Go means cow, and kharaḥ means ass. Anyone who is in this bodily concept of life, "I am this," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," "I am fat," "I am thin," "I am white," "I am black," "I am male," "I am female," so many bodily concept of life—the śāstra says all of them are no better than the cows and the asses. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Yasyātma-buddhiḥ. This body is a bag made of tri-dhātus, kapha, pitta, vāyu. Or a bag of flesh and blood and bones. I am not this. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I am spirit soul. That is knowledge. But people have no such knowledge. Therefore they are called, according to śāstra, go-kharaḥ. Go means cows, animal, and kharaḥ means ass. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape.
So generally people, at least at the modern age, they do not know. They have no information. Big, big professors. I have several times, I mean to say, repeatedly spoken to you that one professor Kotovsky in Moscow, he says... He is a big man of Indology, and he said, "Swamiji, after this body is annihilated, there is nothing. Everything is finished." This is their knowledge. Go-kharaḥ, all go-kharaḥ. We take immediately that here is another go-kharaḥ, cow or ass, although he is posing himself as a big professor of Indology. Go-kharaḥ. And the Bhagavad-gītā also says, anye, "all common men." Or one who does not know. Anye tu evam ajānantaḥ. They do not know what is this body, what is the occupier of the body, what is the puruṣa, what is the uttama-puruṣa, or the puruṣottama, or what is the field of activities, what is this prakṛti, nature, how it is working. They do not know anything. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).
So for the go-kharas, these two-handed and two hands, two legs, go-kharas, for them this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is being pushed on. So that the go-kharas may kindly come and hear Bhagavad-gītā and see how the Deity is being worshiped, how Kṛṣṇa is recognized as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By seeing only, by sitting only, by hearing only, they'll come. This is the chance. It is not idol worship, nonsensical. It is worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. But one has to learn the art and the science about it. Therefore we are opening all over the world different centers so that these go-kharas can take advantage of this movement.
Otherwise why in this old age...? What is the use of fighting with Mr. Nair and take this land? Because we are anxious to open centers; people, the go-khara people may come and take advantage of it. That is our mission. We don't want that they remain go-kharas and lose the chance of this human body. Our mission is very big. The best welfare work. Other welfare activities, they keep them as go-khara, and promises all sorts of big, big promises. No, we do not say.
Our mission is to enlighten him, that he is not this body, he is spirit soul, there is Supersoul. Both the soul and the Supersoul are living in this body. The Supersoul is observing and the living entity is working. According to his work, he is getting the result, a different type of body. In this way, repeatedly he is taking birth and repeatedly he is dying. So one has to stop this repetition of birth and death. That is the perfection of life. That is the perfection. But they do not know how to stop this repetition, neither they do know that death can be avoided.
In the śāstra (it) says, gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāt. In this way, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. A guru should not become a guru, a father should not become a father, a mother should not become a mother, nobody should become relatives, kinsmen, if one cannot save his son, his disciple, his friend, from the imminent danger of birth and death. The society should be like that. Everyone should be eager to save his friend, to save his son, to save his disciple from the imminent danger of birth and death. But they have no... Neither they do know how to stop it, neither they are interested. But that is the real problem, how to stop. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9).
So here Kṛṣṇa said, anye tu ajānantaḥ śrutvā, simply by hearing. If you hear from a realized person—of course, interestedly, seriously—then you can get benefit, śrutvā. Śrutvā anyebhya upāsate. Just like it is very natural. Just like these children, they do not understand, or the children's father. Anyone. They do not understand. But if they come here and simply hear. The children, they are also chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, they are offering obeisances, they are offering a lamp, they are playing some instrument, all these things will never go in vain. It is being accounted. This is called ajñāta-sukṛti. By doing this, doing this, doing this repeatedly, one day becomes a great devotee. It doesn't require studying all the Vedic literatures. Simply if one is accustomed to this practice of devotional service and hears the vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... Simply by hearing.
It is said, śrutvā anyebhya upāsate. These are upāsanā. You know or do not know, when you offer obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is immediately taken to your credit. "Oh, this living entity has now offered some respect." Immediately. It is so nice. And then, by hearing, heari...
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was discussing with Rāmānanda Rāya about this process of advancing in the spiritual life, so Rāmānanda Rāya first proposed varṇāśrama -dharma.
- varṇāśramācāravatā
- puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
- viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā
- nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
- (CC Madhya 8.58)
The varṇāśrama system, Vedic system, that is the beginning of human life. Those who are not in the jurisdiction of varṇa and āśrama—four varṇas, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and four āśramas, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vāna—one who does not follow these principles, they are not considered as human being. They are animals, go-kharaḥ. So real human life begins, accepting these principles of varṇa-āśrama. So Rāmānanda Rāya proposed that actual human life... Because human life is meant for realization of God. That is the only necessity, not to increase a type of civilization how instead of eating simple thing, how you can eat beef. That is not advancement of civilization. That is animalism. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśu... What is that advancement? A flesh is eaten by tigers, dogs. So if you have learned how to eat flesh, does it mean that you advance in civilization? It is the business of tigers and dogs. The dog civilization.