Sages Ask About the Highest Good for All Humanity

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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.4 — July 14, 1972, London 720714SB-LONDON [45:20 Minutes] SB-01.01.04_720714SB-LONDON Prabhupāda: Hmm. Go on. Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] naimiṣe 'nimiṣa-kṣetre ṛṣayaḥ śaunakādayaḥ satraṁ svargāya lokāya sahasra-samam āsata [SB 1.1.4] Prabhupāda: That's all. Purport. Pradyumna: "The prelude of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was spoken in the previous three ślokas.

Now the main topic of this great literature is being presented. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, after its first recitation by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, was repeated for the second time at Naimiṣāraṇya. "In the Vāyavīya Tantra, it is said that Brahmā, the engineer of this particular universe, contemplated a great wheel which could enclose the universe. The hub of this great wheel was fixed at a particular place, known as Naimiṣāraṇya. Similarly, there is another reference to the forest of Naimiṣāraṇya in the Varāha Purāṇa, where it is stated that by performance of sacrifice at this place, the strength of demoniac people is curtailed.

Thus brāhmaṇas prefer Naimiṣāraṇya for such sacrificial performances." Prabhupāda: So the Vedic literatures, one cannot say that it is concocted—one difference is there, one difference is another Purāṇa. Sometimes there are some rascal philosophers, they say that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has been compiled by..., for, I mean to say, eulogizing Kṛṣṇa, who was the son of a leader. Like that. But you cannot do that, because the reference is there, very old Purāṇas.

Some rascal philosopher says Bhāgavata was compiled recently. So how it is the reference should be in the Purāṇas? So this rascaldom has spoiled the whole Vedic culture, the so-called westernized scholars, because the real purpose was that the rulers, they did not want to present Indian culture as very old, because then their Darwin's theory will be spoiled. That was their nonsense proposition, that they are proposing that human brain is being developed, but if they accept that millions of years ago the brain was already there, then their rascal theory of Darwin will be spoiled. So actual fact is this, that this verse... Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled five thousand years ago. Not that Vyāsadeva manufactured something.

All Vedic literature were existing. Vyāsadeva only… Just like I am presenting. I am presenting the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not it is manufactured by me, it is concocted by me, that I have introduced.

Just like so many things are there, these samāj, that samāj, this samāj. We are not like that. As Kṛṣṇa is old, so this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also old. It is as old as Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa says that "Forty millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā to sun-god." So where is the history? Where does your history stand?

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