Narada Narrates His Previous Life Story

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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.18–19 — June 22, 1969, New Vrindavan 690622SB-NEW VRINDAVAN [44:53 Minutes] SB-01.05.18–19_690622SB-NEW VRINDAVAN Prabhupāda: [chants maṅgalācaraṇa] ...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?] vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca [I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.] 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.] hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare [My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.] So Nārada Muni is advising Vyāsadeva, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ [SB 1.5.18]. [Persons who are actually intelligent and philosophically inclined should endeavor only for that purposeful end which is not obtainable even by wandering from the topmost planet [Brahmaloka] down to the lowest planet [Pātāla]. As far as happiness derived from sense enjoyment is concerned, it can be obtained automatically in course of time, just as in course of time we obtain miseries even though we do not desire them.] Kovida means intelligent, expert. One who knows things as they are, he's called kovida. So one who is intelligent, he should try to achieve that thing which is not available—na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ—which is not available even by wandering up and down. This we have already explained in the last meeting, that according to our karma, we are being sometimes elevated to the very high position, and sometimes we are being degraded to become an insignificant creature like ant.

This is going on. [baby crying in background] [aside:] This boy... [chuckles] She, she can go to the... Yes. This is very disturbing child. [reading commentary] Nanu sadharmam atradapi karma pitṛ-loka iti śruti pitṛ-loka-prapti phalaṁ aptaiva hatrasapi kovidaḥ viveki; tasyaiva hetoḥ tad artham yartham na kuryad yad upary brahmaloka paryantam adhaḥ sthavara paryantam brahmad bija na labhyate; tato viṣaya sukham anyathā eva praptino sva karmaṇā sarvatra narakadapi labhyate duḥkhavat; yataḥ duḥkham prajadnavina labhyate tadvad; tad uktam apraptithani duḥkhāni tathaiva ayaṁ hi dehināṁ sukhāni api tathā manye daivatra atir-icyata. So our duty is, as I mean to say, indicated by Nārada Muni, our only duty is how to achieve full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Other things, there is no need of trying. Actually, I have seen that in India—everywhere the same case—a person without any education, even without any..., practically illiterate. I have seen so many merchants, he cannot sign even his name. In Calcutta I've seen practically a Marwari, merchant, he, he cannot...

He has deposited money in the bank. Simply he can sign his own name with great difficulty. So he's canvassing, "Will you kindly write here..." That means the check to be paid to the gentleman, he cannot write. He's asking somebody's help, "You write the name of the person whom I can pay," and he'll simply sign.

If he writes something wrong, he'll have to accept. [laughs] If he writes his own name... [laughter] So that man is earning millions of dollars. You see? And I have seen also very educated medical man, England-returned, M.R.C.P—I am speaking from my practical experience—so he goes to a hospital, big doctor, but I have seen in his house, he had not even a good utensil at home.

He's so poor, in spite of so much education and highly qualified, England-returned doctor. So the statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham [SB 1.5.18]: you don't try for so-called economic development. [Persons who are actually intelligent and philosophically inclined should endeavor only for that purposeful end which is not obtainable even by wandering from the topmost planet [Brahmaloka] down to the lowest planet [Pātāla]. As far as happiness derived from sense enjoyment is concerned, it can be obtained automatically in course of time, just as in course of time we obtain miseries even though we do not desire them.] You cannot have more than what you are destined to get. It is already settled up. This, this living entity...

You see different grades of standard of living condition. So they're according to the past karma, daivena, daiva-netreṇa, karmaṇā. So you cannot change that. That nature's law, you cannot change. Why you have got varieties of life, varieties of position, varieties of de...?

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