Returning to the Eternal Religion 247
torious activities and pastimes of the Lord. Virya means ‘‘very heroic.”’

Krsna’s activities are heroic. You can read about them in Krsna, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna’s name, His fame, His activities,
His associates, and all other things related to Him are heroic. Prahlada
Maharaja says in this connection, ‘‘I am certain that wherever I go, I can
glorify Your heroic activities and be safe. There is no question of my fall-
ing down. But I am simply anxious for these persons who have created a
type of civilization in which they are always busy working hard. I am
thinking of them.”

Prahlada says further:

prayena deva munayah sva-vimukti-kama
maunam caranti vijane na parartha-nisthah
. naitan vihaya krpanan vimumuksa eko
nanyam tvad asya Saranam bhramato ’nupaSye
‘“My dear Lord, there are many saintly persons and sages who are very
interested in their own liberation.”’ [Bhdg. 7.9.44] Munayah means
‘‘saintly persons” or ‘‘philosophers.”’ Pradyena deva munayah sva-vimukti-
kamah: they are very interested in their own liberation. They try to live in
solitary places like the Himalaya Mountains. They do not talk to anyone,
and they are always afraid of mixing with ordinary people in the city and
becoming disturbed or maybe even falling down. They think, ‘‘Better let :
me save myself.’

Prahlada Maharaja regrets that these great saintly persons do not come
to the city, where people have manufactured a civilization of very hard
work all day and night. Such saints are not very compassionate. He says,
‘Tl am anxious for these fallen people who are unnecessarily working so
hard simply for sense gratification.”’

Even if there were some point in working that hard, such people do not
know what it is. All they know is sex. Either they go to a naked dance or
to a naked club or to this or that. Prahlada Maharaja says, naitdn vihaya
krpanan vimumuksa eko: ‘‘My Lord, I do not need salvation alone. Unless
I take all these fools with me, I shall not go.’’ He refuses to go to the
kingdom of God without taking all these fallen souls with him. This is a
Vaisnava. Nanyam tvad asya Saranam bhramato ’nupasye: ‘‘1 simply want
to teach them how to surrender unto You. That’s all. That is my goal.”’

The Vaisnava knows that as soon as one surrenders, one’s path is
clear. Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaranyas tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrta-
magna-cittah: ““Somehow or other, let them bow down before Krsna.”’
