Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The effect of these books is hard to perceive immediately, because we can't imagine how... So many millions of books have gone out. In the future they will all fructify as devotees, the people who have read them.
Prabhupāda: Yes. When they will read, then they will get. Nowadays in the Sixth Canto, Fourth Chapter, the soul and how the soul is covered, that is being described wonderfully. Śrīmad-bhāgavatam amalaṁ purāṇam (SB 12.13.18). Vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. It is written by the most learned Vyāsadeva, vidvāṁs, and sātvata-saṁhitām. How merciful he was. He is still living, Vyāsadeva. He is still existing.
- anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād
- bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje
- lokasya ajānataḥ vidvāṁś
- cakre sātvata...
- (SB 1.7.6)
Do you remember this verse? It is in the First Canto.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First Canto.
Prabhupāda: Anartha. The soul has been embarrassed, the unnecessary things. Just like a man is within the huge garbage. What is his position? If... You have got your garbage car, so within that, (chuckles) if a man is pushed...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Abominable.
Prabhupāda: It is like that. Twenty-four elements. Five material elements, three subtle elements, then five working senses and five all knowledge-gathering senses—how many?
Jayatīrtha: Eighteen.
Prabhupāda: Eighteen? No.
Jayatīrtha: So far.
Prabhupāda: Twenty-three, I think. Five gross elements, five senses..., five knowledge-gathering senses, and five working senses, fifteen...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then the objects...
Jayatīrtha: Three subtle...
Prabhupāda: The mind, ego and mahat-tattva, eighteen, yes. And then five sense objects—the rūpa, rasa, form, taste, like that. Then twenty-three.
Jayatīrtha: The aggregate, pradhāna.
Prabhupāda: Pradhāna, and then the soul, twenty-five. Twenty-four and three guṇas. Three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Twenty-seven. So twenty-seven layers of garbage. Underneath, the soul is there. What he will do? He is a small particle, soul, and he is covered with so many material elements. To come out of it is very, very difficult. But if one is engaged in devotional service he can come out immediately. Just like when one is spiritually perfect, he goes immediately to Kṛṣṇa, penetrating these material coverings of the universe. Immediately. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9), immediately. That is spiritual force.