So hearing's so important. Even amongst the Māyāvādī school, they hear Vedānta-sūtra. We also hear, but we hear . . . hear real Vedānta-sūtra. Because they falsely interpret, their hearing is spoiled. But we don't interpret. We hear actually. Kṛṣṇa says that, "I am the Supreme." We accept it. That is hearing. And if you interpret, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa means this; Kurukṣetra means this," that mean you're spoiling your time. Why this, that? As it is. Hear as it is. Then the . . .
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked to hear Vedānta. You know. And He was hearing. And Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya was going on speaking, reciting Vedānta-sūtra. But He was simply hearing and then He was not asking any questions. So Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya asked that "My dear boy, You are hearing, but You are not asking anything. What is this? You cannot understand? Or what is the reason that You are silent?" He said, "Yes, I'm understanding. But I am silent because you are explaining in a different way. Therefore I am simply hearing the verses of Vedānta-sūtra. I am not hearing you." Indirectly . . . of course, He was offering respect. Indirectly, He said that "You are explaining the meaning foolishly."
He said later on that, "I see . . . I hear the verses just like sunshine. But you are explaining just like covering cloud. This is your explanation." Sun is . . . nobody requires any lamp to see the sun. Everyone can see. But if it is covered by the cloud, it is very difficult to see. So this Māyāvāda interpretation is, explanation, means covering the real meaning. That's all. They do so like that. They'll never accept the direct meaning. Kurukṣetra, dharmakṣetra . . . even big, big political leaders, they will cover, "Kurukṣetra means this, dharmakṣetra means this." No. Hearing should be . . . our policy is hearing the original, as it is. Then it will be effective.
Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Viṣṇu should be heard as He is. Gṛṇanty abhīkṣṇaśaḥ smaranti. The same: meditation, remembering, smaranti nandanti. Nandanti means he becomes jubilant, pleasure, reservoir of pleasure, nandanti. Nanda means pleasing. Nandanti . . . who? Tava īhitaṁ janaḥ. Those who are cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, their business is śṛṇvanti . . . śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanty abhīkṣṇaśaḥ. This is the program, everywhere.
We have to hear about Kṛṣṇa, we have to speak about Kṛṣṇa, we have to deal about Kṛṣṇa, simply. There are so many activities in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. We have to adopt everything. Then such persons, sa eva paśyanty . . . ta eva paśyanty: "By this process one day will come that he will see You." Ta eva paśyanty. And what is that vision? When you see God, Kṛṣṇa, then what is the effect? The effect is, bhava pravāha uparamam. Bhava pravāha. Pravāha means current.
Now we are going on. Caitanya . . . Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that māyāra bośe jāccho bhese. Just like there is very, mean, forcible currents in the river, and if some animal is thrown in that, he'll be washed away. So we are being washed away by the currents, one after another, of this material nature. Just like you have seen the big, big waves in the Pacific Ocean. Similarly, because we are under the grips of the material nature, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni gunaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), so we become under the influence of the three modes of material nature, and the . . . by the current of such material nature, we are being washed away. Washed away. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, māyāra bośe jāccho bhese: "You are being washed away, carried away, by the currents."
The currents also described. The first current is hunger. The second current is thirst. Similarly another current, janma mṛtyu, birth, death, old age. These are all currents. These are different currents of the material nature. We become hungry, we become thirsty. We become overwhelmed with regret, śoka moha, illusion, then birth, death, so many currents we are being carried away. I am spirit soul. I am put into the material ocean, and the currents, currents are carried away. So here, if you be engaged śṛṇvanti gāyanti abhīkṣṇaśaḥ, twenty-four hours, then the current, upāsanam, uparamam, the current will stop. No more you'll be carried away by these material currents. Bhava pravāha uparamam. Where? Padāmbujam: "Your lotus feet. Your lotus feet." One who has learned how to see Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet and offer a little tulasī and sandalwood pulp, his . . . this current will stop. This current of material life will stop.
There is another nice verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: samāśritā ye pada-pallavam-plavam (SB 10.14.58). Just like in the currents . . . the currents are in the ocean. So if you get a nice boat, then you can cross over the currents very nicely. So it is recommended, samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. You have seen the lotus petal. That is also just like boat. Is it not? Like small boat, imitation. So if you get the help of the pada-pallavam, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, bhavam, then by that petal boat, bhavāmbudhir, this great ocean of birth and death, vatsa-padam, it becomes just like the water contained in the hole created by the hoof of a calf. Vatsa-padam. You have no experience, but in India, during rainy season, the roads become muddy and the cows and the calves go. They have got holes created, and there is some water. So such vatsa-padam water you can jump over, at a time, one dozen.
So similarly, this great ocean of bhavāmbudhir, birth and death, although it is very great for others, for a devotee it becomes like that hole. He can jump over one dozen at a time. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam. Then, by that way, he attains the paraṁ padam, the supreme abode.
Then what about this world? Now this world is padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). It is simply full of dangers, every step. Na teṣām, not for the devotees. This is not a . . . this not the place for the devotees. This is for the persons who are suffering, kliśyamānānām. Therefore Kuntīdevī is suggesting, "This is the medicine of your suffering." Take it and be happy.
Thank you very much.