Indian man: (laughs) So you are always reaching from bhakti point. That is too high for mundane people to reach.
Prabhupāda: That is bhakti, high, highest. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). If you have real bhakti, then you can understand Viṣṇu. To know Viṣṇu—avan manasā-gocara: it is very difficult.
- manuṣyāṇāṁ sahareṣu
- kaścit yatati siddhaye
- yatatām api siddhānāṁ
- kaścid vetti. . .
- (BG 7.3)
To understand Viṣṇu—very, very difficult. And . . . if, but you can understand Viṣṇu by bhakti. So bhakti is so easy thing.
Kīrtanānanda: How about if a disciple wants to use the help of Viṣṇu for the spiritual master?
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Kīrtanānanda: A disciple wants to take the aid of Viṣṇu for serving the spiritual master.
Prabhupāda: Hah. That is nice. That is for curing Viṣṇu's representative. When we were in danger, there was so much obstruction for constructing the temple, and we prayed to Kṛṣṇa that it should stopped. We prayed to Kṛṣṇa, "Please give Your protection." That is for Viṣṇu's purpose.
(break) . . . Bhagavad-gītā, arto 'rthārthī jijñāsur (BG 7.16): when one is in distress, he comes to Kṛṣṇa. So that is not pure bhakti. Pure bhakti means "I shall not take a farthing from Kṛṣṇa; I shall give everything to Kṛṣṇa." That is pure bhakti. "I shall not take any return from Viṣṇu." Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "I am not a merchant, that for my service I take some return for it." No. But sometimes when, since we are not pure devotees, we have no other alternative than to beg Kṛṣṇa for some material benefit. That is also good. They have said, catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ, they're pious. Although they are not pure devotee, but they are pious. But the duṣkṛtinaḥ, they do not approach Him. That is the difference.
- catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ
- sukṛtino'rjuna
- arto 'rthārthī jijñāsur
- jñānī ca bharatarṣabhā
- (BG 7.16)
They are also good, pious. And one who does not go to Viṣṇu for any reason, they are most sinful. Here, although he goes to Viṣṇu for some material benefit, he is pious. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are impious, sinful, they do not go.