So anyone who does not know what is God, and what is my relationship... Relationship later on. First of all at least we must know what is God. Then we can speak something about God. If I do not know what is God, then we can speak something about God. If I do not know what is God, then how you can explain, how you can understand about Him? So that is the defect. Actually you search out all process of understanding God. Generally religion means the process of understanding God. That is religion. Religion without God is just like Hamlet without Hamlet. Playwright, Hamlet. Religion cannot be without God. The so-called religion, that is cheating. That is, it will be explained in the next verse, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). Any kind of religion which is going on under the name of religion, but the system has no information of God, that is cheating religion. Cheating religion. Because religion means the laws of God. But if you do not know what is God, then how you can know His laws? If you do not know the king, how you can understand the king's laws, even though you try to understand?
Searching (Lectures, SB)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is against all this rascaldom, all this rascaldom. We present, "Here is God." Here is God. Take His name. Take His address also. That is also... It is so perfect. They are searching after God. We are giving the name, address, activity, everything, quality, all. Nāma-rūpa-līlā-parikara-vaiśiṣṭhyam, everything. Nāma means name. Here is Kṛṣṇa, God's name. Form, here is the form. He is engaged in enjoyment with Rādhārāṇī and playing on His flute. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ bar... (Bs. 5.30). We are not imagining. Not that this artist imagines, the poet imagines. No. We don't do that rascaldom. We don't do that. We take information from the Vedas. Kṛṣṇa, when He was present personally, He played on His flute. The gopīs saw and the cowherds boys saw five thousand years ago. And the ācāryas took information. Even if you don't believe in the history, then come to śāstra. The śāstra says veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣam: (Bs. 5.30) "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always engaged in playing on His flute." This is Vedic statement.
Such desires are based on four principles of bodily demands. Every living being is busy, the lower animals and the human being, in finding out where is food, where is shelter, where is sex and where is defense. So they have selected four businesses: where to find out food, where to find out shelter, where to find out sex indulgence and how to defend ourself. These propensities are prominent both in animal and man. So these things are common for both the animals and the human being. A dog is also searching after food; a hog is also searching after food; a bird is also searching after food; a man is also searching after food. Now, in the broad road so many cars are going in seventy mile speed. What is their research? "Where is food? Where is money?" Ask anybody who is very busy in driving car in seventy miles speed that "What is your business?" He will answer that "I have got to take money from there. I have to do this business." That is also money. This will be the answer. They have no other answer. And if you ask him, "What you will do with your money?" then he will say, "I shall live in a very nice apartment, I shall eat very nice foodstuff, I shall have to enjoy very good sex life and I will have to defend myself." But the Bhāgavata says, or the supreme authority says, "No, this is not your business. Because you are human being... This business is also there in the animal life.
So in this Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa Himself explains Himself, analytical study, and Vyāsadeva presents Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, "Here is God, Kṛṣṇa." Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Now it is up to you to take it or reject it. That is your business, but things are ready for acceptance. So everyone is searching after what is God. Somebody says, "There is no God." Somebody says, "God is dead." Somebody, "Something, something," but no. God is neither dead nor the action, action that "There is no God"—both of them foolishness. God is not dead; neither we are dead. Because we are part and parcel of God. So if God is alive, then part and parcel are alive. Just like if my body is alive, the finger is alive, because finger is part and parcel of my body, similarly, if God is alive, we are alive. And because we are now in material condition of life, therefore we do not understand what is God and what is our aim. Therefore it is called ajñāna, ignorance. Therefore one who dissipates this ignorance, he is called guru.
Ninety-three million miles away from us, but it is giving us regular heat and light. And heat is so strong that ninety-three millions miles away, still, we cannot tolerate the heat. This is the position of this material world. And we cannot have any perfect knowledge. Therefore our knowledge is imperfect. But God's knowledge is not imperfect. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning, it is said, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ (SB 1.1.1). The description of God: God is the origin of everything. Just like any one of us, we can understand that "My body is generated from my father's body. My father's body is generated from my grandfather's body. My grandfather..." Go on, go on, go on, go on. There must be. It is not that because you cannot see your great-great-great-grandfather, so you cannot say there was no such man as great-great-grandfather. There was or there Similarly, if we go on searching out what is the original father, that is God. Father must be there.
So these are the qualifications of the spiritual master. What is that? Svānubhāvam, "must assimilate personally." Svānubhāvam akhila-śruti-sāram. Śruti. The Vedas are called śruti, absolute knowledge. It has to be learned by hearing, not by speculation. Śruti. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet śrotriyam (MU 1.2.12). From śruti, the śrotriya comes. So he's offering respect to Śukadeva Gosvāmī because he has assimilated the whole Vedic knowledge. Śruti-sāra. What is that sāra? Sāra means essence. What is the ultimate goal of knowledge, essence of knowledge? This is also explained in Bhagavad-gītā: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). The real purpose of Vedic knowledge is to search out where is Kṛṣṇa.
Whenever there is religious discrepancies and uprise of irreligious principles, at that time I come down." So God cannot be forced. Just like at night you cannot force the sun to rise. You have no such power. The sun will rise in due course of time, in the morning. At that time you can see sun. You can see the sun, you can see yourself, and you can see the world. But at the darkness you cannot force. You have no such searchlight, scientific advancement, that you can force. Similarly, if you cannot force a material object like sun to abide by your orders, how you can make God forced to come down? So He comes down at His own will, not by your word. God is not like that.
Pradyumna: "As it is stated hereinbefore, in the Bhāgavatam the Absolute Truth is to be known, so the questions of the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya are proper and just because they pertain to Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth. In Bhagavad-gītā the Personality of Godhead says that in all the Vedas there is nothing but the urge for searching after Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa. (BG 15.15). Thus the questions that pertain to Kṛṣṇa are the sum and substance of all the Vedic inquiries. The whole world is full of questions and answers. The birds..."
Prabhupāda: Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Atha, "Now, this is the time for inquiring about the Absolute Truth." "This is the time" means this human form of life. Animals cannot inquire. Therefore Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā: inquire about the Absolute Truth. Brahma, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The ultimate Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa, the person. Paramātmā is plenary expansion, and Brahman is impersonal effulgence. So if one understands Kṛṣṇa by question and answer, then he understands the other three features. But simply by understanding the impersonal feature, Brahman effulgence, one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Neither by understanding or seeing the Paramātmā, one can understand Kṛṣṇa. To see the Paramātmā is the business of the yogis.
In the human form of life, you should try to understand what is God. That is your special prerogative. If you think that "If I become engaged for searching out God, then how my other problems will be solved?" the answer is that tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham: "Your other problems are already solved. As there is arrangement for your distress, similarly there is arrangement for your happiness." Nobody wants distress, but why distress comes upon us? It is already arranged. Similarly, if distress is arranged already, then my happiness is also arranged. Tal labhyate duḥkhavad anyataḥ sukham. So we should not be disturbed by the so-called distress and happiness. They are coming and going. Kṛṣṇa has advised in the Bhagavad-gītā: āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. The so-called distress and happiness, they come and go like seasonal changes. Just like we have got summer season, winter season. The winter also not staying for good, neither the summer is staying for good. It will change. Cakravat parivartante sukhāni duḥkhāni ca. There are so many.
So if you want friendship, you make friendship with Kṛṣṇa. And because He's the proprietor, He'll protect you. These are the three points. Is that clear? Or you have got any question, you can question. Let it be clear. This is very intelligent question. So if we have to search out a friend, just search out Kṛṣṇa. Make friendship with Kṛṣṇa. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He'll satisfy you in all respects. And He's not poor because bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He's... He's the proprietor of everything. What do you want? Everything will be supplied. He's so nice friend. So if you one understand these three points about Kṛṣṇa, then our life becomes successful.
We cannot understand God by mental speculation, that is not possible. Realization God means when God reveals unto you. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By our these blunt senses, speculating, we cannot understand what is God. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja, beyond material speculation. And still you have to apply your bhakti, devotion. Just try to understand. He is beyond our sense perception, but still we have to search Him out and employ our feelings of devotion, love. Therefore, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. One side is beyond the perception of senses and another side you have to love Him. If I say, "Love the air", as an example, so that love is not very factual. How can I love air, something in the air? Somebody must be person, then love is possible. Somebody must be tangible, then there is love possible. Here it is called bhakti. Bhakti means application of love. Bhaja sevayā. When you love you serve somebody. That is called bhakti. Therefore, what kind of love? That is also described here.
The example is vivid. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja was insulted by his stepmother, and therefore he wanted, according to the instruction of his mother, to pray to God to retaliate the insult of stepmother. And he went to the forest and meditated and practiced how to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Within six months he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But when he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he was fully satisfied. He said that kācaṁ vicinvann api divya-ratnam: "Sir, I came to search out some particles of glass. Now I have got divya-ratna, a valuable jewel or gem." Kācaṁ vicinvann api divya-ratnaṁ svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42).
This is the satisfaction. We are searching after so many things to become satisfied, but if we try to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead—that we do not know—and without any motive—it cannot be checked—then yayātmā suprasīdati. If you want really peace of mind, then you search out Kṛṣṇa and surrender unto Him. Where is the difficulty? Kṛṣṇa personally canvassing you, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). Still, you are not... You are so fool. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. He is giving assurance that "I shall give you protection from all sinful reaction.
So it is said that the human life should not be spoiled or expended like animals. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). What is the distinction between the human form of life and the life of the hogs and dogs? What is the difference? The difference is that the hogs and dogs (children shouting) (aside:) It is not possible to stop them? We'll find the hogs and dogs, whole day they are searching after eatables: "Where there is some food? Where there is some food?" That is hogs' and dogs' life, the condemned life. They cannot have any peaceful life. They cannot do any intelligent work. They cannot produce food from the earth. They have no intelligence. The same earth is there, the dogs and hogs are there, the human being is also there, but human being has developed a civilization, comfortable life; the hogs and dogs, they cannot do that. Although they have got the same opportunity, but they cannot do it. So human life is meant for living very comfortably, brain clear to understand what is Absolute Truth, what is our life, what is the goal of life, because the hogs and dogs, they will also die and we will also die, but we can understand what is the goal of life; the dogs and hogs, they do not know what is the goal of life.
So therefore we require to be brahma-bhūtaḥ, then prasannātmā. Then, because our only business is to see that "I am happy. I have no anxiety," that we are searching after, every one of us. So that anxietylessness is possible when we come to this stage:
- sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
- yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
- ahaituky apratihatā
- yayātmā suprasīdati
- (SB 1.2.6)
If you want actually peace, then you must be engaged in the service of the Lord. And before being engaged in the service of the Lord you should be qualified, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Brahma-bhūtaḥ. As soon as you become brahma-bhūtaḥ, you are jolly. What is the symptom of jolliness? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Na śocati means "does not lament." We are always lamenting for the things which we have lost, and we are always hankering for things which we haven't got. This is our business.
But we are after śānti. We are not for aśānti. Therefore in the previous verse it has been explained, yayātmā suprasīdati, yenātmā suprasīdati. What is that? Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Unless you come to the platform of bhakti, devotional service, there is no question of śānti. That is not possible. After all, everyone is hankering after śānti. So if for achieving śānti we follow some path which is full of aśānti, how we can get śānti? Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). I am searching after śānti, but I am accepting, say, for karma... Karma, ordinary karma, a person is working hard, day and night, going here and there. Where is śānti? But because he's a fool, therefore working very hard, when he gets some money, he thinks it is śānti. He thinks it is śānti. But it is not śānti, because to get that money he has to undergo so much aśānti. But because they are flatterers, they, the modern civilization, they want śānti, and if somebody is chanting or is engaged in bhakti-yoga, they do not like it. They say, "They're escaping."
The idea is that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when He comes upon this material world just like ordinary human child, He accepts His devotee as His father, His devotee as His mother. That is the way. Therefore Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vāsudeva, and He is well-known as Vāsudeva. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that a person advancing in spiritual knowledge must come to the point of understanding Vāsudeva, Vāsudeva. Then his knowledge is perfect. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. Not ordinary men, but those who are actually searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, such persons, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, after many, many births of searching like that, he understands that "Vāsudeva is everything." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Such mahātmā, or advanced soul...
Four classes of men. Those who are distressed, ārta, suffering... Everyone is suffering, but those who are acute with suffering... Ārtaḥ arthārthī. Those who are in need of some money. Artha, jijñāsuḥ. And inquisitive what is God. And jñānī, means actually those who are in knowledge. They are searching after. Four classes of men begin bhajana. Not the others. Opposite numbers are na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are duskṛtina, background is simply sinful activities, they cannot take.
So here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sūta Gosvāmī is explaining in the meeting of Naimiṣāraṇya. He says, vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). If you begin your bhakti-yoga, vāsudeve bhagavati... Bhakti-yoga can be applied only to vāsudeve bhagavati. Bhakti-yoga is not applied anywhere. The śāstra does not say. Bhakti means "to serve," and yoga, "the process." That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā also.
People are searching after God. The so-called speculators, big, big scholars, they are trying to understand God. "God may be like this, may be like that." Why "may be"? You do not know God. Just admit that you do not know. Why you are cheating? "May be" means you do not know. So why don't you say, "I do not know"? But these rascals will say "may be like this." And why "may be"? Here is God. "I am like this," Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa says, "Here I am." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). And He is worshiped by all sages, saintly persons. When Arjuna admitted Him that "Kṛṣṇa, You are paraṁ brahma," paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). "You are puruṣa." Puruṣa means enjoyer. Śāśvata means eternally. Not that "You are now enjoyer and formerly You were something else." No. Śāśvataṁ puruṣam ādyam, original. So this is the appreciation of Kṛṣṇa. After reading Bhagavad-gītā, if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa, if you try to banish Kṛṣṇa, then what kind of reading of Bhagavad-gītā? This is all nonsense. If actually one understands Bhagavad-gītā, if he has actually studied, then... Just like Arjuna, he'll admit, "Oh, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)." That is Arjuna's experience after hearing Bhagavad-gītā. And he said that "You are accepted by great personalities, Asita, Nārada, Vyāsa, Devala, big, big personalities." So svayaṁ ca, "You are also speaking Yourself. We have heard from śāstras and authorities, and You are speaking personally; therefore I accept You that You are Para-brahman." This is the study of Bhagavad-gītā.
So God is explaining Himself personally, and He is accepted by authorities, not only in days of yore, formerly, but recently within five hundred, seven hundred years, big, big ācāryas-Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī-big, big ācār..., stalwart, latest within five hundred years. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, everyone accepts Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And these rascals are searching out what is God. Just see their rascaldom! God is here, and he is searching. So those who are searching after God, and they are, if they are making some proposition, thesis, these are all nonsense, cheating. You do not know God. You admit. That is very good. But why you are making thesis? God is not subjected to your mental speculation.
Kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. In the śāstras this is warned again and again. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This human form of life is not meant for satisfying the senses, kāmān kaṣṭān, with great difficulty. Now, eating is necessary, but a hog, he eats the most abominable thing, stool, but whole day and night he is searching out, "Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool?" So similarly, if human civilization is so made that simply for eating one has to work so hard day and night, so it is as good as the hog's life; it is not human life. Human life should be peaceful. They should get their foodstuff very easily, eat very nicely, save time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is human life, not like hogs and dogs, simply searching after... But if we create such civilization like cats and dogs and hogs, then Kṛṣṇa will give us the chance to work day and night simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is the position now. We wanted it.
So jijñāsu. There are four kinds of men who come to God. They are all pious. The first is ārta. A common man, if he's pious, if he's in distress, he prays to God, "My dear Lord, kindly rescue me from this difficulty." But he's to be considered as pious, because he's approaching God for relief. Arthārthī, those who are poor, they are going to temple or church for some money, praying to God. They are also pious. And jijñāsu. And one is philosopher, inquiring "What is God? Let us study." Jñānī, those who are learned scholars. So those who are searching after God, trying to understand God, who are approaching God for some difficulty, approaching for some relief, all these persons who are approaching God some way or other, they are pious. And one who is denying the existence of God, trying to make solution by his own knowledge, they are all called asuras. Duṣkṛtinaḥ, miscreants, narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind, mūḍhāḥ, rascals.
- na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
- prapadyante narādhamāḥ
- māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
- āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
- (BG 7.15)
One can say, "There are so many big, big philosophers, scientists, they do not recognize existence of God. Then what about their knowledge?" They... Kṛṣṇa says, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ, "Their knowledge has no value. Actual essence of knowledge has been taken away by the māyā."
What is the aim of life? This is described here, dharmasya hi āpavargyasya. The human life begins when he accepts religion. That is the beginning of human life, and that is the difference between human life and dog's life. The dog is engaged always for eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. The hog is also engaged always searching after where is food. Although the food is stool, he is busy. And as soon as his body is little strong by eating stool, immediately sex life, without any distinction whether it is mother or sister or daughter. It doesn't matter. This is hog's life, by nature's example.
Therefore śāstra says that ayaṁ deha,
- nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke
- kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye
- (SB 5.5.1)
This human form of life, deha-bhājām... The cats and dogs and hogs, they have also accepted a body. And the trees, the plants, the insects, the birds, beasts—everyone has got body, material body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). I have explained it. According to the infection of the modes of material nature, one is getting a type of body, nature's way. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. The same example: if you contaminate some disease, you'll have to suffer or you'll have to accept that disease. So similarly, this is the nature's way. If you are associating with a certain type of quality of the material nature, you are preparing your body for that purpose.
Yes. He's Professor Howard Wheeler. He also met me on the street, before that he came to India to search out a guru, but he could not find out a guru. He returned back. Then, when I was going on a street, he found me, and he began to join. In this way, we developed. First of all in New York. Then San Francisco. Then Montreal. So now we have got more than one hundred branches all over the world. So simply by this chanting... And we are known as "Hare Krishna People." Wherever we go, people say "Here are the Hare Krishna People." They respect because we follow strictly the four principles: no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, and no meat-eating. They respect. They become surprised how we can avoid.
So here it is stated, kāmasya nendriya prītiḥ. So long we have this body, we have to eat, we have to sleep, we have to enjoy senses, and we have to defend. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. These are bodily necessities of life. And they are called kāma. So kāma is allowed. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, dharma-aviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi: "Which is not against religious principles, that sort of kāma is allowed." But not for sense gratification. You can marry. You can beget children. That's all right. But you cannot enjoy sex for enjoyment, for simply enjoyment. No. That is not allowed. You eat, you sleep, you have sex life, you defend. Nothing is forbidden in the śāstra, but you must know the aim of your life. The aim of your life is tattva-jijñāsā. You should not forget that. Therefore the Vedic system is so organized that people may satisfy the bodily necessities of life, at the same time, he may progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness for understanding the Absolute Truth.
So those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth by their own knowledge, not from the knowledge of the Supreme... Our process is avaroha panthā, descending process, and the Māyāvādī philosopher's policy or system is ascending policy. I want to understand the Absolute Truth by exercising my mental power—that is called ascending process or inductive process. But our process is deductive process. We, Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). We take it, we immediately take it, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are not going to search out who is the Supreme. Because we are hearing from the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, then our business is finished: "Here is the Supreme." So this is very natural. You are searching after the Supreme. This is one process, by your own dint of knowledge, and another person is getting the knowledge directly from the Supreme—he is perfect. This is perfect process. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2), Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā. The perfect knowledge received from Kṛṣṇa. From Kṛṣṇa the knowledge was received by Brahma. From Brahmā the knowledge was received by Nārada. From Nārada the knowledge was received by Vyāsadeva. From Vyāsadeva the knowledge was received by Madhva Muni. In this way, paramparā-sūtra, the same knowledge was received by Mādhavendra Purī. From Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī received the knowledge. From Īśvara Purī, Lord Caitanya received the knowledge. From Lord Caitanya, the six Gosvāmīs. In this way there is a paramparā system, handing down the knowledge from disciplic, from disciple to disciple, evaṁ paramparā. That is perfect knowledge.
Of course, according to our Vedic civilization, we have to accept the authority. All our ācāryas, those who are practically conducting the Vedic civilization or Hindu civilization, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Śaṅkarācārya, everything, everyone says there is life. Śaṅkarācārya says, bālās tāvat krīḍāsaktaḥ(?): "Oh, the boys..." He is going as a sannyāsī, passing through the street. He sees, bālās tāvat krīḍāsaktaḥ: "Oh, the boys are engaged in playing." Bālās tāvat krīḍāsaktaḥ. "And the young men, they are after young girls." Bālās tāvat krīḍāsaktaḥ, and vṛddhāś cintā-magnāḥ, tāvat taruṇās tāvat taruṇī-raktāḥ(?). I was just forgetting the words. Taruṇa means young man. Young man, he is after some young girl, or young girl is after some young man. So childhood is being spoiled by playing, and youthhood is being spoiled by searching after the opposite sex, and old man, vṛddhās tāvat cintā-magnāḥ. And old man is thinking, "Now I could not do so, I could not situate this boy into right position. The girl is still unmarried. Now I am going to die." So many things, thoughts. Parame brahmaṇi ko 'pi na lagnāḥ(?). "And nobody is interested with Para-brahman." This is the world. He is thinking of so many things for others' benefit. He does not know his own benefit, that after death he is going to change his body. He has to accept another body. His chapter will begin a new history. "Now, what kind of body I am going to accept?" That he does not know. Therefore he is called abodha-jāta, fools. So therefore in his ignorance, whatever he is doing, parābhava, simply defeat. Simply defeat.
So the Absolute Truth is realized in three different features, according to the capacity of realization of the Person. Those who are trying to approach the Absolute Truth by exercise of the senses, they can reach up to the point of impersonal Brahman. Those who are searching out the Absolute Truth by meditation, by mystic yogic practices, they can realize the Paramātmā feature of the Absolute Truth. And those who are engaged in devotional service, they realize the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Actually, we have to reach to the point of Personality of Godhead, person. Before that, Brahman realization and Paramātmā realization, that is partial realization of the Absolute Truth, because Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇaḥ ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. The impersonal Brahman is resting on Kṛṣṇa. Just like the sunshine. Sunshine is very all-embracing, wide, widely spread all over the universe, the sunshine. But the sunshine is resting on the sun globe. We see the sun globe, localized. It is floating in one corner of this universal sky. But the sunshine is covering the whole universe. That does not mean the sunshine is more important than the sun globe. And if you can penetrate within the sun globe, then you'll find there is sun-god.
So don't waste time in searching out what is God. God is canvassing you, "I am God, here." Bhaktyā sa... Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65).
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a manufactured way. It is simply the standard. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. We are preaching this philosophy. It is not difficult. Anyone can do it. Anyone can do it. It is not that I am playing something wonderful. What Wonderful? They talk about this, that I have done something wonderful. I do not know any wonderful thing. I only know to present Kṛṣṇa as He is. That's all. This is the secret. So anyone can understand Kṛṣṇa as He is from Bhagavad-gītā or from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Why do they search out? Why they should invent some means? This is useless waste of time.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
o ataḥ, therefore, in the previous verse it was decided who is qualified to see God. God is there within yourself. He is not far away. Not that you have to go many miles away to see God. Paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā. Just like you are searching out something, you do not know what the thing is like, you are harassed. But if somebody knows what the thing is like, "Why you are harassing yourself? Here is the thing. Take it," you can get it immediately. Similarly, God is not far away, God is very near to him, side by side, jīvātmā and Paramātmā. You are sitting with God, you simply do not know how to see. But that qualification, we have explained yesterday, is the eagerness, "Yes, I want to see."
So he was insulted and he went to his mother, "Stepmother has insulted me like this," he began to cry in front of his mother. She said,"How can I help you, my dear boy? Your father does not care for me, even like the maidservants." So he was determined to retaliate. So his mother advised, that "If you can meet Kṛṣṇa, or God, He can help you." "Where is God?" "Yes, I have heard that people go to the forest to search out God." This is eagerness. And Nārada Muni, because Kṛṣṇa is within, He is seeing that this boy is very eager. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Kṛṣṇa, as soon as He sees that you are serious, He will send you the help of a spiritual master.
So Nārada came to him, "My dear boy, you are child, why you are affected by the insult? What is insult to you? You are a child, you play." Actually, if you insult a child, they do not take it, actually. A small boy if you insult, what does he care for it? Insult or honor, a child has no knowledge of it. "So why you are so much affected? You are king's son, so much delicate body. It is very difficult to search out God here in this forest. It requires great austerity. Better go home now, and when you are mature, old age, you can come."
Everyone is searching after some service, service, service. So this service attitude means śūdra. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). In the śāstras, therefore, it is said that the brāhmaṇas, even there is some difficult time... Just like nowadays, at the present moment, we are creating brāhmaṇas, but people do not much like us. They do not care for us: "What is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?" Their street... They are thinking they are beggars. But they are the most intelligent class, brāhmaṇas. They do not honor. So this Kali-yuga, actual intelligent class of men has no honor. A third-class man, fourth-class man, fifth-class man has got honor if he gets some money. That is the system of Kali-yuga. Somehow or other, you gather money and you are fifth-class, tenth-class man—you will be honored. This is Kali-yuga. Not for your qualification, but because you have got money, you are honored. This is going on.
So Bhāgavata gives you direction that "If you are actually serious about finding out a guru..." Who requires a guru? Who requires? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). One should surrender unto guru. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. One who is inquisitive to understand the transcendental knowledge... The ordinary man does not require to search out the guru to find out astrology: "Guruji, kindly tell me what will be the price next...?" Not that guru. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. One who is serious to understand about the transcendental knowledge. Uttamam. Udgata-tamam. Beyond this material world. This material world is tama, darkness. So if one is very serious to inquire about the world of light, for him there is need of guru, not for ordinary person. Guru, we should not make a guru as a fashion. Everyone makes a guru, "Let me have a guru also, any kind of..." No. That is not required. Guru is required by somebody who is serious to know about the transcendental world, the world of light. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. The world of jyoti. Na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candra (BG 15.6). That world, where there is no need of sun, moon, electricity.
So this is karma-bandhana. This karma-bandhana begins from our attachment to this material world. How our material attachment increases? That is also explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). Mithunī-bhāvam. There is sex impulse between man and woman. There are two classes of living entities, man and woman, or male or female. So the male is attracted by the female, and the female is attracted by the male. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam. But what is that attraction, central point? Sex life. So this mentality, this propensity, is there not only in human body, but in the animal body also, that same propensity, sex life. So... But everyone is searching after, "Where is a male? Where is a female?" And when they are united, the karma-granthi becomes tighter. That's all. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ (SB 5.5.8). They are searching after, and as soon as they are united, they become tightly knot. Hṛdaya-granthi.
So father did not like the idea. So one day he called his boy, "My dear boy, come on." He came. A small boy. "Sit down on my lap. All right, my dear boy, will you kindly tell me what you have learned, the best thing in your school?" "Yes, my dear father, I shall tell you." So he said like this, tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt, hitvātma, hitvā ātma-pātaṁ gṛham anda-kūpaṁ vanaṁ gato yad-dharim āśrayeta (SB 7.5.5). "My dear father..." He's addressing his father, "O the best among the materialists." Now, he's not afraid. His father was very powerful, and there is a story. We shall narrate one day. Now, today is... Very shortly I am giving some instance... So he says, "My dear father, you are the greatest of the materialists, but to my opinion that is the best thing if people should give up this materialistic life and devote himself for searching out God, then he'll be free from the anxiety which is due to him due to his material connection." Just, how, see the nice, that hitvā, tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehināṁ sadā samudvigna-dhiyām. Persons who are always full of anxieties. Why? Now, due to their material connection. Asat. Asat means matter. Matter will not stay, however you may chemically try to preserve.
Therefore any religion without scientific understanding through philosophy, it is simply sentiment. It is not religion. And philosophy without religious understanding is mental speculation. That is also useless. Philosophy which does not search ultimately what is truth, what is God, that philosophy is mental speculation. And the knowledge of God without philosophy is simply sentiment. They should be combined. To understand God, our relationship with God, our duty, everything should be understood, scientifically. Bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. Therefore this word has been used, vijñānam. Viśeṣa-jñānam. Jñānam, ordinary knowledge, and vi, when the this word is added, vi, meaning viśeṣatā, particularly, for practical application... This vijñānam.
So bhidyate means cut into pieces. What is that? Knot. Hṛdaya-granthi. Hṛdaya means heart, and granthi means knot. So our everyone's heart is knot. What is that knot? The knot is sex. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). This is knot. The material enjoyment begins There is, everyone's heart, man, woman... Man wants to have woman; woman wants to have man. This is searching after. And some way or other, if they unite, the knot becomes tied up, very strong. That is called knot. Then as soon as the knot is there, then house, then land, then gṛha-kṣetra-suta, children. Then friends, then money. In this way, one after another, one after another, we become knotted in so many things. This is called knot. Hṛdaya-granthi, one after the other. Just like, to make it tight, you give one knot, again a knot, another knot, another knot, another knot, to make it secure. So this is our position. This material world, we are knotted in so many ways, and we are creating more knot. In this life... (tapping sound in background) Who is making that sound? Oh...
So we have to cut down this knot. We are bound up in this material life by so many knots. So the process of cutting down, we have begun: yad anudhyāsinā. What is that verse? Yad anudhyāsinā, yes (SB 1.2.15).
We have begun this chapter śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ... (SB 1.2.17). (aside:) You are sleeping, this boy... Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Anyone who is engaged in hearing about Kṛṣṇa... To whom? To Him, not those who are sleeping. Those who are actually hearing, śṛṇvatām. Śṛṇvatām means hearing, not sleeping. To such person. Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, and engaged in devotional service. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I give intelligence." It doesn't require... If he's sincere, if he's actually a devotee, Kṛṣṇa will help him. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpā. Guru is secondary, another mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is helping within and without. That without help is guru, Kṛṣṇa's representative. So Kṛṣṇa is always ready to help us, and when Kṛṣṇa is helping us, it is very easy to understand Him. Therefore a devotee is beyond all doubts. Beyond all doubts. There is no doubt. Not that blindly we are accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No. We have got all our arguments, scientific, philosophical, anything. Then we accept Kṛṣṇa. That acceptance is nice. That is uttama-adhikārī.
Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī. There are three stages of devotees-lower class, middle class and first class. The first-class devotee is without any doubt. The third-class devotee, he's accepting, he's accepting: "Here is God," that's all. But he has many doubts. The second class, he, although he has got doubts, he's accepting on the authority of Vedas. That is second class. And the first class, he knows perfectly well that "Here is God." That is the, the sarva-saṁśayaḥ. Chidyante. They are beyond all doubts. "Yes, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here is Kṛṣṇa. In this temple here is, my Lord is standing. He has very kindly, mercifully, He has come to accept my service." That is first-class devotee. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As soon as He saw Jagannātha in the temple, immediately fainted. "Here is My Lord; I was searching after."
That is called progressive science or philosophy. But here we get the information. Why should we take so much trouble? Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi devānām: (Bg 10.2) "I am the original of all demigods." Just like Brahmā. Brahmā is the first demigod within this universe, but he is not original. Original is Kṛṣṇa. Aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇām. So He says that He is the ādi, ādi-puruṣam. Brahmā says ādi-puruṣam, the original person. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So He's the ādi-puruṣa, He's the original source. Every Vedic literature declares, every authority declares. He comes Himself to declare, but still we are so rascal, we are finding out, making research work, "What is the ādi-puruṣa?" This is called rascaldom. Everything is there, but the rascal will simply spoil their own time and spoil others' time making research work. This is called illusion. Everything is there. Sun is there, brilliant, and one is searching sun with a lamp. What is the use of this lamp? The sun is self-effulgent, you can see. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is self-effulgent. By śāstra, by authority, by action, everything. Why you are wasting your time? Wasting your time? Yes. What is the reason?
Our, this philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are pointing out the Supreme Person. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Everyone is searching after God; we are delivering. Kṛṣṇa is delivering Himself. That is His kindness. That is His mercy. And Lord Caitanya is delivering Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Not only Kṛṣṇa, He's giving love of Kṛṣṇa. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness people, they should not be misled by so-called Vedantists or impersonalists, or voidists. They should stick to the principle, as it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore we present Bhagavad-gītā as it is.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
Here, as it is mentioned: nārāyaṇa-kalāḥ śāntā bhajanti hy anasūyavaḥ. Anasūyava. Asūya. Asūya means envious. Just like when we present Kṛṣṇa, especially in India... This botheration is not there in other countries, outside India, because they had no information. I have placed before them that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are searching after God. Here is God. Here is God's name, here is God's address, here is God's activities. You try to understand God. Why you are speculating?" So they have accepted it. They are not asūyava. They are not envious. Here, if I present Kṛṣṇa, one may say, "Why not Kālī?" Ghora-rūpān. "Oh, Kālī is very active. It has got so long tongue. And it has got a sword in her hand, cutting the heads. It is very nice. And we are, we shall be able to eat goats." You see. Actually the Kālī-pūjā means for the meat-eaters. The Kālī-pūjā... Now this, this season is Kālī-pūjā. This Kālī-pūjā means because the Vedic śāstras are so made that from the lowest rascal to the highest intelligent man should be elevated. That is the purpose. From the lowest rascal to the highest intelligent brāhmaṇa. Because all classes of men are there. Some of them are influenced by the modes of goodness; some of them are influenced by the modes of passion; some of them are influenced by the modes of ignorance. But the Vedas are meant for study for the human being. Anādi-bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa kailā (CC Madhya 20.117). The Vedas are meant for human being.
The actual interest is to search out Viṣṇu, or Vāsudeva. Therefore, here it is said: vāsudeva-parā vedāḥ. You are studying Vedas. That's all right. But do you know what is the end of the Vedas? That is, that is answered by Kṛṣṇa Himself: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). This is the end of... You are very nice student, great student of Vedas, but do you know where to end, where is Vedānta, know? Veda-anta. Veda means knowledge. Do you know what is the end of knowledge? They'll talk of Vedānta, but minus Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. They are known as Vedāntī minus Kṛṣṇa. What is the use? Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8), simple wasting time, simply wasting time. Here it is clearly said, vāsudeva-parā vedāḥ. If you are a student of Vedas, then you must know that ultimately you have to know who is Vāsudeva. In the Vedas there are prescription of sacrifice, so many different types of sacrifices, yajña. So yajña is the name of Viṣṇu. Another name of Viṣṇu is Yajña. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yajñārthe karma. Karma-kāṇḍīya, rituals, religious rituals, this is meant for yajñārthe, sacrifice, or Viṣṇu. In every sacrifice there must be Viṣṇu. Those who are Hindus, following the Vedic principles, any yajña, any sacrifice, any religious ceremony you perform, there must be yajñe vara(?), śālagrāma-śilā. Without śālagrāma-śilā, no yajña sacrifice can be performed.
So Bali Mahārāja is one of the authorities. Out of the twelve authorities, first is Lord Brahmā; the next, Nārada; the next, Lord Śiva; then next, the Kumāras; then Kapiladeva; then Manu, Vaivasvata Manu; then Prahlāda Mahārāja; then Janaka Mahārāja; then Bhīṣmadeva; then Bali Mahārāja; then Śukadeva Gosvāmī; and then Yamarāja. It is stated in the śāstra that mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). You cannot understand transcendental subject matter simply by dry speculation and argument. You cannot understand. Neither by reading Vedic literature. The conclusion is that you have to follow those who are authorities. Mahājano yena. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Guhā. Guhā means the cave, mountain cave, and guhā means the heart. So suppose something is very valuable is there in the cave of the mountain, and you do not know how to search it out. But if you know somebody who knows it, if you follow him, that "He is going there so I may also follow..."
So anyone who has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, He is the most intelligent man. Jñānavān. Kṛṣṇa says, unless one is fully wise, after many, many birth, after many, many birth... Because everyone is trying to place a competitor of Kṛṣṇa. Just like I have said it... "Oh, why that Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? Here is another with big beard, Ramakrishna." So... But he is not wise? That kind of Ramakrishna is for the foolish man, and those who are presenting, he is also foolish. But bahūnām... In this way, foolishly accepting something as God... When one actually becomes wise, after many... If he is actually searching after God... Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna, ārto arthārthī jñānī, anisandes(?) tu..., jñānī ca bharatarṣabha. Jijñāsur jñānī ca bharatarṣabha. Jijñāsuḥ (BG 7.16).
So out of these four, two classes, those who are in distress, or those who are in want of money, as soon as they get money, they forget God. Or as soon as their distress is over, they forget God. But these two classes, inquisitive and wise, they continue to search out what is God. So out of these two classes, when one understands what is God, he is perfect. Bahūnām. That becomes possible after many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). What kind of knowledge? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Kṛṣṇa is everything, Vāsudeva. "Kṛṣṇa's another name is Vāsudeva." Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That type of great soul is very rare. So in other words, those who have taken Kṛṣṇa as everything, they are the greatest soul, the topmost soul within the world. They cannot be misled by imitation Ramakrishna. They are interested with the real Rāma-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva.
God is everywhere, but we cannot see. How it is? That is explained by Kuntī. Just like somebody's father is playing on the stage dressed in a different way like a king or something. But the son cannot recognize him, although the father is playing just before him. The father is playing in his front, but he cannot understand. He's seeing some king is playing. Similarly, God is everywhere. God is everywhere. Simply you require to purify your eyes to see God. Otherwise God is everywhere. It is not that God has to be searched out some long, long... He's in... Of course, His real abode is long, long distant, but still, He is within your heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61).
So to purify the eyes we require... That is meditation, how to search out. He is within my heart. Anywhere you sit down, you can see God, provided you have got the eyes to see. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Those who are saintly persons, they are twenty-four hours seeing God. They have nothing, no other business than to see God. But they have got eyes to see. That is the difference. Ordinary persons, they have no eyes. Therefore they cannot see God. But those who have developed consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, purified eyes, they can see always, twenty-four hours. They don't see anything else except God. Because God is everything. Whatever we see, if we have two eyes to see, then we can see God in every second, every moment. How? Oh, that you can practice.
So karmī, jñānī, yogi, and the last is bhakta. So bhakta can see God very quickly because Kṛṣṇa recommends, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Tattvataḥ, in truth, one can understand what is God by following the process of bhakti-yoga. And so far the jñānīs, yogis are concerned, they will come to that point of bhakti-yoga after many, many births. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). At the end of millions of births, jñānī, jñānavān, those who are searching through knowledge... So what is the value of our knowledge? Teeny knowledge. Imperfect senses. We are gathering imperfect knowledge. But we don't neglect knowledge. We give credit to the philosophers, scientists, because... But we advise them that "Your research work should be for God, not for any temporary physical or chemical compound. No."
If you are a jñānī, a philosopher, speculating what is the truth, so the truth is, ultimate truth is Kṛṣṇa. So if from the very beginning you try to search out by your philosophical knowledge or if you try to prove the supremacy of Kṛṣṇa by your philosophical speculation, that is perfection. That is your perfection. Otherwise it is simply laboring, waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). If you cannot go forward up to Kṛṣṇa by your philosophical and scientific research, then all the labor you have taken, that is almost simply waste of time. The limit of knowledge, the limit of scientific research, will be confirmed when you have surrendered to God.
So every word has volumes of meanings. Udga... Therefore sometimes right commentary required. So uttamam means udgataṁ tamam. Tama means this material world. When one is inquisitive to understand about the spiritual life, then he should accept a spiritual master. Otherwise there is no need. A spiritual master is not a fashion, that "Oh, I should have a spiritual master." People after fashion. No. One must be very much inquisitive to know. What about, inquisitive? Uttamam. Śreya uttamam, what is the highest perfection of life. If one is actually inquisitive to understand about the highest perfectional stage of our life, then he should search after a spiritual master. That is the direction.
This is very important thing, jijñāsitam. This is the beginning of life actually. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Inquisitiveness. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). One should search after a guru, jijñāsu, one who is inquisitive. That is actually life. Just like animals, they are not inquisitive. They are simply concerned with the four principles of bodily necessities. Eating... Udaram, dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. In this age, Kali-yuga, if one can eat sumptuously, he thinks that "All my interest is now fulfilled. I have eaten very nicely today." That's all. (chuckles) And dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam. And if he can maintain a wife and three children, oh, he is Dakṣa Mahārāja. Dakṣa Mahārāja. This is the age of Kali. You see? If one can simply eat and if he's well-to-do, he can maintain...
One who has taken shelter of the Supreme Lord, upaśama, finishing all, I mean to say, material desires... Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). "Vāsudeva is everything." Sa mahātmā. So we have to search out a mahātmā, a person who is simply a surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, and we have to surrender unto him. This is called disciplic succession. Then our problems will be solved. Otherwise, even a personality like Vyāsadeva, he has problems. Even a personality like Arjuna, he has problems. So antaś-caro vāyur ivātma-sākṣī parāvare brahmaṇi dharmato vrataiḥ. Vrataiḥ. Dṛḍha-vrata. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Any person who has simply acted piety, janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇāṁ te, such person, bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ.
Upary adhaḥ means very upward, fifty thousand miles up, and again down, you can travel. But the real goal of your life is not to be achieved in that way. Bhramatām upary adhaḥ. Suppose if you reach the moon planet or sun planet... There are so many planets higher and higher, bigger and bigger. That is not your goal of life. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Your goal of life is that which you cannot achieve even by traveling the whole space. What is that? That goal of life is to search out God and your relationship with God. Because you are part and parcel of God, and somehow or other, you have been entrapped by this material atmosphere, and you are not happy. Nobody is happy. If one says that "I am happy," he must be a crazy man or he must be speaking lie. Nobody is happy. How you can be happy? Because we are always full of anxiety. That is our condition. Even if you are sitting here in the classroom of Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, still, I am thinking, "What will happen tomorrow? This business I have got to do." Some anxiety.
So there are so many miseries, threefold miseries. Adhyātmika adhibhautika adhidaivika. And besides that, we have got birth, death, old age and disease. So in this... So long we have got this body, there is no question of happiness. If somebody is satisfied that "I am happy," he is cheating himself. Happiness has to be found out. The Bhagavad-gītā says that sukham ātyantikaṁ yat (BG 6.21). If you want supreme happiness, then you have to search out beyond the sense happiness. We are entrapped here in this material world in sense happiness. If our senses are satisfied, we think we are happy. But Bhagavad-gītā says that real happiness is to be searched out beyond the senses, transcendental.
So Bhāgavata also says like that, that you should be inquisitive for the goal of your life. That goal of life—everyone is searching after happiness, but where I can get uninterrupted happiness, eternal happiness, blissful happiness? That you have to search out. That is the direction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Intelligent persons who search out that kind of happiness, na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ, which cannot be achieved even by traveling or covering the whole space... Then one may question that "If I am engaged in searching out the goal of my life, accepting that spiritual realization is the goal of my life, then what about my living condition? I have to work."
So these three millions mahātmās, those who are engaged, they may be, some of them may be impersonalists, some of them may be yogis, some of them are devotees. That doesn't matter, because they are also engaged in understanding the Absolute Truth. The impersonalist, they're in the beginning stage, but they are not materialists. They are not materialists. They are trying to understand the Absolute Truth. They cannot accommodate the Absolute Truth, the Supreme, can be a person. That is their less intelligence. But they are engaged in searching out. Similarly, yogis... Real yogis, not these fat-reducing yogis. I mean to say... (laughter) Real yogis. They are concerned with understanding the Supersoul, Paramātmā. And devotees, they are engaged in serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So all of them are searching about the... Devotees, they have finished their searching. They have found out the real truth. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1), the Supreme. So it is a question of degrees of spiritual understanding. So there are three million serious sādhus in India. None of them ever attended such Mahatma Gandhi's meeting, neither they invited Mahatma Gandhi. No. They never never recognized, recognized.
So here it is condemned that naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate: "It does not look very well. It is not first-class philosophy." Na śobhate. So kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam: "Then what to speak of those who are karmīs?" The philosopher class, they are better than the karmīs because they are searching after something. They are making research by knowledge. But the karmīs, they are simply satisfied just like animals. They have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as mūḍha. Mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). Mūḍha means ass. The karmīs have been described as ass, whole day working, a beast of burden. Simply, unnecessarily, they have piled up on their back so many work. They have no more interest, nothing, no more interest, neither philosophy, nor Kṛṣṇa, nor... Simply work hard and get some money and enjoy in eating, sleeping and mating, eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. That is their... That is... They are called karmīs. So Nārada says that "Even great philosophers who are trying to elevate themselves in the self-realization platform, if that sort of philosophy is acyuta-bhāva-varjitam, without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that does not look well. That is not first-class philosophy." Philosophy should be to search out Kṛṣṇa. That is philosophy. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). What is the Vedic knowledge searching after? Kṛṣṇa says, "Searching Me." Aham. Aham eva vedyaḥ: "I am the ultimate goal to understand." In another place Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: (BG 7.19) "Those who are actually philosophers, actually wise and attained wisdom, and after many, many births: research work..." Research work is very good.
So we were discussing in our last meeting that if a person, by sentiment or by persuasion or by some material gain or somehow or other, decides to accept the statement of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Ekam: "Only unto Me." He even does not say that there are many incarnations of Kṛṣṇa, but He says, mām ekam. So this ekam can be understood in this way, that when we speak "Kṛṣṇa," this term includes everything Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive. But we can capture everything in Kṛṣṇa simply by... Just like the same example, as we have repeatedly..., that by supplying food in the stomach, you supply food to all the limbs of the body. You don't require... This is practical. Or pouring water on the root of the tree, you supply water to all the branches, leaves, everywhere. We see every day... This is practical example. Simply... Similarly, there must be something, central point of all this manifestation. That is Kṛṣṇa. If we simply capture Kṛṣṇa, then we capture everything. And the Vedas also says, yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. We are searching after departmental knowledge, but if you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, the central point, then you understand everything. You understand everything. Just like we sometimes speak which great scientists cannot speak. Why? Because we have captured the central point, Kṛṣṇa.
Having controlled the senses. This is dānte. We have to control these things, then the special favor will be there. (reading purport) "In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says 'All the Vedas are searching after Me.' Lord Śrī Caitanya says that in the Vedas the subject matters are only three, namely to establish the relation of the living entities with the Personality of Godhead, perform the relative duties in devotional service, and thus achieve the ultimate goal, back to Godhead. As such, vedānta-vādīs..." They have been described veda-vādin, veda-vādinī, in the previous verse. "Vedānta-vādīs, or the followers of the Vedānta, indicates the pure devotees of the Personality of Godhead." That is vedānta-vādī, veda-vādī. Veda-vādī means actually one who knows what is the objective of Vedas, they take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And when Caitanya Mahāprabhu discussed Vedānta philosophy with Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, he said that in the Vedānta or Vedas there are three things only: sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. He de... All śāstras. In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same three things are there: sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana.
So we are simply... Because our present, in the present material condition, our heart is covered with so much garbage of different types of body... Just like all of a sudden something comes to your mind. It has no connection. Just like a bubble, comes out. Because so many dirty things are reserved on account of our material conditional life for millions and millions of years. Anādi karama-phale paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale. Anādi, we cannot... Anādi means... Ādi means the creation. So before this creation. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). We are in this material contamination not that in this millennium-before that. Just like millennium after millennium. Nārada Muni was speaking his life before this millennium. So anādi. Anādi means creation. But not only one creation, several creations, we are forgotten, or we are in this material world. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā... We are searching after material comfort, material comfort, sense gratification, in so many ways. So anādi karama-phale paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale, taribāre nā dekhi upāya. In this way we are going.
Simply they're searching after. They never say he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ. "Oh, where is Rādhārāṇī? Where You are? Where are Your friends, Lalitā and Viśākhā? Where is Nanda, son of Mahārāja Nanda, Kṛṣṇa?" Śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ. "Where are You? Are You near the Govardhana Hill or in the forest on the bank of the Yamunā?" Ghoṣantāv iti khedair mahā-vihvalau. They are crying, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Rādhārāṇī? Where is...?" They're crying ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau. Mad... Mad after... Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. This is the process of kṛṣṇa-bhajana. Not that "I've seen just last night Kṛṣṇa dancing with the gopīs." It is not so easy.
Who has given such wise instruction throughout the whole world, throughout the whole universe? Nobody has given. God means the wisest, the richest, the most powerful, the most beautiful. So He was so beautiful that 16,108 very, very beautiful women... And this is married. And unmarried, many millions, they were attracted by Kṛṣṇa, the most beautiful. Śyāmasundara. His name is sundara, very beautiful. Although śyāma, blackish, still He's so attractive. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30). Kandarpa-koṭi, He's so beautiful that He can surpass in His beauty the Cupids, millions and millions of Cupids. His name is Madana-mohana. Madana-mohana, Madana is Cupid. Cupid enchants everyone, but he is enchanted by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore His name is Madana-mohana.
So bhagavat-toṣaṇam, we must know first of all who is God, who is Bhagavān. So śāstra says, authority says, and history says. What more proof you want? Huh? What more proof? Is there anyone to challenge Kṛṣṇa? Everything is there. Still, why you are searching after God? This is foolishness. This is foolishness. Owls', owls' philosophy. Owls' philosophy... The owl will not open the eyes to see the sun. Just open your eyes, you see, here is sun. "No, there is no sun." This is owls' philosophy. Close the eyes, meditate. And the God is here, "No, I'll not open my eyes."
Vidvān. Vid means vetti veda vido jñāne. Vid means jñāna, knowledge. So one who has knowledge... Knowledge means ultimately to understand the originally source of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). This is knowledge, to... Everyone is... The scientists, the philosophers, everyone is searching out what is the original cause. Just like modern scientists. They are searching out what is the original cause of life. That is good enquiry. But because they are surrounded by anarthas, they cannot know it. That is called māyā. So long one is illusioned by the māyā he cannot have perfect knowledge. This subject matter has been discussed in the previous verse. It is said, yayā sammohito jīvaḥ. Before that, the one verse is that Vyāsadeva, the vidvān... Vyāsadeva is addressed here as vidvān, full knowledge. So he was unhappy even after compiling Vedānta-sūtra. He was not very happy. So under the instruction of his guru, Nārada Muni, he wanted to compile the last contribution to the human society, a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra. That is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrāṇāṁ vedārtha-paribṛṁhitam. This, in every chapter, at the end, it is said, brahma-sūtra-bhāṣye: "The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the commentary on the Brahma-sūtra or Vedānta-sūtra." Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge. Veda means knowledge; anta means the last contribution.
Śoka-moha-bhaya, these things are our constant companions. Śoka. Śoka means lamenting, and moha means illusion. And bhaya, bhaya means fearfulness. So we are embarrassed with these things always: śoka, moha and bhaya. Śoka: we are always lamenting, "This thing I have lost. I have lost this business. I have lost my son. I have lost...," so many. Because it is, after all, a losing business. To exist in this material world means it is a losing business. There will be no profit. Therefore whatever we are working for, searching after, real happiness, if it is not devotional service, then the Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: (SB 1.2.8) "Simply working for nothing, and the gain is labor."
According to the desire, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, as we are desiring He is supplying some body. That is also explained: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Īśvaraḥ, He is situated everyone's heart. So He knows what I want. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61). It is pointed out, hṛd-deśe, "in the core of the heart." You haven't got to search throughout the universe. He is within the heart. He's there. Therefore the yogis, they try to find out the Supreme Lord within the heart. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). That is yogi who tries to find out the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the heart. That is dhyāna. That is meditation. Meditation does not mean anything nonsense. To see the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu.
So prakṛti-stho hi. We are in this material world. What is this material world? Material world means three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So according to the association, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Either sattva-guṇa, or rajo-guṇa or tamo-guṇa. This is going on, and therefore we are getting different types of body. So this is going on. It is called bhavārṇava. So if we want to get release from this entanglement of being polluted by the three modes of material nature, then we have to come to this platform, nirguṇa. Nirguṇa. Nirguṇa means to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or to be engaged in devotional service. That is nirguṇa.
So we have to follow. People are searching after God. They do not know God. They are asking this question, "Can you show me God?" So, so many questions are there about God, but here is God, pointed out by Arjuna, a mahājana. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Why should you not accept? That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. "Why you are searching God. Here is God, as Arjuna says." Tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ: "You are the original person." Tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ. Puruṣa means enjoyer. God is not female. Sometimes they worship a female as God, like Durgā, Kālī, and so many others. But God is puruṣa. Everyone is prakṛti. Prakṛti means female. Everyone knows it. There are two things, prakṛti and puruṣa. The puruṣa is the enjoyer, and prakṛti is the enjoyed. Or, in other words, puruṣa is the predominator and prakṛti is predominated. So we are prakṛti. The Māyāvāda philosophy is that prakṛti wants to become puruṣa. And that is not possible. Suppose a woman, if she dresses like a man, does it mean that she has become a man? No. Or a man dresses like a woman, does it mean that he has become woman? Simply by outward dress? No. Puruṣa, the only puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. That is very nicely explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). Only Kṛṣṇa is puruṣa. He's the enjoyer. All others, they are servants.
So where is the difficulty to understand God, īśvara, or the puruṣa? There is no difficulty. Kṛṣṇa personally says that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). So many things. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Everything is explained sākṣāt, directly. Where is the difficulty to find out God? They are searching after God, making research, all nonsense speculation. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "Why you are searching?" You say, "Can you show me God?" Why don't you see, "Here is God"? Why, just like the owl you have closed your eyes, not to see the sun? Sun is there. See. Open your eyes and see it. The whole world is going on that "There is no God" or "God is dead" or "Can you show me God?" And "I am God by meditation," "This way," "That way." This is going on. Whole world, especially at the present moment, it is a great disastrous condition, godless civilization. They won't accept the real God, and they'll create some artificial God and become God, "Everyone is God," like that. No.
So there is no difficulty to understand what is God. Here is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord-directly. I do not know why people are searching after God, why they do not know what is God. Just see. That means mūḍha. Although God is here, still, he'll not accept. That is mūḍha, narādhama. And why he's mūḍha? Because narādhama. He does not take the process. He wants to manufacture something. Don't do that. Here Arjuna is mahājana, he's Kṛṣṇa's friend, he's always with Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa recognizes him. Not that because one is always with Kṛṣṇa, therefore he knows Kṛṣṇa. No. That is not possible. Just like I have given this example many times, that I am sitting here, and the bug is also sitting here. That does not mean we are very confidential. No. Bug is different visions (business?), and my business different. And bug's business is biting. That kind of association will not help. Association means to develop love for the person. That is association.
So Kṛṣṇa is the original person. And if somebody questions that "If Kṛṣṇa is the original person, who is the origin of Kṛṣṇa?"... Naturally, we can ask that because our experience is different—that answer is there in the Brahma-saṁhitā: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādiḥ (Bs. 5.1). Anādir ādiḥ. He's ādi, ādyaṁ puruṣam. But if you question, "Who is the cause of Kṛṣṇa?" Anādi—He has no cause. That is God. You go on searching after, one after another. I am. My origin is my father, my father's origin is his father, his father's origin, his father, his father... In this way you go on researching. Then come to Brahmā. Brahmā is ādi-kavi. In this material world, in this universe, ādi-kavi. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). So he's the ādi, original, first created being. Then who is his ādi? Wherefrom Brahmā is coming? That is Kṛṣṇa. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. So in this way, when you come to Kṛṣṇa... Brahmā is coming from Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Svayambhū. He's born of the lotus flower. That Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is coming from Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. And Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu is coming from Saṅkarṣaṇa. Saṅkarṣaṇa is coming from Aniruddha; Aniruddha from Pradyumna, like that. Ultimately-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is ādyam. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). There is no more. So that is God. You go on researching, researching, ādyam, ādyam, ādyam—when you come to a point, there is no more ādyam, that is God.
So Kṛṣṇa is available, any circumstance, if we want to catch Him. That's all. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). He's... If one is actually very serious to search out Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.35) **. He is within this universe, not only within the... He's within your heart. He's within the atom even. So it is not difficult to find Him out, but you must know the process, how to find Him out. And this process is very simple. And the process we are distributing by the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to everyone, without any charge. The process is chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. As soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, immediately you understand Kṛṣṇa. As soon as you see the lotus flower, if you hear this verse... This Sanskrit verse is meant for understanding ourself. It is not for simply selling our books. Every one of you... We are repeating this verse again and again so that you are expected to chant these mantras. Not that the book is kept... "I'm very learned scholar." What kind of learned scholar? "If I find the book, then I can speak." That is not scholarship. You must chant.
So this is the illusion. Therefore śāstra says, ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam. Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). How a man becomes entangled in this material world, everything is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam. This material world means sex attraction, mithunī-bhāva. The man is searching after woman; woman is searching after man. This is material life, in human life, in bird's, beast's... Just these sparrows—they are trying to make some nest on this chandelier to enjoy sex and lay eggs. Therefore they require some place. The basic principle is sex. First of all sex life, then other necessities. First of all, seeing, man and woman. Then, when they unite, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ (SB 5.5.8). When they unite and they get children, then the hard knot of heart—"She, my wife. She's (He's) my husband. We cannot separated..." Hard knot. Hṛdaya-granthi. Already there is attraction. Now this attraction becomes more and more tight, after unity. Then we require a place to live together, "Home, sweet home." Yes, very sweet. The whole day and night, work. And this is moha. He is working hard day and night. There is not a single moment leisure, and still, he's: "Sweet home." This is illusion.
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā. "Oh, there is no better mode of worship than what was conceived by the vraja-vadhūs, the damsels of Vṛndāvana." Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very strict about women. In His family life also, He never played any joke with women. He was very joking. But all, all with men. He never played any joke with women. No. Perhaps only once He played joke with His wife, Viṣṇu-priya. When Śacīmātā was searching after something, she, He simply played a joking word: "Maybe your daughter-in-law has taken it." That is the only joking we find in His whole life. Otherwise, He was very strict. No woman could come, when He was sannyāsī, could come near Him to offer obeisances. They would offer obeisances from a distant place. But He says: ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇā yā kalpitā. He says that there is no conception of worshiping better than what was conceived by the vraja-vadhūs. And what was the vraja-vadhūs' conception? That they wanted to love Kṛṣṇa, at any risk. So this is not immoral. That we have to understand. Anything in relationship.
f you take... Veda means knowledge, scripture. Veda does not mean any particular scripture. Any scripture which gives knowledge of God, you can call it as Veda. Vedaiś ca sarvaiḥ. If any book or any scripture or any book of knowledge does not give the information of God, that is not scripture because it cannot be called scripture, or Veda, because it does not search after the Supreme Being. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). This is the ultimate goal of knowledge.
So you can call the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa or something else. Just like Muhammadans, they say "Allah." Allah means "the Supreme Being." Allah akbar. And the Christian says "God is great." And we say paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12), or Kṛṣṇa, all-attractive. But the aim is to understand Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa personally appears so that your misgivings, misunderstandings may be mitigated immediately—"Here I am." The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose, that "You religionists, you philosophers, you scientists, you speculators, you are all... theosophists, so many, you are searching after God, and here is God, Kṛṣṇa." But they are so unfortunate, they'll not accept it. "No, why shall I accept Kṛṣṇa as God?" Then why you shall not? That is our question. If you do not accept Kṛṣṇa as God, then you must know what is God. That, if I ask him, "Do you know what is God?" "That I do not know."
So in every way Kṛṣṇa proved the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Still, these rascals, they are searching after God. What is this nonsense? Here is God. You see that He is God in every respect according to the definition, and still, you say that "Where is God?" How much rascal they are, just imagine. Here is God, and still, they are enquiring, "What is God? Can you show me God?" What is this? Is it not rascaldom? What is this? If everything, proof is there, why they are searching after God? What is the answer? Where is the question of searching after God? Just answer this question. God is present here, and still, you are wasting your time. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mūḍha. Mūḍha. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ (BG 7.15). Simply rascal. They cannot be given any other title except this one title, mūḍhāḥ. Why they remain mūḍhāḥ? Why are they are not intelligent? They are being educated in the universities, getting so many degrees. Still, they remain mūḍhāḥ. Why? Duṣkṛtinaḥ, sinful, engaged in sinful activities, these sinful activities. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā. Every one of them, all these rascals, are... They're engaged in four kinds of sinful activities. They'll search after illicit sex, they will eat meat, and they will drink and they will play gambling. Just one after a... You just study. They cannot understand God because they are mūḍhāḥ.
That we can understand very easily. Apart from our knowledge within the womb of the mother, how the body develops, we can see if a child is born, he grows, his body develops. But if the child is born dead, no spirit soul, it will not develop. Everyone knows that. Therefore the spirit is the basis of development of matter. Not that by development of matter spirit grows. No. That's not a fact. This is... Everyone knows. Why a dead child does not grow? Because the spirit is not there. A tree grows so long there is life in it. A small seed of banyan tree, you sow in the soil and pour water favorably, then it grows. Because the spirit soul is there. But if somehow or other... Take for example you take one grain and fry it in the fire. If you sow it, it will not grow. Because the spirit soul is not there. Therefore they are searching after what is the original cause of creation. The original cause of creation is the spirit soul as everything is growing. Matter is growing, developing on account of the spirit soul. Similarly the whole universe is growing on account of presence of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Creation. Go on.
So it has got difficulty. It has got difficulty, by nature's way. But still Kṛṣṇa supplies him food. Say after one week he gets the chance of catching one animal. Therefore he doesn't get fresh food daily. He stocks the animal in some bush and takes little, little. So he has become very powerful. People wants, "I want to become like tiger" or "I want to become like lion." But that is not very good position, because you won't get food daily. That's a fact. And you have to search out food with great labor. But if you become a vegetarian, you get daily. Anywhere there are grass, you can eat. The animals are eating. Now, in every city, there are slaughterhouses. Does it mean the slaughterhouse can supply all the meat? Suppose you don't take any other food, grains or vegetables. Can you live simply by eating meat? There is no supply, sufficient supply. Here... You have to eat the grains and the fruits and the vegetables along with a slice of meat, you take. Still, for that slice of meat, you are killing so many poor animals. How much sinful it is.
So śāstra recommends that either you belong to the group of akāma or to the group of sarva-kāma or to the group of mokṣa-kāma, tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena yajeta puruṣaṁ param (SB 2.3.10), you worship very seriously Paramaṁ puruṣam. Paramaṁ puruṣam means Kṛṣṇa. Bhakti-yogena. Kṛṣṇa cannot be worshiped by any other yoga system except bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible to any other means. There are many other means-karma, yoga, jñāna and bhakti—but if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you have to take the bhakti-yoga, no other. Neither... Kṛṣṇa never said that "By jñāna, by cultivation of knowledge, one can understand Me." They can do so. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. By cultivation of knowledge, after many, many births, if that person, searching out the Absolute Truth, by cultivation of knowledge, if he comes in contact with a devotee, then he gets the chance of understanding what is Kṛṣṇa.
Guru is therefore external manifestation of Kṛṣṇa because he acts as representative of Kṛṣṇa. So what is the qualification of that guru? Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21). You must go and surrender to guru. In the Vedas also it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. For whom guru is required? Not for all. But tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One should go to guru to understand tad-vijñāna. Tad-vijñāna means transcendental science. They require guru. Similarly, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta: (SB 11.3.21) "You should go and search out a guru and surrender unto him." Why? Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. If you are jijñāsuḥ..., athāto brahma jijñāsā—Vedānta-sūtra—if you are actually searching after the Absolute Truth.
So Brahman realization is only the sat part realization, because the Absolute Truth is sac-cid-ānanda. And Paramātmā realization is the cit part realization. And Bhagavān... Here it is said, bhagavān, yogeśvara akhila-guro bhagavan namas te. Bhagavān is the personal. So that is the ultimate, ultimate realization. So the ultimate realization is made possible by the jñānīs. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: (BG 7.19) "If one is actually searching after knowledge, and if he is actually a wise man, the symptom is that he'll surrender unto Me," Kṛṣṇa says. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: "That is possible after many, many births," searching out, searching out, searching out, not for the karmīs. Karmīs have been described as mūḍha because they do not know anything more than working hard like an ass and get some return. That's all. They have no other ambition.
Our life is being spoiled. How? Nidrayā hriyate naktam. At night we are sleeping or enjoying sex. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). Vyavāya means sex. So at night we have got two business, sleeping and sex. And daytime, divā cārthehayā rājan. At daytime, simply "Where is money? Where is money?" Artha, or self-interest. Divā cārthehayā rājan. Īhayā means searching after, desiring. Then, as soon as he gets money, then what business? Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3). Kuṭumba means family. So as soon as we get money, we spend it, go to the store, purchase so many things. So this is our business. The materialistic life means to spoil the night by sleeping and sex life, and to spoil the day: "Where is money? Where is money?" and spend it. That's all. Is it not? This is the clear analysis of materialistic life. Cārthehayā. "Where is money? Where is money?" This is also inquisitiveness, "Where is money? Where is food? Where is shelter? Where is this, where is that?" So this inquisitiveness is there in the animals.
I forget now. My memory is becoming old. (laughs) So, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). That, he was preaching: "My dear friends, we are now unmarried boys, so this is the opportunity. Now we are unmarried. We are not very much attached to family life. This is the opportunity." Kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ. Because as soon as one becomes materially affectionate... Here it is said, prākṛtena ātmanā viprāḥ sneha-moha-vaśam. The more we increase... When the child, when we are children, we have got little affection for playing or for father, mother, that's all, limited. But the more we grow, and especially when you are married, then this material affection increases, more entangled. That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). This material life means sex life. So a man is searching after woman, and woman is searching after man. This is material bondage. This is natural not only human society—in dog society. Just see. The dog is crying, is crying at night because he has lost that woman. Is it not? Just see, even in the dog, what to speak of human being. So this is material life, to be affectionate unnecessarily. Therefore devotional service means vairāgya-vidyā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed by His example how He gave up the affection of young, beautiful wife, very nice home, most affectionate mother, most influential position in the society—gave up.
He is always with cows, and how the cows look very happy with Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is personally teaching how to protect cows. He became a cowherd boy. He was king's son, Mahārāja Nanda; but His business was to take the cows and the calves daily to the pasturing ground. And it was very sportive engagement with the cowherd boys. The cows were grazing, and the boys, they took their meals in a pot, tiffin carrier. Not tiffin carrier in those days. Some way or other. And they used to eat them, distribute amongst the friends. Sometimes a tiffin carrier was stolen by one boy, and he was searching, and then it was... So just like the boys do. This was the children's life, to take protection, to give protection to the cows, to the calves. The small children, up to six years, seven years old, they used to take care of the calves, and the elderly men, the used to take care of the... Or elderly boys, they used to take care of the grown-up cows. So the cows were fed very nicely. Vrajān. Therefore Vṛndāvana is called Vrajabhūmi, "where there are many cows." It is called Gokula. Gokula. Go means cows, and kula means group. Gokula. Govardhana. Govardhana Hill. Because the cows were grazing on the hill, and profuse grass was being grown, and they are enjoying. So there should be arrangement. Just like here we see, there are so many open fields and the cows are grazing. But they cannot be happy because they know that they are simply raised for being killed. They cannot be happy.
We want to go the other side of the sea. Similarly this bhava-samudra, we are on this part of the sea, material world. If we want to go to the other side, spiritual world, so we have to become niṣkiñcana. Niṣkiñcana means no more possessing anything material. That is called niṣkiñcana. If we hanker after possessing material... Therefore sannyāsa. Sannyāsa means simply possess Kṛṣṇa and no other possessions. That is niṣkiñcana. You have to possess something. 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 these are all symptoms of love for Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life, to shed tears for Kṛṣṇa. Yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us this method of worship in separation, vipralambha-sevā. Not that "Oh, I have seen yesterday. Last night, I have seen Kṛṣṇa. He was snatching my cloth." These are sahajiyās. Actually, our worship should be in separation. The Gosvāmīs also taught us like that. He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ. They in the Vṛndāvana remained authorized persons. They were also searching after Kṛṣṇa. They never said that "We have got Kṛṣṇa," never said. He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ, ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau. Simply khedair mahā-vihvalau. They were lamenting in separation. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.
The rascal wants to go to other planet and come back. They are doing actually. They are going to the so-called moon planet and coming back. The first aeronautics from Russia, when he was far, far away, he was just looking after, "Where is my Moscow? Where is my Moscow?" You see. This is our intelligence. You may go far away. There is an example. Just like the vulture, they have got a very good eyesight, very good eyesight. You... Seven miles away from the surface, they can see where there is a dead corpse. So they have got good eyesight, but they are searching after dead corpse only. That is their business. These so-called scientists, philosophers, they are very much advanced, but their only business is how to become happy in this planet. That's all. That is their... Not mahātmā. Durātmā. Their mind is not very broad. What is called? Ah? What is the English word? Crippled. Mind is very crippled. Durāśayā. Therefore they are hoping against hope. They will not live here. Still, they are decorating, decorating the dead body. "This is my apartment, this is my house, this is my country, this is my skyscraper building." Painting. And one day, mṛtyuḥ sarva... Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He's challenging, challenging, "Where is your God?" "Ah, here is God! Come on! Finished. Finished. Here is God."
So our duty is, the human form of life, duty is that we should know that we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa and, forgetting our relationship, we have come to this material world, and there is struggle for existence, beginning aquatics, jalajā nava... There are nine hundred thousand species of aquatics. Who is that physiologist who can know nine hundred thousand species of aquatics? But in the śāstra you will find, exactly. It doesn't say nine hundred one, Or eight hundred ninety-nine. No. Nine hundred. Nine hundred thousand species, there are. So because we are in the material contact, and according to our desire, we are having different types of body—aquatics, trees, birds, like that. This is our botheration. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), in this way you are... This is our problem. Therefore human civilization means when people are interested to solve the problems. That is human civilization. Otherwise animal. Struggle for existence. They... There is no human side, that is on the animal side, struggle for existence. Human life is not for struggle. To become sober, not like animals. The animals are engaged whole day and night for searching out food and sense gratification, sex. That is not human civilization.
He's accepting our worship, our prayer, our everything. He has descended just suitable for our handling. That is His mercy. Therefore we should not consider that this arcā Kṛṣṇa is made of stone, as atheists will say, that "These foolish persons are worshiping... Heathens, they are worshiping." No, we are not worshiping stone. We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. But that they do not know. Kṛṣṇa has appeared before us. Because at the present moment, we cannot see except stone and wood, therefore, suitable for our vision, He has appear in such a way. Otherwise how we can appreciate? Here... They are searching after what is God, but here is God. Here is God. Therefore in the śāstra it is forbidden, arcā, arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. It is forbidden that when you worship Deity, you should not think that it is made of wood or stone or something else material. No. What is this material? Material is... Matter means energy of Kṛṣṇa. Just like the sunshine, or like the illumination of this light. It is the energy of this lamp. So it is not different. Similarly, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), this earth, water, air, fire, anything material, that is expansion of His energy.
So Arjuna was disturbed in so many ways, but as soon as he began to think of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, (Sanskrit), immediately everything became pacified. This is the process. This transcendental consciousness or transcendental meditation, immediately, without any delay, for a moment you'll feel completely pacified. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises (Sanskrit). "Always..." Man-manāḥ, "Always engage your mind upon Me." This Deity worship means to train the neophytes devotees how to concentrate upon the form of Kṛṣṇa, especially His lotus feet. That will make our life pacified always, śānta, śānta, pacified, peaceful. Another point is, sauhārdenātigāḍhena, very deep intimacy. We have got already our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati (BG 5.29). We are seeking after friends who can give me some benefit, who can give me some peace of mind. You are reading so many books, so many..., consulting so many philosophers, scientists, searching out peace of mind. But we are forgetting that our real suhṛt, friend, is Kṛṣṇa. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām.
That intelligence must be utilized to find out where is really śānti, peace. That is intelligence. That is described, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, yayātmā suprasīdati (SB 1.2.6). If you want actually peace, then your intelligence should be utilized for searching out the Supreme and your relation with Him. As soon as you find out... Just like you have lost your father, if you find out your father, immediately your relationship with father is revived. There is no question. "Here's my father." And father says, "Here is my son." Because the relationship is very intimate. Son may go out for years together, but as soon as he comes back home he sees his father, mother, and that original intimacy immediately revived.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not ordinary movement, manufacture something for recreation. No. It is very serious science. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). We are searching after some permanent place, permanent settlement on the world. Nobody wants to die, but that is not possible. But if there is possibility of going somewhere where no more death, why don't you search after that? That is intelligence. That information (is) there in the Bhagavad-gītā, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "If you go to the topmost planet which is known as Brahma-loka..." Now, the Brahma-loka, the duration of life, you cannot calculate even their one day's time. That we were discussing this morning. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.. Their twelve hours, our twelve hours and their twelve hours, different. Their twelve hours you cannot calculate: forty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by one thousand. Now see how many years. That is their twelve hours. So live hundred years, they also.
Ekānta-bhakti means unalloyed devotion. This is the secret of devotional life. Even God is not physically present, a devotee can be very much exalted by devotional service. That is the teaching of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because the sahajiyās... Sahajiyā means persons who take things very easily, according to his sense perception, manufactured. They are called sahajiyās. But these Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, the devotees following the footprints of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they are not sahajiyās; they are devotee of the Adhokṣaja. Beyond the sense perception, still, they are devotee. This is the secret of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava. Beyond the sense perception. Just like Gosvāmīs. They were living at Vṛndāvana. And what sort of living? Simply in separation and search. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also taught us like that. He was searching, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" and feeling separation. Just like you feel sometimes with your lover separation and you search, this is our process. Always feel separation from Kṛṣṇa and try to search out. This is ekānta. This is explained here, ekānta-bhaktyā bhagavaty adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaje, "He is beyond my perception. Still, my devotion is unalloyed." Not that "I cannot see where is God. Oh, what is devotion?" Just try to understand. It appears to be contradictory. Because foolish people say that "If you cannot see God, where is the question of devotion? You want to serve God, but if you cannot see God, then how you can serve?" Therefore, particularly this word is used, ekānta-bhaktyā bhagavaty adhokṣaje niveśitātmopararāma saṁsṛteḥ. That is the process.
So there are many incidences by cursing, by accident. Even by accident, you have to accept a body which you do not desire. So that is, just like Bharata Mahārāja. Bharata Mahārāja, he was the king of this planet, and at the age of twenty-four years, very young age, young wife, young children, kingdom of the whole planet, he left everything. He went to the forest for cultivating spiritual advancement. But one day he saw that a deer was drinking water in front. In the meantime there was a roaring of a lion, and the deer was pregnant. She gave birth to a calf and she fled away. So Bharata Mahārāja saw the little calf is dying. He picked up and kept and it became..., it began to growing. So he had some little affection, just like we have got affection for cubs of dog and others. So one day, that little calf did not return in the evening, and he went to search out on the hill, and accidentally he fell down, and next life he became a deer. Yes.
So this is the process of retirement, not that to make arrangement in the family that "I am now retiring. You send me some money, and I shall maintain myself." No. No dependence. Simply dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said, ekānta-matir āpa. Ekānta. Actually, Kṛṣṇa saves us. Why we should depend on others? Kṛṣṇa saves. Kṛṣṇa says that "Anyone who is completely dependent upon Me," yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (BG 9.22), "I personally bring whatever his necessity is." That is the promise of Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā. So renounced order means no more dependence on father, mother, husband, daughter. No. Completely dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Ekānta. That is perfection. One who is fully convinced that "Kṛṣṇa is with me..." Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61)—"I will not have to search out Kṛṣṇa anywhere. He is within me, within my heart." There are so many instances.
So cirāṇi kiṁ pathi na santi diśanti bhikṣām. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he was wandering all over the world alone, naked, even no cloth. Simply while walking on the street early in the morning, he would stand anywhere, because in those days, every house, they had cows, and the time for milking is early in the morning. We are also milking cows in London, in our Letchmore Heath, early in the morning. That is the time. Here also the same system?
So by nature a living entity wants society. "Society, friendship and love, divinely bestowed upon man." That is required. And if you live in a forlorn place, nobody's there, no society, no friends, then how long can stay there? You cannot stay. Just like if you go on the sky by airplane, after four, five, six hours you, you become disturbed: "When the plane will get down? When the plane will get down?" This is natural. Why...? Why the plane...? You are flying very nicely, huh? There is no turmoil, no noise in the sky. Go nicely. No. Similarly, in the ship also, you travel for many days. So it will be disturbing. People are searching after when we shall land in some place. So living entity by nature, he wants association. Artificially he wants to... Just like some of, some of the devotees, they like that "Now we shall go in a solitary place and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." That is a different position. It is not possible for the ordinary man. So going to the Brahman effulgence, simply realizing that "I am a spirit soul, I have nothing to do," that will not be beneficial. You will again come down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). If you do not get shelter, simply to remain in the impersonal Brahman effulgence will not make you happy. Artificially, you can stay there for some time; otherwise, you will again fall down in this material world for varieties of enjoyment.
People are searching after knowledge, philosophers, scientists, politicians, and others, so many. Everyone is after knowledge. Brahma-jijñāsā. Jijñāsā, everyone is inquiring what is the Supreme Absolute Truth. That is possible in this human form of life, not in the cat's and dog's life. So those who are cats and dogs in the form of human being, they cannot inquire. They cannot inquire. Because they may be in the form of a human being, but actually they are no better than cats and dogs. Who are they? So āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. Then the eating, material necessities of life... Eating. We want to eat something. We must eat, to keep this body fit. Then we must sleep also after eating. Not always. Not in this assembly, but after eating, you can sleep. (laughter) There is sleeping place, but not here. That is not good. So eating, sleeping. Then, after eating, after sleeping, everyone knows—the sex becomes agitated. Then mating. Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, "How to protect myself?" Because the whole world is full of enemies.
Our, this Bhāgavata system, or Vedic system, is not research work. It is not research work. Nowadays it is a fashion that... Just like the Theosophists. They're searching out God. Since the beginning, they're searching out. And so many leaders came and gone, but they are searching out. And they will go on searching out for lives together. But it is not a thing to be searched out. It is not ordinary thing, not material thing. You know...
- athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-
- prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi
- jānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
- na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan
- (SB 10.14.29)
Ciraṁ vicinvan. For forever, millions of years, if you speculate, to understand what is God, it is not possible. It is not a subject matter of speculative knowledge. No. It is to be received through the right source, deductive process, not inductive process. Because our senses are limited. We cannot have any perfect idea on account of our senses being limited. We cannot see.
So after all, he was a great devotee. In his childhood he was playing with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity. Just like our child, devotee, Mr. DDD. (laughter) Yes. He is playing with Jagannātha. That is very nice. Yes. This is the opportunity. My father also gave me Deities in my childhood, and I had the opportunity to serve Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa from childhood. So as such, he asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Although he was very much anxious to know about his duty, but he was thinking that "My only duty is to think of Kṛṣṇa at this stage." Therefore he asked his spiritual master, "Whether I shall hear about Kṛṣṇa in this last point of my death?" So Śukadeva Gosvāmī was very glad that "This king is already anxious. I was just going to advise him to think of Kṛṣṇa, but I see that he is already anxious to think of Kṛṣṇa." He is always thinking because from the childhood he was playing. From the womb of his mother he saw Kṛṣṇa. So after his birth he was searching after "that figure who saved me." Therefore his name was Parīkṣit. He was examiner. So many... He was royal family child. So, so many people were present after his birth. So he was looking after, "Where is that form, Kṛṣṇa?" Therefore his name is Parīkṣit.
We have no time to read newspapers, neither any magazines. Vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ. Just like a big scientist or a big medical practitioner, he reads scientific magazines, a scientist. A medical man, a doctor, physician, he reads medical journals. He does not waste his time in big, big capture(?) in the newspaper. He has no time. So those who are interested in self-realization, that is the only business for the human form of life. Human form of life means to make solution of all the problems of material life. Sukham ātyantikam. Every one of us, we are searching after happiness, that's a fact. But we are misguided. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamāna. I am asking somebody, "Will you give me any information how I can become happy?" He is also rascal. He gives you something wrong information. And you try it and you will fall down, there is no happiness. This is going on. The inquiry is there, where is happiness? What I can do? But unless one is fortunate to come in contact with a person who can give you information of Kṛṣṇa, you cannot have happiness. This is a fact.
o therefore here is the advice is, tasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ (SB 2.1.5). All these things are given. Sarvātmā. He is situated in everyone's heart. You haven't got to go somewhere to search Him. He is within you. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61). Simply you have to become sober to hear from Him. He talks with devotee. Nondevotee, He gives sanction indirectly, through the nature. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna... (BG 18.61). He is sitting, but He is giving sanction through māyā. Because directly, He is not giving sanction. He doesn't want. What you are doing, He doesn't want. Just like a son is insisting father, "Father, give me two hundred rupees, ten rupees." And the father knows as soon as he gets two hundred rupees, he will go to wine shop and spoil his life. He doesn't want to give. But when he is insisting, he says his mother, "Give him two hundred rupees. Let him go to hell." This is like (that). It is like that. "Let this rascal go to hell. What can I do?"
So if you have got the energy to search out such person, that is Bhagavān. It is not difficult. The definition is there. Here there is competition. Not only Bhagavān, but īśvara. Īśvara means controller. Everyone is īśvara. I also am controlling this institution. Or somebody is controlling his office, his factory, his kingdom. Just like President Nixon, he is controlling the United States. So all of us, more or less, we are īśvara, controller. Everyone. Just like this mother, she is controlling the small child. So she is also īśvara, means she is controlling. So anyone who has controlling power... So God has given everyone a little controlling power. In that sense every one of us, īśvara. But here it is said, bhagavān īśvaraḥ: "the supreme controller." Supreme controller means we are controllers, but we are controlled by somebody else. But the Bhagavān Īśvara means He is no more controlled by anyone. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is described. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ: "The supreme controller is Kṛṣṇa." Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī gives his judgement. Nṛpa, "My dear king, for all these classes of men," nirṇītam, "it is already decided." This is Vedic conclusion. You haven't got to search out. You have to take information from the authority. So here Śukadeva Gosvāmī is authority, that "For all these classes of men this is decided conclusively." What is that? Harer nāmānukīrtanam. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Either you are jñānī, either you are yogi, either you are karmī, you desiring something or not desiring something, but you have got your objective, perfection of life. So if you want that, then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Thank you very much.
Formerly the saints, mendicants, sages, they used to practice like that, that not dependent on any condition. And so far God, God is within you. So you haven't got to go anywhere to search out God. God is with you, and you can be independent in this way.
So there is no problem for executing devotional service to the Lord. And that is the highest perfection of all religious principles. But we have to practice. And that is not possible in this age. This age is called Kali. It is very difficult age. People are not very much interested to the most important problem of life. They are alpāyuṣa. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. People are short-living and manda. Manda means very slow for ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to search out or is to reestablish your lost relationship with God. That is the mission of human life. Otherwise what is the difference between animal life and human life? The animal life, they are also busy for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So if we human beings, we are also similarly busy, then what is the difference? So this sort of civilization, simply making nice arrangement for eating and sleeping and mating and defending, that is not practically human civilization. The human civilization is meant for searching out God. Na te viduḥ.
That is Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So every one of you follow the instruction, as you have received. Chant sixteen rounds regularly, without fail, and follow the regulative principles, and hear about Kṛṣṇa, and preach about Kṛṣṇa. Every one of you become a spiritual master. Simple thing. No education required. Because we are hearing about Kṛṣṇa, so we can speak the same thing. What is the difficulty? If I hear from my spiritual master or from any learned man that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead," so if I say by hearing that "Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead," so I haven't got to search out whether Kṛṣṇa is Personality of Godhead or not, but if I accept the authority, then I speak the real truth. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore sometimes, when people say in India, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful." And yes, I do not know. I'm not a magician. But, so far I am confident that I did not adulterate the words of Kṛṣṇa.
Then where is the question of happiness? The karmīs cannot have happiness, because their method is to work hard. How they can be happy? Similarly, jñānīs, mokṣa-kāmaḥ. After being disgusted that "I worked so hard throughout my whole life. I could not get peace. Therefore it is false." Jagan mithyā. Mithyā means false. 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...
We are daily losing the duration of our life. Just like this morning, today is 12th July, the sun rises at 5:30 in the morning, and now it is 5:30 again in the evening. These twelve hours have been taken away from the duration of our life. Is it not a fact? You'll never get it back. If you ask any scientist that "I'll give you twelve millions of dollars. Please give me back these twelve hours again," no, it is not possible. No scientist can give you. That is not... Therefore Bhāgavata says that from the beginning of the sunrise up to the end of sunset, your duration of life is being taken away. That is the business. Kalaḥ. This is called time: past, present and future. What is present, tomorrow it will be past, and again future. So past, present, future; past, present, future. But what is this past, present and future? This is past, present and future of this body. So far I am concerned, I am not past, present. I do not belong to the category of the past, present and future. I belong to the category of eternity. Therefore we should be careful how to attain, how to be elevated to the platform of eternity. That is our business. The developed consciousness of human being should be utilized not in the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, but we should search out the path or the way or the avenue which will help us to get that life of eternity.
You cannot calculate even their half-day. That is given in the Bhagavad-gītā: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). In the Brahmaloka the duration of life is very, very long. It is beyond your arithmetical calculation. But even there is death. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, don't try to waste your time to elevate yourself or to transfer yourself from this planet to that planet. That is natural instinct. Especially I see in your country that people are so restless, they cannot stay in one place. Sometimes they go from this place to that place, this apartment to that apartment, this country to that country, that country... That restlessness is there because we are searching after that eternal happiness and we are restless. We are trying to find out in one place, and when it is finished we try to go to another place. But if I change this place or that place, that is not eternal life. The eternal life is with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Everything belongs to Him—"Everything belongs to Me"—but He has got a superexcellent place which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. If you want to go there, then become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Because you are a living entity, you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so actually you are trying to go to Kṛṣṇa. Just like a child is crying. The idea is that the child wants mother. Or mother's breast milk. That is his demand. But sometimes we do not know. We try to make the child comfortable in different ways. Similarly, all of us are searching after Kṛṣṇa. That is the fact. Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme, we are all, being parts and parcels, our natural tendency is to approach Kṛṣṇa. Manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ. Mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find this. Mama vartmānu... "They are all trying to come to Me." But they are being hampered by different types of māyā. So the spiritual advancement means ultimately to approach Kṛṣṇa. This is very nicely explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The bhakti-latā, the creeper of bhakti, is growing, but it will go on growing, growing, growing, until the bhakti-latā, I mean to say, catches the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.
Pradyumna: "...searching on all sides. But when he was unable to find anyone besides himself, he thought it wise to sit down on his lotus seat firmly and give his attention to the execution of penance, as he was instructed." (SB 2.9.7)
Prabhupāda: So he could not find any person. Still he took it seriously and began tapasya. Therefore in the beginning of Bhāgavata it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye: "From heart." Yes. He heard from outside. From the heart the order was, "Yes, now you begin your tapasya." So he began. So Kṛṣṇa is helping both sides, from externally, internally. Externally he heard. Somewhere the sound came, and internally He confirmed, "Yes." So Kṛṣṇa is helping us externally by the spiritual master, internally by instruction. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi. In this way, He is trying to help us. Unfortunately we do not care to take His help. Then why should we not suffer? Antar-bahiḥ. Antar-bahiḥ. There are two things, inside and outside.
So here we are defying Kṛṣṇa, defying God. We are declaring falsely, "I am God. You are God. Why you are searching God? These gods are loitering in the street. You just try to serve them. Why you are searching in the temple?" These things are kāla-vikramaḥ, influence of time; māyā, illusion; and so many things. These things are absent. So what is the purport? Just see. And surāsurārcitāḥ. There, there is no more distinction between sura and asura. Here, asuras, they are not devotees. They deny. So asura, how the asura goes there? Asura does not go there as asura, but he goes there as devotee. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He is the son of an asura, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Therefore he is classified asura, son of asura. But this asura quality is not more existing there, although he is promoted. In other words, when one is transferred to the Vaikuṇṭha world there is no such distinction between sura and asura.
When one is not in the modes of ignorance and passion, one is supposed to be situated in the mode of goodness in the material world. Goodness in the material world also at times becomes contaminated with touches of the mode of passion and ignorance. In the Vaikuṇṭhaloka it is unalloyed goodness only. The whole situation there is one of freedom from the illusory manifestation of the external energy. Although the illusory energy is also a part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, still, illusory energy is differentiated from the Lord. The illusory energy is not, however, false, as claimed by the monist philosophers. The rope accepted as a snake may be an illusion to a particular person, but the rope is a fact, and the snake is also a fact. The illusion of water on the hot desert may be an illusion for the ignorant animal searching out water in the desert. But the desert and water are actual facts. Therefore the material creation of the Lord may be an illusion to the nondevotee class of men, but to a devotee, even the material creation of the Lord is a fact, as the manifestation of His external energy. But this energy of the Lord is not all. The Lord has His internal energy also, which has another creation known to be the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, where there is no ignorance, no passion, no illusion, and no past and present.
So there is information in the śāstra, accepted by the ācāryas. Just like kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, that is accepted by the ācāryas. Ācāryopāsanam. The Śaṅkarācārya even, although he is impersonalist, he has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and what to speak of others? Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya and Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka and, latest, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers—all accept Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of..., following the same principle as Arjuna said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12)." So this is simple thing. There is no need of speculation, "What is God?" "Where is God?" Here is God, sir. Here is God. You see. Why you foolish, you are searching? Here is God. He is not... Although Kṛṣṇa has come in a form which you can see... Kṛṣṇa has appeared before you just like stone statue. But He is not stone statue. Of course, stone is also God because stone is another energy of God, just like fire is also heat and light. And the heat is also fire, and light is also fire. Without fire, there cannot be light. Without fire, there cannot be heat So this material world is just like the heat and light of the supreme light, of the supreme fire.
So actually the human life is meant for that purpose, because sense gratification, material happiness, the hogs also, they are enjoying. The enjoying... The hog is also whole day and night searching after stool, and after eating stool, when they get some strength, then sex without any discrimination of mother or sister or anyone. Hog's life. Therefore śāstra says, "Don't lead a hog's life." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Vid-bhujām means the stool-eater. They are also working so hard day and night simply for eating stool. And as soon as there is some strength, hypophosphate... Because stool contains all good chemicals. Hypophosphate, they say, who have tested... Of course, I do not know. They say that it is full of hypophosphates, and if you take hypophosphate... Sometimes doctor prescribes sera of hypophosphate for the weak people. So actually the hogs are very fatty. Therefore those who are meat-eaters, they like hog's flesh very nicely.
One should approach guru for seeing the tattva, the Absolute Truth. That is necessary. Not for any material benefit. One should not search out a guru for, I mean to say, curing some material disease. For that, there is medical practitioner. Why should you search out after a guru? But people search out, that "I have got some material disease, and if somebody can cure, some saintly person, then he's guru or he's Bhagavān. I am poor. If he can give me some money, then he's guru." No. The śāstra does not say like that. Guru means śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, śābde pare ca niṣṇātam (SB 11.3.21). Guru means who knows the Vedic śāstra, the Vedas. He knows the Vedic conclusion. And the Vedic conclusion is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is Vedic conclusion. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15).
Ordinary knowledge, as we are now interested for economic benefit, that is not actual knowledge. That is art of livelihood. That is not knowledge. Suppose you are a very big engineer, and another man is ordinary electric mistri. The qualification is the same: earning livelihood by some art. If there is some wrong in the electric line, I cannot repair it. I call one mistri. He knows the art. He immediately revives the electric current. So this sort of knowledge is called śilpa, śilpa-jñāna, "artistic knowledge." That is not knowledge. Real knowledge is Vedic knowledge, Vedānta knowledge, to know oneself, "What I am, what is God, Bhagavān, what is my relation with Him, and what is my duty, and what is the ultimate goal of life." This is knowledge. Etaj jñānaṁ tad ajñānam anyathā. Kṛṣṇa says, "This is jñānam." Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña-jñānam. If one can understand oneself and the Supreme Self and what is this material world, why we have come here, what is my relation with God, what is my relation with this world, this is knowledge. They are called jñānavān. Jñānavān, they are searching after knowledge. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya.
So we have got this test tube of Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? Duṣkṛtinaḥ. Always engaged in sinful activities. Therefore he does not know. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. And what other qualification? Mūḍha, ass, rascal. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Narādhama means the lowest of the mankind. Why lowest? Now, because the human life is meant for understanding God and he does not know. Therefore he is lowest of the mankind, narādhama. Why it is so? There are so many university degrees-M.A., Ph.D., D.A.C., and so on, so on, delete.(?) Still, he does not know? Still, he's mūḍha? The Bhagavad-gītā says, "Yes." Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ: (BG 7.15) "The knowledge he has achieved, that has been taken away by māyā." He's superficially simply degree holder. His actual knowledge is taken away. So therefore māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. Why this has happened? Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Because he defies, "What is God? I am God. You are all God. Why you are searching God? There are so many Gods loitering in the street. Take care of them."
So guru means repeatedly his business is to enlighten the disciple how to become detached to this material world. Simply detachment will not help you. The other philosophy, Śūnyavādi, that you make zero this material detachment... No. That is not possible. We have got... Because we are ānandamaya, we want ānanda, sac-cid-ānanda. Actually, we are searching after eternal life, sat. That is sat, eternal life. And cit means knowledge. And ānanda... Sac-cid-ānanda. We are seeking that. Partially, if we simply understand eternity, that will not help us. We must have blissful knowledge. So the Māyāvādīs, those who are impersonalists, they want to make these material varieties of life zero. Because they are very much disgusted with this material life. So jagan mithyā. They say, "This is mithyā. This is false."
So if you can understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says that "If you can understand Me, how I come here, how I come, I play the part of a human being and teach the whole world, Bhagavad-gītā, what is My mission, why I come, everything, where is My residence, what is My father's name..." People are searching after God, but God is canvassing, "Please understand Me. Here I am." But people will not understand. So what God will help you? How can He help you? He says everything. Now, "I come from My Vaikuṇṭha, or spiritual world." Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). "At that time I come. And I teach. And what do I teach? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66)." This is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the law given by God. That is dharma. You cannot make Hindu dharma, just like you cannot make any law. This is... Suppose the government is there. Now, you cannot say that "We Hindus, we have made this law," "We Muslim, we have made this law," "We Parsees, we have made this law." No. What all law is given by the government you have to accept, either you are Hindu, Muslim, or Christian and Hin... It doesn't matter. Therefore dharma means to accept the law of God. Not that you manufacture something. Therefore in the Bhāgavata it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). All cheating type of dharma is rejected, kicked out. Because real dharma is what is given by God. And what God says? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66). This is real dharma. This is real dharma.
Tattva-darśī means who has actually seen the truth. Oṁ tat sat. One who has seen the Supreme Truth. That Supreme Truth is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You are searching after the truth. You are studying the Vedic literature, Vedānta-darśana. That is very good. But what is the goal of Vedānta-darśana?" Veda means knowledge, and anta means the end, Vedānta, the ultimate knowledge. What is that? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa says that "If you are actually studying Vedānta, then ultimately you have to understand Me." Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham: "I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I understand. I am the knower of Vedānta." So if you hear from Kṛṣṇa what is Kṛṣṇa, that is actually understanding Vedānta. If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa and if you simply advertise yourself Vedāntī, that will not help you.
We will not try to understand Kṛṣṇa, we will not take Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Why it is so? Māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14), that is very strong. As soon as I try to accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, māyā will whisper in my ear, "No, no, no. There are many gods, why you are accepting Kṛṣṇa?" Immediately, "There are many gods, why you are accepting Kṛṣṇa?" But śāstra says, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28), īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). That we will not hear. I will not take lesson from the śāstra, from the ācāryas. At least in India we have got big, big ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, even Śaṅkarācārya, even Guru Nanak, they have accepted, all, Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Why should we not? Why you? I shall be another competitor to Kṛṣṇa. This is our misfortune. Therefore Bhagavān said, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Because we are sinful, because we are rascals, we do not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are searching after Kṛṣṇa, making speculation, philosophical. Don't do that. Accept Kṛṣṇa and be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy. Thank you very much. (end)
So in order to get the mercy of guru, so yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **, we must search out a bona fide spiritual master, representative of Kṛṣṇa or Kapiladeva, and then we shall submit and offer service. In this way we shall please the guru, and if he is satisfied, then our business is complete. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi **. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended this process, this process, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. The process of understanding or approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead is this. Caitanya Mahāprabhu approved this when He was discussing with Rāmānanda Rāya. So the process of approaching the Supreme Lord... So he first of all explained the varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān, viṣṇur ārādhyate (CC Madhya 8.58). The human life is for viṣṇur ārādhanam. That is the human life, Viṣṇur ārādhanam. In varṇāśrama, the system... Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13), Kṛṣṇa says. Why establish this cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam? Because through the cātur-varṇya, systematic institution, following the rules and regulations of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, one can approach Lord Viṣṇu. Viṣṇur ārādhyate. This varṇāśrama-dharma is very important.
Similarly, we think that Kṛṣṇa is also child of Vasudeva and Devakī; therefore He has the beginning.
But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. In the Bhāgavata it is described about the Kṛṣṇa's birth. Kṛṣṇa appeared as Nārāyaṇa, Catur-bhuja, before Vasudeva and Devakī. But Devakī, because previously her seven sons were killed by Kaṁsa, so Devakī immediately prayed to the Lord that "This time You have appeared as the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. Now immediately Kaṁsa will kill You. Formerly my so many sons appeared as human child. They were killed. And Kaṁsa is searching after killing God, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. Now You have appeared, exactly four-handed Nārāyaṇa. Immediately You will be killed." That is affection. That is called yoga-māyā affection. "So kindly You appear as ordinary human child." This is the description in the Bhāgavatam about Kṛṣṇa's birth. So He did not appear immediately as a human child. He appeared first of all as the four-handed Nārāyaṇa. Then, on the request of the father and mother, He became a child. This picture we have got in our Kṛṣṇa book.
The father means he will simply give to the son. And son means he will simply take. So just like in the Christian philosophy it is said, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is one philosophy. That's a fact. God is giving. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. God is feeding everyone. That's a fact. But a devotee does not want to take anything from God. He does not worship God for his daily bread. One who asks daily bread from God, they are pious, but they are not devotees.
- catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ
- janāḥ sukṛtino 'rjuna
- ārto jijñāsur arthārthī
- jñānī ca bharatarṣabha
- (BG 7.16)
Kṛṣṇa says there are four kinds of beginners of devotional service, four kinds. What are..., who are they? Ārtaḥ. Ārtaḥ means one who is distressed; artha-arthī, one who is in want of money; ārto ar...jijñāsuḥ, one who is searching after knowledge; and jñānī, and wise man. So out of these, ārto and arthārthī, they are low-grade worshiper. Those who are jñānī and jijñāsuḥ, they are higher grade. Generally, they are lower grade. But they are not pure devotees.
So if one is intelligent enough, he will understand by association of sādhus that this material life is not happy at all, but we want happiness. That is a fact. Every one of us, we are searching after happiness. Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiḥ. Duḥkha means unhappiness, and nivṛtti means decreasing or completely avoiding. But that is not possible. Everyone... T his morning I was talking that everyone who have come on this beach just to mitigate some trouble. So many people are exercising, throwing the hand, throwing the leg or something, but because there is some trouble. Because there is some trouble. Not that because they have come in car, very rich man... But still, he is throwing his hands and legs and something like that. So we have to study like that. We should be intelligent, that there is nobody happy in this material world. Nobody happy in this material... But by the illusion of māyā he is thinking, "I am happy." That is called māyā.
Sometimes foolish people question us that "You are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Why you do not worship Rāma?" Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference. But anyone has got his liking. Just like Hanumān has liking to worship Lord Rāmacandra, and the gopīs had the liking to worship Kṛṣṇa. That does not make any difference. It is like... Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa, the Lord, appears in different way. Sometimes the gopīs... The Kṛṣṇa went away from the gopīs, and the gopīs were searching out Kṛṣṇa. So in some place Kṛṣṇa was sitting in the Viṣṇu form. So the gopīs passed through that Deity, and they did not offer much respect. "Oh, He is Viṣṇu. All right, namaskāra." Because they wanted to see Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu, but every devotee has got some inclination, love Kṛṣṇa. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan (Bs. 5.39). So therefore Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading in different mūrtis. Therefore in the Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya some of them, they worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, and some of them worship Sītā-Rāma. And some of them worship Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa. Some of them worship Rukmiṇī-Kṛṣṇa. There are so many devotees. But all of them are the same, Vaiṣṇava. All of them are the... But not demigods. Viṣṇu.
So we are hearing. This is wanted. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended this process, that whatever condition you are, it does not matter. You simply search out a devotee and hear from him. That is recommended. Ihā haya. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ. You, whatever you are, there is no need of change, because it is very difficult to change position. Better remain your position, but you hear about Kṛṣṇa. That is our movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give chance people to hear about Kṛṣṇa. So many ways. Then, even Kṛṣṇa is Ajita—nobody can conquer Him—simply by hearing, you will conquer Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will be very, very intimate friend of you, simply by hearing. That is said also in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Śṛṇvatām. Śṛṇvatām means hearing. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone's heart. As soon as He sees that "This man is hearing about Me," śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ... Kṛṣṇa is the subject, nominative. Śṛṇvatām. When He sees that a person is interested in hearing, then He takes care of him. Because that is the beginning of bhakti. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Even if we do not understand, if we do not understand the philosophy, what Kṛṣṇa says, still, if we hear, then you will be purified. You will be purified. That is the process of hari-saṅkīrtana. It doesn't require anybody to understand what is this Hare Kṛṣṇa. But if he's simply given the chance of hearing, he becomes purified.
o we have been accustomed to this habit of material disadvantages. We have no information of spiritual life. Therefore śāstra says that we should try... This life, human life, is not meant for suffering but to make endeavor to end suffering. That is human life. Human life is not meant for suffering like the animals. Just like the life of pig. Is that very good life? Whole day and night they are searching after stool, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" because that is their enjoyment. Actually, if you give a pig halavā and, side by side, stool, he would prefer to accept the stool than the halavā because he is habituated to that kind of food. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says that human life... He was instructing to His sons, "My dear sons, don't be like pigs. You just become like human being." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye: (SB 5.5.1) "My dear sons, don't try to get happiness like the pigs, dogs, hogs." Kaṣṭān kāmān. With hard labor, you get some food, and then you enjoy sex life. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Material life means to work very hard day and night and get some money and then eat sumptuously. Eat, drink, be merry and then enjoy sex life. That's all. So Ṛṣabhadeva said, "My dear sons, this kind of standard of life is available in the life of pigs." Kaṣṭān kāmān arhate ye viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means stool-eaters.
That is the way. That is Vedic civilization. That is Vedic civilization, or you may call Indian civilization or Hindu civilization. Actually, it is Vedic civilization. Therefore you will find in India, in the history of India, Mahābhārata, greater India, that many people, they are engaged in tapasya. A part of life must be engaged for tapasya. The Bharata Mahārāja, Bharata Mahārāja, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa... So you will find in the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam his life. He enjoyed his kingdom, then voluntarily he left. After the end of his material way of life, he divided the property to his sons and left. And he was living alone at Pulahāśrama near Haridwar, and undergoing severe tapasya. That is human life, to accept tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). You are searching after happiness, but why don't you see that in this material life your happiness is conditioned? That is not easily going or flowing. There are so many conditions. If you have to become a millionaire, before becoming millionaire there are so many condition. So this is not happiness, after going through so many conditions, and which we get, that is also not for good.
Therefore, those who are yogis, they are also enjoying. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande. That is real happiness which increases. Which decreases, that is not real happiness. That is illusion. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande cid-ātmani. Cit, that is spiritual, spiritual ānanda. Really we want ānanda, happiness, blissfulness. That is our natural instinct. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). So... But we are searching after ānanda in this material world, and that is described here that saṁsṛtir bandhaḥ pāra-tantrya, under material condition and changing this body one after another. This is not ānanda. Satyānande cid-ātmani. Ānanda is available on the spiritual platform. Satyānande cid-ātmani. Ramante... Iti rāma-padenāsau paraṁ brahma abhidhīyate. Therefore the yogis, they enjoy, ramaṇa, in the spiritual world. That ānanda is called Rāma, Hare Rāma. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is also attractive, and Rāma is enjoyment. So when we dovetail our activities with Rāma and Kṛṣṇa, then our life becomes happy. Before that there is saṁsṛtiḥ.
So here it is described that yat tat sattva-guṇam... sattva-guṇam does... Not this sattva-guṇam: rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, sattva-guṇa, but svaccham. Svaccham means cleansed, completely cleansed, without any tinge of material quality. Yat tat sattva-guṇaṁ svacchaṁ śāntam. Śāntam. Everyone is seeking peace of mind. People come to spiritual societies or some other way. Everyone is searching after some peace, śāntam. Śānti. The śānti can be attained when this sattva-guṇaṁ svaccham, when the sattva-guṇa, your status will be on the sattva-guṇa and completely cleansed. Then you can get śānti. Completely cleansed means... That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, na śocati na kāṅkṣati: "There is no lamentation, and there is no hankering." Then it is śānti. As soon as there is some hankering, you cannot have śānti. That is not possible. And as soon as there is some possession, you cannot be without lamentation. The two things material, they are ruling over us. We are hankering after something which we do not possess, and what we possess, if it is lost, then we are lamenting. So śānti means no hankering, no lamenting. That is called śānti.
Then all right, you do not chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but you try to understand God in your daily life. What is that? That satisfaction by drinking water. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). Everyone drinks water. Either you become Hindu, Muslim, Christian, you have to drink water. And after drinking water, when you feel satisfaction, as it is said, tāpa apanodaḥ, the tiresomeness immediately annihilated, immediately diminished, satisfies, so that satisfaction is Kṛṣṇa, or God. Kṛṣṇa says. So you haven't got to search out Kṛṣṇa anywhere. Kṛṣṇa is within you, God is within you, but still if you are doubtful, then God says, Kṛṣṇa says, "You try to understand Me in this way, tāpa apanodaḥ, the water." Everyone drinks water, very easy. So raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. Then the beginning, if you do not do anything... Just I am trying to convince you about the easy process of bhakti-yoga. Anyone, everyone, at any place, any condition of life, he can become a bhakta. Ahaituky apratihatā. This is first-class religion, to become devotee of God. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Bhakti... When you... Bhakti means loving service. When you develop your dormant love for Kṛṣṇa and you begin to serve Him, that is called bhakti.
Therefore we always say "fools and rascals." He is... He does not know anything clearly, and simply he wants to see with imperfect eyes, imperfect instrument, microscope, telescope. What is the value of this? It is simply andhakāra. The whole world is... This is called darkness. We can... We experience every moment. If there was no sun, then what is the value of this world? We have got good experience. In the Western countries where there is no sun, it is hell, simply hell, simply hell without sun. All the condemned countries are devoid of sunlight. This morning we were speaking that London, it is without sunlight practically throughout the whole year. Long ago, in 1969, in the television, the television man asked me that "Where is hell?" and "It is here in London." (laughter) That was published in the paper. There is such a... And always dark and always moist and always so cold. So this is hell. Why you have to search out hell? Here is hell. Simply you bring money from outside, exploiting others, and construct big, big building. It is little attractive. People come here as tourist. Otherwise who comes here to see the hell? So actually that is the...
So there are different grades of life. So does it mean that we shall live a life like a hog while we have got this human form of body? Just try to understand. The hog is eating stool, which is rejected by everyone. And still, he is searching that out, where is that stool. And it is called research work. So we should not make our life complicated like the hog. And what is the aim of his life, the hog? The aim of his life is sex. The hogs and, especially hogs and goats, they're very sexually influenced. The hog does not discriminate. The monkeys, they do not discriminate—mother, sister, or anyone—they must have sex. So especially mentioned here, not like hog, don't live like hog. This is the instruction of Ṛṣabhadeva. This human form of life is not meant for living like a hog. Then what it is for? That is stated in the next line, tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). "My dear boys, this life is meant for tapasya." Tapasya means restraining your senses. That is. That is human life. That is human civilization. The more you restrain your senses from its activities, the more you're advanced, civilized, advanced human life. Tapasya. Tapasya means, tapa, tapa, from tap, tapa comes. Tapa means temperature.
So you are searching after pleasure, that is your prerogative. That is your right. You must be. But you are searching in this sense gratificatory platform, you'll never get it. If you purify your this existence, then you get unlimited pleasure in your spiritual existence. Unlimited pleasure. Brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). Anantam means unlimited. So this life we should utilize for purifying, not for extravagancy in sense gratification. You'll not suffer at... You'll... This is māyā. Actually, just like a child, a boy, wants to play, and the father prescribes him, "My dear boy, do not play so long. Please read." So he's thinking that "My father is prescribing something which is very troublesome." But actually this tapasya, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness regulated life, is not for trouble. It is for your progress of life to the spiritual understanding, where you get unlimited eternal life, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). God is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Sat, cit, ānanda. Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda, full of pleasure. So as soon as you become purified from this material existence, then you enter into the spiritual kingdom, and you get your body sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha and live there eternally in full knowledge and full bliss.
What is the use of purifying? There is need. If you purify, purify yourself, existentional condition, then you will be saved from the four kinds of troubles or miseries of life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. So God realization means spiritual realization. So Ṛṣabhadeva says tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed (SB 5.5.1), by purification of your existentional condition you enjoy brahma-saukhyam. After all, we are searching after happiness, pleasure. So on account of our impure existential condition, our so-called happiness is temporary. Brahma-saukhyam means, here again, yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed, when your existence is purified. Now we have got impure existence, this material body. When we get our spiritual body, that is called purified. So Ṛṣabhadeva says sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. As soon as you get your spiritual body, then there is unlimited happiness. We are, after all... In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that the living entity or God, both of them are for enjoying life, blissful life. Just like when you are diseased, you have got some fever. So, you cannot enjoy life. Similarly in this diseased condition of material existence we, actually, we cannot enjoy life. Therefore, if we purify our existential condition by tapasya, then we come into our spiritual existence and we can enjoy our life eternally. (break) ...therefore, that when we have got this human form of life, we shall not waste it simply for sense gratification like the dogs and hog. We should practice tapasya, restrain, and then we purify our existence and we are situated in a position wherein we can enjoy blissful life forever.
Then after few days Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired from Svarūpa Dāmodara, "Oh, nowadays I don't find Raghunātha standing there, what he is doing?" Svarūpa Dāmodara replied that "Raghunātha has given up that business standing on this. He thought that it is standing like prostitute. 'No, I don't want.' " Then, "How he's eating?" "No, he is collects some rice which is washed away from the kitchen, and he eats that." Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī was doing that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu one day went to his place and He was searching, just He was encouraging, He was searching. He saw that a small pot some rice is kept. So, "Raghunātha, what is this?" (He) began to eat, "Oh, (this) is very nice. You eat such nice things, you do not invite us?" (laughter). Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī said, "It is not for you, don't take it, don't..." "No, no, it is very nice!" In this way Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī increased, and later on, when after departure of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when he went to live in Vṛndāvana with the six gosvāmīs, he is also one of the gosvāmīs, he was taking three times bathing, but not eating. Every alternate day, he will take a little buttermilk. That's all. This is called tapasya, austerity. Coming to the point of nil, no more eating. No more sleeping, no more sex life, no more defense. This is perfection. Who will accept this? (laughter)
So this baivik-yajña (?) is permitted in the..., prohibited in this Kali-yuga because they are not properly performed. It is not possible. Just like our Śrīman Pittieji was searching after a brāhmaṇa to recite the Rāmāyaṇa, Sundarakanda. He's not getting a proper brāhmaṇa. That is the difficulty. How you can perform yajña? There is no yajnic brāhmaṇa at the present moment. Therefore the yajña to be performed at this moment in this Kali-yuga is yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ. Su-medhasaḥ means with good brain substance. Those who have no brain substance, they are called alpa-medhasaḥ. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tad bhavati alpa-medhasaḥ. Alpa-medhasaḥ means there is no brain substance—filled up with cow dung. So one should be su-medhasaḥ. Su-medhasaḥ, nice brain substance. So those who are su-medhasaḥ means with good brain substance, they perform yajñair saṅkīrtanair by saṅkīrtana yajña, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Just see the effect of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This yajña being performed all over the world. How quickly they are capturing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just see the effect practically. Therefore those who are intelligent, having good brain substance, they should perform yajña saṅkīrtana, yajñaiḥ..., and worship Lord Caitanya.
Guest (2): But because we do not know what sin is, wouldn't whatever the authority said be purely an idea to us?
Prabhupāda: So they do not know; therefore they must search out if he is serious.
Guest (2): But is there no way of finding out what is good and bad besides obeying guru, and the because to follow the guru would obviously be to create frustration.(?)
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Is there some way to find out good without following the rules and regulations laid down by the authorities?
Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible. You cannot violate the rules and regulation. That is not possible.
So this is moha, illusion. We have heard so many times about illusion, this is illusion. Ahaṁ mameti: (SB 5.5.8) "I am this body and everything in my bodily relationship, that is mine." So how it begins? The begins, mithunī-bhāvam etam, the unity of man and woman. Mithunī-bhāvam. A man is searching after woman, and woman is searching after man. How nature's arrangement to keep the conditioned soul under the laws of nature... Because the conditioned souls are put under the laws of nature, all he has come voluntarily under the laws of nature.
- kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
- pasate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
As soon as we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, immediately māyā. As soon as we deny to obey the state laws, immediately we are criminals and subjected to the criminal acts, "Go to the prison." This is, we have got practical experience. You cannot defy the laws of the state or the laws of the worlds of the government. If we cannot... You cannot do it. If you do it, then you are punished. That is the statement in every śāstra. Daṇḍaniya. Daṇḍaniya, this daṇḍa is going on, one after another. Daṇḍa means punishment. But we are, because we are in illusion, we are thinking this daṇḍa is advancement of civilization.
There is one word, alpa-medhasām, and there is another word, su-medhasam. These words are there, tad-bhavati alpa-medhasām, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Those who are trying to be happy in this material world, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ... (BG 7.20). They, people generally, they are kāma, this kāma, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī, this is kāma. This kāma is manifested in different ways. The actually the central point is kāma. So that when that kāma is fulfilled Because a man is searching after woman and woman is searching after man, when they unite, then the kāma becomes hard knot, very tightly. When they are separated, there is chance of not being tied, but as soon as they are tied by marriage or by some way or other, then tayor mitha hṛdaya-granthim āhur. Hṛdaya-granthim. We are already attracted to these things, and when it is united, then we see practically in our Indian families that when the boy is grown up and the girl is grown up, the father-mother unite them by marriage system. Everywhere. But India still going on. Why? Because unless he is married, he'll not get attracted to this material life.
So the father and mother's duty is to unite them so that they may not be spoiled, they may not be like cats and dogs. At least there will be some regulative principles they will follow. But the bondage is, as soon as they are united, the economic development, ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair (SB 5.5.8), then searching after: "Now we must have an apartment, so to..." Either you construct a house or rent a house, anyway money is required, so you will be enthused to earn money. "I have got wife, I have to keep nicely, I have to eat nicely, I have to give her dress, and so on, so on."
That is atmā-tattvam. One should know simply understanding ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am not this body; I am a spirit soul." That is also knowledge, at least, than the karmīs. Karmīs, they have been described by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura as mūḍhas, asses. They do not know what is the aim of life, simply working. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). So in śāstra, the human being who has no knowledge of atmā-tattva, such person is compared with four kinds of animals. Śva, śva means dog. Viḍ-varāha, viḍ-varāha means the pig. You have seen in Vṛndāvana so many pigs are loitering, searching after stool. Śva-viḍ-varāha uṣṭra. Uṣṭra also you have seen. They are so foolish that the thorny herbs..., and the tongue is cut, and there is blood oozing out, and the blood is tasted with the thorns, and he thinks, "I am eating very palatable things." He's eating thorn, but because it is mixed up with his own blood, the foolish animal is thinking it is very tasteful. So these animals have been selected to compare with the human being if they are apaśyatām atmā-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām.
Well, this is land of religion. It is admitted by other parts of the world. Just see. Columbus was searching after India even for trade, hundred of years... People are coming to India for so many: for knowledge, for philosophy, for trade, for money. Why these Britishers came? They came for money. And now, India being exploited for so many thousands of years and their standard of civilization deteriorated, the condition is now... Still, India's position is unique, still, in this fallen condition. Now people are degraded from their high standard of living, from spiritual point of view, material point of view. And still, they stand, previous social construction, their living condition, their feelings of religion. It is still going on. Climate also.
If you go to the authorized person, he can adjust. But you cannot see. You see, you'll see contradiction. So śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Therefore they are considered different, but actually, they are not different. Śrutayo vibhinnāḥ. Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā nāsau munir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. And there are speculators, so-called philosophers, putting theories and doctrines. So one doctrine is different from another doctrine. And people are convinced that no doctrine is absolute; therefore they are going on searching doctrine after doctrine throughout the whole life, and they do not know... Just like the theosophists. They go on, simply searching. They have never come to the conclusion, "Here is the end." They cannot do that. But in Bhagavad-gītā you will find, "Here is the end." Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Arjuna, here is the ultimate goal. I am—Kṛṣṇa. There is no more anything higher than Me." Nānyad asti kiñcid dhanañjaya. Mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-ganā iva: "Just like in a thread, the pearls are woven, similarly, everything is standing in Me."
So others, they are finding who is God, what is God, they have got doubt. And they do not know also completely what is God. But we know what is God: Supreme Personality, Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Because we have taken the path of devotional service that with firm conviction, and we are making progress in that way. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). Mayā mano buddhiḥ. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Anyone who, yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ, by accepting a devotee, by taking shelter of a devotee, one who practices this yoga, Kṛṣṇa says in the Seventh Chapter, then "He can understand Me," asaṁśayam, "without any doubt," and samagram, "completely." Yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu. In other part.... Actually, there are so many parties, especially the impersonalist party, they are also searching after the Absolute Truth, but they have got only vague idea, not complete, perfect idea. It is saṁśayam, with doubts, and asamagram, not complete. That's a fact. They cannot give you any clear idea of the concept of God. That is not possible. And sādhu. The Bhagavad-gītā... Who is sādhu? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). One who is performing devotional service without any deviation, ananya-bhāk, undivided mind, simply unto Kṛṣṇa, he is sādhu.
Guest: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Don't keep yourself in doubt. So long you are in doubt you go on searching.
Guest: No, no, I... (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Yes. One difficulty is that we go to some saintly person, we hear and we challenge whether the saintly person corroborated my idea. If he does not, then he's not good.
Guest: That is not...
Prabhupāda: If it is against my conviction, "Oh, he is not good."
Guest: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: No, I am speaking not of you. I know what you are doing. But we should corroborate. But as a preacher we should simply speak the real truth. There is no question of corresponding with your ideas and another idea, no. We... Whatever we know, whatever we have heard from our authorities we'll speak. That's all. It may be somebody may know better than me. That is another thing. But I have to present what I have learned from the authority. That's all. And our authority is Kṛṣṇa, mainly. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upa... That is the spiritual master. Who does not add or subtract from the talks of Kṛṣṇa, he is spiritual master. One who adds and subtracts according to his whims, he is not spiritual master. He is not bona fide spiritual master. "I, my opinion..." "I give this interpretation..." He is not authorized. You are lawyer, you know better than me. In your law court you cannot change the law by your opinion. That is not possible.
Devotee: Tulasi dāsa said that he wanted to see Rāma.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is devotee's inclination. That we must have. Just like the gopīs were searching Kṛṣṇa and they saw that Kṛṣṇa sitting in one place as four-handed Nārāyaṇa. They offered respect, "Oh, He is Nārāyaṇa. We don't care for Him." (laughter) "We don't care for Him." But they offered respect, "Oh, Nārāyaṇa, namaskara. But we want Kṛṣṇa." And when Rādhārāṇī came, Kṛṣṇa wanted to remain Nārāyaṇa, He could not. Rādhārāṇī's desire is so strong that Kṛṣṇa could not remain as Nārāyaṇa. He became Kṛṣṇa. You see? So somebody is offering us a little piece of land. Sak... Saket.(?)
Guest: Saket.(?) It is good quarter.
Prabhupāda: Saket(?). It is good quarter. So why not accept that land and immediately have our building.
Don't you see? Anywhere you go, people are struggling so hard because the idea is that "I shall be greater than him" or "I shall be very great." "I shall be minister," "I shall be president," "I shall be big merchant," "I shall be very big leader." "How I can be bigger?" When he fails everything, then he thinks, "Now I shall become God." This is going on. So up to the understanding to become God is materialism. All endeavors up to the point of becoming God is materialism. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You cannot be happy by all these religious systems." Religious system, there are two kinds of religious systems. Some of them are pravṛtti-mārga, increasing the path of enjoyment, sense enjoyment. That dictates that "You come to the heavenly planet. You'll have ten thousands of years duration of life and very beautiful women to enjoy. Very nice garden, and drinking soma-rasa." So this is called pravṛtti-mārga. And nivṛtti-mārga means a little more advanced, when one understands that there is no actual happiness in this way, then he says, "This is all false." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The world is false. Now let me search out Brahman." Athāto brahma jijñāsā. But... That sort of brahma-jijñāsa is called nivṛtti-mārga, negativating this path of enjoyment. But śāstra says that simply by understanding that "This is false, and I'll have to become away from these false engagements," so without knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, such elevators, they become impersonalists and voidists, to make negative this material enjoyment.
So there was a dvijaḥ. Dvijaḥ means he was born in the family of a brāhmaṇa. And he was sanctified also. From the life history of this man we understand that in his early age, when he was up to his youthful life, sixteen or seventeen or up to twenty years, he was very well behaved boy. He was under the care of his father and mother, and how by bad association he became a debauch, that is stated here. It is stated that, kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid āsīt dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ. Ajāmilaḥ, his name was Ajāmila, and he was a brāhmaṇa. But he contacted some woman which is called dāsī, or prostitute, and he remained with her. Dāsī-patiḥ. In India also, still, the practice is that if anyone, any person, wants contact of more woman than his wife, then he cannot disturb in the society. He has to search out this dāsī, or some prostitute. So from time, very long, long ago, even in Kṛṣṇa's time we find that there was a prostitute class. When Kṛṣṇa entered Dvārakā, these, some of the... They were still devotee. Although their profession was prostitute, prostitution, still, they were devotee. So we find from this narration of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that many devotee prostitutes also went to receive Lord Kṛṣṇa. So it does not matter even if one is prostitute, she cannot be devotee. She can be devotee also. So this man, Ajāmila, contacted a prostitute. Dāsī-patiḥ ajāmilaḥ nāmnā naṣṭa-sadācāraḥ dāsyāḥ saṁsarga-dūṣitaḥ. And because, although he was born in a nice family, he contacted the association of a prostitute, his sadācāraḥ, his well-behaved life, became lost.
So these are the different stages, how to become a brāhmaṇa. Śamaḥ damaḥ, then satyam, truthful. Truthful means in one sense ordinary truthful. But real truthful means to know the Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth. So that Absolute Truth, who is Absolute Truth? Kṛṣṇa. We are searching after truth, what is the truth, what is the relative truth. But when you come to Kṛṣṇa, that is Absolute Truth. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). This is truth. Then what is the cause of this truth? This is the... This is the... Neti, neti. So when you come to Kṛṣṇa, so above Him there is no more truth. Kṛṣṇa has no cause, but He is the cause of everything, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādiḥ (Bs. 5.1). He has no... People ask generally that "Everything has cause. What is the cause of Kṛṣṇa?" The answer is anādi: "He has no cause." That is God. Anādir ādiḥ: "He is the cause of everyone." Anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).
So if our mind is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa, then naturally the senses will be controlled. If we fix up our mind that we shall not do anything, dṛḍha-vratāḥ... Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. This is determination, that "I shall have nothing to do without Kṛṣṇa." Then you are first-class yogi—dvija, brāhmaṇa, everything. Everything.
So there is no water. He becomes more and more exhausted. Then he dies. This is the example. So here in this material world we are running after the shadow enjoyment. And running, running, running, running, somebody is exhausted and dies. The karmīs, they have no knowledge. They have been described as mūḍhas. They are running after shadow, shadow, that's all. And the jñānīs, they understand that "This is shadow, mithyā." So shadow means there is reality also. Shadow means... Without reality, how there can be shadow? So they are searching after that reality. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They understand, "This is shadow. Find out where is water." So the jñānīs are also in the darkness, because they do not know where is water. They simply know that because it is shadow therefore there must be somewhere the reality. This is jñānī, or yogi. And bhakta, they know where is real water. That's all. This is the difference. The karmīs are like animals. They are after shadow water, running, running, running, exhausted and finished. That is karmī. And jñānī, they understand that "This is shadow, but there is reality." But they do not know where is that reality. But a devotee knows that "This is shadow, but it is shadow of the reality," and they know where is that reality. Like this, this is the difference.
So Ajāmila, at the point of his death, just remembered his youngest son, who was named Nārāyaṇa. So the Nārāyaṇa, very name, has got the full potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa. That is the secret of this nāma-saṅkīrtana movement. By chanting the holy name of Nārāyaṇa, you immediately contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). Nāma, the Lord's name, is not material; it is spiritual. The sound is Brahman, śabda-brahma. Vedic sounds, they are śabda-brahma. They are not material sound. So nāma cintāmaṇiḥ, spiritual. Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name, there is no difference. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). Rasa, the transcendental mellows. Every one of us is searching after some mellow, some pleasure from everything. Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasures, rasa-vigraha, fully personified. Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, there is rasa, a transcendental mellow, enjoyment, relishable. Very Kṛṣṇa presence.
So he was calling his son, Nārāyaṇa. So the pārṣadāḥ, viṣṇu-pārṣadāḥ-pārṣadāḥ means associates or attendants—they immediately came. Just like in your city, the police is wandering in the car, and if somebody calls for police, immediately he is present, similarly, the attendants of Lord Viṣṇu, they are also wandering throughout the universe and searching out somebody who is engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord. So if you chant holy name of the Lord, they are very much pleased and they immediately come. That happened to Ajāmila. He did not mean Nārāyaṇa. Maybe or may not be, but he was calling his son. But the attendants of Hari, or the order carriers, they took notice of the chanting only. That's all. They did not care to know by "Nārāyaṇa," Ajāmila, what he was meaning. No. Because they heard bhartur nāma, their master's name, they immediately appeared. This is clear.
So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and from this verse we can understand that the ātmā, the soul, is within the heart. Why they are searching the soul? So the... If you want to find out where is soul, and if you dissect the heart, then soul is gone. (laughter) That is another danger. (laughs) Better understand from the authority. That is knowledge. Śāstra-cakṣuṣā. Śāstra... From authoritative statement of śāstra you'll see. Don't see by your blunt eyes, rascal, this consciousness. Then you'll never find the actual fact. Śāstra-cakṣuṣā, authority. Just like here. Śāstra says, "Here is the soul." The Yamarāja is snatching, dragging the soul, not his leg or hand. There's no business. As soon as the soul is gone, the leg and hand and everything becomes a lump of matter. That's all. What is the use of it? So vikarṣato 'ntar hṛdayād, antar-hṛdayād, core of heart. Antar means within the heart. Antar-hṛdayād dāsī-patim. Nowadays, sometimes one becomes a prostitute. That is very usual now. But in India still, nobody will marry a prostitute. Nobody. Still. In the Western country, never mind he's a prostitute, she's a prostitute, if she marries—Ph.D. certificate, that's all.
So it is not possible for human being. But at least, not mahā-bhāva but bhāva, that we can... Bhāva. Tato bhāvaḥ. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ, athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). One can increase gradually to the stage of bhāva. This bhāva stage, that separation... Just like the Gosvāmīs, when they were in Vṛndāvana, they were feeling this bhāva. He rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ. And they were simply searching after in the Vṛndāvana forest. He rādhe, "Rādhārāṇī," vraja-devīke, "all the gopīs," he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno: "O the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa." Kutaḥ, "Where you are all?" This is bhāva. "Where you are all?" Śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kutaḥ: "Where you are? Are you near the Govardhana Hill or some forest on the bank of the Yamunā? Please let me know." Ghoṣantāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau. In this way they were searching after Kṛṣṇa, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" and crying, ghoṣantāv iti mahā-vihvalau, just like madmen. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when one will be mad after Kṛṣṇa, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" That is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu also showed us that way. The Gosvāmīs also showed us that way.
Then, from the Vedic injunction, then it was summarized, which is called Vedānta, summarized in sūtras. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), athāto brahma jijñāsā. In the sūtra there are so many meanings. Then the Upaniṣads, 108 Upaniṣads, they are also Vedic. Then they were explained further for ordinary men—the Purāṇas. They are also Vedas. Then it was further explained by Mahābhārata. So that is also Veda. Rāmāyaṇa, that is also Veda. So any scripture, any literature, transcendental literature, whose aim is to understand God, that is Veda. Therefore, anyone who is searching after the Supreme Lord, he is following the Vedic religion. This is another conclusion. The searching process may be different according to the country, climate, but if the ultimate goal is God, then that is accepted as religion. Just like Christian religion. Christian religion, they are also searching after God—Lord Jesus Christ advising, "Be lover of God." He presents himself as son of God. The Muhammadan, Muhammad, he also presented himself as servant of God. In this way, everyone is accepting. Or if anyone is accepting God as the ultimate goal of religious process, that is also Vedic. Because Kṛṣṇa says that vedaiś ca sarvair aham. And a godless scripture, that is not accepted as religion. Therefore in India, although Lord Buddha appeared in India—he was a kṣatriya, and he started some religious principle—it is not accepted because it is not, in the Buddha religion, there is no acceptance of God or soul.
So with this combination of sixteen elements, within that there is the soul. He is enwrapped in so many wrappers, mana, buddhi, ahaṅkāra and... Altogether twenty-four wrappers, and within that wrappers there is the living soul. The modern science, they cannot understand this. They are searching after the active principle or living force within this body, but they have no information. But here, in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, you get the full analysis. Tad etat ṣoḍaśa-kalam. The analysis is that the living entity is enwrapped first all with sixteen wrappers, ṣoḍaśa-kalam. What are those? Now, ten senses: five working senses and five knowledge-gathering senses. We are experience... We are perceiving by using our five knowledge-gathering senses, just like eyes, ear, cakṣu, karṇa, smell, nose. Cakṣu, karṇa, nāsikā, jihvā, tongue, touch, hand... In this way we get knowledge experience. Sometimes we stress on the knowledge experienced by the eyes: "I want to see." But that is not the only source of knowledge. There are many blind men who cannot see, but he has got full knowledge. There are other sources of knowledge. Just like a mango. You see the mango, but you cannot experience the full knowledge unless you use the tongue. Then you can say whether it is good mango or bad mango, not by seeing.
So with whom associate? Now, Īśa. These are... Īśa means His name, His form, His attributes, His, so many things. You see? Nāma, rūpa, rasa—everything is Īśa. So this temple means to give chance to people for associating with Īśa, with Kṛṣṇa. So therefore, according to Vedic civilization, everyone is advised to go to the temple. Still people are going to the church, to the temple, to the mosque, to the synagogue. Why? Īśa-saṅgāt, īśa-saṅgāt, just to associate with God. That is the purpose. So if you actually search after Īśa, Kṛṣṇa, or God, you can get it. There is arrangement. Just like this temple. This temple, if you come, if you make association with this temple, immediately you will be benefited by hearing the glories of the Lord this, every subject matter pertaining to God. We are reading Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā. That is also Īśa. Because these are the words of Īśa, therefore, Īśa being absolute, there is no difference between His words and Him. Kṛṣṇa, five thousand years ago He spoke Bhagavad-gītā. That Bhagavad-gītā is the same Bhagavad-gītā which He spoke five thousand years ago, and it is not different from Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Whatever, His words, His form, His name, His quality, everything, His temple, His activities, His books—everything Īśa.
So if we associate with all these things, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23), hearing and chanting about Viṣṇu, then this misconception of life, that "I am puruṣa," will vanquish. Then you become liberated. Īśa-saṅgād vilīyate. So take chance of this īśa-saṅga very vigorously. Tivreṇa bhakti-yogena.
But what is the aim of life? Aim of life is to satisfy the Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. But they do not know it. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). At least at the present moment, nobody knows that he has to satisfy the Supreme Lord. That is the aim of life. He does not know. He does not know even what is God. Just like animal. The animal does not know what is God. They are making research what is God, the theosophists, the theologists, making research. God is canvassing, "Here I am." Kṛṣṇa, He comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmi (BG 4.7). When these rascals forget what is God, He comes. And still, they are making research. He is acting as God; He is instructing as God; He is accepted by the ācāryas as God; still, these rascals are searching out God. This is their position. Why you are searching out? Here is God. God says, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ mattaṁ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8), aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣīṇāṁ sa saptasaḥ (Bg 10.2). And still you are searching God? That is the folly. Even God comes before you, and if you are demon, then you cannot understand what is God.
So as soon as they feel "Ahaṁ brahmāsmi," they are no more in anxiety of this material world. And if you increase that—Brahman, Paramātmā, Bhagavān That simple Brahman realization, it is knowledge that "I am not this, but I am that." Neti. But that knowledge will not be sufficient. You have to make progress further because we are by nature ānandamāya. Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. Our nature is to search after ānanda. So simply Brahman realization will not give you ānanda. Therefore we see sometimes big, big sannyāsīs, they gave up this world as brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, but because they could not get ānanda, they come down again. Again they become busy in opening hospital and school and philanthropic work, politics, because they could not get ānanda. That is the defect of the impersonalists. They can simply understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this body. I am not matter. I am spirit." But that much understanding will not help. It may be helpful for some time, but because he is bereft of ānanda, he will fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Ānanda you cannot get without being a servant of the Supreme Lord. That is ānanda, reciprocation(?). That is Vṛndāvana. There is ānanda, cinmāya, ānanda, because everyone is engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa. The cowherd boys, the calves, the cows, the birds, the beasts, the trees, the water, the father, mother, playmates—everyone—Kṛṣṇa is the center. That is ānanda. And if you make Kṛṣṇa minus, then there is no ānanda. You may be Brahman realized, you may be seeing the Paramātmā, but there is no ānanda.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
He went to the forest to undergo severe austerities so that he can see Nārāyaṇa and beg some benefit, to get a greater kingdom than his father. He was insulted by his stepmother, so the boy, son of a kṣatriya, he determined that "I shall have a better kingdom than my father." So he got it. By Kṛṣṇa's grace he got it, that Dhruvaloka, the polestar. It is very big star. So he went for this purpose. Arthārthī. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino arjuna. Arthārthī. Ārto arthārthī. So he was in search after money, Dhruva Mahārāja, and therefore at five years old he went to the forest. His mother advised that "Kṛṣṇa can help you only." Others cannot help. So he was simple boy. He decided, "Where is Kṛṣṇa?" "Now, my dear child, I know that He is found in the forest." So he went to the forest, and he very severely Nārada Muni tried to persuade him, "No, no, you are simply a small child. Why you are so much infected with the insult given by your stepmother?" So he said, "No, I don't want your advice. If you can give me God, just talk of that. You don't talk of compromise. I am not going." This is determination. This is determination. So he, actually, within six months he saw Nārāyaṇa. But when he saw Nārāyaṇa, then his all material desires finished. He said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "I came to ask You for some benefit, material benefit. Now, by seeing You I am so satisfied that I have no more any desire to ask for." This is the ultimate stage, no more desire. We may begin with desire, but perfection is that, when there is no more desire. That is the beginning of bhakti.
Why is barking? So invisible Viṣṇudūtas, they are always everywhere. Just like police constables, Yamadūtas are there, and Viṣṇudūtas are there. Civil guard and the police constables, both are there. So Yamadūtas' business is to arrest the sinful. That is their... Here everyone is sinful. Nobody is free from sin. That is the position of this material world. So Yamadūtas are searching or taking away. Just after leaving this body, one is taken away by Yamadūta to the place of Yamadūta. There is a planet described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So those who are very sinful, they are dragged through hot desert. They cannot... They fall down. Such persons fall down, but still, he is dragged through the desert. These descriptions are there. Sometimes we feel like that. So there is a planet. So sinful persons are arrested and taken to Yamadūtas. Similarly, Viṣṇudūtas are there. Bhūtāni viṣṇoḥ sura-pūjitāni. Sura means demigod. The residents of the higher planets, they also respect, show their obeisances, respectful obeisances, to these assistants of..., Viṣṇudūtas, sura-pūjitāni. Durdarśa-liṅgāni. Durdarśa, very rarely seen. Because the Ajāmila was practically the only case who was taken from the clutches of the Yamadūta. Otherwise there is no need of their coming. But there are still devotees. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: (BG 4.9) "After leaving this body they do not come again to take birth in this material world, but they come to Me." So those who are eligible to go back to Godhead, they are taken by Viṣṇudūta as guides. But durdarśa-liṅgāni, they are very rarely to be seen because directly going to Vaikuṇṭha after leaving this body, such persons are also very rare.
The Pāṇḍavas, they were bereft of their kingdom, although Kṛṣṇa was present there, Kṛṣṇa as their friend was present there. Still they became bereft of their kingdom, they lost their property, their wife was insulted, they were driven away to the forest—although Kṛṣṇa was there. This question was inquired by Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja to Kṛṣṇa, "How is that?" Indirectly he inquired that "You are our friend, and why we are put into such difficulty?" So Kṛṣṇa replied to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja that "This is My special favor. This is My special favor." Sometimes we do not, we cannot understand the special favor of Kṛṣṇa. So this frustration of these boys, these American boys or English boys, in the materialistic way of life is a good sign for accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are searching after something nice. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course, it does not require to become poor to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but if anyone has the desire that "I will become spiritually advanced; at the same time I shall enjoy this material life," that is not possible. These are two contradictory things. You have to become determined to be happy in spiritual life. That is real happiness. And this human form of life is specially meant for coming to that standard of spiritual life by tapasya, by voluntarily rejecting materialistic way of life. Therefore you will find in the history of India many great kings, even at very young age they left. Just like Bhārata Mahārāja. Bhārata Mahārāja, at the age of twenty-four years only, he left his young wife, young children and the whole empire, Bharatvarsa, and went to the forest for meditation. There are many instances.
Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim. Actually his interest is Viṣṇu. Just like a small child is crying. Then what is the child's interest? It is searching after the mother's breast. So anyone who knows, immediately he takes the child and brings to the mother, "Take care of your child. She is crying." And the mother takes on the breast. The child is immediately happy. The child cannot express what does he want, but he is simply crying. But one who knows what for she is crying or he is crying, he takes that, he helps with the child, and then the child is happy. Similarly, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa or the Supreme Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead, we are actually crying for Kṛṣṇa. But these false leaders, these blind leaders, they do not know. They are giving... Instead of bread, they are giving stone. How one can be happy? That is the position. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahiḥ I have already explained—external energy, gross external energy and subtle external energy. So those who are interested with the gross external energy and subtle external energy, their ambition of life will never be fulfilled. Durāśayā. Those who are interested with Viṣṇu, and one who is showing the path of Viṣṇu, he is his real friend. One who is giving Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is the real friend of the world. All others, leading to the external energy, they cannot give any happiness to this human society. That is the explanation given by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31).
So we are trying to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is very difficult task because people are so much addicted to material enjoyment that they do not like this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, although this is the objective, aim, and ultimate goal of human life: how to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Since we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa means God. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). This is the verdict of the Vedic literature, that people are searching after God, making great research work to find out what is God. Most people, they are not interested in God. At the present moment, especially in this Kali-yuga, they are not interested in God consciousness.
Certainly. Unless he is anxious to learn, what is the use of going to spiritual master? There is no need. That I already said. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. One must be very inquisitive. But inquisitive about what? For the supreme benefit. He should be inquisitive to learn the supreme. Then he has the necessity of searching out or approaching a spiritual master. If there is no such demand, then there is no necessity of going to a spiritual master or accepting a spiritual master. A spiritual master should not be accepted as a matter of phobia(?). Just like you keep some pet dog or cat, similarly if you want to keep one spiritual master, there is no profit. You see? You must be qualified to in..., inquisitive to understand the spiritual science, and the spiritual master should be also qualified to answer your inquisitiveness. Then the relationship is nice, not one-sided. Yes?
The soul is the production of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore ultimately, He is our dearmost friend. We are trying to love somebody. That somebody is a perverted reflection of Kṛṣṇa. Actually... Just like the child. The child is searching after the mother's breast. And it is crying. If somebody takes the child, he's not satisfied. Because he cannot express that "I want my mother." Similarly, we are hankering after loving Kṛṣṇa in a perverted way. But because we have no information of Kṛṣṇa, we have forgotten our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are loving this body, that body. Ultimately, I am loving a cat or dog or something else. The love is there, but we have misplaced the love. As soon as we replace our love to Kṛṣṇa, then our perfection of love is manifested and our perfection of life is also achieved. Lord Caitanya preached this philosophy that premā pum-artho mahān. Prema, prema means love. His philosophy, Lord Caitanya's philosophy, is ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ. Vrajeśa-tanayaḥ means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of the king of Vraja, Vṛndāvana. Therefore And tanaya means son. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His propagation, His teaching, the substance of His teaching is that Kṛṣṇa is the most worshipable object. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam.
Now, suppose you have got the seed of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, now it is your duty to become a gardener. How? Mālī hañā sei bīja kara āropaṇa, śravaṇa kīrtana jale kara secana Just like you sow a seed in your garden or in your house and put some little water daily and it grows gradually, similarly, if you have captured the seed of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, just pour water on it of this hearing and chanting. Then it will one day fructify. It will never be lost. It will grow, grow, grow. And when it is fully grown and the fruit is there... And what is that fruit? That fruit is love of Godhead. Then your life is successful. So it should be begun from the childhood. That is the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja.
- kaumāraṁ ācaret prājño
- dharmān bhāgavatān iha
- durlābhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
- tad apy adhruvam arthadam
This human life is also not permanent, but you can acquire a permanent thing. This is the opportunity. Therefore it should be learned from the very beginning of your life. Now next line he says
- yathā hi puruṣasya iha
- viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam
- yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānām
- priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt
Very important. We are searching after a lover. That day the boys were singing, what is that singing? You said?
Jaya. Better find out somebody to love. That is the problem. That is the problem of this life. Everyone is there... Now, after disappointment they say that "I had tried to find out somebody, girl or boy, to love, but I was, I mean to say, frustrated, disappointed. Now I find the dog is the best friend." Yes. Actually, they say like that. "We find the dog is the best friend." Is it not? Yes. Why? Everyone is searching after to love somebody. That's a fact. Because we are lover. Our constitutional position is lover. Prahlāda Mahārāja says that Viṣṇu, your loving object is Viṣṇu. So try to love Viṣṇu, then your life will be successful. You'll feel satisfaction. Yayātmā suprasīdati. You'll feel, "Oh, I have got something now. Now I have got this loving object." In another place Prahlāda Mahārāja said na te viduḥ svārtha gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. They do not know what is their actual loving object. That is Viṣṇu. And in the Vedic mantra, Ṛg mantra, it is said, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. Those who are demigods, they are always sūrayaḥ. Sūrayaḥ means Just like Aryans and non-Aryans. Then there's suri and asuri, or sura or asura. Asura, asura means demons, and sura, just the opposite. Or Aryans and non-Aryans. So the Aryans Aryans, the real meaning, the Sanskrit word, "Aryans," means progressive. We have historically made a class of men. No. Aryan civilization means who is progressive, advancing. They are intelligent. They are fair-complexioned. Therefore Aryan means progressive. So they know.
There are so many nice workmanship in stone. That means spent thousands and thousands of dollars. In here also I find so many nice churches, they have been spent by persons. What is the idea? The idea is anyone who has got some money, he wanted to satisfy God. So it doesn't matter what you are doing, but the test of your success will be considered as successful if you try to satisfy God. Because we are, whole life, we are dragging from God. "God give us our daily bread," and God is supplying daily bread. Otherwise, where you are getting bread? You say, "I am purchasing from the market." Oh, where the storekeeper got this wheat? It is produced by agriculture. But do you think that simply by machine it is now produced? No. Unless there is some natural favorable condition, you cannot produce. There are five causes. The land, labor, capital, organization, and Bhagavad-gītā accepts daiva, another cause. Daiva means godly. You may arrange everything but if God is against you, in spite of your all arrangement, everything will be failure. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. They have searched out five causes for success. So out of the five causes, daiva, daiva means the favor of God, that has been taken as the means for any successful thing.
"This son is not yet posted in a nice post, the daughter is not married." So many things. So old man is thoughtful, thinking, and the young men, they are after boys and girls, and the children, they are playing. So Śaṅkarācārya is lamenting, bālasya tāvad kriyāsaktas taruṇas tāvat taruṇī-raktaḥ, vṛddhas tāvat cinta-magnaḥ parame brahmaṇi ko 'pi na lagnaḥ. "I do not see anybody searching after God consciousness." Every one is engaged in a different way.
So unless we train the children from the very beginning of life, just we send to school, they learn so many things, ABCD... Similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be taught from the very beginning. Otherwise, while he's grown up, either he'll be engaged in searching after boy or girl or in playing or in family matters, or so many problems, to solve, so many problems, political, social. They'll be all engaged. Then one day, (makes sound) khat!, the death will come. The cruel death will not wait. "Oh, my dear sir, now come on." "Oh, I have got so many duties." "No. Finished. Come on." I have seen practically. One of my friends at Allahabad, he died at the age of 54 years. He was very rich man, doing business. So he was seriously ill, and he was begging the doctor, "My dear doctor, can you not give me at least four years life more? I have got some scheme, I could not finish it." Just see. Everyone is thinking like that. He has got a scheme, but he has no scheme where he is going either to hell or heaven. That scheme he has forgotten. He's trying to make scheme so long this fifty years, hundred years. You see? This is going on. Parame brahmaṇi ko 'pi na lagnaḥ. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Don't misuse your, this boon of life, this human form of life. Just begin from the beginning."
Bhāgavata means in relationship with God. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma means we are presenting God. People are searching out whether there is God, God is dead or alive. But we are giving, "Here is God. Here is His name, here is His address, here is His activities." Everything we are giving distinctly. Not blindly, but there is philosophy, there is reason, there is logic, and these are all stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, sixty volumes. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that everyone from the very childhood, that means when education begins, this bhāgavata-dharma. Otherwise, we are missing the point. We are missing the opportunity of this human form of life. We are simply living like cats and dogs and dying like cats and dogs. And if we maintain that mentality like cats and dogs, then next life... Because we are given the opportunity by nature to utilize our consciousness, to utilize our intelligence, to understand God. But if we do not utilize, if we live like cats and dogs, then next life we have to accept, by nature's law, the body of cats and dog. This is bhāgavata-dharma. This is an opportunity. Here is the opportunity to make your choice whether again you are going to be cats and dogs or whether you are going to be elevated to the highest position, back to home, back to Godhead.
Bhāgavata-dharma means, as we have discussed yesterday morning, that Kṛṣṇa Himself is explaining bhāgavata-dharma. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru mām evaiṣyasi (BG 18.65). The real aim of life is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. They do not know it. Na te viduḥ. Generally, people do not know what is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuḥ. All the Vedic mantra says. The Ṛg Veda mantra says, om tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. That is the... Everyone must meditate upon Lord Viṣṇu. Meditation means to think of Lord Viṣṇu within the heart. I think we have seen many pictures that īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61), the Supreme Lord is sitting in everyone's heart, and that Lord's mūrti form is Viṣṇu-mūrti. So dhyāna, yoga, all this means to concentrate the mind in Viṣṇu-mūrti. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Yogi, what is their business? Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā. Concentrating the mind, meditating upon the Viṣṇu-mūrti. Nowadays, they have invented some system of yoga, some light, something like that. But that is not the sastric injunction. Sastric injunction is to think of Lord Viṣṇu within the heart. He's already there, and we have to search out. That is called meditation. That is called dhyāna.
So to control over the material urges, that is required in spiritual... We have to come to the spiritual platform. That is called tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam (SB 5.5.1). We are searching after happiness, but in the material world you cannot have happiness. That is a fact. Whatever little happiness you get, that is also distress. One has to attain to that stage of happiness with(out) distress. So that is a long history; everyone knows that happiness is not possible. But we arrange to get so-called... Happiness means sense gratification. That is not happiness. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad ātindriya grāhyam (BG 6.21). Directly sense perception is not happiness. These things are in the Bhagavad-gītā, you will find: sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyaṁ grāhyam. Ātindriyam means beyond these material senses, transcendental, there is another happiness. That is transcendental bliss. That we perceive little bit while we are chanting. By chanting, chanting, chanting, when you'll be purified, then you will have the opportunity of tasting that transcendental bliss. Otherwise, the so-called happiness derived from the senses, that is not happiness. That is crude, that is for the fools and rascals. That is not happiness.
She cannot be separated. But if anyone attempts like that, he'll be ruined. He'll be ruined. The example is Rāvaṇa. So at the present moment people are very much fond of śrī, money. Śrī-aiśvaryā. Śrī-aiśvaryā. Śrī-aiśvaryā prajepsavaḥ. General people, they want śrī, money, or beauty, beautiful woman. Śrī-aiśvaryā, money, riches. Śrī aiśvaryā prajepsavaḥ. Prajā. Prajā means family, society, money. They want. So Śrī is always hankered after, searched after. But do not try to keep Śrī alone. Then you'll be ruined. This is the instruction. You do not try to keep Śrī alone. Keep always with Nārāyaṇa. Then you'll be happy. Keep Nārāyaṇa. So those are riches, those who have got riches, rich, they should worship Nārāyaṇa also with that money. Spend money. Money is meant for service of Nārāyaṇa. So if you have got money, don't spoil it like Rāvaṇa, but engage it in Kṛṣṇa's service. If you have got money, just spend it for very costly temple, for installing Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Sītā-Rāma, like that. Don't spoil your money in other way. Then you'll always remain rich. You'll never become poor. But as soon as you try to cheat Nārāyaṇa, that "I have taken Your Lakṣmī," you starve. That policy is very bad.
So in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the so-called religiosity, which is more or less cheating, is projjhita, prakṛṣṭa-rūpena ujjhita, is completely swept over. So dharma artha kāma mokṣa is not the highest perfection. Generally, people, they take to religiosity for material gain, artha, dharma, artha. And material gain means to satisfy the senses, kāma. And when they are frustrated in satisfying the senses, they then want mokṣa. So after keeping in mokṣa, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā... Mokṣa means this world is false, and Brahman is satya. But because he has no Brahman engagement, therefore, even after leaving everything to search out Brahman, he comes again back to this material world for philanthropy work, for feeding the poor, for hospitalization. So this is coming and going, coming and going, coming and going. So real status of perfection is that you have to transcend even this position of mokṣa. Dharmaḥ projjhita kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). The Śrīdhara Swami, a great commentator on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he says, atra mokṣa, mokṣābhisandhy api nirastam: "Oh, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is above the idea of liberation."
So this ordinary buddhi will not... Everyone has got intelligence. Even the ant has got intelligence. We study sometime: the sparrow, he has got intelligence. But the perfect intelligence is there when one is in bhakti-yoga, in searching of... athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one is searching after the Absolute Truth, that is buddhi-yoga. Buddhi-yoga. Here is also yoga. Na ārādhanāya. This ordinary material buddhi, material wealth, material beauty, these things are not competent to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Na ārādhanāya. Nārādhanāya bhavanti: "These are useless." So don't be disappointed that "Because I am poor, I cannot become devotee." Everyone can become devotee, ā-bāla-vṛddha-vāṇītaḥ, even the children. Just see how the children, they are dancing, they are chanting, they are offering obeisances. That is bhakti-yoga. Apratihatā. "Because they are children, they cannot become a devotee"—it is not that, the fact. Everyone can become devotee, provided he is properly guided. That is required.
He is full of all knowledge. You are almost full of all knowledge, but not exactly like Kṛṣṇa. And especially in your conditional life you are covered. All your knowledge is covered. Even that fragmental knowledge is also covered. Therefore you are in illusion. Because we are fragmental, therefore we are subjected to be covered by the illusory spell. Just like the sky and the sun. Sometimes there is covering by cloud. The cloud covers a few miles or the cloud covers the eyes of living entities like us, but the cloud does not cover the sun or the whole sky. That is not possible. But a fragmental portion of the sky is covered by cloud, and because we are very teeny, if the cloud is spread only for ten miles we think, "Now the sun is covered." The sun is never covered. Similarly, the illusory energy cannot cover Kṛṣṇa, but it can cover you. And we are in this covering condition. Therefore we have forgotten our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Now we have to uncover by Kṛṣṇa's grace, or we'll have to go to the sunlight. It is not that the sun is covered by clouds. Where there is no cloud, if you go there, you'll get full advantage of the sunlight. Similarly, we have to search out place where there is no cloudy understanding. There must be clear understanding. Then you'll find yourself satisfied in the light.
Similarly, without loving God, you cannot love, exhibit love, in any way. You may advertise yourself, universal brotherhood and so on, so on. This will be all failure because the center is missing. The present defect is that the center is missing; therefore there is no peace in the world. So we have to search out the center. What is that center?
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
- (BG 10.8)
One who has searched out the center, Kṛṣṇa, that "Here is the fountainhead of everything," iti matvā bhajante mām, the intelligent person engages himself in the service of the Supreme Lord and thus he gets peace and prosperity of life.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, trying to pacify the Lord, that "This, Your incarnation, is for the benefit of Your servants, vidhi-karāḥ." Vidhi-karāḥ means servant. Vidhi-kṛt. Vidhi means law and order, and one who executes the law and order, they are called vidhi-karā. So all the demigods, they are appointed by the Supreme Lord to execute the law and order. Because this material world is a chaotic condition, therefore there is necessity of law and order. In the spiritual world there is no such thing. In spiritual world everyone knows that "The Lord is our master, and we are all servants." That is spiritual world. And material world means that "Why there should be one master? We are all master. Why you are searching after one God? Don't you see? All we are Gods, loitering in the street, especially the poor God, daridra-nārāyaṇa." This is all material conception. Lord is one, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, declares, in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more superior authority than Me." In many places... Asamaurdhva. Asama, nobody can be equal with God, neither anybody can be higher than Him. That is God. So God is one. There cannot be two Gods. Then there is no meaning of God. Now they manufacture God. In every street, every lane, there is a God.
So therefore, to understand Kṛṣṇa is not very easy job. But by the grace of Kṛṣṇa You can understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself. That is Kṛṣṇa, great. You take. And again Kṛṣṇa is coming as Caitanya Mahāprabhu to show us the way how to understand Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu means Kṛṣṇa Himself, present to teach us how to understand Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is so kind: He is coming Himself. He's teaching Bhagavad-gītā. Again He is coming as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as devotee, to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). He's not only teaching Kṛṣṇa but love of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when He personally came, He did not teach how to love Him. He simply asked, "You rascal, surrender to Me." That's all. "You are all rascals. You have forgotten Me. I am the Supreme. You are searching after so many wrong things. You have created so many so-called occupational and religious duties, but these are all useless." That much. But again Kṛṣṇa came to teach people how to love Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī offers his respect to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, namo mahā-vadanyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te: (CC Madhya 19.53) "You are not only giving Kṛṣṇa but giving love of Kṛṣṇa." That is very rare thing. Prema pumārtho mahān. People are after dharma, after kāma, mokṣa, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, above this, there is fifth perfection. That is prema, Kṛṣṇa-prema." Prema pumārtho mahān.
But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is above these four principles of materialistic way of thinking. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to inquire the value of life and the destination of life. We advocate that human form of life is meant neither for religious ritualistic performances or economic development or for sense gratification or for so-called searching after liberation. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that jīvasya tattva-jijñāsaḥ. We have to accept economic development so far as we keep our body and soul together, fit for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We do not recommend that unnecessarily you should give trouble to the body. We do not recommend any man to go to the forest for spiritual realization. We simply recommend that you try to understand what is your constitutional position. If you actually think or meditate very cool-headed what is your actual position, first of all you shall realize that you are not this body. If you meditate in a solitary place... Meditation means to keep yourself alone and in a solitary place. So in the beginning, if you meditate as to "What I am? Am I this body? Am I this mind? Am I this intelligence?" in this way, if you search out, you will find that you are neither of these. Ultimately, you'll search out that you are consciousness.
So if one is intelligent, he takes immediately: "Oh, it is so nice. He'll give me all protection? Let me surrender." Business finished in one second. But if he's a rascal, he wants to search out, make research work, then bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many many births it will take... So best thing is, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, prapannam. Arjuna says, prapannam, śādhi māṁ prapannam. This is wanted. Be surrendered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and be saved from these clutches of māyā.
Thank you very much. (end)
So Prahlāda Mahārāja is Vaiṣṇava. He could understand that "Everything in this material world, even the possession of my father, will be finished. There is no doubt. So what is the use of possessing such thing which will be finished?" Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). This is intelligent person decision, that "Everything in this material world, this body, or anything in relativity with this body will be finished." Kṛṣṇa says and the devotees know it. Therefore they do not want anything of this material possession. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us to develop that mentality. "Don't want anything, material possession. It is... However it may be long duration, but it will be finished. But you are eternal. Nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. You are the owner of this body. You are eternal." So we should be searching after eternal happiness, eternal life, eternal engagement. That is success of life. And if we hanker after temporary things, that is not very good intelligence. Therefore bhakti means when one is convinced that "Anything of this material world cannot make me happy." That is... That conviction is the beginning of pure devotion. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). You have to make zero everything material. That can be possible as we advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So when Hiraṇyakaśipu was very much proud, unnecessarily challenging Prahlāda that "You are not accepting my philosophy that I am God. You are searching after another God. All right, let me kill you and I'll see how your God can give you protection..." That was his challenge. Yes. So Prahlāda Mahārāja knew it, that "Unless Kṛṣṇa desires, you cannot kill me." Therefore it is asat-vidhi. If one is very much proud and challenges the authority of the Supreme, that is asat; that is not sat. Rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke, māre kṛṣṇa rākhe ke. Prahlāda Mahārāja knew it, that "You may challenge me, but I know you cannot kill me." He was confident devotee. "All right, "I am also challenging. I am standing here. Let me be killed by you." So that is not possible. Asad-vidhitsus mad-aparo 'vatu kaṁ harāmi. And so it was challenged by the Hiraṇyakaśipu that "You are searching after another God than me. Now I shall kill you. Let me see how another God..." This is demonic. The demonic means atheist and unnecessarily, falsely, very much proud of their knowledge. This is demonic. This morning as I was talking, the so-called scientists, they are falsely proud and challenge, "There is no God. Everything..." That is demonic. So in the Kali-yuga the demonic spirit is very very prominent. Everyone is thinking, "I am God." So it is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy to cure all these madmen. Madmen.
So this is the important point, that sa tu ātma-yonir ativismita. He became very much surprised: "Wherefrom I am coming, and where I am situated? What is the purpose?" So to understand all these intricacies, he had to undergo... It was ordered: tapo. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there was a sound vibration. When Brahmā was perplexed there was a sound vibration. That sound vibration was indirectly said that "You undergo tapasya. Tapasya. Then you'll understand wherefrom you have come, why you have come, what is your business. These things will be revealed." Tapasya. So that tapasya he had to perform many hundreds years. Nābhinandat, avindad abda-śatam apsu. Not only he... He had to go underneath the water, apsu, and he performed tapasya there. Just imagine how much difficult it was to go underneath the water. He first of all wanted to search out "Wherefrom my birth is?" Then he saw the stem of the lotus flower on which he was sitting, and then he found there is water. So he went within the water. It is said, apsu. And there he executed tapasya.
We are fallen down from the spiritual kingdom to this material world on account of desiring to fulfill our material senses. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He has given us the Vedic literatures. Anādi bahir mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela. This is the statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā. Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa anadi... Anadi means before the beginning of this creation. The beginning of this creation is called ādi, beginning, but our forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa is anādi. Anādi. Anādi bahir mukha. We are working in this life, in this material world, struggling for existence to get happiness. That is the aim of life. But because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we do not know the source of happiness. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The ānandamaya-vigraha, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Still, we are searching after ānanda, blissfulness. This is our struggle for existence. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). We are in this prakṛti, in this material nature, prakṛti-sthāni, and, being dictated by the mind, making plans to become happy, but that is not possible. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni. This is... Due to our forgetfulness, we are struggling for existence to get happiness, but because we do not know what is the source of happiness, it is called struggle for existence. This is going on.
So in order to... Dharmasya. Dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. Kama is also required for whom? Ajitendriyāṇām, one who cannot control. But one who can control... If one is trained up properly, he can control. He doesn't require anything. Because any activities of this material world, they may be utilized for systematic proper peace, peaceful condition of the social, political. But after all, they are material. Material means unwanted. Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja has said, dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali saman. In this material word we sometimes say, "This is very good, and this is very bad." Kavirāja Gosvāmī says, "This 'bad' or 'good,' it has no meaning. They are simply mental concoction." Because in the material world everything is bad. The so-called good is bad, and bad is bad. Therefore we have to search out how to get out, āpavarga. This is there, how to make these material activities null and void. They are useless. That is the recommendation of Prahlāda Mahārāja, and that can be done directly simply by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is not Prahlāda Mahārāja's own word, but Kṛṣṇa says.
There are two common questions. Everyone, so many people, come to us. Their first question is that "I am not getting peace in my mind. How can I get peace?" Yes, how can you get peace? You have no connection with the Supreme Person. Kuto śānty ayuktasya. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is... How you can get peace? It is impossible. Many examples we have given many times. A child is crying. Everyone is trying to pacify the child, still crying. But as soon as the mother takes the child on the breast, immediately pacified. This is the... You are searching after peace life after life, moment after mo..., hour after... You cannot have peace unless you come to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not possible. Therefore it is advised, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido (SB 1.5.18). For that purpose, how you can see God or you can please God, tasyaiva, hetoḥ, for that purpose only, prayateta, one should endeavor. No other endeavor. Human life is meant for... That is Vedānta-sūtra. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Where is Brahman? Where is the Absolute Truth? Where is God? Govinda-viraheṇa me.
| Page Title: | Searching (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 03 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=187, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 187 |