Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So we are not going to be misled by anyone. We simply worship the original person, ādi-puruṣa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.
- kecit kevalayā bhaktyā
- vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ
- aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena
- nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ
- (SB 6.1.15)
Śrīdhara Svāmī is giving his commentation in this connection, that tasya ati duṣkarād mukham eva anyāt prāyaścittaṁ kecit kīrtanena, evaṁ mūḍho bhakti pradhāna virala iti darśayet(?). Kaivalyaṁ tapa-ādibhir nirapekṣaya(?). Śrīdhara Svāmī's explaining this word, kevalayā, "simply by devotional service," kevalayā bhaktyā—but without being dependent on other processes. The other processes we have described: tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena (SB 6.1.13), by observing celibacy. Now take for example celibacy. In this age, especially... Why especially in this or that? All over the world, to remain a brahmacārī is little difficult. One who can, it is very good. But it is difficult. So brahmacaryeṇa, by practicing celibacy, a life of celibacy, even one has the intention, the association, the society is so much polluted that one cannot. It is very difficult. So in bhakti-yoga it is not very strict that one has to observe celibacy strictly. He can marry. Marriage is allowed, but not for indulgence. But because a man requires a woman or a woman requires a man, there is sacred marriage. This man and woman is educated that he or she is not this body. Therefore advancement of this education will stop him for this bodily enjoyment. Just like eating also. We are eating; we are not fasting. We are eating. But we are eating just to maintain the body and soul together, not extravagantly. Although we have very nice plates, kṛṣṇa-prasādam, but we do not make any palatable dishes for enjoyment. We make all nice things for Kṛṣṇa, and we take prasādam. Therefore the material effect of eating, it does not act upon the devotees.
So therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "By one stroke, kevalayā—without waiting for the austerity, undergoing severe penance, austerities, celibacy, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, and giving in charity, performing great sacrifices, to become, becoming very truthful, clean—but without waiting for all these things, simply by one stroke, accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one immediately ascends the highest position." There is ample proof in our Society. They had never any austerity, penance or celibacy, or they tried to control the senses or mind, or they gave any big amount of charities, or they observed cleanliness. Nothing of the sort. But immediately, simply by accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just see how they are nice. Practical proof. Now bring any yogi, any jñānī, any person undergoing severe penances, and compare with these boys and girls. He'll fail. This is practical... Simply by accepting this devotional service, kevala-bhakti, without waiting for the other penance. They're already under penance. They're already leading the life of celibacy. They have already controlled the senses. They have already controlled the mind. They're giving in charity. Whatever they have, they're giving to Kṛṣṇa. Damena tyāgena, tyāga. They have given their life. What to speak of money and other things, they have given their whole life for Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, how this Movement is improving? If I... I came here alone. Still, no Indian helping me. There may be one or two of my disciples. Others... There are so many Indians in this country. They're not helping me. But these boys, these girls, because they have come to the transcendental platform, they're helping me so nicely. Therefore the Movement is going forward. This is practical. Kevalayā bhaktyā. Simply by taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service.
It is just like, I sometimes give example: The blacksmith's method and the goldsmith's method. The goldsmith, he has got a small hammer—tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk. And the blacksmith has a big hammer—dumh, finish. So our is blacksmith method. We take the big hammer of bhakti yoga and finish all, everything. You see. We won't have to undergo so many tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk. And there is no possibility. If I say, "Now you have to become completely brahmacārī. You have to sit down in the forest and stay at right angle and press your nose for six months," who will follow? There is no possibility. This tuk tuk method, there is no possibility. We have to get this hammer, blacksmith hammer of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and immediately finish everything. This is Kali-yuga. Simply one... Who can do this? This one hammer, finishing all, who can do this? Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. Bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. By devotional service one has to become vāsudeva-parāyaṇa, devotee of Lord Vāsudeva. That's all. That is being taught here: how to become lover of Vāsudeva. This prescribed method, that rise early in the morning, have maṅgala-ārātrika, kīrtana, then bhoga-ārātrika, kīrtana, then go to the street saṅkīrtana, then come back, again kīrtana, again ārātrika—simply engaged in Vāsudeva's service. That includes everything. All these austerities, penance, charity, and cleanliness... They're clean. They're taking bath every day three times, at least two times, they are taking bath, although previous to this, perhaps weekly they were taking once bath. You see? So how they have become? This is practical proof. Vāsudeva-parāyaṇa. Therefore whole people of the world should be made vāsudeva-parāyaṇa by the simple method of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and they will be all peaceful. It will become Vaikuṇṭha. Otherwise it is hellish. It is, has already become a hell, the whole world. And if you don't take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this hellish condition of life will simply make progress, in spite of all your education and economic development. That's a fact. Those who are thoughtful, they should take this Movement very seriously. They should try to understand what is the value of this Movement. It is not that something manufactured by me or by man. It is authoritative.
Here it is said: bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena. They become able, quite competent to cut down all sinful reactions simply by one method, kārtsnyena. How? Nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. Bhāskara means sun. As soon as there is sunrise, the mist or the fog immediately disappears. Many thousands of miles. People in the mist, in the fog, they cannot run on railway, they cannot run on the airplanes. And I've seen, I've experienced. Yesterday practically our plane was lost in the fog, and high in the sky. And I've seen in the sea also, as soon as there is fog... When I was coming to your country on ship, the ship stops and they began to bugle: gaonh gongh gonhgonh, like that. But as soon as there is sun, this thousands miles of fog immediately... The example is very nice: nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. So you try to make Kṛṣṇa sun rise in your heart. Kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said Kṛṣṇa is just like sun. Māyā haya andhakāra. And māyā, this illusory energy, it is darkness. Yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra. As soon as there is sun, Kṛṣṇa, immediately darkness of māyā disappears. So why not take this simple method? All māyā disappears. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Otherwise, to surpass, to overcome this ocean of darkness, māyā, is very difficult. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. Duratyayā, very, very difficult. Hard. Then how? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Simply teach people to surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. God. All illusion, fog, mist will disappear. Will disappear.
And the method is very simple: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa... The more you go on chanting the..., the fog within your heart, the clumsy darkness of many, many lives sinful activities, will be cleared. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). And everything will be seen very distinctly. What I am? What is God? What is this world? What is our interrelation? How I shall live in this world? Then what is my next life? These things are not taught. Simply how to manufacture something for sense gratification. After all, it is sense gratification. You may discover... The other day somebody was telling me in Los Angeles that they have discovered an aeroplane which can run on very, I mean, speedily. But there is danger. As soon as the aeroplane will run on, there may be many windows here in the city, they'll dismantle. So we are trying to create something for sense gratification. At the same time, side by side, we are creating so much inconvenience. In this way, our time is being wasted. Action and reaction. Action and reaction. There must be some reaction. Whatever you do, there must be reaction. And that reaction you'll be entangled. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). Either you do good work or bad work, if it is for sense gratification, then you'll be entangled. But yajñārthe karma, if you do for kṛṣṇa-yajña, then you are free. So this process, recommended by Śukadeva Gosvāmī—kevala-bhakta—take to devotional service, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and everything, all other things will be automatically adjusted.
- na tathā hy aghavān rājan
- pūyeta tapa-ādibhiḥ
- yathā kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇas
- tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā
- (SB 6.1.16)