Dialogue between Yudhisthira Maharaja and Yaksha
Bhajan Kutir Lecture_by Lokanath Swami At Manipal Karnataka 4th Jun 2016
040616 – Manipal [01:22:31]

We are here for Kirtan Mela, but we are doing kirtana in the beginning and then little more at the end and then talk in the middle, we will have sandwich. We welcome you all! Are youth's here? This is a youth centre. This is also called Bhajan kutir, kutir where residents do bhajan. How many of you stay here, residing in this Bhajan Kutir? Okay. I think they are on vacation or some holiday or they're busy organizing this event. Rest is our congregation. Is everyone from Manipal? No, from Udipi also. How many from Udipi? Udipi. You are from Manipal, Mangalore
also. How many from Mangalore? From Bangalore? From Holland, France? We have devotees from Holland, France and Mumbai also. Anyone is from Vaikuntha? [laughter] You all forgot your origin.

[Bhajan-Jai Radha Madhav, Jai Kunj Bihari] Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna!

Our obeisances unto Vasudeva! Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaya!

Udipi Krishna is also Vaasudeva. Yes, son of Vasudev is Vaasudeva. Udipi Krishna is Bala Krishna, son of Vasudeva. Bala Krishna- little Krishna son of Vasudeva. Balarama is also Vaasudeva. So we have not just one, but 2 Vaasudevas here. Not just Krishna is Vaasudeva, Balarama is also Vaasudeva. They are both sons of Vasudeva so they both are Vaasudeva and then in the middle Subhadhra also the daughter of Vasudeva and Devaki.

Our obeisance’s unto Krishna,

jinka naam hai gokul jinka dham hai aise shree bhagvan kovbaram bar pranam hai.

So yesterday I was reading Mahabharata something from one passage. From that reading I thought of sharing that with you today. Is that okay? It is as a dialogue it’s a question answer format’, Yaksha and Yudhisthira Maharaja samvad. Probably you have heard that before.

kim asharyam! That is one of the questions. What is the most wonderful thing in this world? kim asharyam! And there is answer like that. Many many questions were raised and perfect questions were asked and perfect answers were given by Yudhisthira Maharaja. Quick question- quick answer, you like that.

And this dialogue happened in Kamavan in Vrndavan on a bank of one lake, which Varun had claimed. Oh! That’s my lake. So while five Pandavas during their exile were residing in Kamavan in Vrndavan. One day during very hot summer season, you are just getting out of it. Nakula was sent to fetch water or he was out to hunt. Get that deer! Get that deer! Yudhisthira Maharaja has said and Nakula was the first one to try his luck. And as he was chasing this deer, running, and running for some time, while he couldn't catch up with deer. Deer disappeared and he had ended up on the bank of one lake there and he was thirsty. And he wanted to drink water and water was right there. And he was about to drink, he heard a voice. That, first you have to answer my questions and if you disregard what I'm saying, did not pay attention, and you did go for the water before you answer to my questions, you would be dropped dead.

So Nakula looked around. There was no one and he was very thirsty. He did go for the water and he died. Four brothers were waiting. Yudhisthira Maharaja sent Sahadev. Okay Sahadev you go next. Sahadev ended up on this bank of the same lake. Similar voice he heard, he also was very thirsty he did not care for giving answers to the question questionnaire.

And he died and then Arjuna ended up. He ended up giving his life and so did Bhima.

Then finally Yudhisthira Maharaja had to come to find out what is going on here. Why are they not returning? Where have they gone? What has happened to them and as he found out what had happened to them there were no wounds. There was no one around. They were not hurt. But they were dead. But he thought he would drink water first and then do the further investigation. But as he was also ready or about to drink, there comes the voice, unembodied, there is nobody, nobody around but the voice he heard. So if you don't answer my questions, then you know what the destiny is awaiting you. So he dropped the water. He did not want to be dropped dead. He dropped the water. Okay, go ahead. And there were many, many, many questions. Short questions- short answers. We’ll run through some of those.

Who makes the sun rise? And that the person who was asking this question was Yaksha. He was not visible but questions. God replied Yudhisthira Maharaja, right answer.

God is a creator, is generator, is operator, is destroyer. GOD they call. G for Generator or O for Operator and D for Destroyer. Three of them together- the team effort.

So, the whole world is operated by God. So natural and the correct answer is God makes the sun rise. God makes the sun set.

mayadhyakshena prakritih suyate sa-characharam

Krishna has also said that in Bhagavad Gita, I control the wanderings of all the creatures and all the beings and all that is around. Some may say oh, it's nature. Nature is doing it. It's the nature, nature. But then question is whose nature and God said mayadhyakshena. Nature is also called Maya. Mama Maya, Mama Maya. Who’s Maya? Who's Nature? Mama Maya, Mama Maya. I am Adhyaksha and I am the Superintendent. So everything, everything is governed by God.

Where is the truth captured? Is the next question. Answer is in the Vedas. You want to know, vedaish cha sarvair aham eva vedyo

vedanta-krid veda-vid eva chaham

Lord also sent the Vedas, the Veda means knowledge. So the truth, the knowledge, the true knowledge where do you find? You find in the Vedas. We'll move faster we’ll comment and then we could only deal with one question tonight.

What makes one Brahmin? Is the next question. Yudhisthira Maharaja said by understanding the Vedas. By understanding the Veda one becomes Brahmin and that person knowledgeable of the Vedas, he is a Brahmin. Not the one who is born in a Brahmin family, he is not a Brahmin.

brahma janatiti brahmanah
veda pathat bhavet dvija

By studies of the Vedas, one becomes Vipra, the learned, the Brahman

catur-varnyam maya srstam
guna-karma-vibhagasah

Not janma karma vibhagsah. Just because your name is Caturvedi, in North India you will find Caturvedi. These kinds of names, those who know the four Vedas. Then there are three Vedis and there are Divi Vedis also all these names are there, but most of them are Nirvedis. What to speak of the knowledge of the Vedas, they will not be able to say what are the names of the Vedas. They will struggle to name those four Vedas. What to speak of knowing the contents of the Vedas, knower of the Vedas.

When is a man who is alive, considered to be dead? When man is alive, he's alive, but then considered dead when? Answer is when he does not share his wealth with Gods, guests, servants, animals and ancestors then he is what? Is dead.

tena tyaktena bhunjitha

You take only portion that you require.

isavasyamidam sarvam yatkinca jagatyam jagat | 
tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma grdhah kasyasviddhanam || [Isopanishad 1 st verse]

This is Ishavasya principles, according to it you just take what you need the rest you share with other children of God you're not the only one around there are so many of them.

atithi devo bhava

You have sign at the door but no more. There used to be signs. atithi devo bhava, if you're Atiththi, please come. You're welcome. We will worship like God and serve you like God will give you gifts and charities. But now the signs have changed and you'll find be aware of dogs, don't come in, stay away. So then those residents are dead because they are not sharing their wealth with guests, Gods, and animals also.

What is the faster than the wind? Anyone wants to guess? Mind Hey, you got it. Faster than the wind

vayor iva su-dushkaram

Arjuna also said in six chapter of Bhagavad Gita.

chanchala? hi manah krishna pramathi balavad dridham

So flickering, so much obstinate, and very difficult to conquer. And moving hither and thither now is here, could go to Bangalore and shuttle back and forth and go to London go to Holland go to go here go all around and round, faster. Wind cannot go to Bangalore from Mangalore just like that. Mind could go faster than wind and causes lot of trouble is moving mind

What is more numerous than grass?
Thoughts, thoughts, thinking thinking thinking thinking is more numerous than grass.

How much is a grass? Grass is everywhere. Grass is everywhere. More in quantity more numerous multiple numbers are the thoughts. In the sunny day the sun is coming through a window and dust in the air. You see so many particles coming in making rounds going out, you have seen. So mind is thinking, feeling, willing are the functions of the mind.

That mind which is also faster than the wind also thinks, and those thoughts are numerous, so numerous and most of them are useless and they're stored in us life after life after life. We have accumulated so many thoughts, even in the sleep we think.

But then Lord says,
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru [BG 18.65]

Think of Me only so there is a thought there. Out of all those numerous thoughts, only thoughts related with Krishna, the Lord. We should be allowing them to settle make them our property and others. Naiti..Naiti… you get out of here, you get out of here, you get out here. The higher thoughts. Simple living and high thinking. High thinking, only high thoughts, valuable thoughts, spiritual thoughts, Krishna conscious thoughts. High thinking. Simple living, high thinking. But that is not the case unfortunately these days. Living is high, living is high and thinking is low. Low thinking or no thinking. Just today I was reading that ‘Just do it’ means do not even think just do it think after a bad thing later on just do it so that's the lifestyle. Do it and then think later. So people are simply living. Instead of simple living they are simply living.

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

As we say this and here with attention, then there are the right thoughts will give would be given rise to by the chanting. Now the first thought settled are discarded

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha–davagni-nirvapanam

All the dirty thoughts low thinking is cleansed. Gopis were known for only thinking remembering Krishna, thinking of about Krishna. Never forgetting, never low thoughts. They were known for this.

What is the more valuable than gold?

Nothing, how could anything be more valuable than gold? Someone may question but there's answer. Answer is knowledge. Knowledge is more valuable than gold. But then people they think the gold is most valuable and the knowledge that they acquire is to do what? To acquire gold. Did you get the point. Money making knowledge. Not man making knowledge, money making. I will acquire knowledge I will become MBA.

Here they become doctors and engineers, money making. The goal is money making, gold making. So again that that knowledge acquired knowledge to with the aim of acquiring gold, acquiring wealth, acquiring money that is not knowledge. Answer here is what is more valuable than gold? The answer to that question is knowledge.

But then which knowledge is a big question? Not the knowledge, which we acquire these days we teach and learn. In all the universities, the schools and colleges these days is not the knowledge that Yudhisthira Maharaja is thinking about. The knowledge with which you acquire infact Krishna. Krishna acquiring knowledge. Knowledge to acquire Krishna and once you acquired Krishna that is more than gold. Gold that Lakshmi, once you have Krishna then,

lakshmi-sahasra-shata- sambhrama-sevyamanam

With Krishna comes so many Lakshmi shasra, millions of Lakshmi also come along and you acquire Lakshmi and along with Narayana. So that knowledge one should acquire, and that is more valuable than this mundane gold.

matrivat pardareshu pardravyeshu loshthvat
atmavat sarvbhuteshu yah pashyati sa panditah

That person is knowledgeable that person is learned who thinks that gold is just a matter, just as stool, color of the stool and color of gold, some similarities are there.

What is more desirable than wealth?
Yes, not go that far. This is middle path. This is Mahabharata. This is not Bhagvat or Caitanya Caritamrita. Health is more desirable than wealth. What good is wealth if you don't have good health, right? That's why some of you have come all the way from Holland to acquire some health and health should be acquired. Not to be taken for granted, as you acquire and endeavour, make endeavour to acquire wealth, similarly one should endeavour to acquire health. Then health is not just health of the body, the health of body, mind, and soul. This is our self. When we talk of health, or when Yudhisthira Maharaja is also talking, thinking, that health is the answer, is not thinking of the health of the body, also the mind, healthy Mind. The sick mind also makes sick body. This is a very foundational principle of our Ayurveda. First your mind gets sick and then the gross body. Keep the mind fit, keep mind healthy. And if the consciousness is contaminated consciousness of the soul is not healthy, then the mind is not healthy then the body is not healthy. So, ultimately depends upon the health of the soul. The consciousness of the soul. Most desired form of happiness is contentment. I'm satisfied I'm satisfied to be satisfied which is very difficult if you could say so yeah I'm satisfied I'm okay I'm satisfied. That is the most desired form of happiness, santhusta. People are just not satisfied and so this contentment this is self-satisfaction means atmarama

atmaramas ca munayo

Atmarama, is self-satisfied. So person could only be content, contentment when his soul is satisfied. He is Atmarama, he is taking Aram. Happiness in Atma, Atma mein Aram. He is also taking Parmatma mein Aram, when he is taking happiness from Parmatma, from Bhagavan. So he is satisfied. To attain such a status, Tatas and Birlas have not even achieved, they are beggars. They want more they want more they want more, they are not satisfied. In Krishna consciousness, you could be satisfied. Soul is satisfied then the mind is satisfied, body could also be satisfied. Keep happy with just a few needs. What measures a man? Good man, bad man.

How to evaluate or how to judge a man? Answer is his conduct also called his Charitra, his character. When Character is lost they say everything is lost, money is lost nothing is lost. Health is lost, something, something is lost. It is a common knowledge like this but when character is lost then everything is lost. What is the character, the conduct, his dealings, his behaviour, first you judge that person by his conduct by his character.

This Krishna consciousness movement is busy making man of character or quality, quality people, quality human beings. Not just reduce the number of human beings that would not have character, but increase the quality of those human beings. Then there is no problem even if there are lots of human beings, more and more human beings, if they're good character people. So this is program of Hare Krishna movement, creating men of good character.

Krishna consciousness means clean consciousness, clean conduct.

What is mercy?
om sarve bhavantu sukhinah
sarve santu niramayah
sarve bhadrani pasyantu
ma kashchit duhkha bhagbhavet
o? shantih, shantih, shantih

Thought like this. This is being merciful. This is being kind. Kind to all Maya means disease that everyone to be free from disease, diseased condition. I was invited to open one hospital, hospital, the opening ceremony. And I recited this verse and I was explaining also that everyone be free from sickness, disease. The owner says how what about my hospital?

You are praying that no one let everyone be free from the disease. What about my hospital? So, he was not very kind. What is the only thing and can conquer or should conquer?

Answer is his own mind and this is lifetime mission. Conquer the mind, conquer the mind, control the mind which is most difficult thing to do in the world to conquer the mind

bandhur atmatmanas tasya yenatmaivatmana jitah
anatmanas tu saturve vartetatmaiva satruvat [BG 6.6]

Krishna says atma could be your friend also atma could be your worst enemy so do not think your enemies Pakistan is your enemy or that one or that one is my enemy, your enemy is your mind. All your enemies or six enemies Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Madya and Matsrya are your enemies and they all work through this mind and they work against you.

kama esha krodha esha rajo-guna-samudbhavah
mahashano maha-papma viddhyenam iha vairinam [BG 3.37]

Krishna says Arjuna please note please note viddhyenam iha vairinam. This Kama is your enemy. The lust is your number one enemy. Prabhupada writes Mr Lust and the Mr Lust has a Junior brother called Mr Anger because

kamat krodho 'bhijayate [BG 2.62]

krodha- anger, when the lust is not satisfied, then krodha appears. When the lust is satisfied, lusty desires are satisfied, then you feel good and you become greedy. Kama, Krodha, Lobha. Lobha comes into being your lusty desires are being fulfilled your endeavours are becoming successful. Then you end up becoming greedy more and more. What that this greed is your enemy. Kama, Kroddha, Lobha and then comes mada. You feel intoxicated Ha..ha..ha… I have so much wealth. Oh! I have so much to enjoy. You feel intoxicated mother nasha. When you drink and you drink and you drink, you drink it become intoxicated. So those greedy fellows they become proud of their possessions. That's called a mada and that's another enemy and these are all enemies. Lust is enemy and anger is enemy. And the greed is enemy the pride, mada is enemy. Then Moha you are bewildered you are bewildered you are bewildered that's another enemy you're the bewilderment and finally Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, Matsrya, envy hatred.

So, all these enemies work through the mind. So Krishna has warned this. So control conquer this mind, conquer your enemies.

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

You're only raising questions or their answers and the answers are out there okay. So, we just found out mind is your enemy but then how to conquer. Madana Mohan will help you may Madana Mohan help you. Madana Mohan is Madana means Demigod in charge of lust is Madana, Kamadev.

kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham govindam adi-purusam tam

But Lord Krishna could attract get rid of those forces of kama, forces of lust and other forces, so He is called Madan Mohan. He is Mohan, He bewilders, he attracts this Cupid gets them out of the way of my devotee, madhurya practitioner, sadhaka. Say we prayed to Madana Mohan and our prayer is the same

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

sva-madhuryana mac-cittah hara

When we chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. This is one of the prayer to that Madana Mohan to that holy name who is Krishna Himself. What is the prayer?

O Lord by your madhurya, please attract my mind to you. Your venu madhurya your lila madhurya your prem madhurya . There are four madhurya for which Krishna is most famous. rupa madhurya is a fourth one.

Just by hearing rupa madhurya immediately we should be thinking of the rupa. The beautiful rupa form of Lord that's why we go to take the darsana of Sri Krishna Udipi Sri Krishna is beautiful. I was there two days ago and had a wonderful darsana. I cannot get Him out of my head. He is still there amazing darsana and then that Krishna plays His flute -venu madhurya, lila madhurya, prem madhurya. Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared or Krishna appeared as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to do what?

To distribute that prem madhurya, Vrndavan is madhurya dhama, Vaikuntha is Ishvarya dhama and Mayapur is audarya dham. Audariya word comes from uddar Lord becomes magnanimous. Magnanimous charitable Krishna becomes most magnanimous in Mayapur, He distributes Krishna Prem.

namo mahavadaniya krishna prem pradayeti -He's distributing Krishna prem.

patra apatra nahi vichar
sthan sthana nahi vichar

Where to distribute, whom to distribute, no discrimination. Lord everywhere anywhere everywhere He is distributing. In what form did He distributed the prem. I already said answer

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

This is Prem. This is Prem. This is Prem. Krishna Prem is in the form of these names. Well, then the mind could be controlled. My mind could be made, made free from the influence of all these enemies. Okay, should move faster.

What when renounced makes one wealthy? What is that you renounce and that makes you wealthy?

What a question? I'm sorry. The desires! You give up desires you become wealthy. You could also try to rise early. To rise early go to bed first. Early to bed then early to rise makes man healthy wealthy wise. But then early to bed early to rise is not that difficult. More difficult is early to bed and is difficult because of full of desires lots of desires to be fulfilled, etc. and then you could get up early morning and chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna- This is what is a wealth.

goloke prem dhan hari nama sankirtana

Harinama sankirtana is dhana? Right! What do you need your dhana your wealth for – to become happy. Save the holy name made you happy, that must be dhana that must be wealth. And what really makes you happy is this this wealth, wealth in the form of the holy name. So you get up. Others begin making money at 10 o'clock but you could make may begin making money what time 4:
30 in the morning, early morning, you could begin deposits and increase your bank balance. And make sure it is being deposited. If your mind is attentive, if you're attentively chanting, then it will get in there. But it has all the holes. Mind is wandering all over and you did nothing. You just let the mind go. Not focus that on hearing the holy name. Then no deposits

It will not increase your bank balance. All those loopholes Holes should be patched up and Let mind not go elsewhere. What is the worst disease? The greed, under health, different sicknesses, diseases. Greed is one disease. It keeps you busy. You keep running and as far as you could run, all that land would be reserved as your property. Okay start. The person started running okay 20 acres or 20 acres it was running 50 acres running, running, hundred acres. Not enough running and running and running and running. He was thinking okay I have now 500 acres but if I run Little more I could have 550 acre and if I run more 575 acres and a little more than I would have 590 acres and finally he collapsed.

And you are so much stressed out. He was taken to ICU. Bye! From where no one, most of them, do not return. He did not return and he lost all that 575 acres. This is the greed this is just to exemplify. This is one way Greed has no end which keeps one busy all lifelong. More, more, more. Hari..Hari.

So one thing is Greed. One thing is need some basic needs, body's needs, some family need some needs are there and one should be happy with the needs not fall prey to the greed. Greed is a disease. Greed is enemy.

What is the charity?

Helping the helpless is a charity. Helping the helpless is the charity. Help, Help, Help. So everyone is helpless here in this world. Sukhdev goswami said all those Deha your body, and Apatya your children, Kaltra wife, etc. all those are the fallible soldiers. They can't help you.

Especially when the death comes, no one help no one could help you. All are helpless and each one we all are helpless. So helping the helpless and this is the charity. So, all human beings are expected to be charitable.

Chaitnya Mahaprabhu has said,

bharat bhumite manusya haila janma yara
janma sarthaka kare karo upakara

If you have taken birth in Bharatvarsha then Kare Karo par upakar don't just take and take and take but also give a hand out. We have to help others.