We are observing here the vow of Purushottam. You are not accustomed to it. After thirty-two months there is one additional month, it is called intercalary month. This month is inserted to harmonize the calendar with the solar calendar so that there cannot be any difficulty. About thirteen lunar months, actually twelve months every year, after thirty-two months one month is added. There are two groups in the Vedas. Our Gurumaharaj used to say, “Vedas have divided into two categories. One category is smārta. Smārta means karma-kāṇḍa. Another category is paramārtha or worship of the Supreme Lord without any desires of this world. Smārtas prescribe many kinds of ritualistic performance, functions etc. for twelve months and this additional month they think is unholy, “We shall not give any direction to do any good deeds. This additional month according to them is unholy, not sacred, inauspicious. But those who are spiritualists, at least those who have got love for worship of the Supreme Lord, say that we should not spoil a moment of our time. Why should we spoil this time, this month? If we think unholy things what will go with us? We will find in Gita Krishna has said,

yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 8.6)

Whatever you think at the time of death you will get your birth accordingly. If we think evil things in this world, we shall have to go to evil spirits. So what will you get? According to them you are not to spoil a moment. Human birth is precious. After creating human beings, the Supreme Lord got satisfied, why satisfied? He has created all the living beings.

jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi
sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati
kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ
pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam
triṁśal-lakṣāṇi paśavaḥ
catur-lakṣāṇi mānuṣāḥ
(Padma Puran)

There are eight-four lakh species. Aquatic animals are nine lakh, nine lakh is nine hundred thousand, two millions of plants, trees, etc. Jagadish Bose has scientifically proved that trees have got life. And after that eleven lakh births as worms, insects, etc. and ten lakh births as birds, thirty lakhs, i.e. three millions beasts and after that you get human birth; there are four-hundred thousand (four lakhs) human species. By creating, human body, God is satisfied, why? It is written in Srimad Bhagavatam, because they have got the discriminating power. Other living beings have no discriminating power. We have got the discriminating power of good and bad, eternal and non-eternal. They (humans) can give up non-eternal things and accept eternal truth. God is eternal truth. “Human beings are capable of worshiping Me”, God is saying. So after creating human birth He is satisfied. This human birth is meant only for worship of God, not for anything else. If you do activities like beasts and birds; eating, sleeping, defending and mating then you are not superior to beasts and birds. You have not got this human birth for that purpose.

dharmo hi teṣhāmadhiko visheṣho
dharmeṇa hīnāḥ pashubhiḥ samānāḥ
(Hitopadesha 25)

If you do not worship God then you are equal to beasts and birds. We have become more ferocious than beasts, nowadays. Beasts, they also kill animals but for their livelihood, unnecessarily they do not kill. But human beings are killing unnecessarily and without any restriction women, children, whomever. They have no compassion for anybody. Tigers are ferocious, but they do not unnecessarily kill others. But we are doing this. So, this is a precious human birth, in this Purushottam masa, and according to Brihad Naradiya Purana this month is equal to Purushottama. Purushottam means Krishna. You will find in Gita

yasmāt kṣaram atīto ’ham
akṣarād api cottamaḥ
ato ’smi loke vede ca
prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita 15.18)

“I am beyond the comprehension of the conditioned souls of this world. I am supremely superior to impersonal formless Brahman and Paramātmā, partial manifestation. So I am designated as Purushottam.”

Purushottam is Krishna, Purushottam is Jagannath, Purusottama is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He is the Supreme Lord. We hold discourses on Srimad Bhagavatam, because it is the injunction, it is the direction of Valmiki Muni that you should go through Bhagavatam, daily. And in this Purushottam month, we are to think about Purushottama, we have to sing glories of Purushottama. Brahma submitted his prayers to Purushottama Krishna. At first he was infatuated by seeing Him. That you know. One thing I want to say to you, because I have heard, for that reason. Somewhere I have heard some people saying that as Brahma is our Guru, he cannot have infatuation. He cannot have bewilderment. He cannot be enchanted. How he did it here? Now you see, he played the pastimes of being infatuated is correct. But Vedavyasa Muni who has written Srimad Bhagavatam, he has not mentioned it, why? Very seriously you have to think. Because he wants that other human beings should get a lesson from this biography, from the infatuation of Brahma. Brahma, being the creator, but he could not understand the Supreme Lord. Vedavyasa Muni did not say he played the pastimes of infatuation. He did not say it. It will lessen the gravity of the subject. He knows everything, but he has not written. We have to take lessons from this, teachings from this. That is the purpose. Brahma is the creator of us, all the living beings of this world. He could not understand Krishna as Supreme Lord. He thought He is cowherd boy. And He is moving in the forest with other cowherd boys. He has got no opulences. He is tending the calves in the forest. He is poor. God would have totally of wealth, all the six fold opulences totality of wealth, totality of fame, totality of power, totality of beauty, totality of knowledge, totality of renunciation. Even God has got infinite opulence, not only six-fold opulences, He is infinite, and He has got infinite opulences. When you get the grace of Him, you can understand. I do not want to go into detail as you have heard it. Only I am remembering it.

Brahma lifted cowherd boys and calves from Vrindavan and kept them in the cave of the Sumeru Mountain for one year. When he saw Krishna kill Aghasura, a great demon, then he was astounded. How can a cowherd boy kill this demon, let me examine. He lifted the cowherd boys and calves and kept them for one year and after that when he came he saw the same Krishna moving in the forest with all the cowherd boys and calves, he was astounded. What is this? Is this magic? This cowherd boy is very cunning. Perhaps He came to learn that I have kept all of them in the cave of the Sumeru Mountain. He went back again to Sumeru Mountain, long distance, crores of miles. He went there. He saw them sleeping there. Same figure. What is this? Then again he came and saw they were moving. As he has got four heads, he was simultaneously seeing the same cowherd boys and calves there they are sleeping, here they are moving. Then he thought by my infatuation all human beings are infatuated, and I am infatuated, enchanted, then He must be my Master. He took absolute shelter. Then Krishna, what He did, immediately he (Brahma) saw, when actual submission will be there, he (Brahma) submitted from the core of the heart, taking shelter should be from the core of the heart, not outside show only. And Krishna immediately what He did, He showed all cowherd boys and calves as Vasudeva with śaṅkha cakra gadā padma dhari— four arms, conch shell, mace, lotus and disc. He (Brahma) understands Vasudeva, aiśvarya-mūrti majestic aspect. He understood, “Oh, You are my object of worship. I have committed a great offence by taking away cowherd boys when they were about to take food. I comitted a great offence.” Then he fell down and was praying to forgive him for the offences. Then again Krishna showed him His form where Krishna is standing, flute inserted inside his waist, cane and horn (vetra-viṣāṇa) under left hand armpit and in the left hand palm holding one morsel of yogurt and rice mixture. At first when he saw this he thought that Krishna did not know the Vedic instructions, that one should not eat food with the left hand, and He is using left hand.

But now, what he saw, by His grace, the same, and he saw all the Vasudeva mūrties are emanating from Krishna. Then he started submitting prayer,

Śrī-brahmovāca
naumīḍya te ’bhra-vapuṣe taḍid-ambarāya
guñjāvataṁsa-paripiccha-lasan-mukhāya
vanya-sraje kavala-vetra-viṣāṇa-veṇu-
lakṣma-śriye mṛdu-pade paśupāṅgajāya
(Srimad Bhagavat 10.14.1)

Brahma-stava. Who is the ultimate reality. He (Brahma) said. Who could not understand and who thought he (Krishna) is a cowherd boy only. No opulence, nothing. But when Krishna graced him, Naumidya, you are Pujyatama, “You are the most venerable, You are Supreme Lord, prime Supreme Lord, cause of all causes, origin of all, there is no origin of You. All wealth, infinite wealth, You are the possessor of infinite wealth. And Your form is the sweetest, highest form (’bhra-vapuṣe). Your color is compared with rain born black cloud very charming, and Your cloth is yellow (taḍid-ambarāya) like lightning, dazzling, Your face is adorned with ornaments in the ear made of guñjā, a kind of small seed, red and black, all from the forest, and they have become the ornaments of Your ear, and in Your head dress, coronet, tail of the peacock, Your lotus face is dazzling with these.”

At first when he saw Him, he thought Him very poor. He has no silver ornaments, no golden ornaments, nothing, very poor. But now what he saw there is no comparison of it. He is attracted, “He is so beautiful.” Vanya-sraje—He has accepted garland not from various outside places with decoration, but from the wild flowers. Everything about Him is sweet. Brahma was attracted to Krishna. Krishna has worn that garland, vanamālā. Seeing morsel of rice and yogurt mixture in His left hand palm, before Brahma thought He did not know the sanction of the Vedas, and now he is seeing that there is no sweetness equal to this anywhere, not in Vaikuntha, the transcendental realm, Ayodhya, Dwaraka nowhere. He saw this by Krishna's grace. You are adorned with a bamboo flute, and in the left hand armpit cane and horn, and Your feet are so tender, so soft. We cannot tolerate, humans cannot tolerate, by that how You can move in this forest. He is the cause of all causes. When he surrendered he could know.

Like that you see, you remember the saying of Parampujyapad Shiksha Guru our Bhakti Vedanta Swami Maharaj. Remember it, very simple words. But in simple words, everything is there. 'When one is enlightened with knowledge by which ignorance is destroyed, then his knowledge reveals everything, as the sun lights up everything at day time.' Simple words. Here, this knowledge is not intellectual knowledge, it is self-effulgent knowledge. Bhagavan, Supreme Lord, is self-effulgent, the cause of all causes. He cannot be seen by our own endeavor, by inductive process, by process of ascension, by our own inherent capability. If He can be seen by that then He will lose His absolute position. Only by His grace you can see, He can descend to a completely surrendered soul. If you go in a challenging mood like Brahma, you will be deceived. You will not be able to understand. When one is enlightened with the self effulgent knowledge, by which his ignorance is destroyed then his knowledge reveals everything as the sun lights up everything. When the sun rises, through the rays of the sun you are seeing the sun and every other thing. There are varieties of creations. Sun is lighting up everything and you are seeing all aquatic animals, trees, etc, other animals, everything, lighting up everything. Through the rays of the sun, you are seeing the sun and simultaneously, he is showing others, everything in this universe. Like that, when the Supreme Lord - self-effulgent knowledge, self luminous descends then you will see your own self and all others, actual selves and actual relation. When you become puffed up with vanity, you do not care for the Supreme Lord, you do not submit to Him, illusory potency envelops you and you forget everything. You have got a misconception of self, false egos and false interests, you are fighting, the whole world is fighting. It is on the furnace. Actually all are related. In the night, if you want to see the sun can you see? Here in India, Kolkata, now it is night. In the night you cannot see the sun. If you collect all the lights of Kolkata, West Bengal, or India, can you see the sun? Sun cannot be seen by any other light. Sun has his own light, he is self luminous. You have to wait for the sun to rise and when the sun rises, you have to open your eyes, get the grace, light and through that you can see the sun and along with it other things also. Everything will be revealed. The sun is limited, but the Supreme Lord is unlimited. Supreme Lord is Absolute Knowledge; He is Absolute Existence; He is Absolute Bliss, when He will descend in your heart, then you will have Absolute Bliss, Absolute Knowledge, and you will see everything in its proper perspective and you cannot have any other activity, you cannot have any other different centers of interest. When we forget, we say we belong to India, we belong to Punjab, we belong to Pakistan, we belong to China, actually these are false egos. We have emanated from the Supreme Lord.

yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante
yena jātāni jīvanti
yat prayanty abhisaṁviśanti
tad vijijnasasva tad eva brahma
Taittirīya Upaniṣad (3.1)

You are coming from Him, you are in Him, you are by Him. Geographically, so called religion barriers, so called national barriers and other group barriers, these are false. When you have the actual vision, you will have love for all. If you have love for Krishna, can I injure any of His parts? I have to love Him along with all His parts. You will love everybody. You cannot injure any of His parts. It is not possible. I cannot injure anybody, I have to love all His parts. Those who are doing heinous crimes, could they do it to their sons, wives, where they have got relations? They are not doing it. They are not seeing the relationship. We are all related. Through Supreme Lord Sri Krishna we are all related. We have a love relation. This knowledge you can get through devotion (bhakti). This is called paramārtha, not karma, through bhakti. That also our Swami Maharaj has said, very impressive words. You remember? This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge and because it gives perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion.

We are performing, observing penance, worship, everything, but without any practical experience; no experience is there. What benefit are we getting? Here, he says that it is the perfection of religion. It gives perception of self by realization. It is everlasting; it can be joyfully performed. What is the difficulty to utter the Holy Name? You will find in the prayers of Brahmaji to Krishna, we have now discussed this also

tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo
bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam
hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk
(Srimad Bhagavat 10.14.8)

Here, Brahma is saying, addressing Krishna—one who sees Your grace in every circumstance, bad or good, tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo—only by seeing, ordinary seeing, you will not be able to understand that it is actually for your own benefit, for your eternal benefit. Samīkṣamāṇo—means very carefully, minutely, another word 'Su', means nicely, very carefully if you see, then you can understand. Whatever you are getting difficulties, happiness, or suffering it is by the grace of the Supreme Lord. If you want to get the Supreme Lord then these are the conditions. Here, Krishna in the mouth of Brahma, Krishna is speaking from the mouth of Brahma, through Brahma. You should see the grace of the Supreme Lord everywhere, in your good time or bad time, you have to see whatever difficulties and miseries you have got, in that also you have to see His grace. So, first, you have to see His grace always, whatever He is doing, He is gracing, if you do not see His grace, you will not get it. Secondly, bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam; whatever difficulties, miseries, and afflictions you are getting is due to your own karma, actions. We are reaping the fruits of our own actions. Nobody is to be blamed. But we cannot do this. If anybody behaves badly with me, we remember it for a long time. Then you cannot get God. If you want to get God, (then you have to see that) whatever difficulties you are getting now are due to your own actions, misdeeds. You are reaping the fruits of your own actions. They are only instrumental, they are not the cause. I might have done this, I might have behaved in such a way to some person some time in some birth. God knows everything. He is Omniscient, Omnipotent. He is restraining everyone. We have got relative independence, but we have got no hold over fruits.

karmaṇy evādhikāras te
mā phaleṣu kadācana
(Srimad Bhagavad Gita 2.46)

We can do good and bad deeds, but we have got no hold over the fruits. Fruits are restrained by the Supreme Lord. When fruits are restrained by the Supreme Lord, then why do we blame others? Become free. If we become free, then we can freely, from the heart, call Krishna. We can engage the sense organs, everything for Krishna. If you always think these are persons who are hostile to me, they are doing such things, if you think like this, then how you will engage your energy for the worship of Krishna. Krishna is speaking through Brahma. We should see His grace in everything, He is everywhere. Without His grace nothing can be done. If anybody says anything can it be done without His approval, He will lose His absolute position. He is Absolute, Purna, Complete Reality. How can anyone do anything without His approval? He cannot. For that reason, bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam, always think whatever vipāka, whatever difficulties, whatever miseries you are getting is due to our own karma. As Haridas Thakur, Prahlad Maharaj like that. Nobody is to be blamed, I am reaping fruits of my own karma, they are instrumental only. After that you engage your sense organs, mind, everything for the service of Krishna. Three - first you have to see the grace always and you have to know, you are reaping fruits of your own action and third you have to engage your sense organs, mind, intelligence, words everything for the service of Krishna, then you will get Him.

I wanted to say one thing. There are two paths, one is path for eternal welfare and another is for earthly pleasure, sensuous enjoyment. We say shreya and preya. You have to be accustomed with the terminology, śreya and preya. Śreya path, path which will give us eternal welfare. Preya path, it is pleasing, but consequence is not good. You find in Upanishad,

śreyaśca preyaśca
manuṣyametastau samparītya
vivinakti dhīraḥ
śreyo hi dhīro'bhi preyaso
vṛṇīte preyo mando yogakśemādvṛṇīte
(Kathopanishad)

There are two paths; śreya, path for eternal welfare and preya, path for pleasure. You say hedonism. Hedonists say the chief aim of life is pleasure and this is called the path of earthly pleasures. One wise, steady person, he will consider these two and very carefully, he will deliberate, and understand that this path of śreya will take us to Supreme Bliss, it will be the cause of our emancipation, salvation and this preya path, at the beginning of enjoyment it may be like nectar, but its consequences will be poison. When you accept śreya, the path of eternal welfare, there you have to do penance, you have to restrict your sense organs, you have to perform penance, austerity etc. and at that time it seems like poison but the consequence will be ambrosia. But in the path of pleasure at first it will be like nectar, but its consequence will be poison. What will you take? A steady, wise person will accept śreya path if he wants actual benefit, actual eternal bliss. Śreya and preya both are resting in human beings. But you have to give up the path of pleasure and take the path of eternal welfare. Nowadays, if you want to take it to vote, you will not be able to win because ninety-nine percent are hedonists. They want pleasure, they will be in the brutal majority. You will be defeated. By vote you cannot get. A very few persons you will get. If you want quality, you cannot increase quantity. By vote you cannot get. One in a thousand, other nine hundred ninety-nine (999) persons will vote for hedonism, they will not vote for śreya path. You will be defeated brutally, you will lose your security deposit, everything. But we are not to follow them. You have to follow the saints, sadhus. If one good character person is here, in Kolkata, he can do immense good to lakhs of hundreds, thousands. If all are characterless, can they do any good to anybody? Whether number is required or quality is required? One qualified person, one sadhu, one actual sadhu can rescue the whole universe. But so many enslaved jivas are doing heinous crimes, how can they give good or bliss to the people? They themselves are burning, and they will burn others. For that reason you are not to see the number, you should see the quality. A qualified, bonafide sadhu, who is practically practicing, not only delivers speech. If he speaks only to deliver a speech then it will not be beneficial. You have to always remember all these teachings of Brahma, etc, Guruvarga, only to rectify yourself, not to rectify others, with that vanity you should not speak. We should speak all the defects, all the drawbacks you can mention, I am seeing my own drawbacks and to rectify me I shall speak. Those who have got these drawbacks they will also think about, Oh I also have this drawback and I should try to rectify myself. But you should not speak to rectify others, with that spirit, that will be vanity.

Hari-kirtan is for the satisfaction of Krishna, so that Krishna is satisfied.

tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
(Sikshastaka verse 3)

In this way you have to do kirtan, then Krishna will be satisfied. We have already heard about Dhruva, a small boy, child. He accepted the teachings of his mother in toto, and he effaced all hostile mentalities from the heart, and started calling Narayana, 'kāhāṅ padma palāśa locan hari', 'kāhāṅ padma palāśa locan hari' in the forest. There Krishna comes and blessed him, as Narada. First he went to rescue his father Uttanapada. When Dhruva was crying, Dhruva did not go to his father, be kind to me, or to his step mother. But he was calling Krishna removing all the hostile mentalities from the heart, and all are satisfied, Krishna is satisfied. We have to do it like this.