The argument could come that "If He is directing the wanderings of all living entities then I don't have to worry about surrendering. He will direct me to it"

Expressions researched:
"If He is directing the wanderings of all living entities then I don't have to worry about surrendering. He will direct me to it"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Yes. But ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Why don't you see other verse? He is directing according to your desire—unless you surrender. There are two kinds of direction. One kind of direction is when you do not surrender, and one kind of direction, when you have surrendered, because these things are there. My position is either surrender or not surrender. So the not surrender will get one kind of direction and the surrender will get another kind of direction. Both ways, there is direction. Without His direction he cannot act. Is it clear or not? He gives direction to both of them, but this both, one who is surrendered is a different person from the person who is surrendered.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- South Africa, October 18, 1975:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The question is: if Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart and He knows the wanderings of all living entities—He's directing the wandering of all living entities—then does Kṛṣṇa know the time, or does He direct the living entity at some certain time to surrender or is this the will of the living entity?

Prabhupāda: He knows. Yes, He knows. What is your...? Is there any doubt?

Devotee (3): No, it wasn't a doubt, but...

Prabhupāda: So what is the time He knows, do you know that? He knows that he will surrender, but when he will surrender... Then? That question must be there. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). He knows that "He'll be happy provided he surrenders unto Me, otherwise not." That He knows also. Is it all right? He knows that "As soon as he is surrendered unto Me he'll be free from the clutches of māyā," and He knows it also, "If he does not know do so, then he'll never be free from māyā." Both things He knows. Is it clear or not?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But it's the living entity's choice to surrender.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He knows everything.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But then they give the argument, "If He knows, then how does the living entity have choice?"

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is given to him. He knows that "I have given him the independence," so you can use your choice. That He knows also. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). He knows.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This is understanding things in proper light.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (3): See, the argument could come that "If He is directing the wanderings of all living entities then I don't have to worry about surrendering. He will direct me to it."

Prabhupāda: Yes. But ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Why don't you see other verse? He is directing according to your desire—unless you surrender. There are two kinds of direction. One kind of direction is when you do not surrender, and one kind of direction, when you have surrendered, because these things are there. My position is either surrender or not surrender. So the not surrender will get one kind of direction and the surrender will get another kind of direction. Both ways, there is direction. Without His direction he cannot act. Is it clear or not? He gives direction to both of them, but this both, one who is surrendered is a different person from the person who is surrendered. So they, both of them, get different direction in different position, but without His direction he cannot act, either the surrendered or not the surrendered. He has to give direction. So if you think, "My Lord, send me to the hell. I will be very much satisfied," "All right, you go to hell in this way. This is the path." And if you say "My lord, kindly take me to Your shelter," then He will give you direction, "You come in this way."

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

(BG 10.10)

He says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Anyone who is twenty-four hours engaged in serving the Lord, bhajatām... This is called bhajana, always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, bhajana-prīti..., with love and faith. To such person, He gives a direction. What is that direction? Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam: "I give him that buddhi-yoga." What for? Yena mām upayānti te. "By the process by which he is anxious to come to Me, I give intelligence, 'Yes, come this way. You come to Me.' " And those who are not devotee, they want to eat and sleep and sex life and defense in different types of bodies. The dog is also defending with his claws and teeth. The tiger is also defending. The man is also defending. And man is also have sex life, or the tiger has also sex life. The dog has also sex life. The dog is eating. The man is eating. In these affairs they offer, "Give me this facility, my Lord. I want to eat without everything with any dis..." "All right. You take the body of a hog and you eat stool." This direction. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). So as you want...

So these different types of want is different type of people. A demon's want is different and a demigod's want is different. But Kṛṣṇa in both cases is the director. If he wants to prosper in this line, "All right, take My direction. Do it. You become a first-class demon like Hiraṇyakaśipu, Rāvaṇa, and become very powerful and create a situation by which both you and your whole family will be killed." That direction is there. And to a demigod, devotee, His direction he has. He he goes back to home. He plays with Kṛṣṇa as cowherds boy. He dances with Kṛṣṇa as gopī. He becomes Kṛṣṇa's father, Kṛṣṇa's mother. Clear it. Is it clear or not?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Devotee (3): Yes.