Transcendental literature glorifying Krishna revolutionizes civilization by healing souls through its sacred vibration.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.11–12 — June 10, 1969, New Vrindavan 690610SB-NEW VRINDAVAN [65:53 Minutes] SB-01.05.11–12_690610SB-NEW VRINDAVAN Prabhupāda: om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ [I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.] śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam [When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?] he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te [O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.] tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgī rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye [I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.] vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ [I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.] tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api nāmāny anantasya yaśo 'ṅkitāni yat śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ [SB 1.5.11] [On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world's misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.] The other day we discussed about literature which is very nicely composed from literary point of view or poetic or rhetoric. May nicely... But if there is no description of the Absolute Truth, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that sort of literature is enjoyed by a class of men who are compared with the crows.
That we have discussed. It is simply wasting time, valuable time in the human life, to divert our attention to such ordinary literature. They are called grāmya-kathā. In Sanskrit language it is called grāmya-kathā. Grāmya-kathā means any book, any poetry, or any novel, or any drama, there is some hero and heroine, a man or woman, about their loving affairs, tragedy, comic, like that.
Actually, it is grāmya-kathā—the same thing as we are experiencing daily, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam [Hitopadeśa 25], this eating, sleeping, mating, that's all. [Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to engage in spiritual life. Therefore without spiritual life, humans are on the level of animals.] What is the value of such literature? What do you gain by that?
No. Simply mental agitation. And if it is sex literature, then it is very appealing. So that means it is something like haviṣya kṛta[?]... Just like if you offer fuels on the fire, the fire will go on, and it will, I mean to say, consume as much as you go on giving fuel.
But there is no śānti. The fire will never be extinguished. Actually, what we want? What is the mission of our life?
What is the aim of our life? We are hankering after śānti, or peace. So that sort of literature will not give us any peace. It will simply agitate the mind. Therefore those who are paramahaṁsas, those who have understood the essence of this cosmic manifestation, they are not interested in such literature.
On the other hand, it is said that tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavaḥ. [commentary] Vināpi pada-cāturyaṁ bhagavad-yaśaḥ-pradhānaṁ vacaḥ[?]. Śrīdhara Svāmī gives note that there may not be any poetic, metaphorical or analogical, ornamental language, but vināpi pada-cāturyam. Pada-cāturyam. Pada means composition.