What for these Vedas and Purāṇas are meant? Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. We have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Therefore to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so many Vedic literatures are there. So many.
So this life is meant for utilizing this body . . . tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Sattva. Sattva, our sattva, or existence, is not now pure. It is . . . because it is not pure, therefore we have to migrate, transmigrate from one body to another according to our desire, according to our karma. Nature is giving you.
Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). We have been given a vehicle. Now we have got this nice vehicle, this human body, vehicle, moving. But if we don't utilize it as human being, then it . . . we shall get another vehicle like dogs and hogs. Sometimes no movement, stand up for seven thousand years as a tree. Not as a tree; as tree. Yes. So this is going on.
So the first essential knowledge, to know that "I am not this body." We are working so hard . . . body means the senses. The senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhiḥ (BG 3.42). So we have to transcend this bodily concept of life. Bodily concept of life means sense gratification. That's all.
The, the bodily . . . I am, because I'm thinking I am this body, therefore I must satisfy my eyes by seeing something beautiful. I must satisfy my tongue by eating so many things which are even forbidden in the śāstras. But my tongue wants it, I must take it. So bodily concept of life means satisfying these gross material senses. That is bodily concept of life. But gradually, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by training ourself how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then our business will be how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.
Now we are satisfying our senses. That is bodily concept of material existence. And when we train ourself how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, oh, then that is our perfection of life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The process is there. Either you satisfy your senses or you satisfy the proprietor of the senses. Kṛṣṇa is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka. Hṛṣīka means the senses. And Kṛṣṇa is called Hṛṣīkeśa. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me 'cyuta (BG 1.21). Hṛṣīkeśa. Tvayā hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣṭitena. So Hṛṣīkeśa.
So bhakti means hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Now hṛṣīka, indriya. Now, at the present moment, we are satisfying the senses for the sense only. We have no other higher objective. Sense wants to eat something palatable, although it is not good for me, either from health point of view, or spiritual point of view . . . just like meating eat (sic) or drinking intoxication.
This is not good, either for health or for my spiritual advancement. But because my tongue wants it, I have become my servant of my tongue. I want should be satisfied. This is the material condition. Because I, I don't want to serve Kṛṣṇa, I want to serve my tongue. Tā'ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre.
We have got different senses. Out of all the senses, this tongue is very strong. Tongue is very strong. Therefore śāstra says, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By these blunt senses, we cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. We cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa's name, what is Kṛṣṇa's fame, what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's quality. We cannot understand. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says:
- manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
- kaścid yatati siddhaye
- yatatām api siddhānāṁ
- kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
- (BG 7.3)
To understand Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. So śāstra says that it can be made easy. It can be made easy. How? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). If you simply engage your tongue in the service of the Lord. This one method. Simply engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, God will be revealed.
(aside) Come on.
God will reveal Himself. You cannot see God. You cannot see Kṛṣṇa. But when He reveals Himself . . . just like at night you cannot see the sun. But when the sun reveals himself, it is not by your effort. In due course of time, sun will arise in the morning. You can see the sun, you can see yourself, you can see the whole world.
So try to reveal Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to see Kṛṣṇa. Because with your eyes, with your senses, these material blunt senses, we cannot see. It is not . . . ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi . . . (break) Ah, we're chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, but we are not making progress because we have not come to the stage how to hear Kṛṣṇa's name. But practice it. Practice it, that we shall come.
So this practice is recommended, śastra, that by the our these blunt senses it is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. Indriyaiḥ. This is our . . . our property is the indriyaiḥ. Then how? Now, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. Jihvādau, beginning from tongue.
This is a science. You try to understand. Everything begins by seeing or by touching, by tasting, like that. But here also the tasting. So sevonmukhe hi jihvādau: if you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, the Lord will reveal Himself. Therefore we restrict our student, restrict our student to control the tongue: don't eat flesh, meat or fish—don't drink. This is controlling the tongue.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, tā'ra madhye jihvā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati: tongue is very fastidious, very greedy and very difficult to control it. Actually it is very difficult to control. I have no hunger, but still my tongue dictates, "Oh, yes! It is very nice. Why don't you take? Yes." You see? Three plates finished, and then next day, "Ah! Ah!" It is the dictation of the tongue. Therefore the tongue is most formidable enemy.