After performing this sacrifice, Vasudeva felt so satisfied that there was no limit to his happiness. All the members of his family were with him, and in their presence he caught hold of the hands of Nanda Mahārāja and addressed him thus: “My dear brother, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has created a great tie of bondage known as the bondage of love and affection. I think that it is a very difficult job for even the great sages and saintly persons to cut such a tie of love. My dear brother, you have exhibited feelings of love for me that I was not able to return. I think, therefore, that I am ungrateful. You have behaved exactly as is characteristic of saintly persons, but I shall never be able to repay you. I have no means to repay you for your friendly dealings. Nevertheless I am confident that our tie of love will never break. Our friendship must ever continue, in spite of my inability to repay you. I hope you will excuse me for this inability.
Difficult job
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
As for determination, one should follow the example of the sparrow who lost her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the shore of the ocean, but the big ocean carried away the eggs on its waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to return her eggs. The ocean did not even consider her appeal. So the sparrow decided to dry up the ocean. She began to pick out the water in her small beak, and everyone laughed at her for her impossible determination. The news of her activity spread, and at last Garuḍa, the gigantic bird carrier of Lord Viṣṇu, heard it. He became compassionate toward his small sister bird, and so he came to see the sparrow. Garuḍa was very pleased by the determination of the small sparrow, and he promised to help. Thus Garuḍa at once asked the ocean to return her eggs lest he himself take up the work of the sparrow. The ocean was frightened at this, and returned the eggs. Thus the sparrow became happy by the grace of Garuḍa.
Similarly, the practice of yoga, especially bhakti-yoga in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, may appear to be a very difficult job. But if anyone follows the principles with great determination, the Lord will surely help, for God helps those who help themselves.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 2
The Bhāgavatam in a nutshell, spoken by the Personality of Godhead in about half a dozen verses, which will appear ahead, is the science of God, and it is the potent representation of the Personality of Godhead. He, being absolute, is nondifferent from the science of God, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Brahmājī received this science of Godhead from the Lord directly, and he handed over the same to Nārada, who in his turn ordered Śrīla Vyāsadeva to expand it. So the transcendental knowledge of the Supreme Lord is not mental speculation by the mundane wranglers, but is uncontaminated, eternal, perfect knowledge beyond the jurisdiction of material modes. The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is therefore the direct incarnation of the Lord in the form of transcendental sound, and one should receive this transcendental knowledge from the bona fide representative of the Lord in the chain of disciplic succession from the Lord to Brahmājī, from Brahmājī to Nārada, from Nārada to Vyāsa, from Vyāsadeva to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, from Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Sūta Gosvāmī. The ripened fruit of the Vedic tree drops from one hand to another without being broken by falling suddenly from a high branch down to the earth. Therefore unless one hears the science of Godhead from the bona fide representative of the disciplic succession, as above mentioned, for one to understand the theme of the science of Godhead will be a difficult job. It should never be heard from the professional Bhāgavatam reciters who earn their livelihood by gratifying the senses of the audience.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
"I have brought a heavy load to sell in this city. To take it back again is a very difficult job; therefore if I get but a fraction of the price, I shall sell it here in this city of Kāśī."
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was selling the transcendental holy name of the Lord. But Kāśī was a city of Māyāvādīs (impersonalists), and such people will never chant the holy names of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Consequently Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was feeling disappointed. How could He teach the Māyāvādīs the importance of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra? The attraction for chanting the holy name of the Lord belongs absolutely to pure devotees, and there was no possibility of finding pure devotees at Kāśī. Consequently Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's commodity was certainly very heavy. The Lord therefore suggested that even though there were no pure devotees in Kāśī, if someone was a little inclined to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, He would deliver this big load, although the proper price was not paid.
Actually we experienced this when we came to preach the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement in the West. When we came to New York in 1965, we never expected that the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra would be accepted in this country. Nonetheless, we invited people to our storefront to join in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and the Lord's holy name is so attractive that simply by coming to our storefront in New York, fortunate young people became Kṛṣṇa conscious. Although this mission was started with insignificant capital, it is now going nicely. The spreading of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra in the West has become successful because the young people were not offenders.
“You should glorify the holy name and explain that one must carefully give up offenses when chanting the holy name. You should also describe the symptoms of a Vaiṣṇava and explain that one must give up or nullify all kinds of sevā-aparādha, offenses in Deity worship.
The devotee should always be very careful not to commit the ten offenses when chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. If a devotee very strictly follows the methods of Deity worship, he will naturally and quickly become a pure Vaiṣṇava. A pure Vaiṣṇava has unflinching faith in the Lord, and he does not deviate at all. He is always engaged in perfect Deity worship.
One should also note the specific offenses against Deity worship. These are mentioned in the Skanda Purāṇa (Avantī-khaṇḍa), spoken by Vyāsadeva himself. One should liquidate all kinds of offenses.
The śālagrāma-śilā should be worshiped with tulasī where a sufficient quantity of tulasī leaves are available. Worship of śālagrāma-śilā should be introduced in all ISKCON temples. Śālagrāma-śilā is the form of the Lord's mercy. To worship the Deity with the sixty-four items mentioned may be a difficult job, but the Lord has become so small that anyone in any temple can carefully handle Deity worship simply by performing the same activities with the śālagrāma-śilā.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Because any dharma which is not approved by the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, that is not dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). A human being or a demigod or very exalted person cannot manufacture dharma. That is not possible. Real dharma is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, and that real dharma is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "Just surrender unto me." This is real dharma. Surrender to Kṛṣṇa and follow His instruction; your life will be perfect. Because you follow the perfect instruction, therefore you are also perfect. Simple process. To become perfect, we have to follow the perfect instruction.
So in the Bhagavad-gītā there is perfect instruction. And if we take it as it is and follow it, then we become perfect. To become perfect is not very difficult job. But because we don't want to become perfect, because we want to be cheated, we do not become perfect. This is the difficulty. So we should know from the very beginning that Kṛṣṇa is transcendental. And all His activities, they are all transcendental. Although Kṛṣṇa appears just like ordinary human being... He does not appear like ordinary human being because Kṛṣṇa, when He was three months old only, He killed the Pūtanā rākṣasī. A three month's old child cannot kill such giant demon. It is not possible. Kṛṣṇa, when He was six or seven years old, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. So what is the difficulty for Kṛṣṇa? If Kṛṣṇa can float big, big gigantic planets in the air just like cotton swab floating, so is it very difficult for Kṛṣṇa to lift a mountain with His hand, with His finger? That is not difficult for Kṛṣṇa. But those who want to be cheated, when Kṛṣṇa shows His transcendental strength, they don't believe it, another cheating.
The magic, magician also can show magic. We have seen one magician, he created immediately so much coins—tung tung tung tung. Next moment it is all finished. So the life, they're missing the aim of life. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. Why? Manda-bhāgyāḥ. They are unfortunate. So you take it for granted. We are trying, even our Kṛṣṇa consciousness mission, we are trying to awaken. Still they are so unfortunate they cannot give up sense gratification. So unfortunate. Condemned, unfortunate. Repeatedly we are spending our gallons of blood—"Don't do this"—still they are doing. Cannot give up even sleeping. So condemned. Kali-yuga. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ.
So it is very difficult with these rascals. Very, very difficult. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja's Guru Mahārāja, Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, they were not preaching. They were disgusted that "I have no power to reform these rascals. Better don't bother. Let them go to hell. At least... Let them." But still, my Guru Mahārāja preached. He was so kind. And he asked us also to do the same thing. But it is very, very difficult job. People are so rascal, so condemned, so sinful. It is very, very difficult to raise them. Very difficult. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). So only those who are very fortunate, they will understand that "I am eternal," avināśi, "I am imperishable. I am put into this condition of perishable condition due to this my material body." So how to get out of it? They have no ambition. Just like dogs and cats. Simply sense gratification. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, how, very clearly explains. You try to understand what is the soul.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because people misunderstood Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa asked in the Bhagavad-gītā that "You surrender unto Me." What can He do? He's God. He's Kṛṣṇa. He's ask you, orders you: "You surrender. I take charge of you." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpe... But still, people misunderstood: "Oh, why shall I surrender to Kṛṣṇa? He's also a man like me. Maybe a little important. But why shall I surrender unto Him?" Because here the material disease is not to surrender. Everyone is puffed-up: "I am something." This is material disease. Therefore to become cured from this material disease, you have to surrender.
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
So unless you are prepared to surrender... That is a great difficult job for the materialistic person. Nobody wants to surrender. He wants to compete. Individually, person to person, family to family, nation to nation, everyone is trying to become the master. Where is the question of surrendering? There is no question of surrendering. So this is the disease. Therefore Kṛṣṇa demands that to cure this rascaldom, or most chronic disease, you surrender. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). "Then? If I surrender, then whole thing will be failure? My business, my plans, my, so many things...?" No. "I take charge of you. I take charge of you." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. "Don't be worried." So much assurance is there. Still, we are not prepared to surrender, This is our material disease. Therefore Kṛṣṇa came again as a devotee just to show how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32).
Therefore the whole Vedic literature is meant for how to control the senses. Yoga. Yoga indriya-saṁyama. That is yoga. Yoga means not to show some magic. This is the first-class magic. If you are practicing yoga... I have seen so many so-called yogis, but they cannot control the sense for smoking. You see. Smoking and so many things are going on. And still, they are passing on as yogi. What kind of yogi? Yogi means one who has controlled the senses. Śamena damena brahmacaryeṇa. There are... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is all explained where yoga system is described. And five thousand years ago, Arjuna was hearing about this yoga, controlling senses. So he was a gṛhastha, and politician also, because he belonged to the royal family. He was fighting for gaining victory over the kingdom. So Arjuna frankly said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me to become a yogi because this is very difficult job. You are asking me to sit down in a solitary place, in a sacred place, and in perpendicular state, simply looking on the point of your nose, of my nose, so many things You are... But it is not possible for me." He frankly refused. So Kṛṣṇa, just to encourage His friend and devotee... He could understand that Arjuna is becoming disappointed. He's frankly admitting that it is not possible for him. Actually, he's a politician.
Lord Caitanya says that "Every one of you become the spiritual master, every one of you. Why one, two? Every one of you." "Oh, spiritual master is very difficult job." No. No difficult job. Caitanya Mahā... Āmāra ājñāya: "Just try to carry out My order. That's all. Then you become spiritual master." And if you interpolate, if you put something nonsense, rubbish, to show your so-called rascal's education, then it is spoiled. Immediately spoiled. And if you present as it is, then it is pure.
Sarpocchiṣṭa-payo yathā. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgirṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathā, this message of Bhagavad-gītā is hari-kathā. Hari means the Supreme Lord. His word. Therefore it is warned that to "Do not try to hear this message of Hari or the Supreme Lord from rascal nondevotee. Do not try to hear." Why? Sarpocchiṣṭa-payo yathā. Just like milk is very nutritious food, but if a little milk is touched by the tongue of a serpent, whole thing is spoiled. A serpent, a very thin tongue, if he touches the milk, oh, the whole milk is spoiled. So if we take such milk, "Oh, milk is very nice," no. Because it is touched by the serpent's lip, it should not be taken. Similarly, any transcendental message, any Vedic literature, unless it is presented by a self-realized devotee, it is poison. You simply misunderstand the whole thing, and you do not get the benefit. Rather, you become a victim of misunderstanding.
Our fund of knowledge is very poor. We cannot present history of this present world more than three thousand years. But in the Vedic scripture we find history, millions and millions of years ago. That is the beauty of Vedic literature. So because we cannot find out in the modern day three thousand, more than three thousand years of chronological history, that does not mean that there was no history before and there was no historical incidences. No. That we should not conclude in that way.
Kṛṣṇa says that "I am speaking to you..." Sa evāyaṁ mayā te 'dya: (BG 4.3) "What I am speaking to you now, today, it is not new. It was spoken long, long before. It is that oldest system of yoga I'm speaking to you." Bhakto 'si. Bhakto 'si: "And why I am speaking to you?" This is the point to be noted, that bhakto 'si. This Bhagavad-gītā yoga is to be understood by a person who is a bhakta, who is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can understand it. Bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti rahasyam... Because there is a mystery, mystery of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is impossible to be adopted by a person who is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is the qualification. To understand, to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is rather a difficult job because unless one is a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, it will be a difficult problem. This, this very word, it suggests, bhakto 'si, that one's qualification must be that he's a devotee of Kṛṣṇa so that he can understand Bhagavad-gītā.
So any other question? That, that, that, I mean to say, authority, is very simple. It is not very difficult. Just like you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that self-realization, as far Bhagavad-gītā, was taught to Arjuna. Now, how Arjuna understood it, that is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. Simply if you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as Arjuna understood it, then you also become self-realized. So it is not a very difficult job. Unfortunately, people apply their own scholastic ideas in a different way and they murder the whole thing. You see? The simple thing is that if we understand it as it is, then it is as simple as anything. But if you want to...
Just like in our Bengal there is proverb, ghuriye nag nag naki.(?) Now, now, you are asking me... Just like sometimes we ask small child, "Where is your nose?" He says, "It is nose." "Where is your eye?" "It is eye." So that is a simple thing. But one child... Not child. One man is asked, "Where is your nose?" He says, "Oh, here is my nose." (laughter) "Here is my nose," this is simple thing. But one should show, "Oh, here is my nose." So Bhagavad-gītā is interpreted like that, "Here is my nose." Nobody shows that "Here is my nose." You see? So that is the difficulty. They have created difficult, create a situation of this Bhagavad-gītā under, I mean to say, catastrophe. So if you, any sincere student who will take Bhagavad-gītā as it is, this self-realization is as cheap as anything.
He has used very strong words, that persons who are miscreants, do not care for vice or virtue, never mind—they don't care which is vice and which is virtue—such persons, duṣkṛtina, those who are always engaged in vicious work, and those who are foolish... Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Narādhama means lowest of the mankind. And māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ, and one whose knowledge is deluded by the external energy. These people, they do not take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa. They do not like, although the opportunity is open for everyone. But we may not be like the miscreants, foolish, and lowest of the mankind. Let us become intelligent.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not very difficult job. It is the easiest and the highest, topmost type of yoga system. In the Twelfth Chapter, you'll find it explicitly stated that one who (is) always in devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, he is the first-class yogi. One who is always constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is the first-class yogi. And that is also stated in the last verse of the Sixth Chapter also, and it is accepted by great scholars and ācāryas. So here is an opportunity. It is very simple, very simple—simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Satataṁ cintayantaṁ viṣṇum. Smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur vismartavyo na jātucit. Always, simply if you think that Hare Kṛṣṇa, if you think simply Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, that is sufficient, even if you do not go into the Bhagavad-gītā, if you do not go in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, simply as you are chanting. Kṛṣṇa has given us the ear, and Kṛṣṇa has given us the tongue. No expense, no difficulty. You haven't got to go to college and take degrees to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is easy for the rich, for the poor, for the learned, for the fool, for the black, for the white, for the rich, for the poor, everyone. There is no distinction because(?) Kṛṣṇa is for everyone.
I'll give you one example, very nice example. In India there are different dresses of woman according to his (her) different position. There is in kāma-śāstra, in Manu-saṁhitā, they are mentioned. Of course, nowadays nobody is following. Just like by dress you can understand "Here is a woman who has got his (her) husband, her husband at home. Oh, here is a woman who has lost her husband. And here is an woman whose husband is out of home. Oh, here is a woman. Oh, she is prostitute." Simply by dress one can understand. Because to address woman is difficult job, so the society sanctioned different dresses. So according to that Vedic literature, when the husband is at home a woman is recommended to dress herself very nicely, very beautifully, just to enliven the husband. The husband, if he sees the wife nicely dressed and nicely, beautifully looking, then he takes some encouragement. And similarly, a woman, when her husband is away from home, she should dress very niggardly, very niggardly. Now, you find that the dress... At one time the woman is dressing niggardly, and at one time the woman is dressing very beautifully and nicely. But what is the purpose? The purpose is the husband.
And how you can meet justice by doing yourself injustice? Because you have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You do not know that Kṛṣṇa is original father and we are all sons. The tree is my brother, the ant is my brother, the bull is my brother, the American is my brother, the Indian is my brother, the Chinese my brother. This is universal. Therefore you have to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness before you talk of this nonsense universal brotherhood and this United Nations and all this nonsense. These are useless talks if you have no idea how to think of universal brotherhood or United Nations. Useless. Therefore they are talking for years, years. Still, they are the same fools. Don't you see? The United Nations, they have got their headquarters here. Simply talking nonsense. That's all. That is their business.
So unless there is full-fledged Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there cannot by any improvement of the world situation. You have to learn it. So how to do that? Kṛṣṇa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ. You have to develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Begin it. Now, begin, not begin it. That is a very difficult job. But you can do it. It is difficult. Just as we have got a few students here, sincere students, both boys and... They are developing. If not complete, but they are developing, Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, why they shall waste their time in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? They are developing. And it can be developed. You can develop love for anything if you try for it. But Kṛṣṇa development, Kṛṣṇa conscious development is very natural because Kṛṣṇa is not a thing belonging to a particular type of religion or sect or society. Kṛṣṇa claims that "I belong to everyone." Therefore, originally, you are all connected with Kṛṣṇa. Simply you have forgotten.
So this yoga system, as described herein, bhakti-yoga, it can be practiced by such persons who have developed such attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Others cannot. And if anyone is able to develop such attachment, then the result will be that he will understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, perfectly. However we may try to understand what is God by our different theories or speculation, it is a very difficult job to understand what is God. We may say that I have..., we have understood what is God, but it is not possible to understand God as He is, because we have got our limited senses and He is unlimited. How you can capture the Unlimited with your limited sense? But it is possible.
It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our senses are imperfect always. Even we cannot understand perfectly the material world. Just like we have seen so many planets and stars in the sky at night, but we do not know what they are. We do not know even what is this moon planet. We are trying for so many years, trying to go there in sputnik and... Even one planet. Even we do not know what varieties are there even in this planet. If you go on the sea, if you go on the sky, you are perfectly illusioned. So our knowledge is always imperfect. That we must admit. Foolishly, if we think we have acquired all sorts of knowledge, we have advanced in science, this is another foolishness. It is not possible.
So we have to prepare our eyes to see. We have to prepare our ears to hear about Kṛṣṇa. In this way we can see Kṛṣṇa. And this is the process, how to... Just like we use our tongue. That is one of our senses. So Kṛṣṇa says that raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). Everyone drinks water. So he tastes it, relishes the taste of the water. So as soon as he relishes the taste of the water, according to the direction of Bhagavad-gītā, he can see Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, by the tongue you can eat bhagavat-prasādam, the foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you taste the foodstuff offered to Kṛṣṇa, you immediately remember Kṛṣṇa, how nicely Kṛṣṇa has taken this foodstuff. So by the tongue you can begin. Simply by eating kṛṣṇa-prasādam, without reading any Vedic literature, without reading even Bhagavad-gītā, if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa, "How nicely Kṛṣṇa has tasted this foodstuff," you become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not very difficult job. Simply you have to follow the direction. That's all. But if you manufacture your own meaning, commentation on Bhagavad-gītā, then you are deviated. You are lost. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Then such kind of reading Bhagavad-gītā is simply waste of time and energy. That's all. Therefore those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, who are not hearing from Kṛṣṇa conscious personalities, they are simply wasting time.
So Kṛṣṇa is giving us intelligence that "If you do not go to the temple or do not hear to the ācārya, you can at least try to understand My presence when you see a flower or smell a flower." Is that very difficult job? Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. Even drinking water, even by seeing the sunshine, even by seeing the moonshine, or, if you are a Vedic scholar, by chanting om, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu, or even by hearing the sound vibration, or by seeing a flower, or smelling a flower, something brilliant... Just like the sun is brilliant, the moon is brilliant. Tejaś cāsmi. So wherefrom this brilliance comes? The brilliance is imitation, reflection of the bodily brilliance of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Brahma-sūtra, Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Then why we should disbelieve? We can see eye-to-eye that the sun is so brilliant. It is a material product only. But wherefrom the sun has come, so brilliant? Yac cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-mūrti, samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ. The brilliance and the temperature is unlimited. So wherefrom the brilliance comes? You can calculate yourself, that "The sun is composition of these chemicals, this material...," but why don't you produce? Why don't you produce an imitation sun so that you'll save so much money for electricity? At night you can get one sun in Bombay city.
This madness, this hallucination, this illusion of this material world, is very difficult to overcome. It is very difficult. But Lord Kṛṣṇa says, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). If anyone voluntarily, or understanding his miserable life, if he surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I forgot You for so many lives. Now I understand that You are my father, You are my protector. I surrender unto You." Just like a lost child goes to the father, "My dear father, it was my misunderstanding that I went away from your protection, but I have suffered. Now I come to you." The father embraces, "My dear boy, you come on. I was so much anxious for you all the days. Oh, it is happy that you have come back." The father is so kind. So we are in the same position. As soon as we surrender ourself to the Supreme Lord... That is not very difficult. A son's surrender to the father, is it very difficult job? Do you think is it very difficult job? A son is surrendering to his father. It is quite natural. There is no insult. Father is always superior. So if I touch the feet of my father, if I bow down before my father, it is glory. It is glorious for me. There is no insult. There is no difficulty. Why should we not surrender unto Kṛṣṇa?
So this is the process. Mām eva ye prapadyante. "All these bewildered living entities, when they surrender unto Me," māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14), "he has no more any miseries of life." He becomes at once under the protection of the father. You will find in the end of Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). When the father... When the child comes on the breast of his mother, the mother protects. If there is any danger, the mother is prepared to give her life first, then the child's life. Similarly, when we are under the protection of God, then there is no fear. We becomes fearless under the protection of God. The child... Small children, they have got this faith in the father and the mother. So we should take shelter of Kṛṣṇa—mām eva ye prapadyante. "Anyone who takes shelter unto Me, he is out of this danger at once." At once. So why not do this? Is it very difficult job? No. Then why the person do not take shelter? If it is so easy thing, a certain child is going to surrender unto the care of his father, it is so simple thing. Why people do not do this? Why? Because people are, I mean to say, challenging even the existence of God.
Kṛṣṇa says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), four things only. And mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.65). "By doing these four things, without any doubt, you come back to Me." And what are those four things? Man-manā bhava. "Always think of Me." That is very difficult job? You are seeing... (break) So man-manāḥ. And then you become bhakta. Unless you are bhakta, you cannot continue to think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad, mad-yājī. "Worship Me." So here is Kṛṣṇa, accepting everyone's worship. And what is the means of worship? Very simple. If you can offer very valuable things, that is all right. But if you think that you are poor man, you cannot supply any valuable things, Kṛṣṇa says, "Never mind." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). "Simply little flower, little fruit, if you offer Me with devotion, I accept." So there is no difficulty.
It is not chanted by the conditioned soul. It is not possible. Therefore not everyone can chant. You'll... You have seen it, experienced, that your chanting, dancing, is very in ecstasy, emotion. Others are standing without opening their mouth. They cannot chant. That is a very difficult job for them because it is the property of the liberated person, not for the conditioned soul.
Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, nirvṛtta-tarṣaiḥ. Tarṣaiḥ. Tṛṣṇa. Tṛṣṇa means hankering. Hankering. Just like if you are thirsty, you feel: "Where is water? Where is water? Where is water?" That is called tṛṣṇa. So nirvṛtta-tarṣaiḥ means one who has finished all hankering for material enjoyment. He's called nirvṛtta-tṛṣṇa. Nirvṛtta means finished. And tṛṣṇa means hankering. The same thing is described in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). Kāṅkṣati. Kāṅkṣati means if I hanker, that means still I am hungry or thirsty. But there is a position, brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20) position, by brahma-jijñāsā, that we can get relief of these two activities, hankering and lamenting. The material world, there are two things only: lamenting and hankering. Those who haven't... Those who do not possess, he's hankering. And those who have lost, they are lamenting. But they are two things only. Actually we do not possess. Somehow or other, if we possess, that is also lost.
To understand Kṛṣṇa is difficult job, because Kṛṣṇa says manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu: "In thousands and thousands of people, one may be interested for siddhi." What is that siddhi? Siddhi, perfection. The perfection is how to get out of these material clutches, how to stop this repetition of birth, death, old age and... That is called siddhi. So kaścid yatati siddhaye.
Who is interested? They are dying like cats and dogs. They have accepted, "Oh, death is..." That's all. But there is a solution of death, but they are not interested. They are prepared to die like cats and dogs. That's all. The human life is meant for making solution of birth, death, old age and disease, but they will not take it. "Oh, that's all right. Let us die." "You are going to accept a next life as a tree." "Never mind." They say like that. "I'll forget." "No, you'll have to stand up seven thousand years in one place." "That's all right." They have become so dull. This is called Kali-yuga. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Very slow, very bad. Manda means very bad. Sumanda-matayo, and if one has got some path or some sect, that is also adulterated, nuisance. Manda-matayoḥ. Manda-bhāgyaḥ, unfortunate. Even people have no idea what he's going to eat tomorrow. Actually, these things are coming. Manda-bhāgya, most unfortunate. Upadrutāḥ, always disturbed by so many natural disturbances, health disturbances, political disturbances. This is the position.
So there is great necessity of pushing on this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so that their life may be perfect. Although it is a difficult job, but still, we are trying our best. If people take advantage of this movement, then the whole problems of his life will be solved. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
But the difficulty is that Kṛṣṇa does not eat all nonsense. And one has to eat all nonsense. So therefore they are not... They are afraid of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Yes. Because they'll be forbidden. Kṛṣṇa said, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). Kṛṣṇa is limiting. He can eat everything. He can... Just like in Vṛndāvana, He swallowed the fire. So for Kṛṣṇa to eat meat is not very difficult job. He can eat, because He is Kṛṣṇa, all-powerful. But He has prescribed, that "Give Me this foodstuff." Just like if you call me at your house, you'll ask me, "What can I offer you?" So similarly, we have called Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, please come and stay with us in this temple." So therefore we must give Him food what He wants. Not whimsically. And it is clearly stated, Kṛṣṇa says, "All right. Give me patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam." Patram, vegetables; phalam, fruits; toyam, milk, water. In this way. Kṛṣṇa says, "You give Me this." So you give Him. And Kṛṣṇa says, "If it is offered with faith and love, I eat. I eat."
So it becomes sometimes lost. When the paramparā system... Just like nowadays, everyone is proud of reading Bhagavad-gītā, but he interprets in his own way. Everyone is at liberty to interpret Bhagavad-gītā as he likes. That is the modern proposal. So there are 664 editions of Bhagavad-gītā. Everyone is commenting in his own way. I have heard that there is one doctor, some rele(?). He has interpreted Bhagavad-gītā as the talks between a patient and a physician. You see? So this is going on. Everyone whimsically, he is interpreting. Sometimes in our country also, we see that Mahatma Gandhi wanted to interpret Bhagavad-gītā as nonviolence. It is very difficult to prove, because Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. (laughs) So how you can prove nonviolence? So it is a difficult job. So that is not the process of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is to be understood, as our Swamiji immediately talked, that it has to be received from the paramparā system.
So that required. By love of Godhead you can see God every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva (Bs. 5.38). Sadaiva means twenty-four hours. People ask, "Whether you have seen God?" To see God is not difficult job. Simply you have to qualify yourself, love of Godhead. Then you can see. This is the formula. And if have not developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness, then also, you can see God in your own way, as prescribed in the śāstras. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the taste of the water." So you are drinking water, and as soon as you drink, if you think that "Here is the taste of water, here is Kṛṣṇa," is it very difficult? Not at all difficulty. Prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ. If you forget while drinking... Nobody can forget. But even intentionally you forget. So how you can check not seeing the sunshine and the moonshine? How it is possible. They say that "Have you seen God?" But why... You have seen also God, because Kṛṣṇa says, prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ: "I am the sunshine." So who has not seen sunshine? So you have to begin seeing like that. Then if you remember Kṛṣṇa, that is also seeing. Seeing, spiritual seeing, does not mean simply to see by the eyes. Spiritual seeing means by chanting you can see, by describing you can see. Because Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. Absolute. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). In either of these items, either you hear of Kṛṣṇa, then you are seeing Kṛṣṇa. When you chant about Kṛṣṇa, then you are seeing Kṛṣṇa. When you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, you are seeing Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. This is called bhakti-yoga.
Just like Rūpa Gosvāmī, he increased the taste. They were liberated souls. Therefore, he is writing that "If I could possess millions of tongue and trillions of ear, then I could nicely chant and hear." And so far we are concerned, because we have no taste, that sixteen rounds is also very difficult job. Because we have no taste. Why there is no taste? Because we are lacking in that previous processes. Bhajana-kriyā.
So one after another, to get that sword, it, they requires this qualification: ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Then there is taste. Now how this taste is created, that is also explained in the next line. Syān mahat-sevayā. Mahat-sevayā. Mahat means... I have already explained. A devotee, pure devotee, whose..., who has no other business than to serve Kṛṣṇa, he is called mahat. So one has to engage himself in the service of the pure devotee. As soon as we serve a pure devotee... As it is spoken by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Yasya prasādāt. If you satisfy a pure devotee by your service, then, even there is some discrepancies, you get all these qualities. Syān mahat-sevayā rājan. Syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ. Viprāḥ. All the audience members hearing Sūta Gosvāmī, they were all brāhmaṇas. Otherwise, how they will have got taste? Brāhmaṇa, Vaiṣṇava, they have taste. Not the śūdras. Because at the present moment there are śūdras, they are lacking taste.
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He accepted Jagāi-Mādhāi... They were very sinful. But He simply asked the condition that "From this day no more sinful activities. You accept this, then I accept you." They promised, "Yes. Whatever we have done, no more." That should be the... Confess, God can excuse, and that is not difficult job. God can excuse any amount of sinful activity, but after confessing, after being free, if I again commit sinful activities, oh, that is the greatest sin. That is the greatest sin. One should be ashamed of, that "I... God has excused me. Again I shall? So I am so shameless." But this business is going on. No. That should not be. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ.
So we should not think that because we are chanting we can act all kinds of sinful activities. No. The chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa will give you protection, but you should not take advantage of. But if by accident or by unintentionally if you commit some, by habit, that is also excused. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). That is accidental. Not that willful sinful activities should be done and it should be neutralized by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. No. Then you are spoiling your time. That should not be done. So yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. So without being freed from sinful activities nobody can take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The method is easy. You can get out of sinful activities. But don't commit again. If you think that "I shall ignite fire and pour water again," then what is the use of? Simply waste of time. So that should not be done.
So for a devotee, there is no need of controlling senses. It automatically becomes controlled. Just like we have taken the vow we are not going to eat anything except kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Oh, the sense is already controlled. There is no question of asking a devotee, "You don't drink, don't this, don't this, don't this." So many don'ts. Simply by accepting kṛṣṇa-prasādam, all don'ts there, already there. And it becomes very easier. Others, if one is requested that "You don't smoke," it will be very difficult job for him. For a devotee, he can give up at any moment. He has no problem. Therefore the same example, that these senses are very strong undoubtedly, as strong as the snake. But if you break the poison teeth, the poison teeth, then it is no more fierceful. Similarly, if you engage your senses in Kṛṣṇa, no more controlling. It is already controlled. Protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate.
So it is not a permanent settlement that once we have got this human form of body we cannot glide down. We can glide down. Bhagavad-gītā says: yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death the mental position will give you another body of the same type as you are mentally absorbed at that time. So therefore we have to prepare, we have to prepare ourselves so that at the time of death we may... Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). At the time of death we can once think of Kṛṣṇa. Then our life is successful. It is said in Bengali that bhajana kara sādhana kara matijanle haya.(?) What is that? That whatever spiritual advancement you are doing, that's all right. The test will be at the time of your death. Examination. That is the point of examination. What is the mental state at that time. Difficult job.
Therefore we have to practice: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. In this way, unconsciously or consciously, if we simply can remember Hare Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. This is a most scientific method. Simply if we can remember... It doesn't require how far we are educated, how far we are scholar, no. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). Etāvaj janma-sāphalyam. Then there is... So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was to die within seven days. Therefore he called for... Not called for. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, out of his own accord, came, because he knew Parīkṣit Mahārāja was a great king, and great devotee. He's, from his childhood... It is described... Just like this child is playing with Deity, Parīkṣit Mahārāja used to play with Deities. We had also the opportunity from our father to play with Deities.
So thing is that we have to take knowledge from the perfect. Then, even it is very difficult, but the knowledge is there. Even it is very difficult. Just like we are taking knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. By our own effort, by the plane of mind and plane of air, we cannot reach where is Kṛṣṇaloka. But Kṛṣṇa says that mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām: (BG 9.25) "Those who are My devotees, they can reach to My planet." So at least, we know that Kṛṣṇa has got a planet, and if we take to devotional service, then we can go. Then why not try? There is no loss, but if there is such gain that we can go to Kṛṣṇaloka, so why not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, simply chanting and dancing and taking prasādam? Is it very difficult job? The authority's Kṛṣṇa. It is confirmed by Vyāsadeva. It is confirmed by Nārada. It is confirmed...
Therefore Arjuna says that "Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are speaking in the Bhagavad-gītā, I accept in toto." That is study of Bhagavad-gītā. I do not select, "Oh, this portion is nice. I accept." Ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya: (Cc. Ādi-līlā 5.176) "The back portion is nice. It is giving, the hen, daily, one egg. It is very nice. And the mouth portion is expensive. Cut it." The fool does not know if you cut this portion, that portion will be stopped also. So these, all these ordinary commentator... Just like Gandhi. He wanted to prove his nonviolence some way or other from Bhagavad-gītā. How he can prove? This is the same thing, that he was finding out, "If there is something, simply cutting the head, if I can get egg?" That is not possible.
So this is the thing, tad-viceṣṭitam. He's simply thinking of the activities of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. That's all. That is perfect reading of Bhagavad-gītā. It does not require to read Bhagavad-gītā by your academic education. If you simply hear from the authoritative source the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, and if you simply meditate upon that speech, that instruction, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa instructed like this. Arjuna received like this. He questioned like this. He answered like this," that is meditation, perfect meditation, and you become liberated. Tad-viceṣṭitam. It is not very difficult job. Simply you have to receive. Therefore satya-śravāḥ, śuci-śravāḥ. Śuci-śravāḥ. You have to hear from the pure source, give aural reception, and think of it, meditate upon it. Simply by doing this, you are liberated. These are not bluff. Here is the evidence. Simply receive the message from the right source and contemplate and meditate upon that instruction. You are liberated. Chanting and hearing. Hearing and... śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23). First hearing, then chanting. Hear from the right source and discuss amongst yourselves. Iṣṭagoṣṭhi. Then the perfection.
So that is called yoga. This meditation means bhakti-yoga. Meditation, that is the real meaning. Nowadays meditation has become a fashion, but meditation is described in the Vedic literature, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogis, they meditate, dhyānāvasthita. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā, the mind becomes fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, tad-gatena. Tat means transcendental Absolute Truth, oṁ tat sat. So tad-gatena manasā, mind being... Our mind is very restless, so it is very difficult. Five thousand years ago, when Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna to concentrate his mind, meditate, or meditate upon Supersoul, so Arjuna frankly admitted that it was not possible for him. He said to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are advising. That is nice. But it is not possible for me." Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham (BG 6.34). "Mind is so restless, just like wind blowing. So to capture the mind, to make him pacified, it is very difficult job. I don't think I shall be able to do it." Arjuna refused. But Arjuna was a great devotee; therefore Kṛṣṇa encouraged him. Arjuna did not know anything except Kṛṣṇa, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Then He encouraged him, that "My dear Arjuna, for you, you are the best yogi."
| Page Title: | Difficult job |
| Compiler: | Matea |
| Created: | 06 of Sep, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=1, CC=2, OB=1, Lec=73, Con=18, Let=8 |
| No. of Quotes: | 104 |