.He had no money,he had no friends.He was coming and he appeared to be very very harmless.But Srila Prabhupada told us that if they knew when I came into your country what I was going to do they would have killed me right then.Why,because I have come with transcendental vibration of Gods name and message,which is completely contrary to the direction of the life of practically everyone, in the world.Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,how much opposition he and his devotees had.by Chand Kazi,by the brahmans.He was preaching there anyone who simply chants the name of God whatever your caste,whatever your birth can attend the hightest level of consciousness and should be respected as such.The brahmans hated Him for this.
 
They wanted to destroy Him.And they were many muslims,they also hated Him because He was,He was diminishing many of the their political positions.At that time India was under Moghul rule.And we find in the life of Prahlad Maharaj,how much opposition came upon him although he was innocent five year old child simply because he spoke the word of God.He had no other problem ,he was a perfectly well behaved son,he was a good student,he was pleasing to his father in every single regard except one ,he was preaching Gods word.And therefore in so many ways,his life was threaten.So taking to spiritual life is not to make nice position for yourself in this world.People worships many demigods because they want wealth,they want so called peace on the material platform.But if you worship the Supreme God you will get the Supreme peace but not on the material platform.Why?because God is all merciful.He gives you all peace on the material platform.You will be satisfied with the material platform and the nature of the material platform is that the other devastation is an evitable. There is no peace in this world.It is all an illusion.At any moment there can be cyclone ,at any moment hurricane, at any moment flood,at any moment terrible accident,desease,death.padam padam yat vipadam na tesham.To the degree you are attached to peace in this world to that degree you are going to suffer when changes when it will change,it must change.That is garenteed.Therefore those religious people who are trying to promise you peace in this world they are cheating you ,they are giving you something cheap.And ultimately it can be taken away and you are going to suffer.That you want.therefore Srimad Bhagvatam ,Bhagvat Geeta these great scriptures and sadhus like Vidura who are presenting these scriptures they are not promising you peace in this world ,they are promising you peace within your own heart,which is transcendental to this world of conflict.The political situations in this world God knows what tomorrow will bring.The examples of how the goats are in line to slaughter house and they kept pacified by giving nice fresh green grasses but meanwhile they are in line and meanwhile one by one they are coming closer and closer to their death.But they don’t see that everyones head of them is getting their head cut.They only see nice green grass.so this material civilization like a line of foolish goats .Material energy maya and all of her representatives are just feeding you nice green grasses and making you think oh!oh!oh! how nice life really is?how I am enjoying.But at every step you are coming to closer to your death.
 
Can anyone deny that?If anyone here,even these little children they don’t know what --------(27.22) we are talking about?At one time we were like that.and soon we are going to be like something else.Can anyone change the course of time?Can you change the course of time?would like to stay a little girl forever or do want to become like your grandmother?Doesn’t matter what you want?(Laugh)If you nature.Therefore what the scriptures are teaching and what the true representatives of the teachers of the scripture are teaching,not peace in this world,peace within.Self realization.Arjuna wanted peace,Krsna said if you want peace you have fight this war because therefore I want real peace is in surrending to My will. Not in trying to make your separate endeavors. And Arjuna found the supreme peace in loving service to Krsna.
 
ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava candrika-vitaranam vidya0vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam
 
Lord Sri Krsna Chaitnya Mahaprabhu has come with a formula by which all beings,all ages,all caste,from all nation can find the Supreme peace within their hearts and that is to learning to take shelter of name of God.To stop taking shelter, of the sources of misery which are giving us pleasure in this world and take shelter of Krsna,who is so benevolently and magnificently making Himself available to His holy name.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

When we chant the name of Krishna we are invoking divine presence of God,who is the source of bliss,sat-cit-anand .By associating with all blissful we become blissful.

ishvar param krsna satcitanand vigrah

Krishna is eternal,full of knowledge ,full of bliss.We become what we associate with.Dhrtrastra became a fallen fool because he associated with the fallen fool.But later on when he associated with after Duryodhana was gone ,with Vidura,he became a saint.What we associate with we become like.Krishna is sat-cit-anand,
 

namcintamani krsna caitanya rasvigraha,He is nondifferent than His name.When we associate with name of God,when we associate with the eternal ,we become eternal.When we associate with the source of our knowledge we filled with pure knowledge and when we become associate with embodiment of all bliss,we become supremely blissful.And how do we associate with Krsna,through His name,through His words and especially through His devotees.Therefore in this verse we are reading today.

bavad vidha bhagavat,tirtha kurvanti tirthani

It is explained by Maharaj Yudhishtira that Vidura ,sence of your caliber are holy places personified because Krsna is always within your heart.therefore whatever you say whatever you do reveals Krsna to the hearts of the whomever comes in contact with.So what do we want in life.Vidura came to preach to Dhrtarastra in this particular chapter today.To give up his crazy desire to still be trying to find peace in this world and take shelter of Krsna.And what all great saints teach.That is the meaning os the sadhu.A sadhu who does not teach that he is sadhu in name only but not in quality.And if we want the true fortune and the treasure of this human life of force,we should be seeking those persons ,those places which are giving this rare and most treasure of all gifts.Information the grace of God. How to find true peace not in this world but in the kingdom of God within our own heart.
 
Is there any questions?Mahaprabhu you would like to translate.Hare Krishna.
 
To come together to hear and chant the glories of the Lord. It should be greatest act of love in this world.Is to help one another to come closer to God.And these types of programs, these types of arrangements are perhaps the greatest need within our human society.After all when we come home from our business,perform our work everyday,what do we do?Just fifty years ago when India especially ,practically all over,our GuruMaharaj use to tell us that after sunset everyone would come together to hear and chant the glories of the Lord.They would have the kirtan of the Lord.
 
Entire village would come together ,families would come together.They would hear Mahabharat,Srimad Bhagvat,Geeta,Ramayan.In this way India had shown the world the greatest civilization.But now unfortunately,we have our TV’s ,our televisions.our cinemas,our newspapers and we are engrossed in these things.We are leaving behind the two purpose of life which is to come together to hear and chant the glories of the Lord.So we would like to thank for all of you to coming,and the specially to our host this evening for such beautiful arrangement.And of course this program has been arranged in honor of the birth day of son of Mr.Daga,Gaurav.So I would like to offer him best wishes that Krishna may always be with him to guide him,protect him to his loving service and I request all of you also offer your good wishes and prayers for his auspicious future in Krishna Cconsciousness.Hare Krishna.Is Gaurav here?Please come.This is the day ,you have to accept humiliation and embrassment.(Maharaj Laughs).But we love you very much.May Krishna always be with him.Of this auspicious gathering to night we will all honor Krishna’s Prasad.
 
Thank you very much.
 
Hare Krishna.