Venue: Germany Bhavat Saptha (Ajamil Katha series – Seventh Session)

We are in the beginning of 3rd chapter of the 6th canto, Ajamil has already gone back to Godhead, that’s good news (Maharaj laughs) by hearing story of Ajamil you felt inspired and blessed. (Maharaj says correlating with the last session the sixth and addressing the devotees) The tree crash Maharaj is making the connection; yesterday as we are describing Ajamil’s departure for the spiritual sky, big-bang crash was there. So like that you will be sending all the tress one by one. Yes these trees are not ordinary trees here. Very fortunate! Trees and the peacock and the deer and specially all of you very special souls – residents of ‘Goloka Dham’. You don’t have to go anywhere just stay here. Ok we have quite a big ground to cover here. We have about half of chapter half of 3rd chapter for now and the other half of this for the final session. Rajo uvacha that is king Pariksit said, in fact enquired

“nisamya devah sva-bhatopavarnitam pratyaha kim tan api dharmarajah
evam hatajno vihatan murarer naidesikair yasya vase jano yam “ (S.B. 6.3.1)

He would like to know ‘nisamya devah sva-bhatopavarnitam’ this demigod Yamaraja heard ‘sva-bhatopavarnitam’ Bhatah – servant, Yamaraja’s servants, his own servant’s “varnitam” whole reporting, whole description of their first hand experience what just happened up there, must be up-there because they went down there. so from up there what just happened ‘pratyaha kim tan api dharmarajah’ after hearing the report and specially report of ‘evam hatajno’ that his order Yamaraja’s order while being executed that order was foiled was nullified and his dutas his representatives were defeated.

And this was done by ‘murarer naidesikair’ this was done by Muraris, Murari the killer of Mura demon, His order carriers defeated and foiled the attempt of bringing Ajamil to hellish planet. So while all the reporting was done to Yamaraja, What did he have to say? Right! Question is clear? This is King Pariksit is asking for our benefit. Ok he is curious wants to know more. Ok Ajamil went back home what happened to capital of Yamaraja please tell? Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says although the statements of the Yamadutas were fully upheld by Vedic principles, the statements of the Visnudutas were triumphant. This was confirmed by Yamaraja himself (now he will be doing that). Although the statements of the Yamadutas were fully upheld by Vedic principles they have spoken kind of truth, still the Visnudutas were triumphant. They were victorious, they had the upper hand.
“yamasya devasya na danda-bhangah kutascanarse sruta-purva asit”(S.B. 6.3.2)

And King Pariksit further states that the order of Yamaraja and they were defeated. They were foiled ‘kutascanarse sruta-purva’ we never ever heard such a thing, this never happened. First time ever we are hearing such an unprecedented news.

“etan mune vrscati loka-samsayam”(S.B. 6.3.2)

And this certainly has caused the doubt in my mind and certainly “loka-samsayam” lot of people must have similar doubt right now, they must be doubting, wondering.

“na hi tvad-anya iti me viniscitam”(S.B. 6.3.2)

And I personally don’t think anyone else competent to show some light on this matter. Clarify this issue no one other than you. O! Shuka Muni, could eradiate this doubt “vrscati loka-samsayam” no one else could do, only you. Hence, I am approaching you please clarify.
O great sage, never before has it been heard anywhere that an order of Yamaraja has been baffled. Therefore I think that people will have doubts about this that no one but you can eradicate. Since that is my firm conviction, kindly explain the reasons for these events.

sri-suka uvaca
“bhagavat-purusai rajan yamyah pratihatodyamah
patim vijnapayam asur yamam samyamani-patim”(S.B. 6.3.3)

Yes! Rajan my dear king ‘bhagavat-purusai rajan’ the purusah the people of Bhagavat the Supreme Personality of Godhead the four handed Vishnudutas ‘yamyah pratihatodyamah’ when Vishnudutah had defeated the people, the servant of Yamadutas, they went straight to ‘samyamani-patim’ Samyamani the capital of Yamaraja. As Amravati is capital of Indra, so samyamani-patim ‘pati’ the master of his capital and ‘patim’ also ‘patim’ has come twice. ‘patim’ is also master of so many living entities. So after reaching capital and approaching their ‘pati’ the master Yamaraja ‘vijnapayam asur’ they informed him this.

And next text number four “yamadutu ucuh” Yamadutas spoke like this, these questions they raised, question number one this is how they begin,

“kati santiha sastaro jiva-lokasya vai prabho
trai-vidhyam kurvatah karm phalabhivyakti-hetavah” (S.B. 6.3.4)

‘kati’ how many ‘santiha’ there are ‘sastaro’ the controllers. How many controllers are there? What’s going on? How many controllers are there? ‘jiva-lokasya vai prabho’ our prabhu our master ‘jiva-lokasya’ this plents where human beings reside. How many? How many controllers are there? ‘trai-vidhyam kurvatah karm’ and how many causes of the manifestation? ‘trai-vidhyam kurvatah karm’ the living entity is in ‘jivlokah’ in the human beings planet they perform activities as per sattva, rajo, tamo ‘trai-vidhyam kurvatah karm’ so the manifestation of the result, how many causes are there of that result. How many causes responsible for manifesting various results of activities performed under three modes of material nature? We will understand this better as we read the purport.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that the Yamadutas, the order carriers of Yamaraja, were so disappointed that they asked their master, almost in great anger, whether there were many masters other than him. Furthermore, because the Yamadutas had been defeated and their master could not protect them, they were inclined to say that there was no need to serve such a master. If a servant cannot carry out the orders of his master without being defeated, what is the use of serving such a powerless master? Who would like to serve? So they are seeing one master here they were thinking he was the one but does not look like, hence the question ‘kati’ how many are there? How many masters are there? They continued their reporting and presentation and questions.

<strong>“yadi syur bahavo loke sastaro danda-dharinah
kasya syatam na va kasya mrtyus camrtam eva va” (S.B. 6.3.5)

And if there are ‘yadi’ if there are ‘bahavo’ many ‘sastaro danda-dharinah’ the controllers and the persons responsible for taking decisions and punishing the culprit then ‘kasya syatam na va kasya mrtyus camrtam eva va’. Either more than one according to Yamadutas they think that will create lot of difficulties. You need only two or two parties so many in each party or just one in each party, then translation says it very clearly lets go for that. ‘If in this universe there are many rulers and justices who disagree about punishment and reward, their contradictory actions will neutralize each other’. Two judges are fighting with each other and their judgment may get neutralize and no one will be punished in the process or rewarded. That’s one scenario otherwise if there are contradictory acts failed to neutralize each other then everyone has to be both punished and rewarded. Like if there are two temple authorities and they are fighting over a bhakta one says, ”no no he should stay.” other one says, ”Out ! My way or the highway”. (You heard of that) My way or Highway. So if they are fighting if actions will neutralize each other of these two authorities then neither stay, no decision, neither stay nor leaving. But if their act fail to neutralize each other of the two ISKCON authorities then that bhakta will have to go and stay it’s quite confusion to understand it’s quite confusion.

So because the Yamadutas had been unsuccessful in carrying out the order of Yamaraja, they doubted whether Yamaraja actually had the power to punish the sinful. Although they had gone to arrest Ajamila, following Yamaraja’s order, they found themselves unsuccessful because of the order of some higher authority. Therefore they were unsure of whether there are many authorities or only one. If there are many authorities who gave different judgments, which could be contradictory, a person might be wrongly punished or wrongly rewarded, or he might be neither punished nor rewarded. According to our experience in the material world, a person punished in one court may appeal to another. Thus the same man may be either punished or rewarded according to different judgments. However, in the law of nature or the court of the Supreme Personality of Godhead there cannot be such contradictory judgments. The judges and their judgments must be perfect and free from contradictions. Actually the position of Yamaraja was very awkward in the case of Ajamila because the Yamadutas were right in attempting to arrest Ajamila, but the Visnudutas had baffled them. Although Yamaraja, under these circumstances, was accused by both the Visnudutas and the Yamadutas, he is perfect in administering justice because he is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore he will explain what his real position is and how everyone is controlled by the Supreme controller, the Personality of Godhead.

Even his judgment was right according to him but now he is going to explain that its “not just me, you know, there is some other than me and that was his decision so I am helpless”. And this will clarify the doubt of his servants. Because they always thought he was only one no one equal to him, no one above him. But now their boss, their master is going to reveal unto them about no..no that’s not the case! This was my decision but my boss intervened and Vishnudas were there and that is perfectly all right with me.

“kintu sastr-bahutve syad bahunam iha karminam
sastrtvam upacaro hi yatha mandala-vartinam”(S.B. 6.3.6)

So Yamadutas they are thinking fine there could be more than one judge, different judges but there should be one judge above all the different judges. They are thinking that would be appropriate. ‘mandala-vartinam’ since there are many different karmis, or workers, there may be different judges or rulers to give them justice, but as one central emperor controls different departmental rulers, there must be one supreme controller to guide all the judges. And there is one which they don’t know or they thought they knew they were thinking that was Yamaraja but that’s not the case. Yamaraja is going to correct them. Yes! Yes! Such is the arrangement. There are so many controllers I am just one of them and there is one supreme above all of us.

Prabhupada writes, in governmental management there may be departmental officials to give justice to different persons, but the law must be one, and that central law must control everyone. Yamadutas could not imagine that two judges would give two different verdicts in the same case, and therefore they wanted to know who the central judge is. Yamadutas were certain that Ajamila was a most sinful man, but although Yamaraja wanted to punish him, the Visnudutas excused him. This was a puzzling situation that the Yamadutas wanted Yamaraja to clarify.

“atas tvam eko bhutanam sesvaranam adhisvarah
sasta danda-dharo nrnam subhasubha-vivecanah” (S.B. 6.3.7)

So Yamadutas say we always thought ‘atas tvam eko bhutanam sesvaranam adhisvarah’ you are the only one ‘bhutanam sesvaranam adhisvarah’ of all living entities you are the only controller. ‘sasta danda-dharo’ – you have a danda, you have a rod meant for punishment and you are ‘subhasubha-vivecanah’ of all human beings ‘subhah’ pious ‘asubha’ impious activities you would take into consideration and discriminate and come to the judgment. And we thought that was you. You are only one ‘tvam eko bhutanam sesvaranam adhisvarah’. But so that was our understanding, we assumed that. But now they say

“tasya te vihito dando na loke vartatedhuna
caturbhir adbhutaih siddhair ajna te vipralambhita” (S.B. 6.3.8)

But from what we experienced today is something different, we were convinced that you are the one but now your orders ordained by you, some directions, some assignment ‘O..go bring that person to me’. ‘na loke vartatedhuna’ that doesn’t work anymore. Your order is not final; this is our experience, firsthand experience. We were just there and someone else came, sounded like they had came from another authority higher authority. So your orders are not final anymore. They are being foiled and defeated. And they say this was done we saw ‘caturbhir adbhutaih siddhair’ four persons came they were ‘adbhutaih’ they were amazing ‘siddhair’ they seem perfect personalities and they had another order contrary to yours and they surpassed ‘vipralambhita’. They surpassed your order and so we have come to conclusion that your rule doesn’t work anymore. And they further state couple of things before they give floor to Yamaraja to speak.

“niyamanam tavadesad asmabhir yatana-grhan
vyamocayan patakinam chittva pasan prasahya te” (S.B. 6.3.9)

‘niyamanam’ we are just bringing him to you this Ajamil and this was ‘tavadesad’ your order. We were bringing him into ‘yatana-grhan’ the torture chamber; we were bringing him to the capital samyamani and bringing him to the torture chamber. But ‘vyamocayan’ but they liberated this ‘patakinam’ this sinful person. As we had tied him with the rope, these ‘chaturbhih’, ‘adbhutaih’, ‘siddhaih’ those four persons came they were amazing, effulgence, powerful, authoritative and you know they just cut the rope ‘chittva’ they just cut the ropes ‘prasahya’ by force and we were helpless. We could do nothing we just had to come empty handed, leaving that most sinful wretched person behind. And now what they really are interested to know is this. ‘tan’ they are only thinking all the way to Yamaraja’s abode and while being there and they are only thinking and only thinking of the four persons. They couldn’t get them off out of their head and mind. Although they were out of sight they were on their mind, in their mind stuck. They looked very beautiful, powerful and

“tams te veditum icchamo yadi no manyase ksamam
narayanety abhihite ma bhair ity ayayur drutam” (S.B. 6.3.10)

So ‘veditum icchamo’ it is our desire to know. You want to know about them. ‘yadi no manyase ksamam’ and if you think we are competent or qualified, deserving candidates to know about these matters then only, of course its upto you. If you think we are fit and appropriate that we know this then please explain about those people. They wanted to say about those people what they did was. ‘narayanety abhihite’ as this person Ajamil he said Narayana..Narayana…Narayana, they came ‘ayayur drutam’ instantly they arrived.

As soon as this Ajamil said,“Narayana..Narayana..” they were there. ‘drutam’ they did not lose up a second. And upon their arrival they took the side of Ajamil and they said, “Do not be afraid! Do not be afraid! No fear we are here. Don’t be afraid” ‘Ma bhayshtah ma shudhad ma bhaya eti’ They were comforting him and they said, “Don’t be afraid. Do not fear”. So we want to know about these people and other matters that we have concerned and confused!. The order carriers of Yamaraja, being very much aggrieved because of their defeat by the four Visnudutas, wanted to bring them before Yamaraja and, if possible, punish them. Otherwise they desired to commit suicide (Maharaj laughs and says Prabhupada writing..) they were desiring to commit suicide. Before pursuing either course, however they wanted to know about the Visnudutas from Yamaraja, who is also omniscient. Yamaraja is all knower so he wanted to know this, so if he is not satisfied we are going to commit suicide. If its not explained to us or we are going to resign. Here is our letter of resignation, we resign here we find another master, job, the powerful one whose order we could follow and execute.

<strong>sri-badarayanir uvaca
“iti devah sa aprstah praja-samyamano yamah
pritah sva-dutan pratyaha smaran padambujam hareh” (S.B. 6.3.11)

Sukhdev Goswami is making comment ‘iti’ – like this ‘ aprstah’ – questioned when he was questioned ‘praja-samyamano yamah’ Yamaraja master of Samyamani when he was questioned like this ‘pritah’ he seemed very pleased ‘sva-dutan’ with his own dutas, his representatives, his order carriers he seemed very pleased with them and ‘pratyaha’ he spoke. He is now about to give the reply and he is replying how ‘smaran padambujam hareh’ Yamaraja their boss is not surprised or furious. ‘Eh! What? This happened? OK! Let’s go, I will also join you, I’m very much disturbed with these developments. My order is not final anymore someone else interfered’. So this wasn’t the response, he was not angry. That was their idea or their expectations. Yamadutas are expecting that when Yamaraja listens to this he will finally understand what we are talking about. He is going to be furious, he is going to take some action and he is going to back us up. But nothing of this sort instead they see smile on his face. He is smiling he is happy pleased with all this reporting and not only that he gets into some hey..What are you? What are you doing? He immediately gets into the, he is remembering someone, praying to somebody, his mood changes.
He goes internal his feelings and Sukadeva Gosvami says ‘smaran padambujam hareh’ while remembering the lotus feet of Hari, Yamaraj now wants to reply. Not just whimsically or first of all now is important task so it had to be accompanied by prayers and remembrance of Lord so that the judgments and his word would be full of truth, full of knowledge, he wants to connect with the source of knowledge and then he is now.

“paro mad-anyo jagatas tasthusas ca otam protam patavad yatra visvam
yad-amsato sya sthiti-janma-nasa nasy otavad yasya vase ca lokah” (S.B. 6.3.12)

As soon as he begins to speak first thing Yamaraja says admits, “Yes..Yes ! I would like to make it very clear in my opening dialogue”. ‘paro mad-anyo jagatas’ Yes yes there is someone ‘anyo’ is another one above me, yes such person exists you had some doubt about this but I want to confirm, yes there is someone above me and He is all pervading, all powerful, He is everywhere filling up this universe. ‘otam protam pat’ Yamaraj says like in cloth there are some threads going this way ‘otam’, some threads are going that way ‘protam’. So threads are everywhere some this way that way throughout the cloth, there is thread. So using this example, my Lord my boss someone above me He is ‘otam protam’ like that, that is His position.

‘yad-amsato sya sthiti-janma-nasa’ and just His partial expansions they undertake big big tasks like creation of this entire cosmic manifestation ‘Sthiti, Janma, Nasa’ the creation, maintenance and destruction is just handled by His expansion. He doesn’t even take part in this. He is that powerful personality. And ‘nasy otavad yasya vase ca lokah’ like a big powerful bull or oxen is controlled by pulling ‘nasy’ rope through nostrils, the plough-man could easily control the bulls just handling the rope. Likewise, ‘yasya vase ca lokah’ all the planets and their controllers like we have this rope in our nose and ropes are in His hands, He is the boss and we are just pets, like oxen that is just to turn this way turn that way.
Yamdutas suspects there was a ruler even above the Yamaraja, to eradicate their doubts Yamaraja immediately replied, “Yes! There is one supreme controller above everything”. Yamaraja is in charge of some of living entities namely human beings but animals who also move are not under the control not under his control. Only human beings have consciousness of right or wrong. And among them only those who perform sinful activities come under the control of Yamaraja. Therefore although Yamaraja is a controller, he is only the departmental controller of few living entities. There are other demigods who control many other departments. But above them is one Supreme controller Krishna. ‘isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam’ (Bs 5.1) The Supreme controller is Krishna and Prabhupada is quoting Bhagvad-Gita- ‘mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya’ (B.G. 7.7) no one superior no one equal and like that.

‘aham mahendro’ ‘aham’ he is giving whole list, myself, ‘mahendro’ there is Indra, ‘nirrtih’ name of demigod, ‘Varuna’ controller of water, ‘pracetah’, ‘somo’ – moon ‘agnih’ that’s fire ‘isah’ – Shiva ‘pavanah’ – incharge of air [Pavan Pavansut Hanuman], ‘virincih’ – Brahma, ‘aditya’

“aham mahendro nirrtih pracetah somo gnir isah pavano virincih
aditya-visve vasavo tha sadhya marud-gana rudra-ganah sasiddhah
anye ca ye visva-srjo maresa bhrgv-adayo sprsta-rajas-tamaskah
yasyehitam na viduh sprsta-mayah sattva-pradhana api kim tato nye” (S.B. 6.3.14-15)

He is giving whole big list but not complete of course. Complete list would have 33 crores, 330 millions demigods. He is saying all of us and that ‘na viduh sprsta-mayah’ we just don’t know Him fully well. He says some of us ‘sattva-pradhana’, some of us demigods are predominantly in mode of goodness but there are ‘upadevas’ the sub-demigods and there are other upadevas. And we have difficulty understanding Him. ‘api kim tato nye’ then what to speak of others? Even ‘sattva-pradhana’ like myself and several others have difficulty understanding. We cannot understand ‘na viduh’. His activities we cannot understand we just get bewildered and then we just don’t know Him fully well. ‘yasyantam na viduh surasura-gana devaya tasmai namah’ (SB 12.13.1).

And at end of Bhagvatam says, that Lord who is glorified ‘yam brahma varunendra-rudra-marutah stunvanti divyaih stavair’ (SB 12.13.1) that Lord who is glorified by Brahma, Varun, Indra, Rudra, Marut ‘stunvanti’ they praise Him ‘stunvanti divyaih stavair’ –like uttamsloka the choicest poetry, Mantras, Stutis, they employ they use to glorify the Lord ‘gayanti yam sama-gah’ and then there so many sastras ‘vedaih sanga kramopanisadair gayanti yam sama-gah’ and all the vedas, puranas, Upanishad they all ‘gayanti’ they are singing the glories of the Lord, chanting the glories of the Lord this is second thing. Third thing is ‘dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yogino’ and Lord is glorified by the demigods, Lord is glorified throughout all scriptures and that Lord whom yogis are trying to capture within their heart or meditate upon Him within their hearts. ‘dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yogino’ ‘manasa pasyanti yam’ with their minds ‘pasyanti’ visualize or with the transcendental vision they see Him within the heart. So that Lord ‘yasyantam na viduh’ this kind of Lord His ‘antam’ His end is not known to anybody that is why He is known as ‘Ananta anantsesa’ He is unlimited. ‘yasyantam na viduh’ Who do not know? ‘surasura-gana’. Of course! Demons do not know but even demigods do not know. ‘surasura-gana na jananti na viduh’ they do not know so same thing has being stated here by Yamaraja that we know Him something, somewhat but we don’t know Him fully and we are ‘sattva-pradhana’ and this is then what to speak of so many others, other demigods, what to speak of human beings and what to speak of Germans, Europeans and all those people in Los Vegas (Laughter).

Even those in mode of Goodness like many demigods and great rishis described in these verses cannot understand activities of Supreme personality of Godhead. There Prabhupada further clarifies in the purport. Prabhupada is also quoting Bhagvatam verse, “Oh! King!” Yudhisthira Maharaj stated by Bhismadeva to Yudhisthira Maharaj in first canto. “O! King, no one can know the plan of the Lord Sri Krishna. Even though great philosophers inquire an inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.” (S.B. 1.9.16) and like that. And the next

“yam vai na gobhir manasasubhir va hrda gira vasu-bhrto vicaksate
atmanam antar-hrdi santam atmanam caksur yathaivakrtayas tatah param” (S.B. 6.3.16)

Translation -As the different limbs of the body cannot see the eyes, the living entities cannot see the Supreme Lord, who is situated as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart. Not by the senses, by the mind, by the life air, by thoughts within the heart, or by the vibration of words can the living entities ascertain the real situation of the Supreme Lord.

Purport – Prabhupada writes, although the different parts of the body do not have the power to see the eyes, the eyes direct the movements of the body’s different parts. The legs move forward because the eyes see what is in front of them, and the hand touches because the eyes see touchable entities. Similarly, every living being acts according to the direction of the Supersoul, who is situated within the heart. Eyes are directing all the wondering all the wondering of different limbs and body. Hand is working, feet are working because eyes are directing, eyes are seeing. So likewise living entities are like the limbs and Lord is like the eyes. So Lord shows then living entity moves makes move. So controlled like that.

“tasyatma-tantrasya harer adhisituh parasya mayadhipater mahatmanah
prayena duta iha vai manoharas caranti tad-rupa-guna-svabhava” (S.B. 6.3.17)

So now after mentioning that Lord, Yamaraja wants to say something about the Vishnudutas because that was there…it was very much bothering and they wanted to know about those. So those Vishnudutas so Yamaraja says :

‘tasyatma-tantrasya harer adhisituh parasya mayadhipater mahatmanah’

“First of all you know their boss, Vishnudutas’ boss is just ‘atma-tantrasya’ He is just independent and no one above Him and it is self sufficient and fully independent and He has powers ‘mayadhipater’ He is adhipati of maya whole cosmic creation and like that ‘harer adhisituh’. He is just controller of Master of everything. He is master of illusionary energy. He is ‘mahatmanah’, He is supersoul ‘mahatmanah’. This is called ‘mahatmanah’, ‘Mahatma’ is living entity but here ‘mahatmanah’ is supersoul and you know this Vishnudutas that you enquired about. They are His dutas, they are His people, they are His representatives so certainly they are also independently powerful and ‘prayena duta iha vai manoharas’ they are very beautiful. My Lord is beautiful so they are also beautiful. Like father like son. If parents are beautiful then children are also beautiful. So my Lord is beautiful so His servants are beautiful but you are not so beautiful..look at in mirror you are not beautiful but ‘caranti’ and they are always wondering Vishnudutas are always wondering and they are empowered by such a Lord Supreme controller independently powerful. Lord has empowered them so His powers are also in them. But you are my representatives but I could invest as much power as I have. My powers in another word are limited. Do you understand now? My dear children.

He addressed them as Putra- so children do you understand? So Vishnudutas, Vishnu is their boss and I just described Him ‘yasyehitam na viduh’ there is no beginning, end and even I can’t understand Him fully. So they are His servants His representatives and you are my, I’m limited. I have limited powers so only that much power I could invest in you. And my Lord is ‘rupa-guna-svabhavah’ Lord has form, qualities and activities. Yaa! He is not impersonal He has personality. Yamaraja describing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme controller. But the order carriers of Yamaraja were very eager to know about the vishnudutas who had defeated them in their counter with Ajamil.

Yamaraja therefore stated that Visnudutas resemble the Supreme Personality of Godhead in their bodily features, transcendental qualities and nature. They resemble because Lord has form, Lord has quality, personality and beauty. So they are resembled ‘tad-rupa’ like He has like Lord has likewise His representatives almost has similar qualities, beauty, personality and power. Yamaraja therefore stated that Visnudutas resemble the Supreme Personality of Godhead in their bodily features, transcendental qualities and nature. In other words, the Visnudutas, or Vaisnavas, are almost as qualified as the Supreme Lord. Yamaraja informed the Yamadutas that the Visnudutas are no less powerful than Lord Visnu. Since Visnu is above Yamaraja, the Visnudutas are above the Yamadutas. Persons protected by the Visnudutas, therefore, cannot be touched by the Yamadutas.

“bhutani visnoh sura-pujitani durdarsa-lingani mahadbhutani
raksanti tad-bhaktimatah parebhyo mattas ca martyan atha sarvatas ca”(S.B. 6.3.18)

Translation: The order carriers of Lord Visnu, who are worshiped even by the demigods, possess wonderful bodily features exactly like those of Visnu and are very rarely seen. The Visnudutas protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from envious persons and even from my jurisdiction, as well as from natural disturbances. Yamaraja is concluding. Prabhupada writes in purport Yamaraja has specifically described the qualities of the Visnudutas to convince his own servants not to be envious of them. Yamaraja warned the Yamadutas that the Visnudutas are worshiped with respectful obeisance’s by the demigods and are always alert to protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from natural disturbances and from all dangerous conditions in this material world. Sometimes the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness are afraid of the impending danger of world war. During Prabhupada’s time such was situation there (Maharaj says I know in Narsingh shetra devotees were making bombproof shelter in Germany. So I was told I was visiting soon after they attempted that). So there such a scare was there, the world was scared and so were the devotees. So they would bring this up to Prabhupada, their concerned. So this purport must have written around that time, so it’s just including devotees were afraid of impeding danger of world war and ask what would happen to them if war should occur? Prabhupada replied in all kinds of danger, they should be confident of their protection by the Visnudutas or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita ‘kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranashyati'(B.G. 9.31). If you recite this many times you will be convinced that His devotees never perish. Material danger is not meant for devotees, this is also confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam. ‘Padam padam yad vipadam na tesam’ (S.B. 10.14.58) in this material world there are dangers at every step, but they are not meant for devotees who have fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord. The pure devotees of Lord Visnu may rest assured that Lord’s protection, and as long as they are in this material world they should fully engage in devotional service by preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Krishna, namely the Hare Krishna movement of Krishna consciousness. So not to worry about the war just stay busy preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Krishna. This is text no. 18th of Chapter 3, 6.3.18 and this is our today’s last verse, this morning last verse. ‘Dharmam’ and first part Prabhupada quoted this word hundreds and hundreds of time. As you hear his lecture tapes you will hear ‘dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam’ there are three more lines but this verse this part he had always quoted most

“dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam na vai vidur rsayo napi devah
na siddha-mukhya asura manusyah kuto nu vidyadhara-caranadayah” (S.B. 6.3.19)

Real religious principles are enacted by Supreme Personality of Godhead that’s the meaning of this first line. ‘dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam’ that again real religious principles are enacted by Supreme Personality of Godhead. So much manufacturing goes in this world, so many religions has come into existence. So many religious principles so called religious principles which most of them just concoction just mere speculation and like that. So to defeat all these attempts and condemn them Prabhupada always quote this verse. No no! Religion cannot be manmade or some organization made it has to be God made and God enacted. ‘dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam’ that was his mantra.

‘dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam’ Lord is behind religion. The religion- dharma is creation of Lord and not concoction of some human being or demigod or no one else. Just one person and that’s Lord who is creator, enactor, designer of Dharma. The whole Bhagvad-Gita is dharma, given by Lord. The first word of Bhagvad- Gita is what? ‘Dharma’. The first word of Bhagvad-Gita is Dharma. First Chapter first text

<strong>’dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah mamakah pandavas caiva kim akurvata sanjaya” (B.G. 1.1)

The first word is Dharma and last word is 18th Chapter text number 78, is that 78? Last word is..Hurry up! Hurry up! Prabhupada would ask for references the disciple would quickly…..’mama’ Ok! So first word is ‘Dharma’, last word is ‘mama’. ‘mama’ means mine. So this whole Bhagvad-Gita is my Dharma. Given by me ‘Dharma mama..mama dharma’ whole thing is ‘mama dharma’. Gita is ‘Dharma’ the laws of Lord. Prabhupada defines ‘Dharma’ is laws of Lord, this is Bhagvad-Gita. ‘mama-dharma’ ‘Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam’.

Translation – Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great rishis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyadharas and Caranas. So Lord has all these parties no they can’t they can’t enact the religious principle, they can’t create. No demigod, no siddas, no vidyadharas, no human being also ‘manusyah asura siddha munyah devah rushyah’ na na you have to add na before everybody it is already there (repeat). ‘na siddha na asurah na manusyah’ they cannot. Only ‘dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam’ that’s all. Only Him is competent, Dharma is already there, you don’t have to create another one. Why take trouble? Why duplicate?

Purport: When challenged by the Visnudutas to describe the principles of religion, the Yamadutas said, veda-pranihito dharmah: the religious principles are the principles enacted in the Vedic literature. They did not know, however, that the Vedic literature contains ritualistic ceremonies that are not transcendental, but are meant to keep peace and order among materialistic persons in the material world.

So what they had said was correct but that ritualistic ceremony mentioned in Vedas and Prabhupada says they are not transcendental ritualistic ideas, proposals are not transcendental but still they had function/role to play in materialistic society to keep the society peaceful those things are emplaced. Real religious principles are nistraigunya, above the three modes of material nature, or transcendental. The Yamadutas did not know these transcendental religious principles, and therefore when prevented from arresting Ajamila they were surprised. Materialistic persons who attach all their faith to the Vedic rituals are described in Bhagavad-gita (2.42), where in Krishna says, ‘veda-vada-ratah partha nanyad astiti vadinah’ the supposed followers of the Vedas say that there is nothing beyond the Vedic ceremonies. Indeed, there is a group of men in India who are very fond of the Vedic rituals, not understanding the meaning of these rituals, which are intended to elevate one gradually to the transcendental platform of knowing Krishna ‘vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah'(B.G. 15.15). Those who do not know this principle but who simply attach their faith to the Vedic rituals are called veda-vada-ratah.

Here in it is stated that the real religious principle is that which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That principle is stated in Bhagavad-gita. ‘Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja’ (not vrajaa..vraja). There are three ways you could say vraj, vraja, vrajaa. Some words are without ‘a’ ‘halant’, some are with a and some are with two ‘a’s. ‘rajan’ when you say ‘rajan’ there is no ‘a’. When you spell ‘rajan’ means king..O! king! ‘rajan’ it is without ‘a’ like that devotees also word ‘Rama’ they two ways ‘Hare Ram’ [correct pronunciation as far as our another project] so ‘mam ekam saranam vraja’ (not vraj). One should give up all other duties and surrender unto the lotus feet of Krishna. That is the real religious principle everyone should follow. Even though one follows Vedic scriptures, one may not know this transcendental principle, for it is not known to everyone. To say nothing of human beings, even the demigods in the upper planetary systems are unaware of it. This transcendental religious principle must be understood from the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly or from His special representative, as stated in the next verses.
And that will be stated at 11 o’ clock. So we are halfway through this 3rd chapter of 6th canto and Yamaraja will continue his pravachan, his talk, his dialogue, his conversation with his dutas and he is authority big authority he is. He is one of those twelve persons they know everything. So we will hear rest of the presentation by Yamaraja this mid-day.

Venue: Germany
Bhagvat saptha (Ajamil Katha series – Forth session)
Bhagvat recitation, this is our third session we are still in the 1st chapter of the 6th canto, with this session, this morning’s 1st session, we will complete the 1st chapter that leaves us with two more chapters. So 2nd chapter we will do today between 2nd and the 3rd session of today, we will complete the 2nd chapter and remaining 3rd chapter we’ll relish here, study tomorrow.
So, Yamadutas have arrived and Vishnudutas also. Yesterday we heard of the brief life sketch. So, brief life sketch and who would study such a lifestyle. The husband is a prostitute’s husband. ‘dasi patir ajamilah’, he was named, he was addressed, introduced as ‘dasi patir ajamilah’. Then we have travelled long distances with great expense and inconvenience leaving asides so many important assignments we have come here just to study the life of dasi pati, the husband of this prostitute. Is it worth? Now you know what the topic is, you better go home, do something more important. So, there’s a contrast, there’s a lesson. Even dasi-pati was such a degraded person, there’s hope for even such a person. That’s the inspiration that we get, that we are not as fallen or not that bad like; we can’t match the style, lifestyle of Ajamila. So such fallen person but he chants Narayan and 4 Vishnudutas come and 3 were already there, 3 Yamadutas and Vishnudutas naturally want to stop the undertaking, the work and action by Yamadutas. It was not necessary, it is irrelevant they were thinking, the Vishnudutas were thinking. This person has chanted the name of Narayan, that’s it. At the time of death he had done so helplessly he cried out ‘bhartur nama maharaja sahasapatan’ (S.B. 6.1.30) when they heard name of their swami, their master Narayan sahasa means suddenly they appeared.
You could see how swiftly they must have moved, not losing even fraction of second. It is said that they are normally here; in the universe they are wandering, protecting Vaishnavas, picking up Vaishnavas, taking Vaishnavas back home back to Godhead, to Vaikuthloka. So, they were around the universe somewhere around the planet, somewhere and when they heard the name, someone chanting name Narayan they all appeared and they looked so beautiful, effulgent, that their appearance dissipated all the darkness and. So we went through description of their clothing and ornaments and the weapons they were carrying and this was just contrary to the ‘vakra-tundan urdhva-romna’ (S.B. 6.1.28), crooked faces and hair were standing on end and ‘ati-darunan’ very horrible looking. So, one coming from hell we could tell. Prabhupada wrote in one of the purports, just by looking at, before even foreigner is introduced, by his look or by his beauty, by his the way he is dressed, of course once he begins talking you would know more about him. He is just dressed or he is a fool no. 1 he is dressed like a gentleman you would find that out but not only they are good looking and well dressed but they are also highly intelligent, very wise persons. So when you would hear them talk or Yamaraja’s hear them speaking, they just left Ajamila behind and they proceeded to abode of Yamaraja. So, we were ‘sri-visnuduta ucuh’, so, Vishnudutas are challenging Yamadutas and they think maybe they are not even the representatives of Yamaraja, if they were truly representatives of Yamaraja they wouldn’t even hear, “Did you not hear the name Narayan that this person chanted?”, “Yes, we did”. “Still you are taking him to abode of Yamaraja? Doesn’t sound like you are Yamaraja’s representatives. You better double check with Yamaraja, telephone him (laughter) what you are doing is right or wrong. We are confident that you shouldn’t be here. You have nothing to do with this case. This is beyond your jurisdiction. What are you doing here? And if you truly are somebody from Yamaraja” then,
“yuyam vai dharma-rajasya yadi nirdesa-karinah
bruta dharmasya nas tattvam yac cadharmasya laksanam” (S.B. 6.1.38)
So, we would like you to bruta, bruta means say…say it, yuyam vai dharma-rajasya yadi, if you are truly Dharmaraj’s, Yamaraja’s nirdesa-karinah, the order carriers nirdesa, Yamaraja gives some order and you execute, if that is what you people are then, bruta-say, dharmasya tattvam- we want to hear the truth about dharma. At the same time, yac cadharmasya laksanam, dharmasya tattvam yac cadharmasya laksanam, dharma, adharma both you have to explain; what is dharma? And what is not dharma? what is religion? What is not religion? Ok hurry up, say it. This enquiry by Vishnudutas to Yamadutas is most important. Prabhupad writes in the purport, a servant must know the instructions of his master. The servants of Yamaraja claimed to be carrying out his orders, and therefore the Visnudutas very intelligently asked them to explain the symptoms of religious and irreligious principles. The questions posed by the Vishnudutas are very suitable. One who represents someone else must fully know that person’s mission. If you are representing Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, if you are representing Srila Prabhupada, representing spiritual masters, then we have to know their mission, Prabhupada is pointing out here. The devotee in Krishna Consciousness Movement therefore must be fully aware of the mission of Krishna and Lord Chaitanya. Otherwise they will be considered foolish. All devotees, especially preachers must know the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness so as not to be embarrassed and insulted when they preach. To avoid the embarrassing, insulting and other kinds of situation, one should equip oneself, especially preachers with the philosophy, with the mission of the master authority that they represent and the next.
“katham svid dhriyate dandah kim vasya sthanam ipsitam
dandyah kim karinah sarve aho svit katicin nrnam” (S.B. 6.1.39)
Translation- What is the process of punishing others? Vishnudutas are enquiring, who are the actual candidates for punishment? Are all karmis engaged in furtive activities punishable, or only some of them? So, no one knows, right? These things, so, this we could know. Vishnudutas have enquired for our benefit. So the answer, we could be benefited by the answer. The answer is coming up. Good to know, who is candidate for punishment. So Yamadutas only punish Hindus’ or Germans’ also? One party, followers of buddha, they were part of their conversion campaign they were saying, “We don’t believe in this law of karma like Hindus do. So you should join our dharma. They are giving concession, our dharma is better. We don’t believe in law of karma. Come, please join us. Those who believe they have to suffer; as you sow, so shall you reap. This is a law, law of karma. If someone would tell, no no we don’t believe, so you should join our religion is much easy and you know. So is that the way? If someone says, no no we don’t believe in this law of karma, so is that person free from law of karma? Just because he says, oh! We don’t believe. So, in other words, Yamaduta’s Yamaraj has a jurisdiction over everybody. He’s coming up specially human beings for sure. So Prabhupad is pointing that out in this purport but I just want you to think, may be this question did not come up that Yamaraja and all these Yamadutas is only for Hindus’ and you know Chinese people have nothing to do with this. They have another, someone else, another Yamaraja or another system infrastructure. No, the same thing, its universal. One who has the power to punish others should not punish everyone. Very wise statement Prabhupada is making, one who has the power to punish others should not punish everyone, indiscriminately. There are innumerable living entities, the majority of whom are in the spiritual world and are nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated. There is no question of judging these liberated living beings. This Yamadutas Yamaraja has no jurisdiction over all those living in the spiritual sky. Only a small fraction of the living entities, perhaps one fourth, are in the material world, right? tri paad vibhuti, one paad vibhuti spiritual sky is like a three forth of the kingdom creation and one forth is material world. So, Prabhupada is saying, perhaps only one fourth of the population, living entities are here. And the major portion of the living entities in the material world — 8,000,000 forms of the 8,400,000 forms of life — are lower than human beings. They are not punishable, for under the laws of material nature they are automatically evolving. So nobody from the spiritual sky is punishable and then out of the 8,400,000, 8,000,000 are other species. So they are also not punishable. A dog is not punished if he crosses when the red light is on, does police arrest the dog? He is just irresponsible. So he would never teach any tricks anything to the dog. So like that, so that’s remaining only 400,000 human beings who are advanced in Krishna Consciousness are responsible but not all of them are punishable. Those engaged in advanced pious activities are beyond punishment. So Prabhupada is just trying to analyze and say who are the only parties punishable. Only those who engage in sinful activities are punishable. Therefore the Visnudutas particularly inquired about who is punishable and why Yamaraja has to be designated to discriminate between who is punishable and who is not. How is one to be judged? What is the basic principle of authority? These are the questions raised by the Visnudutas. So this is very advance knowledge. So good to know these things. ‘Yamaduta ucuh’ okay now is the turn…so this morning we’ll just spend time listening to the Yamadutas (laughs) We have only time, that’s how the chapter ends the 1st chapter. Now we begin talking with the text no. 40 to text no. 68, there are 29 verses these Yamaduta ucuh. Why ucuh? Many. If it was only one Yamadut, only one then uvach. Then you see sometimes ucuh means many are speaking. Ucuh uvach so plural number gets ucuh. Yamaduta ucuh. Now you know. So it’s done. That ignorance is out. Now your knowledge, for rest of your life you know whenever there’s ucuh right? Next 30 40 years you know ucuh means many persons are speaking. Easy, right? Just spend 1 minute or half minute to understand something and then you know once and for all.
“veda-pranihito dharmo hy adharmas tad-viparyayah
vedo narayanah saksatsvayambhur iti susruma” (S.B. 6.1.40)
So, they have defined it is veda-pranihito, the vedas. What is prescribed in the vedas or done things as per prescriptions of vedas that is dharma. And tad-viparyayah just opposite of that is adharma, irreligion. They are defining like this. Vedo narayanah saksat, vedas are sakshat Narayan, this is Sanskrit. We should be capable to understand this much. Vedas are sakshat narayan, ya directly Narayan. ‘Sakshat haritven samasta shastrey’ we sing every day. Sakshat hari, sakshat means Himself directly. So vedas are sakshat Narayan. ‘Svayambhur iti susruma’ and ya we have heard this. We have heard this from Yamaraja.
Purport – The servants of Yamaraja replied quite properly. Prabhupada is giving his judgment, Prabhupad is satisfied; Yamarajas’ replies quite properly. They did not manufacture principles of religion or irreligion, no manufacturing. Instead, they explained what they had heard from the authority Yamaraja. ‘Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah’: one should follow the Mahajana, the authorized person. Yamaraja is one of twelve authorities. They said susruma, Prabhupada is writing. They said right? This word susruma. They said we have heard this. But but we saying this to you that this vedo narayanah saksat iti susruma – we have heard this. Ofcourse we have heard this from Yamaraja. Susruma, so this is the right way to acquire knowledge. Injunction of dharma emanate from breathing of Narayan. And Srila Madhvacarya also makes a comment here, the transcendental words of the Vedas emanated from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Vedic principles should be understood to be Vaishnava principles because Vishnu is the origin of the Vedas. The Vedas contain nothing besides the instructions of Vishnu, and one who follows the Vedic principles is a Vaishnava. So Vedas are also known as ‘apaurushaya’ they call ‘apaurushaya’ means not spoken by a ordinary human being ‘apaurushaya’. Yamadutas continue
“yena sva-dhamny ami bhava rajah-sattva-tamomayah
guna-nama-kriya-rupair vibhavyante yatha-tatham” (S.B. 6.1.41)
Yena sva-dhamny ami – this is Narayan. Narayan resides in His own abode, they say. And although He resides in His own abode through the agency of rajah-sattva-tamo, He is creating this whole existence which is full of guna that is qualities, nama that is names, kriya that is activities, rupair that is forms. This world full of forms, qualities, activities is a creation of Narayan which He creates with the help of sattva-rajah-tamo. Although He is not personally here, yena sva-dhamny although in His own abode, He’s creating everything. All these manifestations are, thus Narayan is the cause of entire cosmic manifestation. Is that correct also? These Yamarajas are they correct? Not correct? Getting good marks. He is able to remain in His own abode, Prabhupada is writing, He (i.e. Narayan) is able to remain in His own abode and without endeavor supervise and manipulate the entire cosmic manifestation through the interaction of the three modes of material nature — sattva, rajo and tamo. These interactions create different forms, bodies, activities and changes, which all occur perfectly. This is Lord’s creation, everything’s perfect and having said that much now Yamadutas are going to list of witnesses. So when one commit sin, before they are sent to carry out the order whether he is to be punished or rewarded to which body he gets next. This all has to depend on, you know, the actual facts about that person’s dealings, activities. So there has to be witnesses. Someone to witness the activity of that person. So they say, so please take note of the witnesses. Lot of times we just look around, there’s no one here, just me and then we go. Just do it. You feel good, just do it, don’t even think. Just see no one around, ok no one around. But the Yamadutas say
“suryo gnih kham marud devah somah sandhyahani disah
kam kuh svayam dharma iti hy ete daihyasya saksinah” (S.B. 6.1.42)
Sakshi Gopal, you know, Sakshi Gopal, witness Gopal. Gopal who witnessed. So saksinah, daihyasya saksinah, daihi- we are daihi, embodied. So of daihi that is daihyasya. Daihyasya saksinah – these are the witnesses of the activities performed by the conditioned soul. so who are they; surya-sun, agni-fire, kham-ether, shabdah khe, marud sound is in ether, shabdah khe, khe means ‘in’, so in ether there is sound that’s another statement of Krishna from the 10th chapter of Bhagvat Gita. So marud-air, wherever you are there’s always air right? Could you go to somewhere where there’s no air? You could go but not come back (laughter). So even air is a witness. Air is given, you think air is just passing by but air gathered all the news (laughs) That air will go to Yamaraja and somehow pass the news on to him. Devah-demigod, somah-moon, sandhya-evening, sandhya-evening time sandhyakal, ahani-the day, dishah-directions, how many directions are there? 10; purva, pashchim, dakshin, uttar, agneya, nairrti, vayavya, ishanya, urdhva, adho. These are the ten names of ten directions. So, the ten directions, they are also witness. Kam i.e. water, kuh i.e. land, svayam dharma Yamaraja himself is also witness. So like these are the witnesses.
Now Prabhupada is writing the purport – once we had a discussion with a learned Christian professor who argued that although people are generally punished after the witnesses of their misdeeds are examined, after the witnesses of their misdeeds are examined, ok, witnesses are examined. Someone committed misdeed and then witnesses are there right? Yes I was there, I saw, I took the photograph also and recording, I was right there. So when all these witnesses are examined then there should be punishment. This was the argument of this Christian gentleman who was talking with Prabhupada, arguing with Prabhupada, where are the witnesses responsible for one’s suffering reactions of past karma? Oh! Your Yamaraja punishes people, Hindu people or all the people but you know where are the witnesses are? We committed sin, may be in a cave, in a secluded place or here there wherever. So how they have to examine the witnesses, gather correct facts then only the judgement is going to be right otherwise it will go wrong. Understand the argument of this priest; if you understand the argument of the priest then you will understand the reply. Ya understood? His point was normally the judgment comes after hearing the witnesses about someone’s misdeed. So many people, so many living entities they are punished but where are the witnesses? So judgment is not going to be wrong. It is going to be wrong according to him.
Ok then Prabhupada is now, to such a person the answer by the Yamadutas is given here. Prabhupada is not giving any answer himself. The Yamadutas have given answer to the question or argument of this Christian professor, a conditioned soul thinks that he is working stealthily. Stealthily? Stealing you know stealing like a thief. Stealthily is working without anybody noticing while any action is being performed. So soul thinks, conditioned soul thinks that he is working stealthily and that no one can see his sinful activities, but we can understand from the sastras that there are many witnesses, we just find out from sastras witness is like sun, fire, like that, sky, air, moon and like that but doesn’t different witnesses. Where is the dearth of witnesses? The witnesses and the Supreme Lord both exist, and therefore so many living entities are elevated to higher planetary systems or degraded to lower planetary systems, including hellish planets. There are no discrepancies, for everything is arranged perfectly by the management of the Supreme God (svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca). See how the creation of God works. we get to know this. Ok, they continue
“etair adharmo vijnatah sthanam dandasya yujyate
sarve karmanurodhena dandam arhanti karinah” (S.B. 6.1.43)
Translation – The candidates for punishment are those who are confirmed by these many witnesses to have deviated from their prescribed regulative duties. Everyone engaged in furtive activities is suitable to be subjected to punishment according to his sinful acts. Questions were raised, who are the candidates for punishment? And Yamadutas say that everyone engaged in furtive activities is going to be punished according to the sinful acts. So the witnesses, the different ones, they say yes yes we know that this person deviated from the prescribed regulative duties. He is a brahmin and this prescribed duty and he is kshatriya, he is a brahmachari, here’s this, here’s that and each one has prescribed duty and all these personalities appointed to act as witnesses, they have been trained, they know what are the regulative principles, what is dharma and what is not dharma and all that. So through the eyes of the scriptures and keeping all these prescribed duties, knowledge in forefront of their mind, they are looking at different personalities. And as soon as they go against, they deviate from the prescribed duty, immediately who is sleeping there in middle of Bhagvatam this will be reported right? Speaker may not take notice but there is, the witnesses are around. The news is all the time the communication is and for each one of us there is one file. Yamaraja has super computer and the data is all the time updated and plus minus because person may leave anytime so report has to be ready (laughter). Not that he is dead and pending file and do review and do all calculations who knows. No as soon as the person is no more which could be anytime, so the data has to be ever ready, perfect. Prabhupada just said, Lord’s management is perfect, no delays.
“yena yavan yathadharmo dharmo veha samihitah
sa eva tat-phalam bhunkte tatha tavad amutra vai” (S.B. 6.1.45)
‘Yena yavan yathadharmo dharmo veha samihitah’ so according to the activities dharmic-religious or irreligious we perform then that persons gets the phalam-the fruit, either bitter fruit or sweeter sweet fruit, amutra vai-in the next life accordingly he gets the body. ‘Karmana daiva netrena sat asat janma yonishu’, karmana daiva netrena- the karma, they have eyes, daiva netrena, sat asat janma yonishu- yoni means specie sat means higher specie, asat means lower specie. According to one’s karma, one gets higher body or lower body. In proportion to the extent of one’s religious actions in this life, one must enjoy or suffer corresponding actions of this karma in the next. Srila Prabhupada is quoting verse from Bhagvat Gita, “urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha madhye tisthanti rajasah jaghanya guna vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah” (Bhagavad-gita 14.18). Urdhvam gacchanti- upwards go, sattva-stha- person situated in mode of goodness they go upwards. Then madhye- in the middle, tisthanti rajasah- persons in the mode of passion, they stay in the middle and adho gacchanti- adho means down gacchanti means go tamasah- people in mode of ignorance go down mode of passion stay? Where? Middle and Goodness upwards. So goodness means pious activity so they go to heaven, the tamasic sinful activity they go the hellish planets and rajasah the passionate ones, they stay in the middle, this planet, we know the planet system. So this is 14th chapter 18th verse of Bhagvat Gita. So Prabhupada has quoted that verse supporting Yamaduta’s statement. Like that they just as the spring time the omnipotent Yamaraja is as good as Brahma they say, they talk about their master Yamaraja. For while situated in his own abode or in everyone’s heart like Paramatma, he mentally observes past activities of a living entity and thus understands how living entity will act in future lives. Such is a power of Yamaraja, he could just think of his present and past activities and he could immediately visualize that he would act like this in future and then accordingly he has given the bodies. One should not consider Yamaraja an ordinary living being, he is as good as Lord Brahma, he has competent, co-operation of Supreme Lord who is situated in everyone’s heart and therefore by the grace of Supersoul, he can see the past, present and future of all living beings from within, from within himself, he could see this. The actual decisions concerning next lives of entities are made by Supersoul and they are carried out by Yamaraja. So there is a co-operation, they work as a team or Lord has a final say, Supersoul has a final say in the matter then Yamaraja does the execution of the will of the Lord. We are skipping some verses here for some time constraints are there. So,
“pancabhih kurute svarthan panca vedatha pancabhih
ekas tu sodasena trin svayam saptadaso ’snute” (S.B. 6.1.50)
The living entity enjoys or suffer. They say conditioned soul has five working senses, five objects of senses are there and five knowledge acquiring senses i.e. fifteen; five, five, five and then what is the sixteenth item is mind and seventeenth is a living entity himself. So like that, the seventeen together they have connection with the subtle body and so according to knowledge acquired and particular kind of knowledge acquired, actions perform they enjoy or suffer differently. So some enjoy shoka that’s lamentation, harsha, bhaya, artidam (S.B. 6.1.51). The subtle body is endowed with sixteen parts — the five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, the five objects of sense gratification, and the mind. This subtle body is an effect of the three modes of material nature. It is composed of insurmountably strong desires, and therefore it causes the living entity to transmigrate from one body to another in human, animal life and life as a demigod.
So, and there are few more verses, no, they are not many more but few, just then replying to the questions raised by Vishnudutas and towards the end now, last 10 verses. Vishnudutas are going to describe in more detail, giving some more details of the life, sinful life of Ajamila, this dasi-pati Ajamila. And then in conclusion they say yes, this is the reason, this is the reason we want to bring him to Yamaloka. So they want to make their case. So they have given some reading through philosophical explanations and now life history again. We are studying the life of this dasi-patir ajamilah.
“Ayam hi sruta-sampannah sila-vrtta-gunalayah” (S.B. 6.1.56)
He was…ya, so pay attention, important details are there. So do not miss anything, Yes so they say he was sruta-sampannah- means he used to hear a lot from right sources ‘Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam’ (SB 7.5.23). He was doing this, nityam Bhagvat sevaya, studying shastras, vedas, he was doing this regularly. Sila-vrtta-gunalayah- he was well behaved, he had a very bright character and he was full of so many good qualities, dhrta-vrato- following so many vows, he used to fast on ekadashi and like that. We have also taken vrat, what is our vrat? Katha vrat, katha-vrati, we have katha-vrati. Right now we are following vrat of katha, katha vrat. There is brahmachari vrat, ekadashi vrat, different vratas. Right now there is a month of ‘Purushottam mass’. You heard of that? ‘Purushottam mas’ every after 3 years, one additional month appears called Purushottam and lot of people if you go to Vrindavan now, it’s so crowded. Started 3 weeks ago, 1 more week to go. So this month is considered very very auspicious especially for hearing and chanting. People drop their routine businesses and go to the holy places, stay there for whole month, following different vows, eating; they follow lot of eating restrictions. If you don’t eat salt, you’ll have a sweet voice and this and that, if you don’t drink milk, it gives benefit like that. So people follow lot of different vows and minimize their bodily demands and increase the spiritual practices during this month. All the holy places are crowded right now in India. Go to any and every holy place, people are coming in big numbers for darshan of the deities and taking holy dip, of course that’s the favorite pastime. Let’s take a holy dip, as soon as they come they want to find where have to take bath, bathing ghat, bathing ghat, snan, there’s a snan ghat, bathing ghat.
So, different vratas. Purushottam mass follow, this is also another vrat. So he was ‘dhrta-vrato’- he used to follow lots of vows. And ‘mrdur’- he was very mild person. Now he was arrogant but one time and ‘dantah’- he was sense and mind controller and he had mind and controlled his mind and senses to great extent and ‘satya-van mantra-vic chucih’ (S.B. 6.1.56)- yes he was very clean, always speaking truthfully, speaking truth, no lies, talking about the previous, before coming in contact with the prostitute, he was like that and they have information about that. How are they saying this? How did Yamadutas came to know this? How? Supersoul? Witnesses, Yes, so many witnesses, good news also, they are informed, not that only sinful activities, someone is doing good, that is also reported, that is also on the computer screen, that also appears. And he used to be very respectful and he had service attitude. “Guru-agny-atithi-vrddh” (SB 6.1.57) four parties mentioned he used to serve, be respectful, serving Gurus, fire, guests and old people and other parties and these people respecting agni is what? Light the fire and do swaha swaha or use the fire for cooking for the Lord i.e. worshipping, serving fire and guests should be treated as God, old people are wise people hence they are useful people in Vedic culture. So they should be respected, looked after not because they have become old now, just kill them it’s useless you know; get a gun wipe them out, no…old is gold, they have so much experience and so they could just sit down, they cannot run around so much but they can…they have brain they have experience in Vedic times. So they have been practicing how they overcame different difficulties in their life, this obstacle that maya, this that so they are seasoned so they could share their knowledge. So that’s a wealth to have such access. Sometimes we say in our Krishna Consciousness movement, we don’t have grand old mothers, grand old fathers, mostly young people or just 1st generation or one and half generation only but…so we are lacking to some extent and we have Prabhupada, the whole living experienced people gone through ups and downs and thick and thin of the life. Such people they help us, advice us, guide us, inspire us.
So this Ajamila used to be very respectful. As soon as old person walks into the bus, young people should stand up and please take the seat or some Sanyasi comes, now they don’t care (Maharaj laughs) we keep standing they don’t know, they don’t even know this is Sanyasi, they see he is carrying dand, they think he is also going for fishing (laughter) they don’t know what he is carrying, fishing rod fishing rod. We say yes yes fishing. This is an ocean of material, this is ocean so we fish, fish out people of this ocean so fisherman. So they don’t even know we are Sanyasi what to speak of respecting him or offering a seat or anything of service. So that’s the state of affairs. So more of his qualities are mentioned here that he was non envious- anasuyakah and mita-vag and there’s a mita-bhuk, vag means speach mita-vag means just speaking only when it is necessary. He was not just talkative, talking talking he was mita-vag. They say because God has given us two ears and how many mouths? One mouth. So hearing should be twice compared to talk. Normally we do other way round. We talk more, hear less. We don’t want to hear, we only talk. So this person, he was mita-vag. Sarva-bhuta-suhrt – he was very friendly to all living entities and sadhur – was very gentle person. So these are…that’s why he is said, described as sruta-sampannah – he was sampanna, well educated in Vedic knowledge. So having described his good qualities during his youthful days, now comes, so then what happened, ekada (S.B. 6.1.58) once upon a time he vanam yatah he was going into the forest garden pitr-sandesa-krd dvijah and he was going there because his father had sent him to do what? Adaya tata avrttah- to go and collect some phala- friuts puspa- flowers and grass samit then kusan there are two kinds of grasses required for the puja.
So while he was out there on a mission of collecting flowers and fruits and special grass required for puja, something happened. Dadarsa (S.B. 6.1.59) he saw “kaminam kancic shudram saha bhujisyaya” he saw one shudra- person in company of a prostitute and the prostitute has been described here as a “pitva ca madhu maireyam madaghurnita-netraya” and she had taken, she had drunk so much vodka, vodka? Russia what do they drink, vodka vodka or German bear she had taken so much “pitva ca madhu maireyam” that her eyes were rolling, she was just intoxicated like anything eyes were rolling. He was seeing this; this person was seeing all this. “Mattaya vislathan-nivya vyapetam nirapatrapam” (S.B. 6.1.60) and as a result her body was not…she was not even aware which part of her body is covered with clothes which parts are naked and vyapetam nirapatrapam – she was shameless. So either under the influence of the intoxication, the drink she had drunk, she had taken so much of that or purposely she was just not covering herself properly and what else? Kridantam – she was playful and gayantam – she was singing glories of the sudra, this person, low class person, oh how beautiful how this how that hasantam – laughing, anayantike – so together all they were busy like that. Does that sound familiar? Yes, we don’t have to read in Bhagvatam. This is…just go down the street and it is all there, worse than this. Prabhupada writes, while traveling along the public way, Ajamila came upon a fourth-class, not even third-class, fourth-class man and a prostitute, who are vividly described here. The drunkenness was sometimes manifest even in bygone ages, although not very frequently. Previous ages some drunkenness would manifest. In this Age of Kali, however, such sin is to be seen everywhere, for people all over the world have become shameless.
Long ago, when he saw the scene of the drunken sudra and the prostitute, Ajamila who was a perfect brahmacari, was affected. Nowadays such sin is visible in so many places, and we must consider the position of a brahmacari student who sees such behavior, Prabhupada is concerned. For such a brahmacari to remain steady is very difficult unless he is extremely strong in following the regulative principles. Nevertheless, if one takes to Krishna consciousness very seriously, he can withstand the provocation created by sin. In our Krishna consciousness movement we prohibit illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. In Kali-yuga, a drunk, half-naked woman embracing a drunken man is a very common sight, especially in the Western countries, and restraining oneself after seeing such things is very difficult. Nevertheless, if by the grace of Krishna one adheres to the regulative principles and chants the Hare Krishna mantra, Krishna will certainly protect him. So, difficult but not impossible, Prabhupada is trying to…like that, things are difficult.
“drstva tam kama-liptena bahuna parirambhitam
jagama hrc-chaya-vasam sahasaiva vimohitah” (S.B. 6.1.61)
So drstva tam kama – so first he was described what a nice person he was full of so many qualities. The next thing is seen. He had to see this sudra and prostitute embracing that scene. Drstva – by seeing this kama-liptena – full of kama, full of lust and parirambhitam i.e. hand, arms, they were embracing each other jagama hrc-chaya-vasam – he followed that, his thoughts went, he contemplated and he was taken over by this scene, the desire aroused within him and he became bewildered. Thus see what more he is doing.
“stambhayann atmanatmanam yavat sattvam yatha-srutam
na sasaka samadhatummano madana-vepitam” (S.B. 6.1.62)
So he was trying to use his intelligence. What he was seeing, he was trying to stay transcendental. Atmanatmanam, atmana means using his intelligence, he was trying to ‘uddhared atmanatmanam natmanam avasadayet’ (B.G 6.5) in 6th chapter of Bhagvat Gita Krishna advices that one should lift himself, not physically but use of intelligence ‘atmanatmanam natmanam avasadayet’ – make sure you we don’t fall down. ‘Atmaiva hy atmano bandhur atmaiva ripur atmanah’ – the mind is one’s best friend or the mind could be best enemy, this is 6th chapter Bhagvat Gita. So with the mind one should try to, with the intelligence try to keep oneself on higher level and make sure mind is not degrading oneself ourself, this is Krishna’s advice. So mind could be enemy, mind could be friend. So under the circumstances he is trying he struggled used all his spiritual strength. Yatha-srutam – because he was trained he was told he had been hearing katha and all that. So all the techniques, all the knowledge under the circumstances what to do he was trying to apply that to this particular situation. Na sasaka samadhatum – however he did not become successful, he fall prey to the strong maya situation and mano madana-vepitam – his mind started more hesitation, fluctuation and it became stronger than the intelligence. Intelligence stopped functioning, mind took over madana i.e. lust, madana-vepitam, madanamohan. This kama the arrows pierced and he couldn’t take them out and then,
“tan-nimitta-smara-vyaja- graha-grasto vicetanah
tam eva manasa dhyayan sva-dharmad virarama ha” (S.B. 6.1.63)
So in the same way that the sun and moon are eclipsed by a low planet, the brahmana lost all his good sense. Taking advantage of this situation, he always thought of the prostitute, and within a short time he took her as a servant in his house. Haribol, done deal, deal closed. Means lot more happened, he contemplated, he bewildered and then he took all the necessary steps, all the actions and he took her into his house, abandoned all the regulative principles of a brahmana and as prostitute entered his home, that was end of all the brahmanical practices at home. By speaking this verse, Sukadeva Gosvami wants to impress upon the mind of the reader that Ajamila’s exalted position as a brahmana was vanquished by his association with the prostitute, so much so that he forgot all his brahmanical activities. At the end of his life, by chanting the four syllables of the name Narayana, he was saved from the gravest danger of falling down. ‘Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat’ (B.G 2.40) so only because he had performed those activities, pious and some spiritual activities before coming in contact with prostitute. So that, some progress that he had made, he was saved. He was able to chant and Lord saved him. So he has chanted, he has chanted Narayan few times, finished. I am going to do the same thing, now I know; like that people give some ideas. In India, people say, ohh…so practice low then forget it all and then say Narayan Narayan, when Yamadutas come, Narayan Narayan. Go back to Godhead. It may not work like that (laugh) that is cheating. That’s not the lesson this Bhagvatam is teaching us. Ok, few more verses. Thus Ajamila began spending whatever money he had inherited from his father to satisfy the prostitute with various material presentations so that she would remain pleased with him. He gave up all his brahmanical activities to satisfy the prostitute. Pitryenarthena (S.B. 6.1.64) – his father’s property, father’s money and he spend that on his prostitute.
“vipram sva-bharyam apraudham kule mahati lambhitam
visasarjacirat papah svairinyapanga-viddha-dhih” (S.B. 6.1.65)
Now, so ya, he married. He was already married to a brahmana’s daughter. So he threw her out, Brahmana’s daughter he threw her out and replaced her with the prostitute. This is what Yamadutas are saying this, that’s why we want to punish him. He even gave up the company of his very beautiful young wife, who came from a very respectable brahmana family. Although born of a brahmana family, this rascal…this rascal, bereft of intelligence because of the prostitute’s association, earned money somehow or other, regardless of whether properly or improperly, and used it to maintain the prostitute’s sons and daughters. ‘Nyayato ’nyayato dhanam’ (S.B. 6.1.66) legal illegal means he earned money and spend it on. So they say this brahmana irresponsibly spent his long lifetime transgressing all the rules and regulations of the Holy Scripture, living extravagantly and eating food prepared by a prostitute. Therefore he is full of sins. He is unclean and is addicted to forbidden activities. (S.B. 6.1.67). Purport – Food prepared by an unclean, sinful man or woman, especially a prostitute, is extremely infectious. Ajamila ate such food, and therefore he was subject to be punished by Yamaraja. And here is the final statement and conclusion of proposal by Yamadutas.
“tata enam danda-paneh sakasam krta-kilbisam
nesyamo ’krta-nirvesam yatra dandena suddhyati” (S.B. 6.1.68)
We want to purify him, but how? Yama-danda, the stick of Yamaraja. When he gets all the beating, then he’ll come to the senses. Want to straighten him out, that’s the only way he could be cured and rectified. This man Ajamila did not undergo atonement. Therefore because of his sinful life, we must take him into the presence of Yamaraja for punishment. There, according to the extent of his sinful acts, he will be punished and thus purified. So they are sticking to their proposal, they are convinced. This is what to be done with this Ajamila. The Visnudutas had forbidden the Yamadutas to take Ajamila to Yamaraja, and therefore the Yamadutas explained that taking such a man to Yamaraja was appropriate. Since Ajamila had not undergone atonement for his sinful acts, he was to be taken to Yamaraja to be purified. When a man commits murder he becomes sinful, and therefore he also must be killed; otherwise after death he must suffer many sinful reactions. Similarly, punishment by Yamaraja is a process of purification for the most abominable sinful persons. Therefore the Yamadutas requested the Visnudutas not to obstruct their taking Ajamila to Yamaraja.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Sixth Canto, First Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “The History of the Life of Ajamila.”
So take a break for one hour and then…so you could digest this much. Contemplate on the life of Ajamila and then when you come back we will now listen to Vishnudutas. Vishnudutas are going to give befitting reply. Just see how they could sort this out.

Venue: Germany,
Bhagvat saptha (Ajamil Katha series – Third session)
So by regularly reciting this Bhagvatam and all that is inauspicious will be destroyed to nil and devotional service unto Supreme Personality of Godhead would be established as irreversible fact. “Bhagavaty uttama-shloke bhaktir bhavati” (SB 1.2.18) this is the benefit.
By reciting Bhagvatam regularly, once a year also could be regularly. People say I am very regular, you know, going to the temple very regular every Janmashtami (laughter) very regular. So regular can be once in a year, once in each lifetime also. So Prabhupada translated that into action as every day. Hence he gave us his daily schedule that includes Bhagvatam, recitation of Bhagvatam; that’s his understanding. Atleast that much and then more on personal basis varies, private studies. If one does this then the outcome is ‘bhaktir bhavati’, ‘bhava’ means becomes, bhakti becomes yours, you attain bhakti. And thus bhakti unto who? “Bhagavaty uttama-shloke” – two adjectives have been used, of course to describe the Lord. He is described as ‘uttama-shloke’, ‘uttam’ is the best or uttam meaning transcendental, ‘tam’, you know ‘tam’? Satva rajas tam, ‘ut’ means above, above the ignorance, transcendental to ignorance, that’s the best, right? So uttam-shloke so you choose the best poetry, transcendental poetry to glorify that personality.
So it is known as ‘uttama-shloke’ and He is ‘bhagavaty’ meaning unto Bhagwan, unto the Supreme personality of Godhead that is bhagavaty. So, your bhakti develops in bhagavaty, Bhagwan, and what sort of bhakti ‘naishthiki’ – nistha, then no more changing, no more U-turns though reverses. In other words, one comes from the stage of shradha to the stage or platform of nishtha by studying Bhagvatam. So with the knowledge of the scriptures, which is essential, Rupa Goswami describes bhakti of various kinds and he describes initial bhakti is komal bhakti, ‘komal’- very tender. So with that kind of tender bhakti faith, some sort of faith, we come but we can’t survive like that. We want some steadiness in our life, no ups and downs or if some other school of thought or anti-Krishna Consciousness person talks to you and you are just in komal bhakti he will just crush your bhakti, trample it, walk it all over and you are finished and you are converted and become mouse again.
If we do not wish to be mouse again you will be able to defend what you are doing, you are convinced, this is, I know what I am doing, people say that. When we should know what we are doing is right thing. Of course so many foolish, everyone says so I know what I am doing but doing the right things which Krishna expects us to do, pure devotee, learned devotees expect us to do, we do that thing, that is right thing. So, the ‘nishtha’ is the matured stage of faith. When shradha matures, matures, matures, matures and then shradha becomes nishtha. So what do you do in mean time is study of Bhagvatam, study of Bhagvad Gita. Because what you do with shradha, you come to sadhu, ado shradhha sadhu sang, and what do sadhus do? Bhajan kriya they engage you in bhajan kriya and the very basic bhajan kriya is this “nityam bhagavata-sevaya shravanam kirtanam” this is bhajan kriya then one becomes free from all the undesirable unwanted stuff and that is called ‘anarthas’, one becomes free from anarthas then in business fixed up, steady, convinced and ready to move only forward.
So it is essential for us to become steady on our path, study of shastras, topmost shatra is of course Bhagvatam. You only could add one more shastra, that is Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, we can’t say above Bhagvatam, it is in same category. Of course Prabhupada does say graduation course and post graduation course. So it is essential that we study shastras so that we don’t remain just sentimental devotee philosophy and religion. Religious we become as soon as we come to Hare Krishna temple, they could make you religious on the very first day, they will shave you up, put tilak, give you new clothes and bead bag and you are religious. You have some sentiments, some attraction but not enough. So philosophy is required. The books are the basic foundation. So, yet this is another opportunity for us to study scripture in few days like a intense marathon catch-up with something that we did not do regularly for different reasons.
So, we’ll continue this 6th canto, chapter one, text no. 20 through text no. 39. Twenty verses we have selected and this is the history, story, now begins the story; very scary. This will bring us to the point of messengers of Yamadutas coming on the scene followed by messengers of Vishnudutas and Vishnudutas stopping those Yamadutas, stop…….. and they ask why? So up to there. ‘Atra’ means in this connection, what we have been studying this morning is introduction; oh! prayaschit is not the best ok, not karma kanda, not jyana kanda ok what about other regulative principles? Then bhakti of Bhagwan and also the service to Vaishnavas. So that topic preface to saying ‘atra’.
“atra codaharantimam itihasam puratanam
dutanam vishnu-yamayoh samvadas tam nibodha me” (SB 6.1.20)
This is Sukadeva Gosvami speaking to King Parikshit and of course he is not the only one there but this katha is for King Parikshit and others are being benefited. Not only those who are attending that katha are being benefited who else is being benefited by that katha? And what about you? Ya, we are being benefited right here. That Katha was recited there and then recorded in the form of Bhagvatam or it was already there in the form of Bhagvatam and then based on that Katha was presented by Sukadeva Gosvami and for all the generation after generation benefited and this is just the beginning overseas outside India.
So Sukadeva Gosvami says so in this connection to give ‘udaharanti’ there is an example. This is example of what you know all that was mentioned earlier this morning about that. So there’s example of this. ‘imam itihasam puratanam’ there’s a history ‘puratam’- very old history. “Dutanam vishnu-yamayoh samvadas” there was a dialogue between the Vishnudutas, the messengers of Vishnu and messengers of Yamaraj. And that ‘samvada’ – dialogue, ‘nibodha me’ – please listen to this samvada this dialogue from me and I am going to share that dialogue with you. So Prabhupada is making comment here the Puranas, or old histories, are sometimes neglected by unintelligent men who consider their descriptions mythological, this all the time happens in India. Mythological means imaginary, that never happened such a popular thing so called intellectuals. Of course the westerners came Dutch, English men came some 700 years ago and they realized Oh! These people, unless we make them weak their faith weak in their religion, we cannot conquer them, we cannot rule over them. So this was their propaganda. Oh! Your scriptures are just imaginary, it’s just mythology. And because it was said, bombarded hundreds of times over again and again then gradually many Indians now they also do the imitation of the westerns and their bosses were English men and they were saying. Oh! Scriptures are this, your scriptures, Sanskrit is very difficult language; although Sanskrit is very easy, easier than English or German or very scientific language. Hence it is easy also, natural for the soul. So propaganda also to begin with language is very difficult. Shastras are just full of mythology and Indians started yes yes…like a Nandi and that still goes on.
Although India was liberated 50 years ago so many so called intellectuals are still slave, remain slaves of the propaganda made by the britishers or the westerners. So this is very popular thing Prabhupada is attacking this, this is a mythology. Then of course our Mahatma Gandhi also, he had no faith in Mahabharat war, he also thought Mahabharat war was just imagination. He writes in his book ‘My experiments with truth’ and Prabhupada says you don’t make experiments with a truth, you accept the truth. Not that you make experiments with the truth. Mahatma Gandhi made some experiments with the truth and he is writing “if some could prove to me (Mahatma Gandhi) that this Mahabharat war actually took place” he said at that moment I’ll resign myself from the membership of this Hindu religion because he was trying to prove his non-violence theory, Bhagvad Gita, what do you learn from Bhagvad Gita? Non-violence. So if you talk of the battle and bloodshed, how could you prove its non-violence he thought.
So, this is deeply engrained in the Indian, especially psychic, it is mythology. Also the Puranam , meaning of Puran is old, the scriptures are old. But by definition, you should take note of this, Puranas are defined as Puranam api navam although they are oldest, they are ever new, ever fresh. That is the definition of the Puranas. Actually the description of Puranas or the old history of the universe are factual, although not chronological. Puranas record the chief incidents that have occurred over many millions of years, not only on this planet but also on other planets within the universe. Therefore all learned and realized Vedic scholars speak with references to the incidents in the Puranas. So, this kind of before you get people to study Puranas, you have to get into this and explain to them, no no, this is all factual because they have heard from the wrong source and hence the trouble. And then Prabhupada quotes that very famous “shruti-smriti-puranadi- pancaratra-vidhim vina aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate”.
If you perform devotional service bhakti ignoring shruti-smriti-puran then what you will end up doing is just cause lot of disturbance in the community of devotees and that we see all the time as soon as you don’t do things as per sadhu, shastras acharya “shruti-smriti-puranadi- pancaratra-vidhim vina” then simply and unnecessary disturbance in the society. And then of course in Puranas, the topmost puran that is established in the beginning of Bhagvatam, topmost puran is Bhagvat Puran and the topmost vaishnav is “vaishnavanam yatha shambhuh” (SB 12.13.16) shambhuh is topmost of all the vaishnavs, nimna-ganam yatha ganga, ganga is the best of all rivers, nimna-ga means river, nimna is down, ga means going, flowing downwards, who flows downwards? Rivers. So, “nimna-ganam yatha ganga devanam acyuto yatha” like of all the Gods, acyut is topmost, puranam edam tatha this puran that puranc”puran purananam idam tatha” this Puran, Bhagvat Puran is topmost. This is the glory of Bhagvatam. This is at the end of Bhagvatam, this statement we find. So, Puranas are the history and mythology.
So, it begins now “kanyakubje dvijah kashcid dasi-patir ajamilah
namna nashta-sadacaro dasyah samsarga-dushitah” (SB 6.1.21)
Kanyakubje is a place, Kannauj near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is a town, Prabhupada also used to go there to do his salesmanship, for selling his medicines, ayurvedic products. So near there’s a place called kannauj, presently known as kannauj, in there “kanyakubje dvijah kashcid” – some brahmin used to reside there who is introduced here, what an introduction of a Brahmin? “dasi-patir ajamilah”, his name was Ajamil and he was dasi-patir, he was a prostitute’s husband, he was a husband of a dasi, low class woman, prostitute so that was his name. “nashta-sadacaro” nashtah – destroy, he lost all the good qualities, how did this happen? ‘Sadacar’ -acar also means pickles, but here it is not that, acar means how you behave, how you deal in your day to day life, that’s called acar. So, there are two kinds of acar, sadacar and duracar.
‘Sad’ means good, ‘du’ means bad. So he was sadacari, ‘sat’ also means eternal, not temporary, truthful. So he lost all his good qualities, how did this happen? “dasyah samsarga-dushitah” – because he came in close contact with this dasi, prostitute, samsarga means close contact; one could only imagine close contact with prostitute and this resulted in nashta-sadacaro, he lost all the good qualities. Now, we said this morning that history repeats, something like this could repeat or not? Is it possible to come in contact with prostitute? And loose all the good qualities? Of course if you are there to preach, who was it? Namacharya Haridas Thakur also came in contact with some sort of a prostitute but who converted who there? Depends who is powerful. But lot of times person going to prostitute even doesn’t try to give her Prasad or give her some good sense, invitation to Yatra. So in the presence of Haridas Thakur, Namacharya Haridas Thakur again in the presence of the Holy Name, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”. Who got converted? Prostitute, she surrendered unto, full dandavat unto Haridas Thakur. She even shaved her head and put on nice sari and charity show, all that possessions she had she distributed everything. Took japa mala from Haridas Thakur sat next to and she was chanting day and night. She also was following footsteps of Haridas Thakur and she became a great Vaishnavi. So those examples are also there. From high potential to low potential, electricity flows or maya flows, so prostitute is quite high potential. So it has big potency, big maya, so anyone with a small maya going to prostitute, we get all the mercy of the prostitute, she will bless and she will lift you to her level, if you are at lower level, in potency, in maya she is at higher level. So this is what happened, “dasyah samsarga-dushitah”. The purport, the fault of illicit connection with women is that it makes one lose all brahminical qualities. Parikshit Maharaj’s original question was how to be free from falling down into the hell or into the hands of Yamadutas. In reply, Sukadeva Gosvami sighting this old historical example to convince Parikshit Maharaj, the potency of bhakti-yoga which begins simply with chanting of Lord’s name. Srila Prabhupada is ahead of the narration here. That’s Sukadeva Gosvami making that point that chanting will save fallen human society. Next verse,
“bandy-akshaih kaitavaish cauryair garhitam vrittim asthitah
bibhrat kutumbam ashucir yatayam asa dehinah” (SB 6.1.22)
Word for word: So, now one more time, the history of lifestyle of Ajamil will be described. There’s a description now and Sukadeva Gosvami is introducing the whole story history but when the Yamadutas speak, when it is their turn, they will also speak some more on the life, philosophy, activities of this Ajamil. So, he was now married, how did he end up marrying will be described later on, the next time there’s a description of his life. But now it is shorter version summarized. So, yes he is married, he got married to this prostitute and now he was maintaining the family, family has to be maintained. So, how was he doing? “bandy-akshaih” – he used to arrest people and then tie them up and take whatever was in their pocket or their belongings, he would go away with it. Kaitavai, he would cheat, all sorts of cheating, he was engaged in ‘cauryair’ – chor chor chor thief stealing “garhitam vrittim asthitah” all condemned activities he was indulging in making money, ‘yen ken prakarena’, somehow he was making money and the goal was bibhrat kutumba, maintenance of the family, he was maintaining the family, big family, 10 children he had and maintaining prostitute is not…..so many demands.
So he was working very hard and just to maintain the family and in Bhagvatam when Sukadeva Gosvami describes the symptoms of this age of Kali, if the husband could just maintain the family, he would be considered hero in India it is like, he is taking care of his family, so what’s the big deal. People just express satisfaction, you know, he’s maintaining his family, taking care of his family you know. Its right out of Bhagvatam, households would be considered heros, big accomplishment, maintaining family. So, how and all that is another thing. So, he was just maintaining his family. He gave trouble to others by arresting them, cheating them, gambling or directly plundering them, this was the way he earned his livelihood and maintained his wife and children, Hari Bol. And illicit sex is not possible with a chaste or aristocratic woman, but only with unchaste sudras, Prabhupada is making that point, and another very important in the continuation of that, the more society allows prostitution and illicit sex, the more impetus it gives to cheaters, thieves, plunderers, drunkards and gamblers.
Therefore we first advise all the disciples in our Krishna Consciousness Movement to avoid illicit sex, which is the beginning of all abominable life and which is followed by meat-eating, gambling and intoxication, one after another. So, whole society revolves around this illicit connection, illicit sex. If illicit sex is allowed to increase in a society, however, the entire society will be condemned, for it will be full of rogues, thieves, cheaters and so forth. So, this is what we see all over, but no-one understands what the difficulties are. In a country they would just like to explore newer and more possibilities of enjoying illicit sex that would result in more thieves and plunderers and terrorists also, they are coming, terrorists are here. America lost peace of mind long time ago out of this terrorism. So, more you go against or want to compete with Krishna, Krishna has 16,108 wives, this is all envy of Krishna but His activities, the topmost activities of madhurya lila. In this world, conditioned soul imitates that activity, and wants to exploit takes the position of Purusha-enjoyer and wants to imitate Krishna but what is at the top becomes the bottom in this material existence.
“evam nivasatas tasya lalayanasya tat-sutan
kalo atyagan mahan rajann ashtashityayushah samah” (SB 6.1.23)
So, again moving on, ‘evam’ – like this, in this way, few things are mentioned but rest we’ll have to imagine, make a picture complete. Rest of the lifestyle activities, deals, few have been mentioned. ‘evam nivasatas’ – like this he was living leading life, taking care of ‘tat-sutan’ – her children, doesn’t say his children, her children so she was into it more. “lalayanasya tat-sutan” and by taking care, maintaining family, plundering was going on everyday stealing all this is going on and coming back and on the way back doing shopping for wife and children and they are welcome welcome.
So he is making money like a donkey and wife is making her list of shopping at home and expertly getting all the money into her hand and spending. So what was going on was ‘kalo atyagan mahan’ – time was passing by; time was against him, time was coming and going but not being used properly. “Ayur harati vai pumsam” (SB 2.3.17) the lifetime is snatched, stolen of the human being, “udyann astam ca yann asau” with the rising and setting of the sun, yet another day is stolen, snatched away. But only that person doesn’t lose the time or his time is not snatched away, golden opportunity is not missing, who is that person? ‘Uttama-shloka-vartaya’ the person who is busy with varta, the descriptions of the topics of ‘uttama-shloka’, supreme Lord, those are getting together and doing ‘varta’ – discussions or may be studying on their own, remembering the past times of the Lord, that person is not losing the time. He is on time, he is with time, he is with the Lord. Lord is time. Those who do not make the best use of time, they are left behind, they lag behind and there’s all the loss.
One devotee was explaining, when I was a bhakta, I remember this example from that time, he was Achyutananda Swami, he said, it is like…Ok, take off in a airplane at noon time and then let your plane fly westwardly direction with a speed of say 1000 miles per hour approximately, what would be the experience? Experience would be sun would be just above the head, above that aircraft because earth is also making circles around its axis and its circumference is some 25,000 miles around. So your plane is going approximately 1000 miles per hour so if you take off at mid-day wherever you go, sun would be just above there, so what? Then the remaining example or the explanation is that if we are always chanting Hare Krishna then Krishna who is like a sun, chanting Hare Krishna or studying Bhagvatam or honoring Prasadam or taking Darshanam of beautiful Radha Madanmohan, engaged in devotional service of the Lord then sun will be always shining upon you, sun, Lord will act as a sun and you will never ever be in darkness like that person flying in the aircraft, he will be always in the light side, never the other side, dark side. So he wants to explain if we are always with Krishna, Krishna’s different forms, past time form or beautiful deity form or lila form or a dham form, the name form, “kali-kale nama-rupe krishna-avatara” (CC Adi 17.22) then always on the brighter side with Krishna. But this fellow, Ajamil he was losing all the time. So, now he was, he became 88 years old, and
“tasya pravayasah putra dasha tesham tu yo avamah
balo narayano namna pitrosh ca dayito bhrisham” (SB 6.1.24)
‘Pravayasah’, Prabhupada translates that who was very old, so he was 88 years old and he gave birth to his 10th child, he’s going strong, at the age of 88, the production is on. He’s factory, his home is a factory to produce, children production is putra dasha 10 tesam tu yo avamah and the youngest one, the 10th one namna he was named Narayan. Luckily, his 10th son as Narayan. “Pitrosh ca dayito bhrisham” and he was very very dear to both, father and mother. The word pravayasah indicates Ajamil’s sinfulness because although he was 88 years old he had very young child; according to Vedic culture, one should leave as soon as he has reached 50 years age one should not live at home and go on producing children (Maharaj laughs…..).One should not stay home and go on producing children. It is also said one should be ready to die away from family and you will be more depending on the Lord under those circumstances, think more of the Lord otherwise family members will show their face to you, do you remember me? They come in and do you remember me? Some old friend comes, neighbor comes, how are you? So all these forms, better not to have these forms sticking in front of your face. Trying to revive the affection and loving bonds. It’s time to cut all the strings and all the tags attached, extra strings “asha-pasha-shatair baddhah” (Bg 16.12) Krishna says. We are bound by shatair – 100’s of bonds of affection and desires. So when we are surrounded by so many family members and if they are not Krishna Conscious, of course they are Krishna Conscious, fine, they will help you to remember Krishna, they give you Radha Krishna photo or place photo of Radha Krishna on the wall so that you could see. So, let’s talk of at the age of 50, you leave home. So, then later on you leave your body.
“sa baddha-hridayas tasminn arbhake kala-bhashini
nirikshamanas tal-lilam mumude jaratho bhrisham” (SB 6.1.25)
“sa baddha-hridayas tasminn arbhake” ‘Arbhake’ means little child, his name was Narayan and he is attached ‘baddha-hridayas’ – he is very much attached to his son and his ‘kala-bhashini’ – broken language, he has just now started speaking and daddy daddy, Pabhupad, Pabhupad, children say Pabhupad, our devotees try to train children, so children say Pabhupad Pabhupad. So, parents like my son is saying the name of Prabhupad, it’s nice.
So, what your children say is broken but it is so pleasing nectar and you kiss them, kiss their cheeks, their hair, you feel like eating them, you like them so much, you wish you would put them inside the heart and making part of you, ‘atmavat saravabhuteshu’. So, ‘kala-bhashini’ this happens all over and the same thing was going on when Krishna was little child, Yashoda and Rohini, they were in ecstasy. ‘Nirikshamanas tal-lilam’ and all activities of a little baby were like a lila, that child’s lila, father and mother sitting, talking, glorifying the child’s activities, every move that child makes is talked about, watched. ‘Mumude jaratho bhrisham’ – this old man was enjoying all this. He always took care of the child and enjoyed child’s activities. Since the old man was very attached to the child he enjoyed the child’s activities and because child’s name was Narayan, the old man always chanted the Holy Name of Narayan. Although he was referring to the small child and not to original Narayan, the name Narayan is so powerful that even by chanting his son’s name, he was becoming purified, that’s nice.
“Tasmat kenapy upayena manah krishne niveshayet” (SB 7.1.32) somehow get attracted to Krishna. So, it is custom in Hindu society for parents to give their children names like Krishna das, Govind das, Narayan das. But now that is changing. People are, parents are giving all sorts of meaningless names in India also, I don’t know about the west, how many names are spiritual names or some meaning is there. In India, the children are named pinku, it has no meaning, other one is tinku, rinku, chinku (everyone laughs) it has no meaning. I was in Mexico, long time ago, 15 years ago and we were checking in our luggage and the lady working at the checking counter when she saw we are in Hare Krishna’s dress in saffron, she walked to us and said Oh! Are you Hare Krishna devotees, we said yes yes. So she was, I think she was not even the member of the congregation, so she said Oh! wow, my husband had bought one of your books (must be Krishna book) and she said now we have named our daughter Devaki, her daughter’s name is Devaki. See she had little or no connection with Hare Krishna movement but by reading Krishna book, they like this name and my daughter’s name is Devaki. So that’s a good fortune.
George Harrison, I heard when George Harrison departed few years ago, someone had proposed to Prabhupada, Prabhupada why don’t you give him a name? George should be given a name. Prabhupada said, he already has a spiritual name, he is Hari’s son, Harrison, he’s Hari’s son already (Maharaj and everybody laughs). So, spiritual names, you don’t have to go, without going out of your way, you end up chanting the names. Most of the names in India, lot of names are still spiritual names and my father’s name was Bhagwan, that is still in my passport my father’s name is Bhagwan and I am son of Bhagwan (everyone laughs) and he gave me name Raghunath, that was my so called karmi name, Raghunath and Prabhupada changed that to Lokanath.
So, it is custom in Hindu society for parents to give their children names like Krishna das, Govind das, Narayan das and also when they are initiated. So, now we have thousands and thousands of devotees with spiritual names and we get to address each other and what to speak of the newly born babies, they all have spiritual names, great pride all the parents give their children, spiritual names, janavi or so many nice names. Brajmandal parikrama, our devotee here, he has a son, he just came from brajmandal parikrama and then he had a son, so he decided to give his son name Brajmandal Parikrama Das, Varanashram Das is sitting near that pillar, he’s the president of our public farm. He has come with his daughter Janavi and son Brajmandal Parikrama Das.
“sa evam vartamano ajno mrityu-kala upasthite
matim cakara tanaye bale narayanahvaye” (SB 6.1.27)
So, time has come evam – like this, you know he was kind of wasting his life and ajno – fool, he is fool, he is losing his valuable human birth but the time had come “mrityu-kala upasthite” – the death arrived and I am here knocking at the door. matim cakara tanaye bale narayanahvaye – and because “mrityu-kala upasthite” – he is kind of seeing the Yamadutas messengers Yamaraja approaching him and at that moment he even further concentrated his mind on tanaye – unto his son Narayan and addressed him when the time of death arrived for the foolish Ajamila, he began thinking exclusively of his son Narayan, Prabhupada writes therefore, although the contaminated Ajamila was calling for his son, by concentrating his mind on the holy name of Narayana he remembered the Narayana he had very faithfully worshiped in his youth. Just see, he had been worshipping, that will come up as mentioned at 2 places in his history. So, he mentioned and that must be the reason. At least he ended up naming his son Narayan because he used to worship Narayan and as now he is chanting the name addressing his son Narayan Narayan, Narayan that he used to worship has been remembered by him. In this regards Srila Sridhar Swami writes commentary, according to the Bhaktisiddhanta it is to be analyzed that because Ajamil constantly chanted his son’s name Narayan, he was elevated to the platform of bhakti. Although he did not know it that Ajamila was not realizing that he was becoming bhakta but yes, was, Sridhar Swami states. He had been chanting Narayan Narayan Narayan and he was elevating himself although he was not aware of it, Ajamila wasn’t aware. This is understanding of Sridhar Swami he is no. 1 when it comes to commentaries, Sridhar Swami, he’s the Swami, they all bow down before him all other Swamis, all other Acharyas they respect Sridhar Swami so much and his commentary which is one of the oldest commentaries also, he was first, one of the first ones to write the commentary.
Ok, now the description of what he was seeing. Earlier verse said “mrityu-kala upasthite”, so now here they are “sa pasha-hastams trin drishtva purushan ati-darunan” (SB 6.1.28). He saw three persons “Hasta” – hands had ropes – pasha. They had ropes in hands and they were 3 of them and ‘ati-darunan’ – they looked very fearful, creating fear, fearful features they had, “vakra-tundan urdhva-romna”, tunda – mouth, “urdhva-romna” – there hair were standing on their hands. “Atmanam netum agatan” – and he was convinced Oh! there they are, they are here to take me away, netum agatan. “Dure kridanakasaktam putram narayanahvayam” (SB 6.1.29).
So near by there Narayan was playing and as he was attached to his son, he addressed his son, how? ‘Plavitena’ – tearful eyes, svarenoccair – loudly Narayan, Narayan loud, ‘ajuhavakulendriyah’ – helpless as he was, he addressed his son ajuhava and Sukadeva Gosvami was leaving home, Vyas Dev was also following him, this is ‘ajuhava’, ‘putreti tana mana taya’, putra putra putra, like that he was addressing, ‘putreti tana mana taya ajuhava’. He addressed his son, only trees responded; son did not respond, only trees responded meaning he said putra and the trees said putra, echo was there. And then the trees also started preaching to Srila Vyas Dev, addressing to Srila Vyas Dev, come on, even we are not attached to our off springs or creation, people just come and take the fruits away, we don’t run after them, look you are running after your son, this is the part of commentary.
Acharyas say, (this verse is there in the beginning of Bhagvatam), Sukadeva Gosvami, as soon as he took birth, he started going to forest “yam pravrajantam anupetam apeta-krityam” (SB 1.2.2) no purificatory process, nothing he has undergone, no samskaras, he took birth and started running to the forest and he was running after. “Putreti tan-mayataya taravo abhinedus tam sarva-bhuta-hridayam munim anato asmi” (SB 1.2.2) Sukadeva Gosvami said unto such muni, that even all the entities they understood the feelings of Sukadeva Gosvami, even trees understood the feelings or in the hearts of trees he’s residing, he understands, “tam sarva-bhuta-hridayam munim anato asmi” – I offer my most humble obeisance’s unto such says Sukadeva Gosvami says Srila Suta Gosvami, Suta Gosvami is now offering his pranam to his spiritual master.
So, there’s also son, father and son and father is running after Sukadeva Gosvami and trying to call ajuhava. A person, who performs sinful activities, performs them with his body, mind and words. Therefore three order carriers from Yamaraj came to take Ajamila to Yamaraja’s abode. Why three? The three of them had come, three Yamadutas because explanation is given here because everyone comments sinful activities, we have gone through this verse, this morning. “ukta-panibhih” (S.B. 6.1.7) ‘ukta’ means words ‘pani’ – hands and mana, ‘mana-ukta-panibhih’ – by mind you commit sin, by words you commit sin, by physical action you commit sin, three ways you commit sin. Hence, there were three messengers. And how many messenger of Vishnu? How come four? Because he chanted name Narayan, Narayan has four letters he said ‘NA’, one messenger came, ‘RA’ another one came, ‘YA’ third one came, ‘NA’; Narayana. This is also acharyas they say 4. And how many will come to us when….how many will come? (Someone replies 2) because we chant Hare Krishna (16) only 16? 32 it took 2 minutes (laughter).
“nishamya mriyamanasya mukhato hari-kirtanam
bhartur nama maharaja parshadah sahasapatan” (SB 6.1.30)
‘Nishamy’ means hearing, “mriyamanasya mukhato hari-kirtanam”, hari kirtan was heard coming from the mouth of ‘mriyamanasya’ – one who is about to die, who is that? Ajamila who is about to die but he chanted hari kirtan. Bhartur nama – Vishnudutas said Hye!, someone is chanting name of our bharta means swami means Narayan, our boss someone is chanting the name of our Lord, hye! Don’t you hear? ya I hear and when they heard that someone is chanting helplessly name of their Lord, Narayan or Vishnu, parshadah meaning the associates, representatives of Vishnu, sahasapatan – suddenly they also appeared. So, three of them were already there very scary personalities and to that spot Vishnudutas arrived. While chanting the name Narayan, Ajamil was actually thinking of his son. That chanting was sufficient to cleanse him of all sinful activities. As soon as Vishnudutas heard their master’s name being chanted they immediately came. In this regard, Srila Vijayadhvaja Tirtha remarks: “Ajamila chanted the name of Narayana because of his excessive attachment to his son. Nevertheless, because of his past good fortune in having rendered devotional service to Narayana, he apparently chanted the holy name in full devotional service and without offenses”. Acharyas are giving all the credit to Ajamil for glorifying the Holy Name or the potency of the Holy Name. He is upheld by their statements.
“vikarshato antar hridayad dasi-patim ajamilam
yama-preshyan vishnuduta varayam asur ojasa” (SB 6.1.31)
‘Vikarsato antar’ – by the time the Vishnudutas arrived on the spot, the Yamadutas had already throne the ropes and they started snatching, dragging Ajamila out of his body. From where Antar hridayad – from the heart region. Not from the feet they were dragging him, not hand, not shoulder, not back, they are expert they know where the soul is sitting. So they were snatching dragging him out where he was in the heart region, he was that ‘dasi-patim ajamilam’ – that fool, the husband of prostitute, of course he should be snatched by the Yamadutas who else.
‘Yama-preshyan vishnuduta varayam asur ojasa’ – but then there come Vishnudutas and they forbade, stop stop stop what’s going on here? They stop this snatching thing. If they had not arrived, if they had come in another 30 seconds, they would be out of there, soul out of the body. So, they caught, Vishnudutas caught Yamadutas in the middle of their act while they were snatching. A Vaishnava, one who has surrendered to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu, is always protected by Lord Vishnu’s order carriers. ojasa – powerful voice, commending voice, they were demanding that they stop ojasa. By speaking with resounding voices, the Vishnudutas threatened to punish the Yamadutas if they continued trying to snatch Ajamila’s soul from his heart. It’s amazing, they want to punish, we will punish you. They have Vishnudutas have such power. Prabhupada, says Vishnudutas and Vaishnavas could even punish the Yamadutas or even Yamaraja, they are that powerful. Materialistic scientists do not know where to find the soul within the body with their material instruments, but this verse clearly explains that the soul is within the core of the heart (hrdaya); it is from the heart that the Yamadutas were extracting the soul of Ajamila. It is very clear; Prabhupada is taking the advantage of this and pointing out the place where the soul is sitting. During the transmigration, another piece of information, during transmigration from one body to next, soul is taken away by the order carriers of Yamaraja, that’s one thing okay then put into a particular type of hellish life (naraka), in order to become accustomed to the condition in which he will live in his next body. Do you get that? So now transfer from body to another body but in between what happens? He’s trained, he’s made accustomed to live in the new body and that training is done in a naraka for a while and then put into the body.
“ucur nishedhitas tams te vaivasvata-purahsarah
ke yuyam pratisheddharo dharma-rajasya shasanam” (SB 6.1.32)
‘Ucur nishedhitas tam’ – when order carriers of Yamaraja, vaivasvata-purahsarah – Yamaraja is described here as a vaivasvata, he is a son of sun God, Yamaraj. So when they forbade, Vishnudutas had forbidden then then Yamadutas said, ke yuyam – who are you? ‘Pratisheddharo dharma-rajasya shasanam’ – who are you to forbid us? Or act against the shasan, the rule of Yamaraja? We are Yamaraja’s people and we are abiding by the laws, the rules, so why are you stopping us? Why are you opposing us? Purport – When forbidden to touch Ajamila, the order carriers of Yamaraja were surprised because they had never been hindered in the execution of their duty by anyone in the three worlds. This is a first kind of experience this had never happened that they were in middle of getting something, someone out of the body and someone coming and stopping them, first time. Why are you stopping? And they ask few more questions.
“kasya va kuta ayatah kasmad asya nishedhatha
kim deva upadeva ya yuyam kim siddha-sattamah” (SB 6.1.33)
‘Kasya va’ – who do you belong to? We are Yamaraja’s representatives, but are you representatives of someone? ‘Va kuta ayatah’ – where have you come from? “kasmad asya nishedhatha” – and what for are you forbidding, opposing our activity? Our duty? ‘Upadeva ya yuyam kim siddha-sattamah’ – are you some Demigods? upadevah – some sub-demigods? “yuyam kim siddha-sattamah” – or are you some kind of pure devotees? Perfect beings? I mean who are you? You please identify, show your ID, ok, where’s your ID? Otherwise we will not take you seriously, show your ID’s.
So they have asked questions ‘Kasya va’ – who do you belong to? where have you come from? Prabhupada writes, they knew that a siddha-sattama is above the demigods and sub-demigods and, indeed, above all the living entities within this material world. The Yamadutas therefore inquired why the Vishnudutas were present where a sinful man was going to die. They were not able to understand. You look someone special, may be you are devata upadeva, ‘siddha-sattamah’ but this is a husband of a prostitute very sinful person and why are you here? It is very obvious that we should be just bringing him to Yamalok, there’s nothing else should happen to this person. So what brings you here sirs? Prabhupada writes Ajamila was not yet died Ajamila was simply in an unconscious state when the argument was in progress between the Yamadutas and the Viahnudutas. The conclusion of the argument was to be a decision regarding who would claim the soul of Ajamila. So soul was still there and now we heard the full description how the Yamadutas looked like? And here is the description of how Vishnudutas looked like. “Sarve padma-palashakshah” (SB 6.1.34) all the four personalities had their eyes big, lotus like eyes they had, “pita-kausheya-vasasah” – and they had golden yellow garments, ‘kiritinah’ – crowns, ‘kundalino’ – earrings, ‘lasat-pushkara-malinah’ – they had garlands of fresh lotuses around their necks, “sarve ca nutna-vayasah” – and they are all young, all of them are very young looking, “sarve caru-caturbhujah” – they all, four of them had four hands each and they were caru, Bhakti caru means nice, beautiful, beautiful hands they had, four hands each of those Vishnudutas and they were carrying “dhanur-nishangasi-gada-shankha-cakrambuja-shriyah” .
And their hands were decorated with the bow then arrows even they had the “asi” – sword, gada – the club, shankha- conchshell, cakra – disc; ambuja – lotus flower. These are different symbols and weapons they were holding and “disho vitimiralokah kurvantah svena tejasa” (SB 6.1.35) and they were so effulgent, so brilliant that on all directions timira – the darkness all finished, vanquished, dissipated, all the darkness. Anyways this is also mentioned their beauty, their personality and their clothing, their ornaments and weapons, this is also described by Yamadutas are saying, Oh! you have all this, look at your eyes, look at all this weapons but then it just doesn’t make sense you are beautiful people and powerful, “kim artham dharma-palasya kinkaran no nishedhatha” – we are kinkara, we are the servants of dharma-pal, dharma-raj and you are opposing us, this doesn’t make sense, I mean you seem to be nice people, very polite also, why should you be stopping us? Before even being introduced to a foreigner, one becomes acquainted with him through his dress, bodily features and behavior and thus understand his position, therefore Yamadutas saw the Vishnudutas for the first time, they were surprised, they said you have beautiful features, by your beautiful features, you appear to be exalted gentlemen and you have such celestial power and you have dissipated the darkness of this material world by your effulgence, why then should you be able to stop us from executing our duty? This is beyond their understanding. Now Sukadeva Gosvami comments and then Vishnudutas will take over, they will talk. Now, so far only Yamadutas had been talking.
“sri-suka uvaca ity ukte yamadutais te vasudevokta-karinah
tan pratycuh prahasyedam megha-nirhradaya gira” (SB 6.1.37)
“ity ukte yamadutais te” so, Vishnudutas had been hearing, Yamadutas speak so far. Now, Vishnudutas are described as vasudevokta-karinah means they always ukta means said, whatever Vasudeva says karinah – they are ready to do it, yes sir, they are yes men of Vasudeva or Vishnu. Now there are words kinkara- meaning? What could I do? kinkaran – nice servant, obedient servant , kinkar what could I do? Anyways, lady? What would be the lady called? Kinkari. Lady is kinkari, gentlemen is kinkara. Gopis are kinkaris and Gopas are kinkaras. They are ever ready, whatever Krishna says, they are ‘yes’ and they are ‘I have finished with that, what more could I do?’, “do this”, ‘done, more’ ok finish more so like that. Always more eager, anxious kinkar.
So the Vishnudutas, tan pratyucuh, they are addressing Yamadutas, and how they are doing? ‘Prahasye’, there’s a smile on their face. With a smile on their face and ‘megha-nirhradaya gira’ – their voice is deep, like a rumbling of a cloud. So not only they are looking or they are dressed like Lord, yellow garments and all, four hands and different symbols but their voice is also elsewhere, like Krishna, how Krishna speaks, “megha-gambhiraya vaca” (SB 1.17.4) like a deep rumbling sound, a deep voice. Lord has different deep things, three different deep things, His naval is deep, His intelligence is deep and His voice is deep, three things and there are 32 symptoms of a great personality. This is in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu and three things are deep and one of them is voice, voice is deep, Lord’s voice is very deep. And different things are short, like that it goes on. His neck is short, His thighs are short , His genitals are short. Different things are broad, His chest is broad, His forehead is broad, He has big hips like ladies. But He’s like a lion; His waist is thin like a lion. Different things are fine, His hair are fine, His skin is fine, different different things are fine.
Seven parts of his body are reddish or pinkish, His eyes, palms, soles, lips, naval. And different parts of His body are Lotus-like, hands. Lotus because, color is like lotus, smells like a lotus, you smell Krishna’s hand and it smells like a lotus. Krishna’s feet are pinkish like a lotus, soft like a lotus, eyes, so like that different parts. So when you put this list together, its 32 different things, deep, short, fine, broad, lotus-like, pinkish. So one of them is voice. Couple of things not found, they are only found in the Lord, one is “srivatsa” (SB 5.7.7) on His chest, it’s a golden line on His chest, Lakshmi is residing there, on the chest and ‘kaustubha’ – when the churning of the ocean was done by the demigods, 14 different jewels emerged, one of them was Kaustubha mani and this was given to Vishnu. Until that time there was a difficulty in knowing who is who, they all dressed like Vishnu, Who is Vishnu? Who is Vishnuduta? But then once Lord had His Kaustubha mani, then it became very obvious, only one person has that Kaustubha mani, no one else has it.
So, others are holding this cakra gada and all that but no one has Kaustubha only Lord has it. From that time onwards it became easy to recognize who amongst this is Lord. Oh! Just find out who is wearing Kaustubha jewel, mani.
(Question asked from audience about Demigods, Maharaj answers) they are living entities living with wives when there is rasa dance in vrindavan demigods they are coming from universe. One can imagine there is whole society there of people and personalities and families. They all have 4 handed form and opulence like the Lord. It’s not that there are only men are there (laughter), so there are both male female complete. So called male female because only purusha is Lord everyone is prakruti . So lord expands and there are different incarnations of the Lord and Radha rani expands and laxmis and gopis come from radha rani then queens of Dwaraka they are expansions of alhadini sakti. So Krishna is expanding radha is expanding, the living entities are “mamiva vanso jiva loke jiva bhuta sanatan” that’s another category all together.
Yamadutas were surprised to see that Vishnudutas although polite, were hindering the rule of Yamraja, simply Vishnudutas were also surprised that Yamadutas although claiming the servants of Yamaraj, the supreme judge of religious principles, were unaware of the principles of religious actions. Thus the Vishnudutas smile thinking what is this nonsense they are speaking, if they are actually servants of Yamraja, they should know that Ajamil is not a suitable candidate for them to carry off, they were actually servants. We could stop here