Now, just like you take the knife. Now, what is the function of knife? Knife's function is to cut. You can cut a pencil and you can cut your throat. The function of the knife is nothing, but when you cut a throat, then the knife becomes polluted, but when you . . . when you . . .
(aside) Don't disturb. Sit down.
Similarly, the function, the function of the living entity, the original, natural function, is to render service. And when the service is misused, it is rendered where we . . . where the service should not be rendered, when it is misused, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. That means discrepancy in the natural function of human life.
So when Lord comes, He has three functions. He gives protection to the saintly persons. He vanquishes the, I mean to say, irresponsible or irreligious or demonic persons, and He establishes the real religion. Real religion. Dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge. He comes down not only once, but He comes down many, many times. Many, many times. Because the, this material world is such.
Now, suppose an adjustment is made—again, after some time, it will deteriorate. Just like there was first war. There was some armistice and some arrangement of peace, arrangement was made between Germany and the other party. So again the second war took place. And again, preparation is going on for the third war. You see? So this is, world is like that. Even if you make a very good arrangement, it will gradually deteriorate. This is, this is the function of the time, kāla. Just like you, you build up a very nice house. Then, after fifty years, it deteriorates. And after hundred years, it more deteriorates.
Take, take for example your body. When it was newly born, when I was a child, oh, very new, good-looking child. Everyone is kissing and everyone is . . . (indistinct) . . . now I am becoming old and nobody cares. You see? So this is the function of this material nature. Even if you make a very good adjustment, gradually it will glide down to the lowest status. Therefore it requires a periodical adjustment. For that reason, the Supreme Lord or His representative comes.
That is explained here that paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8): "For protecting the saintly persons and for vanquishing the," I mean to say, "unfaithful unbelievers, and for establishing real function of the living entities," dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge "I come down, not only once, but many times, in many millenniums," and that is the function of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Thank you very much. Now you can ask any questions.
(break) . . . render service to the Supreme Lord without any expectation of material gain, that is our real, liberated position. Real position.
- sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
- tat-paratvena nirmalam
- hṛṣīkeśa, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
- (CC Madhya 19.170)
Because we are now designated, therefore, in . . . in exchange of our service, we expect some profit. But when we shall be liberated, when we shall be pure soul, then there is no question of exchange. It is a service of love.
Just like mother. There are some good examples in the material world, world, like the father and mother render service to the son. Just like here, immediately you see the father is taking his son in a perambulator. It is rendering service. But there is no remuneration. It is duty, because the father is expected to serve; otherwise, the son will not survive. So this is a service of love.
Similarly, even in this material, this service of love, there is a question of gain. Because sometimes the father thinks that, "When the son will be grown up, I'll be happy, I'll get some remuneration," like that. There is some prospect. But actually, when we render service to the Supreme, there is not a single idea like that, "I shall be rewarded by . . ."
But it, that kind of service, is rewarded very highly. Very highly. The relation, the natural relation between God and ourself, is so sweet that a pure living entity is always trying to render service to the Lord without any material profit, and the Lord is trying to serve the devotee. He's also finding out the opportunity, how to serve His devotee. So this is spiritual exchange of love. But that will be experienced when we are actually liberated from these designation, designated life.
But we can begin, even in this designated life, we can begin just like an apprentice, this devotional service. And the beginning is to devote some time. You have got twenty-four hours' time. You can find out, you can pick up at least one hour, two hour, three hour, four hour. As much as you can, you devote yourself to this service of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, and then gradually you'll be free, free from the designation, and you'll realize yourself what you are and what is your position and how you are making progress.
So this is the beginning. We are originally, our function is to render service, and where the service is to be rendered? To the Supreme. That is our natural position. Now, under designation, we are rendering the same service to so many things. That function is already there. Because . . . just like the water. Water is liquid always, either black water or green water or yellow water or white water, it is always liquid. Because the water has become black, it does not mean the liquidity is lost. Similarly, because we are now in contact with material designation, so our services atti . . . service attitude is not lost. That is there. But it is being rendered in a different way.
So we have to clear out the pure water out of all designations, and . . . just like Arjuna. Arjuna, he was under the impression of this material existence. Therefore he refused to render service to the Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa wanted that he should fight. He refused, "No, I am not going to fight." But when he understood his position by, by the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, he agreed, "Yes, I shall fight." So this is spiritual.