In the Western countries there is only one philosopher, Socrates. . . He was condemned to death because he was speaking that "I am soul. I am eternal." That was his fault. So the judges enquired, "Mr. Socrates, now you are going to die, so what kind of grave you want?" So Socrates replied, "First of all capture me. Then you put me into the grave." (laughter) That is the fact. "You rascal, you are talking of my this body. So body is already material. You put it in the grave or in the hell, it doesn't matter. But I am eternal. You cannot capture me." So this is knowledge. This abhayam. He was going to be hanged or killed. He is fearless: "But what is this nonsense? He will kill my body, that's all."
So it requires very firm knowledge. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). That is possible. That is possible by jñāna. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. His father, demon father Hiraṇyakaśipu, was chastising him in so many ways. But he was not afraid at all, fearless, because he was convinced that "I am not this body. I am different from body." Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). "I will not die." It is simply knowledge, firm knowledge. And as soon as you come to that position, that "I am not this body," then automatically you become abhayam, no fear.
Everyone is afraid of being killed. That is the most fearful position. But if you are convinced that "I am not killed; I exist. . ." That does not mean I shall be voluntarily prepared to be killed. No, that is not the idea. Idea is that if we are. . . Jñānaṁ vairāgyam. These two things required in human life: jñānaṁ vairāgyam. Jñānam means "I am not this body." This is jñānam. And vairāgya means renunciation: "If I am not this body, then what I have got to do with this material world? This material world is important because I am identifying myself with this material body. Therefore it is important: 'Where I shall sit? Where shall I eat? Where shall I sleep? How shall I be protected?'" So many things. There are many instances. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, a five-year-old boy, he went to the jungle. He was sitting alone there, abhayam, abhayam, no fearfulness.
The more you become spiritually conscious. . . The highest stage of spiritual consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, "I am Kṛṣṇa's," that's all. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśaḥ: "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel." So you have to understand this relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that you are Kṛṣṇa's. And Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa? Bhagavān. Bhagavān. What is Bhagavān?
- aiśvaryasya samagrasya
- vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ
- jñāna-vairāgyayaś caiva
- ṣaṇṇāṁ itī bhaga ganā
- (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)
Everything is definition there. In our Vedic knowledge there is no vague idea, rascal's idea. All clear. What is Bhagavān? Immediately you get the enunciation, definition, "This is Bhagavān," not that so-called Bhagavān, incarnation, this Baba, this yogī. These are all nonsense. Bhagavān is different. God is different. God means. . . Definition, you take the definition, Vedic definition, aiśvaryasya: all wealth. Who can claim that "I am wealthy. I possess all the wealth of the universe"? Who can say? Only Kṛṣṇa can say; nobody can say. You may be millionaire. You may be Rockefeller or this Tata or Birla. That is very insignificant position. But a Tata, Rockefeller or this, they cannot say, "No, I possess the whole wealth of the universe." That you cannot say. But Kṛṣṇa can say. Therefore He is Bhagavān.
Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. Samagra means as much wealth there are. You may imagine. All the wealth belongs to Kṛṣṇa. When He was present on this earth, He showed it. Aiśvaryasya samagra. . . As much as we can comprehend, He showed. Sixteen thousand wives, sixteen thousand palaces. Who can show it? If we hear of sixteen, we become surprised. Huh? We keep one wife, and that is very difficult for us. We have to think over hundred times, "Whether I shall accept a wife to maintain?" You see? But Kṛṣṇa had sixteen thousand wives. But not like us, having more than wife: one wife is crying and another wife is enjoying. No. He also expanded Himself in sixteen thousand forms. Every wife is enjoying the husband. That is Bhagavān. That is Bhagavān. You try to understand Bhagavān. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya. And if you have got more than wife, a few years after, you become impotent. But Kṛṣṇa, in each wife He begotten ten children. "I will give you ten child." Sixteen thousand into ten, how much?
Devotees: 160,000.
Prabhupāda: Then they had ten children again. This is Yadu family. This is Yadu. . . This is family, Kṛṣṇa's family. So many, one person. And that is called Bhagavān. Show something, Bhagavān. They simply cheap Bhagavān, and rascal present as cheap Bhagavān, and rascal accept them as Bhagavān. This is not good. Try to find out the actual Bhagavān. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is. . . He showed by practical example. He is accepted by great, great sages like Nārada, Vyāsadeva, Devala, Asita. That is also stated when Arjuna accept Him that "You are the Supreme Lord. So You are the Supreme Lord how? Because people may say I am Your friend, therefore I am accepting. No. All the authorities says that You are the Supreme Lord. And I have understood by Your personal explanation, and I accept You." Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava (BG 10.14): "Whatever You have said, I accept it because You are Bhagavān." This is Bhagavān.
So if you accept Bhagavān's word with firm conviction, then your life is perfect immediately. Immediately you become perfect. There is no difficulty. Because I may be imperfect, but if I say that "I have understood this is, this glass, this spectacle is spectacle. I have learned it from authority," that is a fact. I may be imperfect, but because I have learned from authorities that "This is a spectacle. This is called spectacle," then this statement is correct. Similarly, we may be imperfect, it doesn't matter, but because we are accepting the words and statement of Kṛṣṇa, then our knowledge is imperfect. . . perfect. It is not imperfect.