27 February 1977 — Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.7

Prabhupāda: [leads Jaya Radha Madhava [break]

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: “Prahlāda Mahārāja fixed his mind and sight upon Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva with full attention in complete trance. With a fixed mind, he began to offer prayers in love with a faltering voice.”

Prabhupāda:

astauṣīd dharim ekāgra-

manasā susamāhitaḥ

prema-gadgadayā vācā

tan-nyasta-hṛdayekṣanaḥ

(SB 7.9.7)

So this is the process. This process you cannot expect immediately, but if you practice general process, very easily done, as it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). You cannot get the position of Prahlāda Mahārāja immediately. That is not possible. The process is, first of all, sādhana-bhakti. This Prahlāda Mahārāja’s position is different. He is mahā-bhāgavata. In many places we have seen already, he is nitya-siddha. There are two kinds of devotees . . . three: nitya-siddha, sādhana-siddha, kṛpa-siddha. These things are described in The Nectar of Devotion. Nitya-siddha means they are eternally associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are called nitya-siddha. And sādhana-siddha means one is fallen in this material world, but by practice of devotional service according to the rules and regulation, injunction of the śāstra, direction of guru, in this way, one can reach also the same position as the nitya-siddha. This is sādhana-siddha. And there is another. That is kṛpa-siddha. Kṛpa-siddha means . . . Just like Nityānanda Prabhu, He wanted that these Jagāi-Mādhāi must be delivered. There was no sādhana. They never followed any rules and regulation. They were thieves and rogues, very fallen condition. But Nityānanda Prabhu wanted to show an example that “I shall deliver these two brothers. Never mind they are so fallen.” That is called kṛpa-siddha. So we should always remember there are three categories: nitya-siddha, sādhana-siddha and kṛpa-siddha. But when they become siddha, perfect, by any process, they are on the same level. There is no distinction.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja’s position is nitya-siddha. Gaurāṅgera saṅgi gane nitya-siddha boli māne. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He came . . . Not only He, but others also. Just like with Kṛṣṇa so many devotees, they descended, just like Arjuna. Arjuna is nitya-siddha, nitya-siddha friend. When Kṛṣṇa said that “I spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god,” imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1), that is so many millions of years ago. To clear the matter, Arjuna inquired that “Kṛṣṇa, You are of my age. How I can believe that You spoke this philosophy so many millions of years ago?” So what Kṛṣṇa replied, you know, that “My dear Arjuna, both you and Me, we appeared many, many times. The difference is that you have forgotten. That means you were also present at that time, because you are My nitya-siddha friend. Whenever I appear, you also appear. But you have forgotten; I have not forgotten.” That is the difference between jīva and śiva, or Lord, that we are minute part and particle of the Supreme; therefore we may forget. But Kṛṣṇa does not forget. That is the difference. So nitya-siddha. Prahlāda Mahārāja is to be understood as nitya, mahā-bhāgavata, nitya-siddha. They appear to complete the līlā of Kṛṣṇa.

So we should not try to imitate Prahlāda Mahārāja. That is not good. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ, I have already explained yesterday. Prahlāda Mahārāja is one of the mahājanas, authorized persons, authorized devotee. We should try to follow him. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. So śrutayo vibhinnāḥ.

tarko ‘pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā

nāsau munir yasya matam na bhinnam

dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ

mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ

(CC Madhya 17.186)

You cannot understand God by logic and arguments. It will never settle up. There are so many Māyāvādīs, they are going on perpetually: “What is God?” Neti neti: “This is not, this is not, this is not. What is Brahman?” So by that process you’ll never be able to understand what is God. Jñāne prayāse udapāsya namanta eva. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has accepted this formula. By knowledge, by your erudite scholarship, if you want to understand—you may be very high-standard scholar—but that is not your qualification to understand God. That is not qualification. You have to give up your vanity that “I am rich,” “I am very learned,” “I am very beautiful,” “I am very . . .” so on, so on. They are janmaiśvarya śruta śrī (SB 1.8.26). These are not qualification. Kuntīdevī has said, akincana gocaraḥ: “Kṛṣṇa, You are akiñcana gocara.” Akiñcana. Kiñcana means if somebody thinks that “I possess this; therefore I can purchase Kṛṣṇa,” oh, no, that is not. That is not possible. You have to become blank, akiñcana-gocaraḥ.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja . . . There was some disagreement with the father, but he was not ordinary person. His father might . . . he’s a very, very big man, you see. He conquered the whole universe. So he was not a poor man’s son. He was very rich man’s son, Prahlāda Mahārāja. And he was educated by his father sufficiently. Of course, within five years . . . so janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī. Everything was there, but Prahlāda Mahārāja was not depending on his material circumstances; he was depending on his profound, ecstatic transcendental bliss of devotional service. That is wanted. So that stage immediately we cannot reach. He is nitya-siddha. As I was going to explain, that whenever Kṛṣṇa descends, His nitya-siddha devotees, associates, they also come. So gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe, nitya-siddha boli māne, tara haya vrajabhūmi vāsa, like that, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura . . . just like śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī advaita gadādhara śrīvasadi gaura bhakta vṛnda. So these associates of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they are nitya-siddha. You cannot avoid any one of them and make your imagination, that “I shall simply worship . . .” (break)

Kṛṣṇa has appeared—Panca-tattva. Kṛṣṇa is īśa, and Nityānanda Prabhu, He is prakāśa, the first expansion of God. God has many expansion. Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam (BS 5.33). He has got thousands and thousands exp . . . so first expansion is Baladeva-tattva, Nityānanda; and His incarnation, Advaita; and His spiritual potency, Gadādhara; and His marginal potency, Śrīvāsa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu has appeared with pañca . . . pañca-tattvātmakam. You cannot neglect anything. If you think that “I shall simply worship . . .” oh, that is a great offense, “. . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu or only Caitanya-Nityānanda” No. You must worship Pañca-tattva, pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇam, in full. Similarly, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, sixteen names, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ (devotees chant) Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So you cannot mix up. You must do according to śāstra. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). If you deviate from the śāstra, then you will never be successful.

yaḥ śāstra vidhim utsṛjya

vartate kāma-kārataḥ

na siddhim avāpnoti

na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim

(BG 16.23)

So if you want to approach the same level like Prahlāda Mahārāja, we should not immediately imitate him. We must follow the sādhana-bhakti, sādhana-bhakti, for general; and kṛpa-siddha, that is special. That is incalculable. If Kṛṣṇa wants, He can make immediately somebody very important. That is kṛpa-siddha. So there are three classes of devotees: nitya-siddha and sādhana-siddha and kṛpa-siddha. Prahlāda Mahārāja is nitya-siddha. He is not ordinary sādhana-siddha or . . . of course, ultimately there is no difference, either sādhana-siddha or kṛpa-siddha or nitya-siddha, but we should always remember that Prahlāda Mahārāja is not ordinary devotee; he is nitya-siddha. Therefore immediately he developed the transcendental symptoms, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṣṭa-siddhi, you have read in The Nectar of Devotion. So the ecstasies, ekāgra-manasā. Ekāgra-manasā, “with full attention.” For us to bring that full attention may take hundreds and thousands of years, full attention. But Prahlāda Mahārāja—immediately. Immediately, five-years-old boy—because he is nitya-siddha. Always we should remember that we cannot imitate. “Now, Prahlāda Mahārāja has immediately ekāgra-manasā, and I shall become also.” No. That is not possible. May be possible, but that is not the way.

Just like in our country, perhaps you know, there was a poet, Rabindranath Tagore. He got many distinction from the Oxford University. He got . . . he never went to a school, but he got the title “doctor,” “Dr. Rabindranath Tagore.” And if you think that “I shall also get doctorate without going to a school,” that is foolishness. That is special. Similarly, don’t try to imitate. Follow the general course, sādhana-siddhi. The regulative principles you must follow as instructed in the śāstra. Therefore there are so many śāstras. And guru is guide. We must always . . . even if you are nitya-siddha or kṛpa-siddha, you should not neglect the general regulative principle. That is very dangerous. Don’t try to do that. We must follow. Nitya . . . just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, God, but He is accepting guru. Who is His guru? He is guru of everyone, but He has also accepted Īśvara Purī as His guru. Kṛṣṇa Himself, He accepted His guru, Sāndīpani Muni, teaching us that without guru you cannot make any advance. Ādau gurvāśrayam. The first business is to accept guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Don’t think that “I am so advanced. I may not require any guru. I can do without guru.” That is nonsense. That, not possible. “Must.” Tad vijñānārtham. Tad-vijñānārtham is spiritual science. “Must approach.” Gurum evābhigacchet samit-paniḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. Tasmād-guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). If you are actually serious to understand the transcendental science, spiritual knowledge, oh, you must have guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. And just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Guru cannot be self-made. No. There is no such single instance throughout the whole Vedic literature. And nowadays, so many rascals, they are becoming guru without any authority. That is not guru. You must be authorized. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rā . . . (BG 4.2). As soon as the paramparā is lost, sa kālena yoga naṣṭo parantapa, immediately finished. The spiritual potency finished. You can dress like a guru, you can talk big, big words, but it will never be effective.

So these are the science. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is our guru. He’s not ordinary. Don’t think that “He’s a five-years-old boy; he has no knowledge.” No. He is perfect nitya-siddha guru, and we should always pray for his mercy. And that is Vaiṣṇava ṭhākura. Vaiṣṇava ṭhākur tomāra kukkura boliyā jānaha more. This is a humble way. “O Vaiṣṇava ṭhākura . . .” All Vaiṣṇavas are ṭhākura. They are not ordinary persons. Ṭhākura . . . we therefore address: Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. So Vaiṣṇava Prahlāda Ṭhākura. So we should always pray, vaiṣṇava ṭhākura, tomāra kukkura boliya jānaha more. This is . . . There is a song of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: “My dear Vaiṣṇava ṭhākura, kindly accept me as your dog.” Vaiṣṇava ṭhākura. As the dog, by the indication of the master, does everything very obedient, we have to learn this lesson from the dog, how to become faithful to the master. That is the instruction. In everything you can learn something. Everyone. Therefore mahā-bhāgavata, they accept everyone as guru, to learn something. Actually, from the dog we can learn this art, how to become faithful at the risk of life even. There are many instances, dog have given the life for the master. So . . . And we should be dog to the Vaiṣṇava. Chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā, nistāra pāyeche kebā.

Vaiṣṇava aparādha is a great offense. You know Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. He was a devotee, and he . . . Durvāsā, he was very proud of his yogic power, and he committed offense at the feet of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, and he was punished by Kṛṣṇa by sending the sudarśana-cakra. And he wanted help from so many—Brahmā, Viṣṇu. He could go directly to the Viṣṇuloka, but he was not pardoned. He had to come to Vaiṣṇava, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, fall down at his lotus feet. And he, of course, Vaiṣṇava, immediately excused him. So Vaiṣṇava aparādha is great offense, hātī-mātā. So we should be very careful about Vaiṣṇava aparādha. We should not . . . arcye viṣṇu śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇava-jāti-buddhiḥ (Padma Purāṇa). The vaiṣṇava-jāti-buddhiḥ is also another offense, great offense. Similarly, to think of guru as ordinary human being, that is also offense. To think of Deity as made of metal, stone, that is . . . these are offenses. Sa nārakī.

So we should be very careful about the regulative principles and follow the footprints of Vaiṣṇava. Mahājano yena sa gataḥ. Don’t think that Prahlāda Mahārāja is ordinary boy. We should learn from Prahlāda Mahārāja how to advance in devotional service.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)