If you say, "I can't believe it, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything," that is of course your business, your independence. Then you wait for many, many births, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). You come to the same conclusion. But because you have denied, you have to wait for many, many births. You have to come to this conclusion because He is the origin of everything, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). So there is no other second or alternative. You have (to) come to that conclusion. But if you don't accept now, you will have to wait for many, many births. But even that, if you are intelligent enough and if you have to accept because Kṛṣṇa says blindly, that is also good. Just like gold. Gold, you accept blindly or by chemical examination, the gold is the same. So if you are scientist, if you say that "First of all I shall test whether it is gold and chemical composition and other ingredients. Then I will accept you" ...And somebody says, "No, my father says it is gold. My Guru Mahārāja says it is gold. Well, so many ācāryas says it is gold," then you accept it, gold. So one accepts gold by the authoritative statement of the superiors, and one accepts gold by chemical analysis. So one who accepts by the authority's statement, he is more advanced. He immediately gets the gold immediately. And those who are awaiting for chemical examination, they will get it. They will also know, but it will take time.
Gold (SB Lectures)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
There is Kṛṣṇa's planet. That planet is made of touchstone. We do not know whether anyone has got experience of this touchstone, but there is a touchstone which you touch on iron, it becomes gold. Touchstone. So in the spiritual world there are also houses like these trees, like this; there are cows, and the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa. So their description is given in the Brahma-saṁhitā. We should not think that we have imagined something artistic and created a Kṛṣṇa. No. It is completely supported by Vedic literature, Brahma-saṁhitā.
Just like in the Vedas there is direction how to prepare by chemical process gold. That is also there. Gold, there is a suggestion that you mix three metals, namely nickel, copper, and mercury, you'll get gold. This direction is there. And many persons, saintly persons, yogis, they know how to prepare it, and they do it. So in that way they meet their expenditures. They prepare gold. The chemical knowledge. Go on.
(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)
I am very glad that these girls, with great difficulty you come to this class. I very much thank you. This is ahaituky apratihatā. The devotional service cannot be checked by any material impediment. It is not conditional, that "Because I am in this condition, I cannot execute devotional service." No. Anyone in any position, in any circumstances, he can become the greatest devotee of the Lord—if he desires.
I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]
- vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
- patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
(I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.)
Actually we cannot be happy by material prosperity, that is a fact. That is also stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Prahlāda Mahārāja says to his atheistic father... His father was Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇya means gold and kaśipu means soft bed, cushion. That is material civilization. They want very soft bed, and the bed companion, and sufficient bank balance, money. That is another meaning of Hiraṇyakaśipu. So he was not happy also. Hiraṇyakaśipu was not happy—at least he was not happy that his son Prahlāda was becoming a devotee of the Lord, which he did not like. So he inquired from his son that "How you are feeling? You are a small boy, child, how you are feeling so much comfortable despite all my threatening. So what is your actual asset?" So he replied, "My dear father, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Foolish persons, they do not know that their ultimate goal of happiness is Viṣṇu, God, the Supreme Lord." Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Durāśayā, dur, hope against hope, they're hoping something which is never to be fulfilled. What is that? Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahir-artha, bahir means external, artha means interest.
Just like if you remain with the fire, you become warm, warmer, warmer, warmer. Just like in the fire you put one iron rod. It becomes warmer, warmer. At the end the iron rod becomes red-hot. And when it is red-hot, it is no more iron rod; it is fire. You touch everywhere; it will burn. The same process. If you remain with Kṛṣṇa always, you get Kṛṣṇa's quality. You have got the quality because you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is gold, you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore you are also gold. But at the present moment, as the gold is covered by dirt, at the present moment we are spirit soul, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, as good as Kṛṣṇa, but we have been covered by this material body. Therefore we have to take out ourself from this material body. That is called siddhi, that is called perfection.
The result is janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam. Two things required for perfection of life: jñāna and vairāgya. Jñāna means perfect knowledge. What is that perfect knowledge? Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this, American, Indian, or this and that. I am brahma-vastu. I am part and parcel of God. God is Para-brahman, and I am also part and parcel. Therefore I am also Brahman." The part and parcel of gold is gold. One has to realize that "I am not this body, matter. I am spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Soul." That is called jñāna, not that M.A., Ph.D., D.H.C. These are not jñāna. They are different expansion of ajñāna.
He has got form. He is not formless. But His form is different. That form is sat-cit-ānanda. Sat means eternal, and cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of bliss. So we are part and parcel of God. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel." So if Kṛṣṇa is sat-cit-ānanda, then we are also sat-cit-ānanda, because we are part. Just like gold and a gold, small particle. That is also gold. You cannot say it is something else. No. So part or whole, it may be. That is difference. Part is never equal to the whole. But quality is the same.
The anartha... In the name of civilization, we have increased so many unwanted things, unnecessarily. This is called anartha. Artha means which is substance. So just like we can give so many examples. When there was no so-called advancement of civilization, people used to eat on utensils made of silver, gold, at least metal. Now they're using plastic. And still, they are proud of advancement of civilization. Actually it is anartha, anartha, unwanted things. At least, in, two hundred years ago in India, there was no industry. I think I am correct. Yes. But people were so happy. They did not have to go two hundred miles or five hundred miles away from home and for earning livelihood. In Europe and America, I see people are going for earning their livelihood by aeroplane, daily passengers. I've seen. From Vancouver, they were coming to Montreal and other places. Five hundred miles. At least fifty miles, one must go. In New York, many people are coming from distant place, Long Islands, crossing the sea, and then again bus, again... Anartha, simply unnecessary.
Then the result will be this: ceta etair anāviddham. Because they are, māyā is attacking you with these... Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Guṇamayī. Guṇa means these qualities, the three modes of nature. The material nature is guṇamayī. Guṇamayī means involved or full of these three modes of material nature, guṇamayī. Maya means... Just like golden. It is smeared with gold or it is gold, you can..., you can say golden. Golden means it is made of gold or it is covered with gold glittering. Similarly, this māyā, this material nature, is made of these three modes of nature, sattva, rajas, tamas. Therefore it is called guṇamayī.
Because we are part and parcel, minute part and parcel. Therefore we have got all the opulences in minute form. Just like gold and a minute particle of gold. Chemically analyze the small particle of gold has got all the composition as the original big gold. A drop of sea water... Chemically, a drop of sea water has got all the composition as the big sea water. Similarly, we have got all the qualities of God, but in minute quantity. That is the difference between God and ourselves. Or in other words, you can study God also by studying yourself. Whatever propensities you have got, that is also there in God. Everything. Otherwise wherefrom it comes? Because I am part and parcel, if I have got all these propensities, naturally, in full and without any inebriety, those things are present in God.
Just like Cāṇakya, in his moral lessons, he says that viṣād apy amṛtaṁ grāhyam. When there is a tub of poison, but, if there is little nectar, then you take it. Don't think that "It is in the poison pot, why shall I take it?" No, you can take it. Viṣād apy amṛtaṁ grāhyam amedhyād api kāñcanam. Suppose in a very filthy place where people pass stool, urine, there is some gold. So you should take it. Don't think that because the gold is in the polluted place, gold has become polluted. No. You take it. Viṣād apy amṛtaṁ grāhyam amedhyād api kāñcanam, nīcād apy uttamā vidyā. Vidyā, education, was to be received from a brāhmaṇa, because it was the brāhmaṇa's business to become highly learned scholar and make others educated.
That's all. But you are nothing. You are nothing. This is to be realized. This is called bhakti-yoga. The rascals are puffed up, "I am God." Foolishly. How you can be God? You may have some qualities, very minute quality of God, but you cannot claim that you are God. The same example. The small spark of fire is also fire. Nobody... There is no doubt. A small particle of gold is gold, but it cannot be compared with the gold mine. That is not possible.
(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)
So, Vyāsadeva is submitting himself to his spiritual master Nārada Muni, that "Yes, what you say is right, that I have tried to understand the Absolute Truth through your grace, and I have tried to explain also the Absolute Truth in so many books, Vedas, Purāṇas, Upaniṣads, Vedānta-sūtra, but still I am not happy.
I remember there was a speech by Archbishop of Canterbury. He said that "You people, you want kingdom of God without God." That is our policy-Rāvaṇa's policy. Rāvaṇa's policy was kingdom of God without God. Kingdom of God means everyone is prosperous, happy in every respect. That is considered as kingdom of God so far materially considered. So Rāvaṇa wanted. He was materialistic. His capital was almost gold. Every house was, I mean to say, wrapped with gold. Svarṇa-laṅkā. Svarṇa-laṅkā means at that time Rāvaṇa's kingdom, the Ceylon, modern Ceylon, was covered with gold everywhere. Very rich. Very, very rich. It is said that in Rāvaṇa's room, moon was rising. That means there was electricity at that time also, or similar lights. So the descriptions are very nice. It was very prosperous and rich country. And the policy was without God. Material civilization means like that, without God.
(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)
(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)
It is a qualification of the great thinkers to pick up the best even from the worst. It is said that the intelligent man should pick up nectar from a stock of poison, should accept gold even from a filthy place, should accept a good and qualified wife even from an obscure family and should accept a good lesson even from a man or from a teacher who comes from the untouchables. These are some of the ethical instructions for everyone in every place without exception. But a saint is far above the level of an ordinary man. He is always absorbed in glorifying the Supreme Lord because by broadcasting the holy name and fame of the Supreme Lord, the polluted atmosphere of the world will change, and as a result of propagating the transcendental literatures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, people will become sane in their transactions. While preparing this commentation on this particular stanza of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we have a crisis before us. Our neighboring friend China has attacked the border of India with a militaristic spirit.
At his command everything was there. If, if a man is rich, three things, four things will be at his command: wine, woman, gold and gambling. It is called. Yes. So therefore these are the places, I mean to say, allotted to Kali by Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Therefore a persons who is desirous of advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he should take care. So this Yāmunācārya later on became a great devotee. So he has got... He happened to be the spiritual master of Rāmānujācārya. He became a great devotee, Yāmunācārya, in the Śrī-sampradāya Vaiṣṇavas. So he writes very nice... These are practical experience of the ācārya.
(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)
- hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
- hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
(My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.)
He gives that "Just like by chemical process one can turn gun metal into gold, similarly, by the process of initiation, one can become dvija." Dvija means twice-born, or brāhmaṇa.
So the chance is given. If one falls down immaturely from the standard of bhakti-yoga, devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he gets next birth either in a very nice brāhmaṇa family, or very rich family. So is not...? So what is the loss there, even if I fall? But that does not mean I shall wait for falling down. No. Just like in India, formerly, in medical college there were two designations—one as M.D., and another was L.M.S. So what is the distinction? Now, after passing, after regularly attending the class, say, five or six years, if one passes the examination, he takes the title M.D., Doctor of Medicine, or something like that. And if he fails, then he is given the title L.M.S., Licensed in Medical, Medicine and Surgery.
It is called urukrama. Urukrama means his power is very, very great. Foolish persons accept a rascal as Bhagavān, but we are not so rascal. We accept Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, Urukrama. He can lift when... He can pick up the mountain, and immediately, He can keep on His finger. We want this kind of God. Not making like this and a grain of gold. (laughter) We are not so fool. We want this kind of God, Kṛṣṇa, Urukrama. So how this Urukrama, one can surrender? Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukrama aṅghrim. Aṅghrim means this leg. How one can be attached? Now, what is the use of taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet? Because these misgivings, this garbage of different types of desires, will be finished. So how it is possible? Niṣkiñcanānāṁ mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam. So long one does not take the dust of the lotus feet of a devotee who is niṣkiñcana, who has nothing to do with this material world... But he's exalted in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Everything is there. This is authority, śruti. Kṛṣṇa is very much fond of tending cows. Surabhīr abhipālayantam. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu. He has got His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, where the residential houses are made of cintāmaṇi, touchstone. Touchstone, we have heard the description. Touchstone means the stone which you touch to the iron and the iron becomes gold. So such touchstone, they're used as brick. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu (Bs. 5.29). And kalpa-vṛkṣa. This is Kṛṣṇa's abode. They are not like this. They are all spiritual.
So the, in the present age of Kali, the government men will be dasyu. This is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. You can, we can see practically. You cannot keep your money. You earn with hard labor, but you cannot keep gold, you cannot keep jewelry, you cannot keep money. And... They will take it away by laws. So they make law that... Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was just quite opposite. He wanted to see that every citizen is so happy that they are not troubled even by excessive heat and excessive cold. Ati-vyādhi. They are not suffering from any disease, they are not suffering from excessive climatic influence, eating very nicely, and feeling security of person and property. That was Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. Not only Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. Almost all the kings, they were like that.
(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)
(break—Hindi) ...nirviśeṣa avyakta, impersonal feature. (break) Impersonal. The manifestation of this material world is the impersonal feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And His personal feature is situated in everyone's heart as Paramātmā. Therefore it is said here, alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthitam (SB 1.8.18). Although Kṛṣṇa, or God, is outside and inside, still, He is not visible. Still, he is not visible. Alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He is inside and outside, but still, He is not visible.
So actual, actual value, to keep cows, to have food grains or gold, jewelries, these are the signs of richness. But Kali-yuga is so cruel that if you have got gold, if you have got jewels, then government will take away. Dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. Formerly there were ordinary plunderers, thieves. Now, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the government will be composed of organized thieves. That is meant: dasyu-dharmabhiḥ, rājabhiḥ. Government officer means organized thieves in every country. That will be the situation. So you cannot keep now. You have to be satisfied with these papers. That's all.
That is bhagavad-bhajana. Bhagavad-bhajana does not mean to increase our material possessions. That is dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41). These are material things. People become religious to increase their economic condition better, dharma artha, generally. They want to... Just like there are so many so-called saintly persons. They advertise that "If you give me one, I shall give you ten." Magic, gold manufacturing, or some cloth and they get more... People are after them. But akiñcana. We have nothing to give. So they do not come to us.
So one should be advanced by hearing the authorities, that God is equal to him. I say why there should be Hindu religion and Muslim religion or Christian religion? There cannot be. Just like gold is gold. And nobody can say, "This is Indian gold, this is American gold, this is Christian gold, and this is Muhammadan gold." Gold is gold. So actually one who is God conscious, for him, there is no such distinction, because he knows, samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra bhūtānām: (SB 1.8.28) "God is present everywhere." Simply he has forgotten. That forgetfulness is applicable to anyone, either Hindu, Muslim or Christian. It doesn't matter. The, our business is to rectify that forgetfulness. Rectify. To remove that forgetfulness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
That He explains in the Bhagavad-gītā, how to work and be happy. But not to work, Kṛṣṇa has never... And neither this place is like that, that you will not work, and everything will come automatically. Things are coming automatically, but you have to pick up the things by working. That is the nature. Just like you have got gold mine under your feet. So you have to take it by working, by digging. You cannot say, "Now I have got the gold mine. Now sit down tightly." No. That is not material nature. But Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. That is the Vedic instruction. That is akartuḥ. He has nothing to do. Why He has nothing to do? Now, because He has got many energies. Just like nowadays, by electronics, one man is sitting... We have seen the pilot. He's sitting in his place. He's simply pushing on the button, and the whole, big gigantic 747 is flying in the sky. We see the pilot is sitting there. He's doing nothing, but he's doing everything. But the electronic arrangement is so perfect. But sitting in one place he is working the big gigantic machine. As it is possible for a small material man, how much it is possible for Kṛṣṇa. Although He does not do anything, still, He's viśvātman: He is controlling the whole universe, viśvātman. He's the vital force, viśvāt... This is Kṛṣṇa.
Oyster. The oyster produces pearls, very valuable. If you can collect the oysters you'll get valuable pearls. One pearl, ten thousand dollars. The wealth is there. So formerly people used these pearls, the valuable stones, silk, gold, silver, and decorated the body with nice manufactured ornaments. The beautiful for body.(?) But where are those things gone? Those things are now gone. Now plastic bangles. Advancement of civilization. All these beautiful girls without any ornament of gold, pearls and nice jewels, they have got plastic bangles. Just see the fun!
There was no such thing in those days. These are modern inventions to make the whole world hellish. Otherwise people would be... If you want to be rich, then you can get riches... Wherefrom? Vanādri-nady-udanvantaḥ. From seas, from river, from hills. You can get valuable jewels, gems, pearls, from these natural sources. So India's wealth, formerly, it was depending on these things: gold, silver, jewels, pearls, silk—not industry. And from the forest, from the herbs, from food grains—all natural products. So from the river... The saintly persons, they depended mostly on the riverside. Anywhere they will put a cottage on the river... Still that is going on. A saintly person, if he wants to remain in a secluded place, so they select any place on the riverside, have a small cottage. Still you'll find in many places, especially on the bank of the Ganges, Narmadā, Godāvarī, Kāverī. There are many saintly persons, especially on the bank of Yamunā and Ganges. If you go to Allahabad, you'll find they are living very peacefully, a small cottage on the bank of the Ganges.
So this is very good economy also. If you... If you have got metal utensils, if you are in need of money, you can get immediately in exchange some money. There are pawn shops. So they will keep anything, a gold Banarsi sari, or metal utensils or ornaments, if you are need of... Village bankers. Immediately. Poor man... Suppose if you require five rupees, ten rupees. You haven't got, but what..., how to get the money? You take something from your household paraphernalia and go to the pawn-maker. You get money. You are now relieved from the present anxiety. Then again you get back. But what is this china, clay, the china pots and this plastic pot will bring? No, nothing. From economic point of view, this is also very good. So depend on nature.
So dharma means the codes or the law given by God. That is dharma. And our life is meant for dharma. Dharma. But unfortunately we have created so many dharmas. But there cannot be so many dharmas. There cannot be. Suppose if gold... Gold is gold, pure gold. There cannot be... Just like they have made twenty-carat gold, fourteen-carat gold, sixteen-carat gold. That is mixture. That is not pure gold. We are preaching, "If you say it is religion, it is pure religion, not carat." "Fourteen-carat religions" or "Twenty-carat religion," no. Real, pure religion. What is that pure religion? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam... (BG 18.66). We are teaching, "Just surrender to Kṛṣṇa," Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is pure religion, original gold, no carat gold. Therefore our Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has said very clearly, pṛthivīte yāhā kichu dharma nāme cale: "Whatever is going on, all over the world, in the name of dharma," bhāgavata kahe tāhā paripūrṇa cale,(?) "according to the opinion of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, all this rascaldom is simply cheating." Now, if you say that, everyone will be rebellious. But that is the fact, because if dharma means the order of God, then what is God's order? That "You become My devotee." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namas... (BG 18.65). Four things: "You always think of Me, and you become My devotee, you offer your obeisances," man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, "and worship Me."
Telex. So they are getting... In Zurich, we saw that every bank is by television giving the quotation, of price quotation. That city is very speculative. They are speculating on the price of gold and they purchase and sell, so they must know the price of the gold, every moment, how the market is changing. Their brain is always in that way.
So everyone is inquisitive, every one of us, even the animals, birds, beasts, everyone, inquisitive. But when one becomes inquisitive to understand God, then his human life is fulfilled. Then he is actually in human life. Otherwise, to simply inquisitive what is the price of gold, that means selling and purchasing, make some profit, and when there is profit, then there is sense gratification. That's, this is their aim. When they get some money, immediately how to spend it for sense gratification, not only for personal self but also family. Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3).
It does not mean. Part is never equal to the whole. We are part of the Supreme Brahman. Mamaivāṁśaḥ. So in quality, just like a small particle of gold is also gold-quality is the same. A small drop of sea water is the same quality, salty. But that does not mean the drop of sea water becomes the sea. The māyā is so strong. Therefore Bhāgavata says, "The impersonalists, Māyāvādīs, although they think that they have become one with the Supreme, but their intelligence is not yet complete." Ye 'nye, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They think like that: "Now we have become perfect, Nārāyaṇa." But Bhāgavata says, "Sir, you may think like that, that you have become liberated, but you are not liberated because you are still in ignorance, because you are thinking one with the Supreme." Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: "Your intelligence is not yet perfect."
Pradyumna: Translation: "At that time all his brothers followed him on beautiful chariots drawn by first-class horses decorated with gold ornaments. With them were Vyāsa and ṛṣis like Dhaumya, the learned priest of the Pāṇḍavas, and others." (SB 1.9.2)
Prabhupāda: So one very important word is here: sadaśvaiḥ svarṇa-bhūṣitaiḥ. Formerly the horses were used in military division. Horses, chariot, elephants and then infantry. So not one or two, but one division of military phalanx required sixty thousand horses. Akṣauhiṇī. So many horses, so many elephants, so many chariot, and so many infantry soldiers—that will compose one division of soldiers. So "so many" means the, I exactly remember now, sixty thousand horses. So all the horses, when they are required for procession or for going to the fight, were well-decorated with golden ornaments, svarṇa-bhūṣitaiḥ. So just imagine the, all the saddles of the horse, if they are golden ornamented, how many ounces you will require to decorate the horse. And what is the price of gold now?
Such sixty-thousand horses, how much it comes? (laughter) Where is that gold? They are very much proud, advancement of material civilization, but instead of gold, we find plastic. (laughter) And the nonsense, they are very much proud of their wealth. Just see. Even they cannot decorate their wives. And woman, they require also ornament. It is psychology. Manu-saṁhitā, it has been recommended that "If you want to keep satisfied your wife, then you must give her good food, good sari and good ornament." This is the system. Therefore during marriage time, the girl is given by the father according to his means, as many saris, nice saris, beautiful costly saris, and as much as possible, golden ornaments. And those who are very rich, they, still in India, they give jewelries, means diamonds, pearls, sapphire, according to means. Those who are richer class, they don't touch gold. They must give jewelry. This is the system.
So this is the opulence. So much gold. When the Kurukṣetra Battle was finished, so the treasury was also finished. The treasury of the Pāṇḍavas, that was also finished. Because war means expenditure. So many hundred thousands of pounds and dollars required daily to finance the running on of the war.
Never mind. ...wanted to perform sacrifice. So sacrifice means he requires money, so much grains, so many ornaments, so much gold and ghee, everything required. To perform sacrifice is not ordinary thing. Millions and millions of dollars required. In the Kali-yuga, because people cannot collect such costly things... Suppose ghee. Tons of ghee was being offered to the fire. Where is that tons of ghee? Not available. Then all utensils made of gold. The altar made of gold. Where is that gold? Therefore the, not many days before, five thousand years, the Indian history, or this world history... Now it is called India, but this whole world is Bhārata-varṣa.
So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja asked his brother Dhanañjaya, Arjuna, "So bring some money from somewhere. Otherwise how we can perform the sacrifices? We have finished all our treasury." So Arjuna was little perplexed. The elder brother was king, and the younger brothers, they were commanders. So Kṛṣṇa saw that His friend was little perturbed. So He immediately gave information. This is God, sarva-jña. He knows where to find out. He gave him information that formerly, one king, by the grace of Lord Śiva, he got information of a big gold mine, or gold mine mountain. So that king used to manufacture so many things of gold. Especially in sacrifice he used to give immense dishes made of gold to the brāhmaṇas. So at that time, the brāhmaṇas were also not very greedy. So the king, during the sacrifice, gave them unlimited number of dishes of gold, made of gold.
So actually, human opulence means not these tin cars. Once it is dashed with another car, it is finished, no value. Human opulence means the society must have enough gold, enough jewelry, enough silk, enough grains, enough milk, enough vegetables, like that. That is opulent. That is opulence. Formerly a person was considered rich by two things: dhānyena dhanavān. How much grain stock he has got at his home. A big, big barn, filled with grains. Still in India, if I am going to give my daughter to some family, to see the family's opulence, I go to see the house, and if I see there are many, many barns' stock of grains and many cows, then it is very good. It is opulent. Dhānyena dhanavān, gavyaṁ dhanavān.
There is no comparison of Kṛṣṇa's opulences. I have several times given the example. Say, in the human society there is marriage. So Kṛṣṇa married 16,800 wives. And for each wife a palace, marble palace, bedecked with jewels, and the furniture made of ivory and gold, and bed and curtains, they're all made of silk. So... And the... Not only palace, but also garden attached to the palace. And the flower trees, pārijāta flower. The pārijāta flower was brought from the heaven. This pārijāta flower is not visible in this world. From heavenly planet Kṛṣṇa brought it. His wife Satyabhāmā, He requested... He... Both of them, Satyabhāmā and Kṛṣṇa, went to the heavenly planet. So generally woman, they are after something. So (laughs) (she) requested the husband, "Kṛṣṇa, I want this flower." "All right." So He gave her one flower. So He also told, "Why the flower? I shall take the tree so that you'll get flower daily." So when He was doing so, Indra came. Indra is the king of heavenly planet. "No, Sir, you cannot do that. (laughter) You cannot take this tree to the lower planet. No, I cannot allow."
So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme pure. We are also pure, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a small particle of gold is also gold. The value is gold. It is not iron or something low-grade metal. The same. Similarly, as Kṛṣṇa... Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said Kṛṣṇa is aja. He never takes birth. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Although He is the Lord of all living entities, still, by His desire, He appears. Our appearance in this material world is also the same desire, but that is not independent. Our desire... (aside:) Who is talking there? He must stop. That portion is simply talking-camp. Just like these frogs or toads, they're talking whole day and night, ca-ca ca, ca-ca ca. Actually we have got tongue, and these frogs, they have got also tongue. So they are using their tongue, ca-ca ca, inviting snakes: "Please come here and eat me." That is their business. Nature's way. So if we simply talk like the frogs without any kṛṣṇa-kathā, then we are inviting death very soon. So don't waste your time, ca-ca ca. That is my request.
There is no loss if they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa worldwide. Where is the loss? But still, they will not. And everything can be had. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. Mahī. Kṛṣṇa, He is... The mother... Kṛṣṇa, how He has arranged this mahī? Everything is coming. Actually you will find that the rose flower is coming, the mine is coming, the gold is coming, the coal is coming, the petrol is coming. Everything is there in the mahī. And who has arranged it? Just see. Sarva-kāma-dughā mahī. And if there is regular waterfall, then you get everything supply. And by performing yajña, you get regular waterfall, rainfall. And in this age all other types of yajña is not possible.
There is no use of industry. No use of man's going fifty miles to work. No, there is no need. Simply land and cows. Here is the statement. Kāmaṁ parjanyaḥ, vavarṣa parjanyaḥ sarva-kāma-dughā. Everything you'll get from the land. Even luxury articles. What can be more luxurious article than the jewels? The jewels are also produced. The medicine is produced, the minerals are produced, gold is produced, diamond is produced from the earth. Sarva-kāma-dughā. You get everything. Make your civilization very perfect, very luxurious simply by satisfying Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Thank you very much.
Suppose you have got something, one copper coin or silver coin. So if you dispossess, if you throw it away, then what is the gain. Whatever you had, gone. But if you throw the copper coin, or the silver coin, and if you accept a gold coin, then you are profited. Then it is profit. So niṣkiñcana, to simply become niṣkiñcana, renounced of everything... Just like Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. They do... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Yes. But brahma satyam, they do not understand what is the actual satya-vastu. That satya-vastu is Bhagavān. They do not search after Bhagavān; simply the light, effulgence of Bhagavān, brahma-jyotir. They are satisfied. (yelling in background) (aside:) What is that, trouble? Stop them. So there are so many versions about sat-saṅga and asat-saṅga.
Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, they were demons, godless demons. Rāvaṇa was very learned scholar in Vedic knowledge and very powerful materially. He converted his capital with gold, all the buildings and everything. It is supposed that Rāvaṇa's brother was a king of..., on the other side of the globe. So it is my suggestion... I do not say it is very scientific proof. So other side of the globe... Rāvaṇa was in Ceylon, and the other side of the globe, if you go by subway, it comes to Brazil. And Brazil is supposed to have gold mines. And it is said in the Rāmāyaṇa that Rāvaṇa's brother was living on the other side of the globe, and Rāmacandra was taken through the subway. So taking this into consideration, we can suppose that Rāvaṇa imported large quantity of gold from Brazil, and he converted them into big, big houses. So Rāvaṇa was so powerful that he made his capital Svarṇa-laṅkā, "capital made of gold." Just like if a man comes from undeveloped country to your country, New York or any city, when they see the big, big skyscraper, they become astonished. Although skyscraper buildings are everywhere nowadays, formerly it was very wonderful.
Nothing can come out except from the Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of everything." If Kṛṣṇa is truth, He is the origin of everything, so how everything can be false? Is that very logical? No. If something has come from gold... Just like we have got so many preparations of gold: gold bangles, gold earring, gold necklace. But it has come from the gold; therefore it is gold. How it can be false? Gold is never false. Gold is gold. So this philosophy that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, that "Gold mine is right, but the gold earring is wrong..." No. That you cannot say. If gold mine is right, then gold earring is also right because it has come from the gold mine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says that ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of everything." And the Vedānta-sūtra also says, janmādy asya yataḥ: (SB 1.1.1) "Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates." So everything has emanated from Kṛṣṇa. So how this material world can be false? It is true.
Nobody trusts in God, and they write, "In God We Trust." And unless I write... Of course I do not wish to say very harsh word, that unless I cheat you that way, how a man will accept one piece of paper as one thousand dollars? (laughter) You see? It is a grand cheating, that "I am giving one thousand dollars to you." But if I value, it is not even one farthing. This is called māyā. It is not, but I accept. I accept. If people become enlightened, "No, we are not going to accept this piece of paper as one thousand dollars. We must have gold," so many things will be solved immediately. So many things. But because we agree to be cheated, the cheaters are cheating and things are going on wrong. This is called Kali-yuga.
This is the description of the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet in the Brahma-saṁhitā. The first description is, "That planet is made of cintāmaṇi gems." Cintāmaṇi gem means... If you get by chance imitation cintāmaṇi gem, you can turn iron into gold. That is cintāmaṇi gem. So these things are there. One may believe or not believe, but we believe because we believe in the śāstra. So we have no botheration.
So these sacrifices are forbidden in this age, Kali-yuga, because there is no expert brāhmaṇa who can conduct the sacrifices, neither people have got any means. Now, so far bhūri-dakṣiṇān, so there was one king. He performed this sacrifice, and by the grace of Lord Śiva, he got the information of a golden mountain. So golden mountain, he collected enough gold from that mountain, and in the sacrifice he made everything made of gold, everything. So he distributed utensils. That is the system, that to the brāhmaṇa who attends the sacrifice, they are given money, utensils, cloth, bedding. Because brāhmaṇas, they do not care for material possessions. They are simply engaged in Brahman consciousness, God consciousness. Therefore it is the duty of the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas to give them in charity so many things, so that they may not feel any want of material necessities. They do not beg. So this king, he arranged for distributing to the brāhmaṇas so many golden utensils that when they were given to the brāhmaṇa, each and every brāhmaṇa, some of them thought, "What is the use of such load?" This is brāhmaṇa. So after coming out from the sacrificial arena, they threw away. "Throw! Who will carry such a load?" Just see. This is brāhmaṇa. A big load of gold they neglected. They threw it away. "I don't want it. This king has given. All right, take. But I will throw away." (laughing)
So I require money. So where is the money?" So when Kṛṣṇa saw that Arjuna and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is is very much perplexed to secure money, so he asked his friend Arjuna, "You can go there, near Himalaya. There is huge stock of gold utensils, and formerly they threw it away. You can go and collect. Bring it." So immediately he went, and he collected all the thrown utensils of gold, and enough money was collected. Therefore Arjuna's another name is Dhanañjaya. Dhanañjaya means "who has conquered, securing wealth." Dhana means wealth. Dhanañjaya.
So to increase it no credit. To decrease it is credit. That is credit. Nityā hi jantoḥ. It is already there. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānām. Bhūtānām means "of all living entities." Amongst the ants, they are very intoxicant. Therefore they find out sugar. The all kinds of liquor preparation is made from sugar. You know that? Sugar is fermented with acid and then distilled. It becomes liquor. And the ants are very much fond of sugar. You keep up one piece of sugar candy. Then the news will be immediately spread, and all the ant class will go there: "Here it is, sugar, yes. Gold rush." (laughter)
Therefore, even if we take a little drop of ocean water, because the ocean water is salty, we taste the water salty. The salt is there also, but in minute quantity. The ocean has got millions and trillions of tons of salt, and here, in the drop of the water, there is a grain of salt. But salt is there. Another example: just like a little portion of gold. So that is also gold; it is not iron. So naturally, in our original position we have got all the good qualities of God. Now, due to the material contamination, the godly qualities are now covered. The godly qualities are there, but it is covered. That covering is possible due to our very minuteness, very small quantity. Therefore we are fallible, but Kṛṣṇa is not fallible.
(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)
- hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
- hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
(My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.)
This consciousness we are trying to arouse. This is the best welfare service to the people, to awaken his lost consciousness. He is foolishly thinking that "I am of the material product, and I have to adjust my things in this material world." This is the foolishness. Actual intelligence is that is Brahma-bhūta, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Bhāgavata.: "I am part and parcel of God. God is supreme Brahman. I am, being part and parcel..." Just like part and parcel of the gold, gold mine, it may be small earring, it is also gold. Similarly, the small particle of sea water is also the same quality, salty. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of God, we have got the same qualities. Qualitatively, we are one.
This is Śaṅkarācārya philosophy. Jagan mithyā. Mithyā means false. Brahma satyam. "Now let me search out where is Brahma and become one with him." That is also another labor. Speculating. They have to interpret all these Vedic literature to make God dead, void, impersonal, nullified. So they have to gather their arguments. That is another labor, hard labor. So they are also working hard. Yogis, they want to show some magic: "I can walk on the water. I can fly in the air without any airship. I can go this planet, that planet." Yogis can do that. They have got this magical power. "I can create immediately gold." And if you can show these magical feats, immediately you get so many.
But at that time, Rāvaṇa was able to make a subway from one continent to another, from Asia to Africa. And Brazil, they say, still there are big stock of gold. So Rāvaṇa utilized these gold mines for constructing his city. Svarṇa-laṅkā, "Golden Ceylon," it was known at that time. He was so advanced even in material science, even at that time. And he was also a good scholar in Vedic literature. He was a great devotee of Lord Śiva. And by the blessings of Lord Śiva, he got so much opulences. And he became so powerful that he dared to kidnap the wife of Rāmacandra. So such a powerful demon was killed by Rāmacandra. And He approached his kingdom on a stone bridge. And the stones were floating on the water. Where is the law of gravitation? The law of gravitation, the so-called scientists' imagination, does not act when Urukrama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acts. He wanted, "There should be no law of gravitation. Let the stones float on the water." This is called urukrama.
So Kṛṣṇa gives them opportunity, some yogic success. Just like in India there is a rascal. He makes like that, and there is immediately some gold. And people become after him: "Oh, he is God. He is God." By producing a little gold, he becomes God. Another yogi, he gives immediately two rasagullā. So by producing two rasagullā, four annas' worth, he becomes God. You see? This is illusion. These rascals, they do not know that, "What is this rasagullā, two rasagullā? I can purchase from the market for four annas. So he is becoming God by four annas?" But they have no sense.
And still they are proud: "Oh, we are now advanced." What advanced? Simply plastic and paper. I see in Japan, all paper, simply papers. All big, big buildings packed up with papers. I was observing from the train all the big, big... What is the contents? Contents means paper. That's it. The house is made of paper. And Japan is considered to be very advanced, and industrialist. Simply outward dress. Actually nobody has got any wealth. The money is also paper. No pearl, no gold, no silver, nothing. But they are satisfied with papers. That's all. Paper house, paper money, paper book, paper everything. Plastic, paper.
If He is all-strong, then where is the difficulty to maintain sixteen thousand wives? Why sixteen thousand? If He maintains sixteen millions of wives, still, it is insufficient. Because if we say "All potency, all-powerful, all-good," then to maintain sixteen thousand wives with sixteen thousand palaces and all the palaces made of first-class marble and gold and jewels, and the furnitures are made of ivory... These are description. That is God. Why we shall accept a nonsense God simply having a big beard or some...? You see? No. We don't accept. We accept real God.
Here it is only perverted reflection. Here the beauty... Just like the beauty is described there, bhrājiṣṇu. Bhrājiṣṇu, all glowing. Lasad-vimāna. Lasat, brilliant. There is also aeroplane, but not this tin aeroplane. You see? There the airplanes are made of jewels and gold, brilliant. And their beauty. There also men, women there are, not that simply men devotees, no. But the men and women, they are creation. The both sexes are there, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So nothing is different from here, but they are permanent, real. Here everything are temporary and false. This is the difference. Everything, there is also tree, there is also flower, there are also palaces, there are aeroplanes, there are chariots, men, women, but they are real, and here it is unreal.
So we are all Brahman; simply we have to understand it. It is not that we are abrahman; by some practice we become Brahman, no. Just like gold is gold, but if it is covered with some dirt, the dirt can be removed, and the gold is gold; similarly, we are Brahman, spirit soul. Somehow or other we have come in contact with these material elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), and we have got this body, covered, and I am thinking, "I am this body." This is ignorance. This is ignorance. So unless one is enlightened by the spiritual knowledge, he remains only just like cats and dogs. And to understand spiritual identification, that is called dharma. Dharma means that. And the ultimate goal of dharma is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We have created so many dharmas: Hindu dharma, Mussulman dharma, Christian dharma. These are manufactured. Of course, there is indication how to execute dharma, but real dharma—when you come to the conclusion, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19).
So God is one; His order is one. How there can be different dharmas? It is not possible. That is ignorance. When we create different dharma, that is due to ignorance: Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma or this dharma, that dharma... No. Gold is gold. Does it mean that if a Christian possesses some gold, it becomes Christian gold? Or Hindu possesses some gold, it becomes Hindu gold? No. Gold is gold. Either it is in possession of Hindu or Muslim or Christian, it doesn't matter. Gold is gold. So we are preaching that, that "Here is dharma, to surrender unto the Supreme Being." That is dharma. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). This is bhāgavata-dharma. Everyone should be taught how to surrender to God.
Can you float even a small piece of stone, floating in the air? Then see... Therefore it is said here, varimṇaḥ sarva-yoginām. What yogis can, these ordinary yogis can show? Of course, we are foolish persons. If some yogi shows some mystic power, and little gold if he can manufacture, we accept him as God. But we forget the real yogi who has created millions of gold mines, floating in the air. So we Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, we are not so fool that we shall accept this kind of yogi as Bhagavān. We want the foremost yogi. Varimṇaḥ sarva-yoginām. That Kṛṣṇa, Yogeśvara. We accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because why? Now, because we are trying to become devotee. And Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ, tato māṁ jñātvā tattvataḥ... (BG 18.55).
So in the material world nothing will exist. It exists for some time, temporary. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. We Vaiṣṇavas, we do not say mithyā, because God, or the Supreme Brahman, is truth, so there can be anything untruth from the truth. That is not possible. Just like if you prepare something from gold, an earring, that earring is also gold. You cannot say it is something else. So yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. That is the Vedic instruction. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So Supreme Absolute Truth is that from whom, or from which, everything has emanated. So if everything has emanated from the Absolute Truth, it cannot be untruth.
He says that viṣād apy amṛtaṁ grāhyam: "In the poison pot, if there is nectarine, you should accept it. Don't neglect it because it is on the poison pot. You are concerned with the nectarine. Take it." Viṣād apy amṛtaṁ grāhyam amedhyād api kāñcanam. In a filthy place... Suppose in your laboratory (lavatory?), in a very filthy place, there is gold. So it doesn't matter. You should take it, gold. It is not that the gold is in the filthy place, therefore you should not touch it. Other metal you cannot touch. That is the Vedic injunction. But gold you can take. Amedhyād api kāñcanam. Viṣād apy amṛtaṁ grāhyam amedhyād api kāñcanam, nīcād api..., duṣkulād api. You can take some teachings even one is born in lower-grade family. And the wife you can accept even she is, if she is qualified, and... Strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api. Strī-ratnam. Ratna means jewel. If one girl is very qualified or beautiful, even she is born of lower family, you must accept. You can marry. This is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. Strī-ratnaṁ duṣkulād api. Viṣād amṛtaṁ grāhyam amedhyād api kāñcanam, nīcād apy uttamā vidyā. If a man born in nīca, in lower-grade family, but if he's qualified, it doesn't matter. That is practically being done.
So this Sanātana Gosvāmī, I was speaking to you. He was minister. He had enough money. When he retired, he came to home bringing money with him, one big boat full with golden coins. Just imagine. Big, big coins in those days. Aseraphee.(?) It is... At that time it was eighty rupees worth. Now there is no gold. Where is aseraphee.(?) It is paper only. One-rupee note. So, so Sanātana Gosvāmī, in those days... Even we have seen in our childhood in India, there was gold coins available, any number you want. People used to purchase this guinea gold for making ornament. We have seen it. There was no... Now you cannot get this guinea gold. So that is all finished. So Sanātana Gosvāmī was very rich man. Still, he's asking Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita tāi satya māni: "These foolish villagers, or my neighbor men, they call me 'Paṇḍitajī.' " He was brāhmaṇa. Actually he was paṇḍitajī. You know, in India, the brāhmaṇa is addressed as "paṇḍita." Because a brāhmaṇa is expected to become very learned. A foolish man cannot be a brāhmaṇa. Learned means Vedic knowledge. Veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipraḥ. How one becomes brāhmaṇa? By studying thoroughly the Vedic literature, when one can understand Brahman, he realizes himself, hṛdayānanda, then he becomes brāhmaṇa. Therefore a brāhmaṇa means naturally paṇḍita. But nowadays simply by birth. That is another thing.
I am such a paṇḍita." That means, "I am mūrkha. I do not know my own self-interest. I am simply being carried away by the sense gratificatory means." Therefore he came to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He did not come to Caitanya Mahāprabhu to get some gold or some medicine for curing some disease. As people go, Bhagavān: "Bhagavān will give me some gold. Bhagavān will..." If you want to have gold, you can have. You can get a gold mine and get, as much as you like. Why you should go to a Bhagavān? So... But..., but they do not know. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's disciple, this Sanātana Gosvāmī, he had enough gold. But he was not satisfied. He went to Caitanya Mahāprabhu to take from Him that āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "I do not know actually what is my self-interest. You please tell me." This is the real approach of guru. "So I have got you after many, many births. I have got your contact. Kindly enlighten me because I am thinking I am very learned, I am very rich, but actually I do not know my self-interest. I have therefore come to you."
So one who is feeling the necessity of going across the dark nescience of material existence, he requires a guru. Not for curing some disease or getting a little portion of gold. That, that does not require that one should go to guru. Guru is required for whom? Just like Devahūti or Sanātana Gosvāmī. Those who are inqui... athāto brahma jijñāsā. Those who are interested in the matter of Brahman. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). If one is interested to understand things which is beyond this darkness, he requires a guru. To keep guru is not a fashion. Just like you keep a dog or a cat as a fashion. So things should not be done like that, that "I have got a guru. I don't care for him. That's all. I give him some money; therefore he must be my servant." That kind of keeping guru is not use. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Uttamam. Here is called tamaḥ. Here is called tamaḥ. Tamasaḥ, tamaso 'ndhasya. Tamaḥ and uttama. Udgata tamam. If you can transcend this tamaḥ, this darkness, that is called uttama. We use this word, uttama... Uttama means very good. Generally, we take. How it is very good? When it is transcendental, above this darkness, that is called uttama.
So this is self-realization, when one understands that "I am not this body. I am minute particle of the Supreme." Kṛṣṇa says... Everything is said there. We have to realize it. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśa. Although aṁśa... Aṁśa and aṁśī, the whole and the part. Part is never equal to the whole—that is axiomatic truth—but it is equal in quality. Just like little particle of gold is also gold. It is nothing but else. Similarly, although we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, very minute, infinitesimal, aṇimānam, perpetually, eternally, still, we are not as big as Kṛṣṇa. Just like small particle of this sea water. The chemically composition is the same; you'll find the same taste. And if you analyze, you'll find all the same ingredients, chemicals, within the small particle. But the small particle is never equal to the sea, small particle of the water. This is said... If I think, "Because I am qualitatively one with God, therefore I have become God," that is mistake.
My knowledge is perfect. Just like I may be imperfect. I don't say that I am perfect. But I am speaking to the whole world, "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." The same thing. As the child says, as the boys says, I am also saying the same thing. But it is becoming effective because this is the fact. This is the fact. I don't make any miracles or create any gold or this or that. No. These boys and girls, they are captivated to me not by miracles, but by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Because this is the fact.
And Kṛṣṇa's representative also says that you give up everything, simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa's representative. Sometimes we are very much eulogized, "I have done a wonderful thing, but I have done as representative of Kṛṣṇa." Same thing. I have told all these boys and girls nothing magic. I never showed any gold-making magic. I simply said to them the "Here is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you surrender unto Him." That's all. Ask any (indistinct). I never said anything. So that is actually representative.
But this is not the verdict of the devotee. Mat-pāda-sevā abhiratā mad-īhāḥ. Those who are devotees, fully engaged in the service of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, mat-pāda-sevā abhiratāḥ. Abhi means constantly, and ratāḥ means attached, abhiratāḥ—they do not think like that. They do not like that nonsense idea, that "I shall become one with..." How it is? If I am one with the Supreme, how I have fallen in this condition? No. I am not one. I am one in quality, a small particle. We have explained several times that we are also constitutionally the same spirit identity as God is. But we are aṁśa. Just like gold mine and a small particle of gold. You can say, "This is gold," and the gold in the mine, big mine, many millions of tons of gold... Quality is the same. A drop of sea water and the vast sea, the chemical composition is the same, the drop of water. But you cannot say that this small particle or drop of water is equal to the sea. That is nonsense. That is nonsense. That means less intelligent. Less intelligence.
Because as soon as there is little let out, he'll come out. That is called aṇimā-siddhi. Laghimā-siddhi. You can walk... By achieving this la..., you can walk on the water. You become... You can fly in the air. You can go from one planet to another by flying. You can go to the moon planet or sun planet by capturing the beams. That is called mahimā-siddhi. There are so many siddhis. You can create even one universe. Not this magic, little gold, but you can create not universe, one planet. These are said. But a devotee is not anxious to do these things, this jugglery and magic. He wants the one juggler, Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Because he know that "If I gain Kṛṣṇa, I can achieve the favor of Kṛṣṇa, then all juggleries and magic are under my control. He will do that. Why shall I use?" Just like a rich man's son. He does not endeavor to get money. He knows, "My father is so rich, I can spend it as I like. If I am good son, father will give me money." This is the position of devotee. Therefore he is not after any vibhūti, nor even he is aspiring going back to home, back to Godhead. That is also aspiration. A devotee does not... Because his home is... He can create Vaikuṇṭha here.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Who surrenders to Kṛṣṇa? Unless one is fully in knowledge, "What is Absolute Truth, what I am, what is my relationship with the Absolute Truth..." That is called knowledge. And if one understands that "Kṛṣṇa is my eternal master. He is my eternal father. I am not this body. I am also the same thing as Kṛṣṇa, spiritual..." Mamaivāṁśaḥ. "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is gold, then I am also gold. But Kṛṣṇa is gold mine; I am gold earring, that's all." This is knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktena. And when one comes to this knowledge, then he becomes reluctant to this material attachment. That is called vairāgya.
Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). So we have to take knowledge from Vedic, Vedic scripture. Then the description of the spiritual world is there, what is that? Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu. They have got houses, they are made of touchstone. Here it is made of bricks and stone, ordinary stone. But there is another stone which is called touchstone. If you touch it with the iron, the iron becomes gold. That is called touchstone, pareṣapatha (?). So the spiritual world, all the houses are made of this touchstone. You can take the Tata iron factory and touch it there. (laughter) It will be very profitable. (laughter) Yes. Or go there and bring some touchstone as these moon exploiters. They go and they have brought some stone, and some sand. But if you go to Kṛṣṇaloka you can bring some touchstone and make the whole Tata iron factory gold. (laughter) These informations are there. If you have got capacity, then you will go and bring it.
The value is increasing. Competition. I can pay two rupees kilo. The other says, "No, I can pay three rupees." What is this rupees? This paper. You, somehow or other you gather this paper, and there will be competition and the price will increase. This is the economy. Because they have got false money, therefore there is false increment of price. Bad money. Gresham's theory: "Bad money drives away good money." As soon as there is bad money, this paper currency, the coin, gold coins and silver coins, they are finished, they are no more.
So viśeṣavat. The word is used here, viśeṣavat. It appears like viśeṣa, variety, but actually it has no variety. It is the material element. In another place it is said, tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ vinimayo yatra tri-sargaḥ amṛṣā. Somebody says, amṛṣā. It is created. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said this creation is going on, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It is created at a certain time, and then again it is annihilated. And when annihilated, mixed together, that is avyaktam. And when they are again created into forms, that is called vyaktam. Just like you take a lump of gold and prepare many ornaments. You can make bangles, you can make necklace, earring, and so many things. And again melt it—it becomes lump of gold. So that is the distinction between vyaktam and avyaktam. When they are made into varieties, that is called vyaktam, and when it is again mixed together, then it is called avyaktam.
He is ānanda-cinmaya-rasa, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. So Kṛṣṇa is not nirviśeṣa; He is saviśeṣa. But this material world is actually nirviśeṣa, but it appears something like varieties. The same thing, the example, I have already given: a lump of matter—either you take earth or water or gold or silver—and you can make varieties of things, cause and effect. But that is nirviśeṣa. But the spiritual world, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), as it is said in the Vedānta-sūtra, the origin of everything, the cause of all causes, that is full of spiritual varieties. That is not nirviśeṣa. Here in this material world we are seeing these varieties. We have got these planets. On the planets there are so many mountains, so many trees, so many plants, so many houses, in each and every planet. Don't think the other planets, that is void. No. They are also full of varieties. Full of varieties.
Kṛṣṇa said that "The living entities, they are My part and parcel. They are as good as I am." But because the part and parcel of gold is also gold... It is nothing else. It may be small gold, but it is gold. Similarly, we may be very small fragmental part of the Supreme Person, Brahman, but we are Brahman. This is Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is Brahman realization. It is not very difficult. If you simply understand that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," that is Brahma-jñāna. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). It does not take very much time, but it requires little brain, that "If I am part and parcel of God, then I must be qualitatively the same." Part of gold is also gold.
So this bhakti is the first-class religion, Paro dharma. All other different kinds of religious systems, they are material. "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am Buddhist"—these are all material designation. Actually, it is not dharma. Just like gold. Gold cannot be Hindu gold, Christian gold, Muslim gold. Gold is gold. There is no question of Hindu gold or Muslim gold. Similarly, dharma, dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means relationship with God. So human being in any society, any part of the world, there is a consciousness or sense of understanding God. The method may be different; that is another thing. But the idea is how to know God. Just like Christians, they say, "O God, give us our daily bread." So there is relationship. Muslim they say, allah akbar, "God is great." So in Hindu-conception generally say, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So any sense you say, there is relationship with God. So unless you revive your relationship with God which is dormant, there is no śānti. There cannot be any śānti. So try to understand God.
Everyone is Brahman, but there is no realization, neither they do know the method of realization. Brahman... Everyone is Brahman. There is no doubt about it. Because we are all minute part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore if Kṛṣṇa is Brahman, Para-brahman, we are also minute particle of Brahman. There is no doubt about it. Gold..., gold mine, big gold and a small particle of gold, they are qualitatively one-gold. But the gold mine is different from the gold particle. These rascals, they do not understand it. The gold particle is claiming to become the gold mine. This is Māyāvāda. And they are making people atheist. So 'ham. So 'ham, it is Vedic version. That is all right. "What is God, I am also the same thing." But not... "The same thing" does not mean that as God is powerful, I am also powerful. No. You are qualitatively the same thing. That's all right. But if you claim quantitatively that you are the same powerful as Kṛṣṇa, then you are mistaken. Kṛṣṇa can lift, when He is seven years' old boy, the whole mountain. And a seven years' boy, when he is here, he cannot even seven kilo. So you cannot compare with Kṛṣṇa potencies your potency.
What is that? Sat. Sat means eternal. Sat. And cit. Cit means knowledge, full of knowledge. And ānanda means full of bliss. That is ānanda. So this is God's body. And we are part and parcel of God. Just like gold and particle of gold. It may be very small particle, but one shall say it is gold. It is not anything else. Similarly, in quality we are same as God. Now we have got this body which is not eternal. God's body is eternal and my, this body is not eternal. And sat, cit... God is full of knowledge, omniscient, but my body is full of ignorance. Why these universities are there? Because we do not know what it what. Therefore we are being educated. So that means this body is not full of knowledge. It is full of ignorance. So And again, God's body is blissful, and our body is miserable.
Now when the man visited the prostitute's house, she received the man. In India it is system that when you receive a gentleman or lady you must give him sumptuously to eat. So there was many palatable dishes served to the man, and each vegetable and each preparation was put in two pots—one in iron pots and one in golden pots. So he was eating. Now this man asked the prostitute, "Well, you have given me the same preparation in two pots: one in gold pot and one in iron pot. Why? What is the idea?" So she said that "First of all taste it. Then I shall disclose what is the idea." So he was tasting, eating. Then the prostitute asked him, "How do you like?" "Oh, it is very nice." "Then, is there any different taste in the golden pot?" "No. Same taste." "And the iron pot?" "Oh, the same taste." So she replied at that time that "You are so rascal that you want to gratify your senses, but you do not know that sense gratification in poor wife or rich wife is the same. There is no difference of taste, so why you are after a woman by paying this one hundred thousands of jewels?" The idea is... This story is very instructive, and it is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
So what they have got? They have got some fruits and leaves. That's all. So the arrangement may be that "Tomorrow, we are going to have this festival." But the festival means some leaves and some water. That's all. No utensils, no gold, no jewels, nothing of the sort. So this is another bahvārambhe laghu kriyā. Arrangement is very big, but fact is nothing. And dāmpatya kalahe caiva. And fight between or quarrel between husband and wife. In India, there is no question of divorce. So nobody takes very serious care when there is fight between husband and wife. So there also: "I'm going to immediately leave you, going to kill you..." and so many things. But after an hour, everything is finished. No more quarrel. Dāmpatya kalahe caiva prabhāte megha-garjane. And in the morning, if you see big cloud assembly and thundering sound, but you rest assured. There will be no rain in the morning. So these things are bahvārambhe laghu kriyā. Ārambha, beginning is very gorgeous. But end is nothing. So that is not good, bahvārambhe laghu kriyā.
So if you want to stop these varieties of body, then you should give up all these nonsense desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). You are jñānī, you are karmī, you are yogi, but your desires are all different. One yogi wants that "I shall fly in the sky." One yogi wants, "I shall walk on the water." One yogi thinks, "I shall create gold and show magic to the rascal people that I am God." This is going on. One jñānī, he is speaking something, one karmī... This is going on.
"I am spirit soul." And we learn from Kṛṣṇa that na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin. "I cannot take birth, I cannot die, I am not subjected to sufferings of this material world, but why I am put into this condition?" That is called conditioned soul. That is called intelligence. I am not to be conditioned. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is free, I am also free, because I am His part and parcel. I may be small, very small. A gold particle is gold, that is not other. So all the qualities of gold is there, even it is part. So these things are to be considered, and this knowledge can be acquired. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.
One who knows what is Paramātmā, what is Brahman, what is Bhagavān, he is tattva-darśi. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). So these are the qualification of guru. Why one should go to a guru to see some magic? One who can make some gold, one who can make some... So many magicians who are becoming guru. This is going on. The public, they do not know what is the meaning of guru, and the cheaters, they get the opportunity of becoming false gurus.
So ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "Yes, I am already Brahman because my constitutional position is part and parcel of Para-brahman." Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ (BG 10.12), pavitraṁ paramam, this same thing, pavitraṁ paramam. So naturally, because we are part and parcel of the pavitraṁ paramaṁ, Para-brahman, we are also the same thing, a small particle, aṁśa. Mama aṁśa. Aṁśa and aṁśi. A small grain of gold, by quality it is gold, not that because it is small, it is something else. It is the same thing. Similarly, we are also pavitram, pure, but that small can fall down sometimes and becomes apavitra. So we are just like sparks of fire, so so long we are in the fire, this quality of the spark is also fire.
"Don't remain in tama, envious." Tamasi mā jyotir gama. So bhakti is uttama. When you are transcendental, above this darkness of material world, then you can accept the If you are actually interested in the uttama, something beyond this darkness of ignorance, then you accept one guru. Don't keep a guru as a fashion to satisfy your senses: "My dear guru, can you make some gold?" "Yes." "Oh, first-class guru." No. That is not guru. That is your flattery. You want something according to your order—"Guru, cure my disease," "Guru, give me some gold," "Guru, give me this. Show me some wonderful mystic power"—that is order supplier. No, guru is not order supplier. Guru can give you the way how to have mercy of Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Bhagavat-prasāda. If you want mercy of Kṛṣṇa, then you have to satisfy the devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). "Never become envious of guru." Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā-deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23).
Why you are ordering me to be hanged?" What will be the answer of the court? The answer that "You cannot kill on principle. But you can kill on the superior order. You cannot kill by your whims." In the battlefield the commander-in-chief orders, "Yes, you kill and get gold medal." But if you think the, "I have killed so many persons in the battlefield. Here is my enemy. I kill him." No. That you cannot do. That you cannot do. This is the principle. When there is duty, that is another thing. But not whimsically. We cannot kill. Therefore Lord Jesus Christ ordered, "Thou shall not kill." This is the order. "Thou shall not kill." But we are violating the order. We are killing so many animals. So this is not good. On the plea that "Lord Christ sometimes took some fish somewhere; therefore we will have to maintain a big slaughterhouse," this is not very good logic.
So God has created this big globe, means fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this earth—or even this earth—floating in the air. You can float a big 747 airplane also floating in the air, but you cannot make a globe like sun and floating in the air. That is the difference between you and God. The creative power is there. Because we are part and parcel, the value is there. Just like gold mine and a small particle of gold. So small particle has... It will be called gold, and it has got some value. But not as good as the gold mine. This is the difference between God and ourself. We should understand. So if we give up this service to the senses and we engage ourself in the service of the great... Everyone wants to serve the great. That is natural. If one is serving ordinary mercantile firm, he is thinking of getting some service in the government office. That is very secure. So if we seek our service to the supreme government, Kṛṣṇa, or God, then we will be happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
This is the method of worship in this Kali-yuga, in this age. What is that? That kṛṣṇa-varṇam tviṣākṛṣṇam: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, descends as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, whose complexion is very beautiful." Tviṣā. Tviṣā means by the complexion; akṛṣṇa, not blackish. As Kṛṣṇa is blackish, this incarnation is not blackish. It is just like golden, molten gold. So tviṣākṛṣṇam. And kṛṣṇa-varṇam, "He is Kṛṣṇa," or "always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa-varṇam tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ saṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. And His associates, just like Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu and Gadādhara and Śrīvāsa and many others... So He is always in association of His assistants, who are assisting Him in propagating the saṅkīrtana movement. Gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe, nitya-siddha bhoi māne. Anyone who is preaching the saṅkīrtana movement is associate of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Saṅgopāṅgāstra... Just like Advaita Prabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu helped, similarly, anyone, even up to date, who is trying to help the propagation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, preach this saṅkīrtana movement all over the world, he is also associate of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Gaurāṅgera saṅgi-gaṇe nitya siddha boli māne. They are not ordinary human being. Nitya siddha, ever liberated.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Ceto-da... Bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvā... Unless we cleanse our hearts of all the dirty things that we have accumulated, then we have to continue the sufferings of this material world. But if we cleanse, we understand what is our position. The position is that we are part and parcel of God. If God is good, we are also good. Just like gold and particle of gold. If gold is valuable, the little particle, it may be less valuable, but it is valuable. It is not ordinary thing. Similarly, we living entities, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "These, all these living entities, they are My part and parcels," means "as good as I am." But thing is that manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣ... He is concocting; he is manufacturing ideas to become happy. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi. And with the senses he is trying to satisfy himself. But because he has no information how to become happy, manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Karṣati means that is struggle for existence.
Good qualities means we are part and parcel of God, so God is good, so we are also good. Otherwise how can I be part and parcel of God? If God is gold, then I am gold. So why I become iron? I am not iron, but I am covered with dirty things. I look like iron. This is the position. Actually I am not iron; I am gold, because I am part and parcel of God. If God is good, then I am good. So because I am covered by the material dirty things, I look like not gold. So this is the test. As soon as you become God conscious, your original all good qualities will manifest automatically.
These things we have learned from Bhagavad-gītā. This is the position. We are many, and God is one. So if we accept one God, then where is the chance of different religious system? God is one. God is neither Christian nor Hindu or Muslim or... No. God is God. Just like gold. Gold is gold. Either in the Hindu community, or Muslim community, gold is gold. Because gold is there in some Hindu community, nobody says "Hindu gold." Does anybody say, "It is Hindu gold" or "It is Christian gold"? No. Gold is gold. Similarly, God is one. There is no "Hindu God" or "Muslim God" or "Christian God." This is mistake. "We believe God in this way...," that is nonsense. No. God is one, and you have to see what is the characteristic of God. Just like when it is gold, everyone wants to see whether it is actually gold or imitation gold. That we have to see. There cannot be Hindu gold, Muslim gold, Christian gold. No. Simply you have to see whether it is actually gold, acceptable. That should be the subject matter of theology, to know actually what is God and to understand what is our relationship with God.
Similarly, we spirit souls, we are all parts and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore, qualitatively we are one. If God is gold, then I am also gold. How can I be otherwise? Because I am part and parcel. If God is iron, then I am also iron. That is my position. But as I am carrying different airs by my association with this material nature, I am getting a different body. It is very simple to understand. We are getting different bodies, that's a fact. Even in our present life we have passed through so many different bodies: a baby's body, a child's body, a boy's body, young man's body. All those bodies are gone. Now I am undergoing in an old man's body. Similarly, when this body will be useless for any purpose, then I accept another body. This is called transmigration of the soul. So for another body, that will be created according to the mental situation we made here at the present body—just like the same air passing through rose garden and air passing through a toilet room.
It is covered now by material contamination. That gold, gold is gold, but it is covered by mud, dirty things, one cannot understand whether is it gold or something else. So our position is like that. So when we are free from these dirty things, then our original life becomes manifest. That is called mukti. Mukti hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpea avasthiti. Mukti means now we are differently contaminated situation. Roga-mukti. There is a verse, roga-mukti. One is suffering from fever, and when there is no more fever it is called mukti. Similarly, we are suffering on account of this diseased condition. This material life means diseased condition. It is not our real, but they do not know. They do not know. They are thinking this is life. But this is not life. They have no information. So this sinful life, suffering. Sinful means, when we are sinful, then we suffer.
Now what kind of cheating? The cheaters will round, surround one man, and he says, "Have you seen some gold lump falling down? I have seen. One is lost." Then another man will come, "Sir, I have got this gold lump. If you pay me something, I will give you." But that is not gold, actually, but he creates a situation that "Somebody lost his gold lump. Now he has got. He wants to sell me. All right, I give you ten rupees. Give me." (laughter) This is called kaitavaiḥ. I know some things. (laughter) So bandy-akṣaiḥ kaitavaiś cauryaiḥ, and then direct stealing.
So this kind of things will not do. We have to follow the Vedic principle that either remain without guru... And if you want to make a guru, first of all be convinced that "He is fit to become my guru." But generally people, they don't want transcendental knowledge. They want some material profit. So if the guru can give him some gold, not all, then he accepts him guru or the God or something like that. So this way will not help us.
But Kṛṣṇa conscious person, they know how things are going on, how nature is working, what is the effect. Everything we will find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how many different planetary systems are there, what is the situation each and every planet. You will get all this description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There are... We have got description. There are many planets. They are simply thousands and millions of miles only gold, thousands and millions of miles only copper. We have got this description from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There are oceans of milk, oceans of liquor, oceans of oil, oceans of yogurt.
So siddha-sattamāḥ. Siddhas... Here we have to practice to become siddha, perfect, but there, in the Siddhaloka, they are so perfect that they can go from one planet to another. The yogis can go, but they are born yogis. One planet... This is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We have seen in this Second Canto. There is Siddhaloka. So many planets are there, so many opulences are there, that it cannot be compared. And there is description. So one planet to another, or one planet to the Sumeru hills, there is long, millions of miles, made of gold. They are gold. Similarly copper.
So here is a very good challenge, that "You are talking that you are the servant of Dharmarāja. I know Dharmarāja." It is not that... Because they must know. They are coming from Lord Viṣṇu, and they know that everyone is servant of Kṛṣṇa. Ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya, yaiche nācāya, se taiche kare nṛtya (CC Adi 5.142), in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The master is one, Kṛṣṇa or God. There cannot be two masters. That is not possible. Or two Gods. You cannot say, "In our faith, God is like this." That is nonsense. God is one. You cannot say, "In our country, gold is like this." No. Gold is everywhere the same. Either in your country or my country, it doesn't matter. Gold is gold everywhere. You cannot say "Christian gold," "Muslim gold," and "Hindu gold." No. Similarly, you cannot say "Hindu God," "Muslim God," "Christian God." No. God is one. Otherwise, there is no God. The definition of God is eka brahma dvitiya nāsti. There cannot be any competitor of God. Just like nowadays so many rascals are coming, presenting, "I am God." What kind of God you are? You must check before accepting one rascal as God, what is God.
Because we are part and parcel of God, there is no bad quality in our constitutional position. We are godly. We may be small, but the same quality. So there cannot be originally. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. This is Vedic instruction. A living entity means spiritually part and parcel of God. There cannot be any bad quality. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). Arjuna said to Kṛṣṇa that pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the most pure." So how His part and parcel can be impure? Gold may be a small particle, gold, but it is gold. It cannot be otherwise. Similarly, we, being Mamaivāṁśaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that "They are My living beings. They are My part and parcel." So there cannot be any bad thing. The bad thing is because we have accepted this material body.
You think, "I am going to office to do my duty very hurriedly," but you are becoming implicated. But if you go out for receiving some help for worshiping Viṣṇu, then you are free. Then you are free. Exactly like that: soldier who is fighting in the battlefield and killing so many men and he is given gold medal, "Oh, you have killed so many. So many lives you have killed of the opposite party, enemy. You take this Victoria Cross." He becomes recognized by the government. The same man, when he comes home, if he kills somebody for his sense gratification, he will be hanged. The same man. The same soldier, when he is fighting for king's service, government service, government is supplying him food, everything—"So fight very chivalrously"—and offering him gold medal. And the same men, when he comes home, for his sense gratification if he kills a man, he will be hanged. He may say in the court, "Sir, I have killed so many men in the battlefield and I was never hanged. I was given gold medal. And now I have killed only one man and I am going to be killed? Why? What is this?" "Yes." For your sense gratification, as soon as you do anything, that is sinful, whatever you do. It may be so-called pious activities in your calculation, but in this material world there is no such thing as pious activities or impious. Everything impious.
Kṛṣṇa is supremely independent. abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ. Description of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ (SB 1.1.1). Sva-rāṭ means fully independent. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent. But because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are minutely possessing almost, not all, all the qualities of Kṛṣṇa in proportionately in minute quantity. Just like the particle of gold is also gold. That is nothing else but gold. But the value of that particle is different from the gold mine. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is like that. Kṛṣṇa is just like the gold mine, and I and you, just like gold earring. The gold earring or gold finger ring or any golden ornament, that is gold undoubtedly, but is not as big as the gold mine. That is the difference between God and ourself. That is the difference. Qualitatively, we are one, being part and parcel of the Supreme Absolute Truth, but quantitatively we are different. Therefore, simultaneously, we are one and different. This is called acintya-bhedābheda tattva. Acintya. We cannot conceive in our present status of life that one thing can be equal and different from another. But if we think over it (a) little soberly, we can understand. This is the example. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7).
Our defect is... Just like I have already explained that we are gold because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the big gold, we are simply small particle of gold. That is the difference. But gold is always valuable, may be a small particle or big. So our position is transcendental. Our position is not material. But we have been captured by the material nature because we wanted to disobey the orders of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā... And because we disobeyed or we did not like to serve Kṛṣṇa, therefore we have been sent into this material world. Icchā-dveṣa-samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). Icchā: "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? Why shall I not become Kṛṣṇa? Let me become God." That is still going on.
Why there are different types of living entities, different types of bodies? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāraṇam, the cause, the reason is, guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. Guṇa saṅgasya. So we are gold, but some gold has fallen in the mud, some gold has fallen in the water, some gold has fallen on the grass. These are examples. They are very much nicely explained in the Vedic literature. Sometimes the living entity is considered as the spark of fire. You have seen the sparks of fire. So the fire, original fire, is never covered by māyā or darkness. But the small particle of fire, which are called sparks, they, as soon as come out of the fire, they are extinguished. No more, I mean to say, sparking.
Original position is that we are part and parcel of God; therefore our original position is godly. Not exactly like God, but godly. Just like gold and a particle of gold is also gold. A drop of ocean water contains the same chemical composition. Similarly, qualitatively we are as good as God in our original position. Now we are covered by this material body, but as soon as we take to the devotional service, that is our original position. Then very quickly we develop our good qualities, original godly qualities. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇair tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12).
So materialistic life means sense gratification. This sense gratification process is going on life after life. So many varieties of life means different standard of sense gratification. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that he has given us full liberty to gratify our senses. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga-vāñchā kare. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, but we are living entities, and because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got all the desires of Kṛṣṇa in small particle. As our existence is a small particle... Just like, try to understand gold and a small particle of gold. So the small particle of gold has got all the qualities of the original gold. Just like sense gratification. Kṛṣṇa has got also propensity for sense gratification. He is the original sense gratifier, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Supreme enjoyer. Wherefrom the enjoying spirit of us comes? Because it is there in Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says everything is originated from Kṛṣṇa. Para-brahman or the Absolute Truth means where everything is generated. That is Absolute Truth. Therefore our desire for sense gratification is from Kṛṣṇa.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, when he was inquired by his father that "Who has taught you this Kṛṣṇa consciousness...?" Because he knew that "He is my son, king's son. He does not go to mix with anyone else. He simply takes his lesson from the appointed teachers. How is that this boy, five years old only, and he is so much Kṛṣṇa conscious?" So he was surprised. He asked him that "How you have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" The answer is that "My dear father, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be achieved by a person like you, whose vow is simply to enjoy this material world." Hiraṇya. Hiraṇya means gold, and kaśipu means nice bed, very soft, cushioned bed. Hiraṇyakaśipu.
(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)
- Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
- Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
(My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.)
If the child is born dead, however chemically you can keep up that body, it will never grow. So that is the significance of the presence of the soul. So as the body grows on account of presence of the soul, similarly, the soul, individual soul, is the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "All these living entities, they are My part and parcels." We are part and parcel of God. You can study. You can understand what is the nature of God by studying yourself because you are sample God. You are miniature, small God. Just like particle of gold is also small particle, it is also gold, similarly, because we are part and parcel of God, therefore there all the ingredients, all the chemical compounds in the God, we have got.
So one of the authorities, Prahlāda Mahārāja, we are speaking today about his instruction. And what is the history of Prahlāda Mahārāja? Prahlāda Mahārāja born in the family of a great atheist. His father was a great atheist, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇya means gold, and kaśipu means enjoyment in soft bedding. So he was concerned with two things, money and next, sense enjoyment. So that was his business, and he wanted to train his boy in that way. But fortunately, this boy happened to be a great devotee by instruction of Nārada. So this boy, although born in the family of atheist—his father is great atheist—but because he was bestowed benediction by a great devotee, Nārada, he became a great devotee.
Just like gold. Gold cannot be designation. Gold is gold. Because gold is in the hand of a Hindu, it does not become Hindu gold. Or the gold is in the hand of a Muslim; therefore it is Muslim gold. No. Gold is gold. Similarly, dharma is dharma. There cannot be any Hindu religion or Muslim religion or Christian religion. There is no possibility. As soon as you designate, then it is not dharma. It is cheating. That is rejected in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra: (SB 1.1.2) "All cheating type of religious system is rejected." That is required. So that bhāgavata-dharma, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatan iha (SB 7.6.1). From the very beginning, kaumāra.
Therefore guru required. One who is interested to get out of these activities of external energy, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21), for him, guru is required. Don't make a guru as a fashion. That is useless. Then you get some guru who can manufacture gold, and you are interested in gold, so that kind of guru will be... No. Here it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapad..., tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum (MU 1.2.12). Tad-vijñāna means spiritual science. For that purpose, one requires a guru. Not for any other purpose.
I was saying, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. Formerly there was exchange for... Means of exchange was coins, gold mohan(?). Even in India, even in Muhammadan, there was gold. Not this paper, cheating: "I give you money, one thousand rupees, some paper. That's all." Where is money? But people are satisfied. "Yes, I have got one thousand rupees. It is written there. That's all." But actually money is the gold, gold exchange. So therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said... This means at that time there was gold coin exchange. Even in our childhood we have seen in India there was coins, gold coins, silver coins, everywhere, all over the world. In England there was pound, gold coin. So Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. Svarṇa means gold coins, and koṭi means ten millions. So suppose today is 6th December. Now seven o'clock, morning, seven o'clock, 6th December, passed. Can you bring it again by paying one crores of gold coins? Hm? That "Let me get back again seven o'clock, 6th December, 1975, again"? No. It is gone forever.
Brockway, I think. I asked him, "What you will do? What is the end of your life?" "No, I shall die peacefully." That's all. He does not know that what is going to happen. Because the Christians, they do not believe in the next life; they think this life is finished, everything is finished. But that is not the fact. Because they cannot find out the soul. But that requires expert knowledge. Just like gold mine, apparently it appears that it is a stone. But one who is expert, soil expert, he can understand, "Here is gold." Just like when I was in South Africa, even in the city Johannesburg there are so many gold mines within the city, gold mines. So ordinary man, how it will... How he'll know that there is gold in the soil? He must be expert. To find out the soul within this body, it is not the business of rascals and fools. He must be very expert, exactly like the soil expert. And then, by analysis... This is called neti neti, na iti. It is very easy. If you think, study your body, take this finger, so you'll say, "My finger." Nobody will say, "I finger." Just like we sometimes examine little child, "What is this?" "Finger." "So a finger, which finger?" "My finger." "Head?" "My head." "Leg?" "My leg." Everything, "my, my." And where is "I"? This is intelligence. Everything, he is studying, "my," and who is "I"? This very question will establish the fact, dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13), that "I" is within this body. Therefore I am speaking, "my."
Actually, this material life is our bondage. It may be... Just like gold handcuff or iron handcuff. So handcuff is bondage. Either it is made of gold or iron, it doesn't matter. So we are in this material world handcuffed, imprisoned. Our aim of life is how to get out of this material bondage or prisonhouse. Prahlāda Mahārāja, in another place, when he was asked by his father what's the best education he had received from his teachers, so father asked him to explain, so the son, Prahlāda Mahārāja said that hitvātma-ghātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). This is the best thing he has learned.
So, Prahlāda Mahārāja has very nicely analyzed the characteristics of the soul by twelve items: ātmā, nitya, avyaya, śuddha, eka, kṣetra-jña, āśraya, avikriya, sva-dṛk, hetuḥ, vyāpaka, asaṅgī, anāvṛta. These things I have explained in Calcutta. Again we may repeat. These are important points. The characteristic of ātmā, either ātmā or paramātmā, the same characteristics are there. Exactly like gold bar and gold particle. The chemical composition of the gold bar and the gold particle is the same. So, ātmā nitya eternal. The materialistic scientists, they have no information of the ātmā. They think that this material combination of elements evolved some living force. That is their theory. As such they think that in other planets, where the atmosphere is different, they think there is no life, because they do not know that life means presence of the ātmā, and the ātmā, the soul, can live in any condition of material existence, any condition. Even in fire the ātmā can live because according to the information we receive from Bhagavad-gītā, the ātmā is never burned even in the fire. It is never moistened in the water. It cannot be cut into pieces. These things are there. This material body can be cut into pieces, it can be burned, it can be wetted in water, but ātmā, spirit soul, is different from this body.
Prabhupāda: And just like one can understand from the characteristics of the particular soil, that there is gold. In this (place) there is possibility of gold. That is agronomist?
Devotee: No, that would be geologist.
Prabhupāda: Geologist?
Devotee: Yes.
All right, we shall see later on. Take it for agronomist, geologist. But soil expert (laughter). Soil expert to... He knows how to find out a particular type of mine. They can find out, "Here there is mica, in this soil there is coal, in this soil there is gold." So Prahlāda Mahārāja is giving very nice example that, svarṇaṁ yathā grāvasu hema-kāraḥ. Hema-kāraḥ means goldsmith, not goldsmith. Goldsmith is manufacturer of gold ornaments. Hema-kāraḥ means gold expert, you can say. He can find out in the soil where there is gold mine. Still there are. I know when I was managing Dr. Bose's laboratory, one chemist, Chandra Bhusan Vadery (?), he was a well known chemist in Calcutta. So, one Marwari gentleman was after him. He said that "I know how to find out gold mine." So, the Marwari gentleman spent after him lakhs of rupees and he said that "Here there is gold," but unfortunately gold was not found. (chuckles) And the gentleman lost so much money. So, but there are experts otherwise how gold mines are found out? There are experts. So here it is said... It is not new thing. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that this art is known millions and millions of years ago. It is not that the modern science has discovered airplane, modern science has discovered how to go to other planet and they have mining industry, no. These are all known. There is no question of modern science.
He has feeling. That is (indistinct). Anubhava ananta svarupa, parameśvara. That is the (indistinct). You can feel His presence, that is being explained here. (reads Sanskrit commentary) It is very simple. Prahlāda Mahārāja is saying that as the expert gold miner, when he sees there are gold particles in the field, naturally he concludes.... Still, in India there is a river, in that river gold particles, in the water gold particles can be found. Gold particles. Many poor men they whole day work and strain the water in different way and get some little gold, still. So, by the symptoms, by the symptoms the expert gold miner finds out that here is gold, gold mine. Because within the soil, or with the soil you find some gold particles. That is the way, here it is said. Similarly, one can find out Kṛṣṇa by the symptoms, the characteristics, of this world. That is common sense. Just in everything there is a controller. There is a life. Just like in my body, I am controlling this body, and there is living force, living symptoms. Similarly, this whole world which is going on, there are so many things that is, that requires nice brain. This planetary system is moving nicely, exactly to the order. So, one should consider that there must be some brain behind this—how things are going so nicely. That is common sense. Just like the gold mine expert, as soon as he finds some gold particles either in the vicinity, water or land, they consider there is gold mine. Similarly, when you find that things are going on so nicely, there is a big brain behind this. That is the statement of Professor Einstein. He also says that as we make progress and we see wonderful things, we are bound to believe that there is a big brain. There is a big brain. (reads Sanskrit commentary) So, as the poor man goes to the river side and by straining the water by—they have a specific process, they find out some gold—similarly, a person kṣetreṣu deheṣu ātma adhyātma-vid brahma-gatiṁ labheta (?). This meditation means thinking very deeply what I am, what I am. And the process of the yoga system is the same system as you strain water and find out gold.
(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)
Therefore Absolute, everything is variegated, blissful. They do not understand. The sahajiyā means the blissful dealings, transcendental, spiritual dealings of gopīs and Kṛṣṇa, they take it as material. Therefore they are condemned. They are... It looks similar, but it is not the same, thing. One is gold; one is iron. A polished iron, a golden thing, golden color, does not mean it is gold. "All that glitters is not gold." So we should not mistake. Therefore one who cannot distinguish the spiritual lust and the material lust, they should avoid very strictly. They have no spiritual realization. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has strictly avoided. In His kīrtana He never described the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, His dealings with gopīs. That we mark in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Eighteen years He lived in Jagannātha Purī.
If anyone has to do something to become God, he's a dog. He's not God. Immediately. Immediately understand. If somebody advertises that by meditation he has become God, by worshiping such and such deity he has become God, immediately take that he is dog. Because the Vedic definition says, na tasya kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca vidyate. Why God has to do something to become God? If you manufacture something gold, that is chemical gold, that is not gold. Gold is natural. Similarly, God is natural. In the womb of His mother He is God, in the lap of His mother He is God, while He's playing with His boyfriends as cowherds boy He's God, while He's dancing with His girlfriends He's God, while He's fighting in Kurukṣetra He's God, while He's marrying He's God, while He's speaking He's God. That is God. To understand God there is no difficulty. If you try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then God is there.
So this bhakti process is to acknowledge the supremacy of God. He is the maintainer of everyone, as it is stated in the Vedic literature. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Eko. Eko. That one, He's also living entity like you and me. Man is made after God. Therefore God has got two hands, two legs; therefore you have got two hands, two legs. Imitation. So that eko, that one, is the maintainer of these many so-called gods. We are also gods in this sense because we are part and parcel of God. Just like a particle of gold is also gold, but that does not mean that the particle of gold is equal to the gold mine. That is the real understanding of philosophy. We are gods undoubtedly. In which way? Qualitatively. God is gold. Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore we are also gold. But He is big gold. He is the greatest gold. God is great. We are smallest gold. And if we understand this philosophy, then we become naturally submissive and our constitutional position... And then our prayer as subordinate, submissive, it is very nicely placed, and God accepts, and then our lost friendship is reestablished.
So they are of the same opinion. There is no difference, opinion, between the modern devotee and the old devotee. A devotee is devotee, as there is no difference between modern gold or old gold. Gold is gold. So we should take the path of devotional service, following Prahlāda Mahārāja, and his prayers, his instructions are so valuable that even simply by reciting this Prahlāda Mahārāja's stotra, this stotra... This prayer of Prahlāda Mahārāja is very, very important. You read it carefully and try to understand. Even the most wretched demon can become a great devotee.
These word, mayāt-pratyaya, these are used when it is in great extent, in large quality. That is mayāt. And vikārāt. Vikāra means transformed. Just like gold. Pure gold, you transform into a finger ring—this is also gold. This is called vikārārthe. Gold has become now a ring. And another meaning is that suppose it is made of iron or other base metal, but it is covered with gold, large quantity. That is called adhikārthe because a quantity of gold is there. That is not all gold, but there is gold, covered. So in two meanings, the mayāt-pratyaya is there. So similarly, cinmaya. Cinmaya means if you cultivate spiritual knowledge in large quantity, then your body is no more material. It is spiritualized. Cinmaya. Therefore great saintly person's body, after demise it is not burned; it is buried, samādhi, because it is cinmaya. So adikārthe mayāt-pratyaya and vikārārthe... So a Vaiṣṇava, his body is cinmaya, is cinmaya body.
They are working so very hard, making plans how to improve material enjoyment. So they are called karmīs. And jñānīs, their demand is also very great, to become one with the Supreme, to become God. These are material desires. And then yoga, to display, demonstrate magic: "I can prepare gold. I can travel in the sky. I can walk on the water. I can eat broken glasses." Yes. People will gather. "I can remain without any breathing underneath the ground." These things are demonstrated. So people like it, something wonderful. And he says, "I am Bhagavān," and the rascals accept. These things are loka-pralobhanaiḥ. Loka-pralo... These things can mislead the people in general, but they are not very much attractive to the devotees. Devotees are not attracted.
| Page Title: | Gold (SB Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Mayapur, Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 24 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=130, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 130 |