So gṛhastha means to live with wife and children, and cultivating spiritual life. That is called gṛhastha. It doesn't matter, you live with your wife and children, or you live with brahmacārī, sannyāsī. Anything. It doesn't matter. Therefore there are so many divisions of life. Whichever status of life is suitable for you, you can accept. Brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa āśrama. Āśrama, when the word is added, āśrama, that means it has got reference with cultivation of spiritual life. So gṛhastha-āśrama. One can live at home with wife and children, but the business should be Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't accept the Māyāvādī sannyāsī because there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Simply by becoming sannyāsī... Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This world is false. Brahman is truth. So I give up this world." That kind of sannyāsī we do not accept. Either you become gṛhastha or sannyāsī or brahmacārī, there must be Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be called āśrama. Gṛhastha-āśrama, sannyāsa-āśrama, brahmacārī-āśrama. Therefore this word is added, āśrama.
Add (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
They have no knowledge. So we have to understand from the authority. There are so many arguments. Now, if you say "This body's dead because the blood has become white. Blood corpuscles, they are now become white instead of becoming red." So if that is the possible, so why don't you make the blood red? By some chemical injection or by adding some color, as soon as the blood becomes red... Why don't you do that? No. If you say "That was 'natural' redness. That natural redness cannot be brought," then your science is defective. And even if we accept that natural redness is the cause of living force, there are many natural redness in the flower, in the jewels. Why does it not move? So all the arguments of these foolish scientists, or so-called logicians, that can be, I mean to say, nullified, if you are intelligent. We have to take..., accept it, because it is said by Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality.
When we come to the Fourth Chapter, we'll know. So anyway, apart from the process of... But rest assured, we are speaking here of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We are not going to add, add in it something for fulfilling our own philosophy, our own points of view.
Now here Lord Kṛṣṇa says that if you want to get rid of this entanglement of... What is that entanglement? Now, janma-bandha, janma-bandha. Oh, it is a great entanglement. People do not take it very seriously. Birth. Birth means, as soon as birth... Only the one word has been used here, janma. Janma means birth. Birth means other things. Birth means death. Birth means old age. Birth means disease. Whenever there is birth, the other things are corollaries. They'll follow. Your birth means... A son is born. Oh, you are very glad, "I have got a son."
Your work should not be stopped. We have already discussed this point, that niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ, that "Your prescribed duty should be prosecuted nicely. Go on. Don't stop it, but work for the life of karma-yoga. Karma-yoga. Ordinary work is called karma. Ordinary work is karma. And when it is added with yoga, that means spiritualized work. Yoga. Yoga means spiritual perfection or linking up with the Supreme.
So karma and karma-yoga, there is gulf of difference. Karma means ordinary work. I work whole day; I get some remuneration and enjoy for my sense gratification. That is called karma, in this life or that life or next life. Somebody, they make charities and other pious acts so that in their next life they get good parentage, good education, opulence, so that they can also enjoy life.
So, so many people, sometimes they come forward to give me some credit that I have done very wonderful thing. So I reply that "I do not know how to do something wonderful. I cannot manufacture gold, I cannot show any jugglery, but if there is any credit, then the only credit is I don't adulterate. That's all. The pure milk, I don't show my expert service by adding water in it. That I do not do. So we present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. In the, all the Vedic literature, Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Lord, person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Yes, when you add this word yoga, that means bhakti. Yoga means bhakti. Somebody is addicted to these material activities. So they are advised to act in the terms of karma-yoga. What is that karma-yoga? The karma-yoga, if somebody is describing the Bhagavad-gītā, yat karoṣi. "Whatever you are doing, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. You are working? All right. What you have earned?" "One thousand dollars." "Give Me." Are you prepared? Kṛṣṇa is asking, kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam. So if anyone is agreed, "Yes, Kṛṣṇa, here is the money for You," then he's a karma-yogī. Otherwise he's a karmī. And the difference between karma-yogī and karmī means he has to suffer the result, good or bad, and karma-yogī has nothing to suffer because he's doing everything for Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna. In the beginning he considered that "If I kill my kinsmen and my grandfather I'll be sinful." Yes. But the same thing he acted under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted. So he's free. So karma-yogī means he is free from the reaction of activities. He is karma-yogī. Similarly jñāna-yogī.
So there is no difficulty in administering this Vedic message to the world provided we simply carry the same message as it was delivered by Kṛṣṇa unto you. That is not very difficult. Anyone can do it. You simply try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is and distribute it: "Kṛṣṇa says this." That's all. You haven't got to comment or add anything, something. But to present, you can speak something, but the central point should not be missed. Then people will be benefited. Then people will be benefited. They will receive the message as it is, and this is transcendental message.
Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth from whom everything is emanating, then everything is Kṛṣṇa.
Just like you have a gold mine and you are preparing so many golden utensils, ornaments and many other things, but they are all gold because the origin is gold. Similarly, you may name it as "earring," but you have to add "gold" earring. You may name it as "necklace," but "gold." Because originally it is coming from the gold mine. Similarly, originally, everything is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Because if He is Supreme, He is Absolute Truth, then nothing is different from Him. Just like either you say earrings or necklace or bangle or wristwatch, if they are all made of gold, they are gold. But you cannot say at the same time, "This is gold, this is gold." This is gold necklace. If you say that "Why necklace? It is gold..." The Māyāvādī philosophers say, "Everything is gold.
Therefore all knowledge that we receive, that is imperfect knowledge. A man may speculate, but he may speculate with his mind. That's all. But his mind is imperfect. However he may speculate, he'll produce something nonsense, that's all. Because his mind is imperfect. It doesn't matter that if you add thousands of zeros, it makes one. No. It is still zero. So this speculation process, to understand the Supreme, is nothing but zero. Therefore with all these defects of our conditional life, it is not possible to come to the real life. Therefore we have to take it from personalities like Kṛṣṇa and His bona fide representative. That is real knowledge. Then you'll get perfection.
Just like generally we say bhāgyavān. We Indians, we know. Bhāgyavān means fortunate. This word bhāgya comes from bhaga. Bhaga, and in relationship with bhaga the word comes: bhāgya. And vān means "one who possesses." Asty arthe vatup. The Sanskrit word, when the meaning is to possess, then one affix is added which is called vat, bhaga-vat. And the first word of the bhagavat-śabda is bhagavān.
So we are trying to understand Bhagavān, which is explained by Bhagavān Himself, Bhagavān, God. You cannot understand God, or Bhagavān, by your speculation. Any one of us, our senses are defective. Just like we are very much proud of our eyes to see. Sometimes some rascal says, "Can you show me God?" He does not think that how far his eyes are capable to see, but he wants to see God. Our senses are conditional. So long the electric light is there, we can see. If it is immediately dark, we cannot see.
Therefore it is mentioned here, asaṁśayam, "without any doubt" and samagram, "in full." After all, yoga system means an endeavor to understand the Absolute Truth. Yoga means linking, connecting.
So when you connect with the Absolute Truth, that is called yoga. Yoga... Another meaning is plus, adding something else. Just like two plus two. This is also called yoga. Similarly, God is one; I am also one. When we join together, that is called yoga. There are many methods of yoga practice, but the direct method is bhakti-yoga. I am a person, and God is also a person. When we intermingle together, or we join together, that is called bhakti-yoga. Bhakti means the process of connecting with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As soon as we use the word bhakti, means the process of devotion, there must be bhakta and Bhagavān. The Bhagavān is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and bhakta is Arjuna.
I go to the Brahma-loka to get millions and millions of years as duration of life... Brahmā's life, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Millions of years. That is only twelve hours of Brahmā. Such twelve hours, night. Sahasra-yuga again, that is night. That is complete twenty-four hours. Then add thirty days like that. Then one year, twelve months. Such one hundred years is the duration of life of Brahmā. So you may go to the highest planetary system or in the heavenly planets. You can have better standard of life than this earthly planet or you can live for long, long years, but that is not the solution of your problems. That is not solution. But they do not know it. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has described them as mūḍhas. Mūḍhas. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15).
That is the explanation here. Apareyam.
Kṛṣṇa has explained the material elements: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). But these material elements cannot work independently. It must be added with the superior energy, or the living energy, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). This Bombay city is important because there are so many living entities. Otherwise, where there are no living entities... Even in Bombay, there are some open land. What is the value? There is no value. Therefore the conclusion should be that material elements may be wonderful, but it has no value without the touch of living entities. The modern scientists, they cannot understand that there is living, spiritual energy behind this material energy. Therefore it is moving. They are... Just like a child cannot understand that the motorcar or the aeroplane is moving because there is driver and the pilot.
Prabhupāda: No, you do not know what is happiness.
Student: ...(indistinct) but it's greater or lesser...
Prabhupāda: Yes. You do not know what is happiness.
Student (2): Well, of course, that sorrow or that suffering might add the spice to make that suffering that goes in between happiness.
Prabhupāda: No. The thing is that there are different kinds of miseries. That we understand. That is our..., due to our ignorance. We don't care for it. Just like a man who is suffering from very, since a long time. He has forgotten what is happiness. He has forgotten what is real happiness. Similarly, the sufferings are there already. Now take for example, you are now young man. Now, would you like to become old man?
Four billion, three hundred years or something like. That is our... As our twelve hours, Brahmā's twelve hours is that. Then add twelve hours again, four hundred billion. That means altogether eight billions of years. That is one day, Brahmā's. Then calculate one month. Then calculate one year. Such hundred years he lives. So that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Sahasra-yuga-paryantam. One yuga means forty three lakhs of, hundred thousands of years. Sahasra means thousand times. That is... Everything is stated there. You can learn. You can understand. So that is called Brahmaloka. And it is also stated, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you reach to the Brahmaloka... You can get long duration of life. There is no doubt. But again, punar āvartinaḥ, you have to die and you have to go to another body and another planet. But I am eternal. We are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).
So He is the compiler of Vedānta philosophy, and He is the knower of Vedānta philosophy. Therefore Arjuna is asking from Kṛṣṇa because He is the ultimate knowle... And ultimate, supreme person means Bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means one who possesses. The word Sanskrit, vat, it is added when there is the question of possessing. Asty arthe vat and mat pratyaya. This is Sanskrit grammar. So bhagavat. Bhaga means opulence.
Opulence means six kinds of opulences, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa: all wealth, all fame, all strength, all beauty, all knowledge, all renunciation. These are the opulences. We can have some money. You have some money, I have got some money, but none of us can claim that "I have got all the monies." That is not possible. That is claimed by Bhagavān. I have got some strength, you have got some strength, but nobody of us can claim that "I have got all the strength."
In one day of Brahmā at the end of Dvāpara-yuga... Brahmā's days are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Forty-three lakhs of years multiplied by one thousand becomes one day of Brahmā. So forty-three lakhs thousand times, add another forty-three lakhs times thousand—this is the period after which Kṛṣṇa comes.
So why does He comes, that is also described. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8), yuge yuge sambhavāmi. So the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa descends to give us knowledge like Bhagavad-gītā, personally speaking, so that even after disappearance of Kṛṣṇa, you can take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and, as Arjuna is asking personally, so similarly, all Your question, not only religious...
What is that? Mayi ca ananya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī. Bhakti-avyabhicāriṇī. vyabhicāriṇī means mixed with other things. There is karma, jñāna, yoga, and bhakti. So there are, everything must be with bhakti; otherwise there is no success. Even if you are a karmī, you must add bhakti. Then you'll be successful. Yat karoṣi yat juhosi yad aśnāsi kuruṣva mad arpanam (BG 9.27). This is karma-yoga. You may be a businessman, you may be engineer, you may be whatever you may be, it doesn't matter. But bhakti must be there. Then you are successful. If you are devoid of bhakti, then it is useless, waste of time. That is the verdict of the śāstra.
Śāstra says atha pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭha. This was spoken by Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī in the assembly of great brāhmaṇas and saintly persons who were meeting big congress for one thousand years.
They are always thinking, idam adya mayā labdham: "Now, today I have earned five hundred dollars" or something more or less. Mayā labdham means "I have got it." Imaṁ prāpsye manoratham: "Again I shall get tomorrow so much money, and my bank balance will increase to such and such strength." Idam asti: "I got so much, and so much will be added, and the balance will increase." Idaṁ me bhaviṣyati punar dhanam: "In this way I will increase the amount of my wealth more and more."
There is no question of "how much love I have increased for Kṛṣṇa." That is bhakta, bhakti. But where there is no bhakti, they are thinking of this material increase. Asau mayā hataḥ, thinking others are enemy... Actually, in the higher status of life, a devotee does not think anyone as enemy. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). Samaḥ. He knows that "Nobody can become my enemy unless Kṛṣṇa desires.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Supplements. Because Vedic language is so difficult... It is sometimes very difficult to understand. So Purāṇa, another meaning of Purāṇa means supplement. So they are explanation of the Vedic knowledge in a supplementary way by taking references from the history, from the life of great saints and sages. So they are addition, addendum. Go on. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that the Purāṇas are not Veda. That is not the fact. Here in the Bhāgavata says the Purāṇa is part of the Vedas. As Upaniṣad is part of Vedas... It is written in simplified language so that those who are less educated, less having brain substance...
They are not satisfied. Many thousands and thousands of young men, they are confused. They do not know what to do, but they do not like to live like their fathers or grandfathers. So this is an opportunity for spreading this mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and Kṛṣṇa amongst the scholars, amongst the religionists, amongst the philosophers, even amongst people in general. This Kṛṣṇa book, Bhagavad-gītā, is very well known, so take this opportunity, both ladies and gentlemen in India, and present Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any adulteration. Don't do this misservice, adding something rascaldom in Bhagavad-gītā. In Bhagavad-gītā it is simply mentioned, and it is described, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). There is no greater authority than Kṛṣṇa.
Otherwise, for thousands of years you may go on reading Bhagavad-gītā; you will not learn even a word of it. That is the secret. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).
So our business is... We are teaching Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as it is spoken by the authorities. We don't add anything or subtract anything. Kṛṣṇa says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is the process. Man-manāḥ: "You always think of Me." And we say, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma... If you chant somebody's name, your friend's name or your relative's, immediately you remember the person. It is not very difficult. If you hear in the telephone somebody speaking, as soon as you hear the voice, you can understand, the other side, the person is there. So the chanting process means to always think of Kṛṣṇa, twenty-four hours. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advises kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31).
It is called Upaniṣad. If you simply study Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without foolishly interpreting it... That will spoil. Don't interpret. Just like you are given paramānna, or kṣīra. Everyone knows what is kṣīra, milk and rice cooked together with sugar, very nice foodstuff. But if you add with it several grains of sand, it becomes useless. You can add it, simply a few grains of sand—we spoil Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī has advised how to save yourself from this rascaldom. He says, avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathā. Kṛṣṇa is speaking Bhagavad-gītā; therefore it is called hari-kathā, kṛṣṇa-kathā. So Sanātana Gosvāmī says, "If it is uttered by avaiṣṇava, who is not a devotee, he is a professional man, so-called scholar and politician, don't hear it. Don't hear it." Avaiṣṇava: "Because he is not a Vaiṣṇava." Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathā. Hari-kathā means Kṛṣṇa's words. They are very purified. That's all right. But śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Why? Because sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ. Just like milk.
There is intelligence, certainly. But that is dirty intelligence. That is dirty intelligence. Dirty intelli...
What kind of dirty intelligence? That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: duṣkṛtinaḥ. Kṛtī. Kṛtī means very expert, kṛtī. Kṛtī. One who is expert, he's called kṛtī. But here the word has been added: dus. Duṣkṛtī. Duṣkṛtin. Just like one who has discovered the atomic bomb. It has required very nice brain. Unless the scientist is very intelligent, kṛtī, how he could discover such dangerous weapon? So there is intelligence, undoubtedly. But the intelligence has been wrongly used. Duṣkṛtinaḥ. They have discovered something to kill man. But they could discover something which will save man. But that is not possible. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—which will save man. You can discover something to kill man, but you cannot discover something which will save man.
So at last he satisfied himself that "There is no need of the grapes. It is sour." So this brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā is like that. When one is fed up or tired of this world, he cannot enjoy it due to age or other circumstances, at that time, he says, jagan mithyā. Why jagan mithyā? If God is truth, then creation of God is also truth. Why it should be mithyā? But because he has no knowledge, sufficient knowledge of the Vedic instruction, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam, pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (ISO 1), he does not know that creation of God is complete.
There is no defect. When God created this world, he created it perfect. Take, for example, we require water. So in every planet there is sufficient water, these oceans and seas. And they are very nicely preserved, adding with, what is called? Salt? What is the chemical name? Sodium...?
And the knowledge of God without philosophy is simply sentiment. They should be combined. To understand God, our relationship with God, our duty, everything should be understood, scientifically. Bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam. Therefore this word has been used, vijñānam. Viśeṣa-jñānam. Jñānam, ordinary knowledge, and vi, when the this word is added, vi, meaning viśeṣatā, particularly, for practical application... This vijñānam.
So this vijñānam, this science, can be understood by mukta-saṅga, who is freed from the lower modes of material nature, especially tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa. So do not be befooled by so many rascals that bhagavat-tattva-vijñānam, the science of God, understanding is so cheap that anyone can give you by simply one day's association with some rascal. You see. This is not so possible. Yes, it has to be studied, it has to be practiced. It has to be realized. So this vijñānam is being stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
So this Vaivasvata Manu is the son of sun-god. There are two kinds of kṣatriya families within this planet: one coming from the moon and the other is coming from the sun. The first person, I mean to say, first father of this kṣatriya family from sun, his first son is manu. And his name is Vaivasvata Manu. Because he is the son of Vivasvān, therefore his father's name is also added. In India the system is still that when a man will give you name, the first name is his own name, the second name is his father's name, and the third name is his village name. So that by three names he will understand that "This man is the son of such and such gentleman and coming from such and such village." Complete name. Just like when we give our identification, we give our own name, our father's name and address. That is complete identification. So still, not in everywhere, in almost all provinces of India, the system is still current.
"This is the disease, and ultimately this medicine will cure. So let him repeat that medicine." So our is that platform. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). We repeat only. We don't change: "Now hari-nāma is not curing so let me add, instead of Hare Kṛṣṇa, 'John Kṛṣṇa,' if I may." No. No "John Kṛṣṇa." (laughter) That same Hare Kṛṣṇa must be repeated. And you will be cured. So change means imperfect knowledge. No change means that is perfect knowledge. So we follow that no change policy. No, not that because I think I have become now advanced, I change this to that. That mean I am not advanced. My knowledge is imperfect. Therefore I am changing.
So this verse, the appearance of Vaivasvata Manu is described. So Vaivasvata Manu is incarnation of God. Svāyambhuva Manu, Vaivasvata Manu.
The milk is the cause of your dysentery, but the same milk, when it is medically treated, can cure it. This is the secret. How? One milk preparation. Milk is the origin. Rabri, you take too much and there is dysentery. And cikitsitam, the same milk converted into yogurt, add little black pepper, little salt and lime, it will cure. The origin is the milk. So one way you become diseased and the other way you become cured, but the preparation is the same—milk. Similarly, our activities in this material world with these material elements, when we violate the laws, we become entangled. But the same material activities, when it is turned into Kṛṣṇa prasādam, dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa for hearing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, what we are doing? We are also doing the same thing. Here is the temple. What is this temple? The same ingredients, the same cement, same brick, same stone, same worker, same plan as the skyscraper.
Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). One who has known that vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, "Vāsudeva is everything," sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. He's not only ordinary mahātmā, he is su-durlabhaḥ. Durlabhaḥ means "very rare," and when you add this word su, it is "very, very difficult." Su-durlabhaḥ. That kind of mahātmā... (aside:) You sit down properly. Who is that man? You sit down properly. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19).
So how one can understand Vāsudeva? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). After many, many births. Because we are—all living entities in this material world—we are all rascals. We must know it. All rascals. Abodha-jataḥ. Everyone who is born in this material world, either he may be... Even Lord Brahmā, and down to the small insect.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu says... Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy, it is said by Viśvanātha Cakravartī, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanaya tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. Vrajeśa-tanaya, Vrajendra-nandana Hari, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is very much pleased when He is addressed as Vrajendra-nandana, Yaśodānandana, Pārtha-sārathi. Added with the, with His devotee's name. Just to establish that He's not nirviśeṣa. He's always saviśeṣa. So this addition... Kṛṣṇa is everyone's father. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). Who can be His father? Nobody can become His father. Still, He accepts a father, and He likes that He should be called by His father's name. Who is that father? His devotee. Vrajendra-nandana Hari. Ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa... Bhagavān. He is addressed as Bhagavān. Bhagavān means the Supreme Person, Supreme Being. Who can be His father? Still, it is said, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ. Vrajeśa-tanaya. He's son of Mahārāja Nanda, ārādhyo bhagavān, Yaśomatī-nandana.
Still, people may doubt that Kṛṣṇa, being Devakī-suta, how He can become the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because sometimes very powerful person is also called bhagavān. So such persons have very confidence in Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is Caturbhuja. Therefore here, in this verse, Kṛṣṇa is confirmed to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead by adding this word, Caturbhuja. Don't doubt. Because Kṛṣṇa has appeared with two hands, that does not mean He is not Bhagavān. He is Caturbhuja. To confirm it.
Actually, sometimes it is said that Kṛṣṇa is the incarnation of Viṣṇu, but actually Viṣṇu is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2), that is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Viṣṇu also one of the devas, first, principle devas. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu, and Lord Śiva. Guṇāvatāra.
Still that is going on, but a very small scale. That everyone, after taking bath, he should smear over the body with sandalwood pulp. It will keep the body whole day nice, cool and calm. So that was the cosmetic. Now, in the Kali-yuga, that is called prasādhanam. Just like, every country, the system is, after taking bath, you dress your hair, add something scented. So in India it was the system that after taking bath, having tilaka, going to the Deity room, offering obeisances, then the prasādam, candana-prasādam was taken from the Deity room and it was used. This is called prasādhanam. In Kali-yuga, in the, it is said that: snānam eva hi prasādhanam. If one can take bath nicely, that is prasādhanam. So much. No more this cosmetic or sandalwood oil or rose scent or rose water. These are finished. That snānam eva prasādhanam (SB 12.2.5). Simply by, taking bath...
Means God is to be worshiped... He is to be offered the best selected words, not that like the atheist fools, they worship, or rather, insult. That very word... It gives us very much pain when God is called "daridra-nārāyaṇa." Why? Why Nārāyaṇa should be daridra? That means no conception of Nārāyaṇa. Therefore they add these insulting words.
But that is not the way of worship. Uttama-śloka. Kṛṣṇa's or God's another name is Uttama-śloka, "who is worshiped by the best, selected words." Uttama-śloka-guṇānuvarṇanam. Yad uttama-śloka-guṇānuvarṇanam (SB 1.5.22).
So which is greater? (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is zero. It is a business of zero, add or subtract. So anyway, a very large number of people died, and Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, because he is Vaiṣṇava, although he was kṣatriya... Kṣatriya's business is to keep himself in power even by killing his own son. That is kṣatriya's business. Kṣatriya, when there is question of fight...
Just like Bhīṣmadeva, Bhīṣmadeva, grandfather of Arjuna, very affectionate grandfather... Because the Pāṇḍavas, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, when their father died they were small children. Naturally Bhīṣma is the grandfather of the family and he had to take care to raise the children. In one side he is grandfather, and he actually raised the children. So very affectionate, especially fatherless... And the daughter-in-law Kuntī was so helpless because this Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his family, they were trying always to kill these Pāṇḍavas. And Vidura and Bhīṣmadeva, they were giving protection some way or other. So still, although so much affectionate, when the war was declared, Bhīṣmadeva took the side of Duryodhana. He did not take the side of Pāṇḍavas, although they were very affectionate, beloved.
And India is also now following. So this is the position of the world. What is being condemned by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, that, those items at the present moment are being encouraged by the government. This is the difference between this government and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's government. You can just imagine.
So the example is very nice. Yathā paṅkena paṅkāmbhaḥ. Muddy water, if you bring muddy water, if you want to cleanse it, precipitate, then you cannot add another lump of mud in it. No. You have to add something chemical. Just like alum. In muddy water if you put little alum chemical... Am I right, chemist?
So we are discussing about the muddy atmosphere. Things are there, sinful, muddy. But there is process also, how to counteract it. The process is also prescribed there. So at the present moment the whole world is muddy, but you cannot clear this muddy situation by adding more mud. They are trying to do that. They are not trying. The, there is Vedic method also, like that, that if you have done something wrong, you do another wrong thing. That is called prāyaścitta. Prāyaścitta. But Bhāgavata does not accept this kind of prāyaścitta. Prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. By this kind of reformation... Suppose you have committed theft. This is sinful activities. And you are put into the jail for six months. That does not mean that you become an honest man. That does not mean. So it is something like that. To clear the muddy water, put another lump of mud on it. This will not help. Something effective must be brought in.
From one verbal root, you can manufacture so many words; therefore it is very difficult to make Sanskrit dictionary. It is very difficult. The so-called Sanskrit dictionaries available in the market, you won't find all the words. It is not possible. Because so many words are manufactured by one dhātu. How many they will add? But there is one book, what is the name of that book? Meaning, this word means this, this, this, that...?
The stool and the vomit are all stocked for you to show you." But actually, it is very knowledge, very good knowledge. Śaṅkarācārya says, etāṁ raktaṁ māṁsa-vikāram. (?) He is teaching renouncement, that "Why you are attracted with this beautiful? What is this beauty? It is a combination of stool, urine and flesh and bone. That's all." So he saw, "Here is my beauty. Now you add it with me. Then again I shall be beautiful."
So these are actually knowledge. People are after something false. That is called māyā. Māyā means which is not actually fact, but we are after that. Similarly, this so-called advancement of civilization is māyā. It will be finished at any second, but they do not know. They do not know. It will be finished at any second. Even though we accept it, all right, Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham: (BG 10.34) "I am the death, and I take away everything at the time of death."
This is the process." And the kings would abide by... Although the monarchy was there, but they were not irresponsible. First of all, the king was trained and educated perfectly. Therefore it is called dvija-varya-śikṣayā. Yesterday I explained, dvija, the twice-born brāhmaṇa. And again it is added with another word, varya. Varya means the first class, not third class. First-class man, dvija-varya-śikṣayā, they used to teach. They used to advise. And if the king was worthless, sometimes they would kill the king. And next son, his son would take possession.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So it is very good news that people are reading our books. They have already got about more than one dozen such books, four hundred pages each. And besides the smaller books, now we are immediately going to add six more books. And what are those? Three Bhāgavatams?
Bali-mardana: Three Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
Prabhupāda: One, all four hundred pages, like this. We don't publish a book less than this volume. So just imagine how much we have to learn about our spiritual life. In no other system—religious system you may call, or cultural system—can give you so many books to read. There is no comparison. The Christians, they can present only one small Bible, and the Muslims they can present one little Koran. But here, the Vedic culture is so great that we can simply give you sixty volumes like this only for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Bhāgavata is the eighteenth Purāṇa. So there are seventeen Purāṇas, still more, not yet touched. Beside that, there are 108 Upaniṣads. Then there is big Mahābhārata, the great history of India. Then Rāmāyaṇa. There are so many books. So we are trying to present all these books into English translation.
Prabhupāda: Who is he? Who is she? I want to know.
Devotee: Tell her to come out of the kitchen ... (devotees chant japa.)
Prabhupāda: Why you have no responsibility? You have added salt instead of sugar. Why?
Girl devotee: I didn't read the-
Prabhupāda: No. You shouldn't make anymore. One responsible should make it. Somebody, give him charge. This is great mistake. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Where is Pradyumna? Chant.
Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya (etc., leads chanting of verse and reads synonyms)
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing, hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu: "My dear Lord, Kṛṣṇa, I have wasted my time for nothing, uselessly." Why? Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu: "Because I got this opportunity, the human form of life... It was meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa." Or add Kṛṣṇa with Rādhārāṇī. That is perfect Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa alone is Vāsudeva, and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is perfect, with all potencies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The Absolute Truth with potencies. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the source of all potencies. Rādhā kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī śaktiḥ. The Rādhārāṇī is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. Kṛṣṇa, when He wants to enjoy, He does not enjoy anything material. He expands His energy, potency. That is Rādhārāṇī. Hlādinī śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api bhuvi purā deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau. So these are the... So if we want... That is the... Human life is meant for that.
Āyuḥ, the duration of life... Suppose I shall live for hundred years. Even one moment of this hundred years, if..., it cannot be returned back, even if you are prepared to thousands and millions of dollars. No. One moment passed out of a hundred, that is minus. That's all. You cannot add again. Āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi. Even, even moment. Sa cen nirarthakaṁ nītaḥ... If you cannot get returned back even a moment of your life by payment of millions of dollars, if that moment is wasted, just how much you have lost money, you consider. How much you have lost! Therefore not a single moment should be lost, human life. It should be utilized. Simply by chanting, simply by reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We are publishing so many books. We have to read; we have to chant. Then life will successful. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodha (BG 4.10). Then we shall be free from this attachment, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye.
One party is coming from Lord Brahmā, and one party is coming from Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune, or the consort of Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu. That is called Brahma-sampradāya and the Śrī-sampradāya. Śrī. Śrī means Lakṣmī. Śrī means beauty. Śrī means fortune. Therefore, according to Vedic system, the "śrī" word is added before anyone's name, śrī. So there is Śrī-sampradāya, and there is Kumāra-sampradāya, and there is Rudra-sampradāya. There are four sampradāyas of Viṣṇu, er, Vaiṣṇava. So Brahma-sampradāya, Śrī-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya, and Kumāra-sampradāya—they are called āmnāya. If you want to know the truth, then you have to accept. Tattva āmnāyam. Tattva āmnāyaṁ yat pravadanti sāṅkhyam. This is Sāṅkhya philosophy. You try to understand the Absolute Truth through the disciplic succession of āmnāya, āmnāya.
So this knowledge, Kṛṣṇa is canvassing. He comes there occasionally. He comes once in the day of Brahmā, and the Brahmā's days is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). It means four, forty-three lakhs of years, add three zeros, some crores of years after, Kṛṣṇa comes once in Brahmā's days. Yadā yadā hi... That is just like the sun rises early in the morning, say, after twelve years, er, twelve hours. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's coming here, there is calculation in the śāstra. He comes once in a day of Brahmā. Means some crores of years after He comes. So things deteriorate. And not only He comes as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, He comes at a certain period, and still, the His incarnations also come to educate these foolish people who are thinking that "We are living very happily," to canvass them, to say the same thing. Similarly, Kapiladeva also, He is propounding the Sāṅkhya philosophy. This is Sāṅkhya philosophy.
At least, we inform people that "This is the way of happiness." Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tat (BG 6.21). "Don't be carried away by temporary so-called happiness. That is not happiness. This is called māyā." Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). Kṛṣṇa says, mūḍha, and Prahlāda Mahārāja says, vimūḍhān—not only mūḍha, but again added with word vi, viśiṣṭa. Viśiṣṭa-prakāreṇa mūḍha. Vi, therefore vimūḍha.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, śoce tato vimukha-cetasa māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). That is the thankless task of the devotees, to turn these vimūḍhān from this māyā-sukha to real sukha. This is the business of the devotees. They have no other business. Their business is not for making money. Money, they have got enough, and Kṛṣṇa supplies all their money. So there is no such problem for a devotee of how to secure money. Their only problem is how to turn these rascals to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all rascals, vimūḍhān.
So far we understand from Vedic literature, the moon is the second planet. The sun is the first planet. If we consider like that, then moon is beyond the sun planet. The estimation is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: 1,600,000 miles above the sun the moon is situated. Now, if we take consideration of the sun planet situated 93,000,000 miles from earth, then add 1,600,000 miles again, it comes to 15,000,000..., 95,000,000's miles away from the earthly planet. And how you can reach there in four days, 95,000,000 miles away? If we apply our common sense, then it appears they have never gone to the moon planet. It is all bogus propaganda. It is not possible.
You see? So any way you can engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is called mahat-sevā, service of the Supreme, or service of the Supersoul. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram. If you accept this way of life, then your spiritual life will be open. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2).
Vimukteḥ means... Vimukti. Mukti means liberation, and, adding the word, vi... Vi means specifically liberation. There are five kinds of liberation. One liberation is to merge into the Supreme. Another liberation is to live with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the same planet. Another liberation is to achieve the status quo of life as good as God. Sārūpya, sāyujya, sālokya, sāmīpya. You can associate yourself with God. That is another liberation. In this way, there are five kinds of liberation. Generally the Māyāvādī philosophers, they want to merge into the existence of God. That also, one of the recommended process of liberation.
The hogs and dogs, they are also busy in sense gratification. Then why, why you are calling yourself civilized than these cats and dogs? They are also eating meat, just like tiger. And because you can cook it very nicely with spices, you become civilized? But they have taken, "No, we can cook very nicely." Because in the flesh, there is no taste. So it has to be added with garlic, it has to be added with onion, and somehow or other... Then it becomes little palatable. Otherwise, what is the taste of this dead flesh? Suppose if you... But those who are after this blood, they find taste. So that is tigers' and dogs' and cats' civilization; that is not human civilization; that is not human civilization.
So we have to practice. That is natural. If you always think of something, at the time of death you will think like that. So if you think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ nama... Therefore Kṛṣṇa adv..., mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). You simply add up these four principles, always think of Me, you become My devotee, and offer obeisances unto Me, man-manā bhava mad, mad-yājī, worship Me. You do these four things then mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ, without any doubt you are coming to Me. So why don't you do this? Four things, very easy things. Is it very difficult to constantly remember Kṛṣṇa? You can do it. You are remembering something. A mind is occupied always with something. Just practice to occupy the mind with Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Where is the difficulty? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namas... Everything is there. You practice it. Don't (indistinct).
Paramahaṁsa: 4,300,000.
Prabhupāda: That is twelve hours. And add again twelve hours, night. Then eight billion...?
Paramahaṁsa: 600,000,000.
Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa comes after this period. (laughter) In one day, after one day of Brahma, He appears.
Devotee (8): Śrīla Prabhupāda, does Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu also appear every day of Brahma?
Prabhupāda: Yes, following Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa comes in the Dvāpara-yuga. There are four periods of each yuga: Sattva, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali. So Kṛṣṇa comes at the end of Dvāpara-yuga, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes in the Kali-yuga. So almost about the same year, same circulation. Just like the sun appears after so many hours. It is like that. And the sun does not disappear. Sun is already there in the sky. It may not be in Australia's vision, but it may be in other country's vision. The sun is not dead. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa appears by rotation in this universe after so many years, eight billion and billion years. So next He goes to another universe. Just like the sun, after disappearance from Australia, it goes to another country. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, after finishing His business in this universe, He goes to another universe. In this way the rotation takes eight million, nine billion years.
So it is not possible to go to the moon planet. Because first of all the sun is a little... According to the modern scientists calculation it is 93,000,0000. Taking it, accepted as 93,000,000's from this earthly planet, then again add 1,600,000, that means 94,600,000 miles away from the earth there is the moon planet. It is not possible. Therefore they are now silent. They cannot go there; neither ever they went there. This is the conclusion. So that is a controversial point, controversial, but we have to see the result. According to Vedic culture, one has to judge by the result. Not by if you simply talk nonsense, one has to accept. What is the result? Suppose if one says that "I have done very good business. I have earned so much money I have got in bank balance..." You can say all these thing.
Whatever we know, whatever we have heard from our authorities we'll speak. That's all. It may be somebody may know better than me. That is another thing. But I have to present what I have learned from the authority. That's all. And our authority is Kṛṣṇa, mainly. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upa... That is the spiritual master. Who does not add or subtract from the talks of Kṛṣṇa, he is spiritual master. One who adds and subtracts according to his whims, he is not spiritual master. He is not bona fide spiritual master. "I, my opinion..." "I give this interpretation..." He is not authorized. You are lawyer, you know better than me. In your law court you cannot change the law by your opinion. That is not possible.
And other processes, they have to undergo so many unhappy processes. Here, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is nothing unhappiness. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: susukham kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). Susukham. When you execute devotional service, it is not only sukham—sukham means happiness—but another word is added, susukham, "very comfortable, very happy." Kartum, to execute devotional service, is great pleasure, great happiness. And avyayam. Avyayam means whatever you do, that is your permanent asset. Other things, that is finishable. Suppose you are very much advanced educated person. You have passed M.A., Ph.D., and something, something. But it is not avyayam; it is vyayam. Vyayam means it is finishable. As soon as your body is finished, your so-called degrees all finished. Then again next life if you become a human being, of course again there is chance of becoming M.A., Ph.D., but the first M.A., Ph.D. in this life, that is finished.
You should always remember this, because sometimes rascals mislead that "Any name." In Bengal it is very popular. There is a party, they chant kālī-kīrtana. "Kālī, Kālī, Kālī," imitation. Or there are so many so-called avatāras. There was another rascal, he added his wife's name. Yes. And the rascal, foolish scholars also accepted. Yes. "Haro kusuma, haro kusuma, kusuma kusuma, haro," like that. The rascal's name was Haro, and his wife's name was Kusuma, so he made a mantra, "haro kusuma, haro kusuma, kusuma kusuma, haro haro." (laughter) And the rascal followers also accepted that this is... So this is going on. A Māyāvādī philosophers, they are so dangerous that they mislead their followers to the hell. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore strongly warned, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa: (CC Madhya 6.169) "If you attempt to hear some Māyāvādī philosopher, then your life will be spoiled.
Hare Kṛṣṇa,' " and they joke also, "Hare Kṛṣṇa!" sometimes seriously, sometimes joking. So joking, they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa—that is taken to their credit, although he is joking; he is not serious. Sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ stobham. Sometimes we make fun. To complete one sentence sometimes we, "Hari," "Kṛṣṇa," we add it. So that is also accepted. And then helanam eva vā. Helanam eva vā. Just like sometimes in the Western countries there is propaganda, as it was in Germany. Now they are going in Japan: "These Hare Kṛṣṇa people are very bad." But he's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. While saying that "Hare Kṛṣṇa people are very bad," but the "Hare Kṛṣṇa" is chanted. The helanam eva vā. And that is going to their credit. Although they are going to say Just like "Rāma chor nāhe," and somebody heard, "Nāhe Rāma chor." So "Rāma chor," but because he uttered the name Rāma, even he says, "Rāma chor," he gets the benefit. Sometimes they joke, "Kṛṣṇa is Mākhanchor."
You ask anybody, I think 99.9% will be unable to understand what is dehī and deha. This is our modern education. Dehina and deha. Dehī, the Sanskrit word, that is called inprotra (indistinct) a state in. (indistinct) When you possess something, then in Sanskrit, I means to say, prota. Just like gunī. Guṇa means gua, and you add in, then guṇin. Similarly, deha, and you add in, then dehin. The real meaning is, deha means this body and dehī means the possessor of the body. So actually in the modern age, the so-called civilization, they do not understand what is deha and dehī. They think this deha is everything, the body is everything. But that is not the fact. So dehī, the possessor of the body. So there are so many different types of body. But it is possessed, each and every deha, or body, is possessed by the dehī. So dehī, in a particular possession of deha. Dehī means the spirit soul. When he is within the encagement of a particular body, then his standard of happiness and distress is particular.
And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). He never said that by karma, by jñāna, by yoga. Nothing. There are four things for elevation: karma, jñāna, yoga and, lastly, bhakti. Bhakti is the ultimate goal. Karma you cannot become perfect if it is not mixed up with bhakti. That is called karma-yoga. Jñāna itself is useless unless it is added with bhakti. That is called jñāna-yoga. Similarly, haṭha-yoga... Every yoga... Everything is yoga: karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga. But yoga means connection, link-up with the Supreme. Then it is karma-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, jñāna-yoga. When this yoga becomes completely pure, then, without karma, without jñāna, without mystic power, that is called pure yoga.
So Kṛṣṇa can see within our mind how much we are surrendered and how much we are after material enjoyment. Therefore the best thing is we have to make zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Śūnyam means zero. Unless we make everything zero, simply Kṛṣṇa fact... Kṛṣṇa is only fact, and everything zero. Without Kṛṣṇa, everything zero. Just like one is one and, zero is zero, but when zero is added with one, it becomes ten immediately, ten times, similarly, this material world is zero, and Kṛṣṇa is one. If you want to enjoy the material world by your own effort, it will always prove zero. You'll never be satisfied. But you add this zero by the side of Kṛṣṇa—you enjoy like anything, ten times. Ten times. With zero, it is zero, But when it is added with Kṛṣṇa, it is ten times. Just see practically. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started with forty rupees. Now that forty rupees or something added with Kṛṣṇa, it has become forty crores.
"You can give Me this in bhakti, with devotion and faith, then you'll be benefited." If Kṛṣṇa eats from your hand, then your life is successful. If Kṛṣṇa accepts any bit of service from you, then your life is successful. Immediately you become liberated, because bhakti is not for the conditioned soul. As soon as... Kṛṣṇa therefore adds this word. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry for eating anything from your hand. He's not hungry. But He wants to teach you how to become a bhakta. Mad-bhaktaḥ. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. He wants you to become His devotee. Then your life's problem is solved.
So therefore He is prepared to take anything, little, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ (BG 9.26), so that you can begin to give something to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's neither hungry nor wants anything from you. For your benefit, for our benefit, Kṛṣṇa is prepared to take a little leaf, little flower, little water, which is available anywhere all over the world, without any price.
Yes. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). So in this way, if we... Simply if we accept, this is the... We change the name. Why? We change the name that "Now, from this point of initiation, you accept that you are Kṛṣṇa dāsa. You are trying to become master of the world. That is nonsense. You try to become Kṛṣṇa dāsa." Therefore we add this word, dāsa. This dāsa, that dāsa—everything Kṛṣṇa's name. So we have to accept, Kṛṣṇa dāsa. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109).
So if we accept this principle, that "This is my nonsense activities, that I am trying to become very big in this material world, and that will not satisfy us..." Even Brahmā has no satisfaction. He is also full of anxiety. This material world is like that. You may be very, very, very, very, very big man, but anxiety you cannot escape. That is not possible. That is material world. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Samudvigna-dhiyām.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Hydrogeroid. So in Sanskrit it is called rasa. Rasāyana. From mercury, rasa, the chemistry is called rasāyana-śāstra. Actually, rasāyana-śāstra, chemical composition, begins from mercury and sulphur. That is the beginning of chemical composition. So rasa-vidhānena, by chemical interaction of sulphur and mercury, if you can add tin and copper, then it becomes gold. You can manufacture gold, provided you know the process, how to mix up copper, tin and mercury. With via media of sulphuric acid. Sulphuric acid is the mother of chemicals. Without sulphur, you cannot make any chemical composition. Therefore all chemical composition are called sulphate, sulphite, like that. So Sanātana Gosvāmī gives this idea of chemical composition. It appears that he knew how to work with chemicals.
Rūpa Gosvāmī is following his predecessor, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, so we have to follow our predecessor. Then we will be successful. There is no doubt about it. Nobody can do any harm. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). If you stick to the principle of following the footsteps of previous predecessor, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2), don't add anything, don't subtract anything, present as it is and keep your spiritual strength intact, then the preaching will go on. Nobody can disturb you.
Once we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should stop the pillars of sinful activities. Whatever we did in our past life, that is excused, but if we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and if we go on with our sinful activities, that will not help us. Just like the same fire: you take the fuel and add to the fire, it will burn into ashes. But, at the same time, if you pour some water also, then it will be useless. Similarly, our past sinful activities, that can be burned into ashes provided we don't add any more. Don't take it: "Now it will burn into ashes. So go on, this business and that business." No. That business means pouring water into the fire. It will not burn. Go on.
He could manufacture so many things—but He did not do so. That is ācārya. Ācārya will not manufacture any new type of religion, a new type of phrase of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is not potent. The... Just like Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is in the śāstra. So that is potential. Now if we add and subtract something from these sixteen words, that is my manufacture. That will have not the potency. They do not understand it. They are thinking if they can manufacture some new line, adding with Hare Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes particularly noted. But he spoils the whole thing. That is the... He does not make any new thing. The new thing he does, he spoils the whole thing. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu never did so, although He's Kṛṣṇa Himself. He stuck to the point of śāstra. Kṛṣṇa, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also indicates: yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti (BG 16.23).
Even a small particle of fire is dangerous. If you neglect it, "Oh, it is a small particle..." No. You must extinguish it. It may come out very great fire. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has advised that fire and disease and debt, don't neglect. You must clear. If you neglect a small fire, it may come out a great fire. If you, if you neglect, you have got debt, the money-lender, he's adding compound interest, one after another, one after another; it was three rupees, and after some years, it has become three hundred, by compound interest. So you should not neglect. Similarly disease. Disease also, you cannot neglect. If there is... If you think, "Oh, it is little, it doesn't matter..." No. You must finish it by treatment. That is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's advice.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
His energies are so multifarious, He's so expert, that it appears automatically being done. Not automatically. Not automatically. No. Just like a big mathematician. You give him a very big sum, oh, and within a second, he will at once add it. And for me, I shall commit so many mistakes and perhaps the whole day will go on. Still, I shall not be able. Especially myself. I am never correct in adding. So if the... Supreme power means He has got so much energies, different kinds of energy, that it appears that there is no background, but the nature is working automatically. No. Bhagavad-gītā says no. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "The whole nature is working under My superintendence." But the superintendence is so perfect and so nice and so energetic that there cannot be any mistake. So this is called parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport).
So practically every process is condemned herewith by the Supreme Lord, condemned in this sense, that they can approach to a certain degree, certain extent, towards the final goal. But that process will never be able to achieve to the final goal unless this devotional process is added there. Plus, this must be, the devotion, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because ultimate end is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. As we have several times discussed that verse from the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyante: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births, those who are actually intellectual, they come to Me and surrender to God, that 'Here is...' Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: (BG 7.19) 'God is everything.' Then he surrenders." So one has to come. Maybe you go by the yoga process, maybe you go by the philosophical process, maybe you go by the ritualistic process, maybe that you go by penances and by study.
Śiva is not different from Kṛṣṇa, but it is added with this material energy. Therefore Śiva has turned into yogurt.
- yaḥ śambhutām api tathā samupaiti kāryād
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
But somebody is required for destruction, so that destruction part is taken by Śiva, and he is charge of this tamo-guṇa.
- 'śiva'-māyā-śakti-saṅgī, tamo-guṇāveśa
- māyātīta, guṇātīta 'viṣṇu'-parameśa
Therefore Viṣṇu and Śiva, the difference is that Viṣṇu is never in touch of this illusory energy, or material energy, but Śiva is in intimate touch with the material energy. That is the difference between Śiva and Viṣṇu.
Now, it is clearly explained that if you simply prosecute the other system of yoga, then you'll never be able to reach to the final goal. Therefore it is tenth leg. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti vinā, unless you add to it Kṛṣṇa-bhakti... Plus... Karma-yoga means karma, your working capacity, plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness; your speculative capacity plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness; your meditating capacity plus Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When you make a plus, then it becomes successful. Kṛṣṇa consciousness minus karma or Kṛṣṇa consciousness minus knowledge, that will never be able to give you the desired result.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
The pa, pha, and va. Va means this bondage. So first pa, second pha, the bondage third, then va, bha. Bha means beating, fearfulness. And then ma. Ma means mrtyu, or death. So this Kṛṣṇa conscious process is apavarga, apa. A means none. Pavarga, these are the symptoms of this material world. And when you add this word a, apavarga, that means it is nullified.
So... (aside:) You can sit down. This apavarga-vartmani. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the path of apavarga, nullifying these pavargas.
Festival Lectures
So we are trying to clear the consciousness without any cover, without any color. Just like there is water, pure water. Take sea water. It is very clear. But if you take clear water and if you color it, then it is colored water. It is not pure water. Or if it is not distilled, if you add some chemical, sugar or salt, then the taste is different. That is not the real taste of water. Just like if you thirsty, if you want water, if I give you some adulterated water, you are not satisfied. If you get clear water, pure water, then your thirst is quenched: "Oh, I am satisfied." Because the taste is there in the clear water, not in the colored water. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says sukham ātyantikaṁ yat (BG 6.21). That superhappiness, super-sense gratification, can be achieved by your transcendental sense, not by these covered sense.
So he is not delivering that one hundred dollars. Your friend has sent you one hundred dollars, and his business is to hand over that one hundred dollars as it is, without any change, without taking one dollar from it, no, or adding. No addition, no subtraction. His honesty, his perfection, is that he delivers you that hundred dollars which is sent by your friend. That is his honest..., perfection. He may be imperfect in so many others ways, but when he does his business perfectly, he is perfect. Similarly, our, this Vyāsa-pūjā means we receive perfect knowledge from Kṛṣṇa through the agency of spiritual master.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
And especially when one is endowed with other blessings, it is just like good scent in gold. Gold is appreciated by everyone. It is valuable, but there is no good flavor. Similarly, janma aiśvarya, to... You American boys and girls, you are born of a very big nation. That is very good. You are all educated, you are beautiful, and janma aiś..., śruta śrī, four things. These things are just like gold. But if you add Kṛṣṇa consciousness along with these qualification, then gold with flavor. Gold is valuable, and if there is flavor, it is more valuable. Of course, in the material world there is no gold which has got good scent. But in the spiritual world that is possible. So with your intelligence, with your opulence, add Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then nationally, individually, collectively you will be glorified. I am very glad that you have opened this center. It is nice place. And execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very simple, not difficult, if we want to execute.
Prabhupāda: But then, as soon as you say "Bhagavad-gītā," immediately, "Hindu."
Indian man (1): What sister wants to know is that how can we add in innumerable, rather, uncountless schools and colleges? The management will be most willing, I mean, the progressive management will be most willing to introduce classes where such laws of nature and such-on scientific line, without giving it a Hindu or religious name. That should be taught. A curriculum should be drawn up. Because we control some of the schools.
Prabhupāda: That is my program. I am writing all books just only on this point; therefore they are coming. Otherwise, what is the use? They were Christians and Jews. What is the use of becoming Hindus? So anyone wants to understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they can understand easily if he joins Hare Kṛṣṇa, chant. That is all right. If he wants to understand scientifically, there are eighty-four books. Come on. Which way you want?
Initiation Lectures
All previous sages used to accept such order of life, and later ācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, adopted this order of life and specifically stressed on this procedure in order to achieve firm conviction in the matter of devotional service. Those who are unalloyed devotees, they add one more staff along with the original three. This extra one is representation of the living entity. There is another sect who are known as ekaṇḍa sect. They misunderstand the purpose of tridaṇḍa and by such deviation, Śivaswami sannyāsīs, who claim to belong to the Viṣṇu Svāmī sect, turn to be impersonalists and follow the footsteps of Śaṅkarācārya, accepting only the ekaṇḍa. Instead of naming themselves out of the 108 names of Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs, this Śivaswami sect accepts ten names of the sannyāsī, following Śaṅkarācārya. Lord Caitanya, although in terms of the then practice accepted ekaṇḍi (sic) sannyāsa order, but His acceptance of tridaṇḍi sannyāsa is understood. This mantra was first chanted by a learned brāhmaṇa of Avantīpura after being very much disgusted in this materialistic way of life.
Therefore, we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any false interpretation. As it is. Kṛṣṇa-Kṛṣṇa. Kurukṣetra-Kurukṣetra. Pāṇḍava-Pāṇḍava. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā (BG 1.1). Kṛṣṇa uvāca. Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān uvāca: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said." And we should not add here that... What is called? Paramātmā uvāca. No. Kṛṣṇa uvāca. Paramātmā is feature. In the Gītā Press edition you will see "Paramātmā." They never say Kṛṣṇa. They're so much afraid that "If I say 'Kṛṣṇa,' He will at once capture me." You see? (chuckles) So in a different way. "Paraṁ Brahman," "Caitanya," like this, so many impersonal ways they will say. But that is not required. Bhagavān uvāca means Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes they say, "Blessed Lord said." No. Why you say? The Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa said. Then, what is that next? No interpretation of the scripture. Next? What is the next item?
All previous sages used to accept such order of life, and later ācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, adopted this order of life and firm conviction in the matter of devotional service. Those who are unalloyed devotees, they add one more staff along with the original three. This extra one is representation of the living entity. There is another sect who are known as ekadaṇḍī sect. They misunderstand the purpose of tridaṇḍa, and by such deviation, Śrīvāsa Swami sannyāsa, who proclaimed to belong to the Viṣṇu Svāmī sect, turned to be impersonalists and follow the footsteps of Śaṅkarācārya, accepting only the ekadaṇḍa. Instead of naming themselves out of the 108 names of Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs, this Śrīvāsa Swami sect accepts ten names of the sannyāsī, following Śaṅkarācārya. Lord Caitanya, although in terms of the then practice, accepted ekadaṇḍī sannyāsa order, by His acceptance of tridaṇḍi sannyāsa is understood.
Those who are completely dedicated to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in service are actually sannyāsīs. As a matter of formality, the devotee accepts the sannyāsa dress as previous ācāryas did. He also accepts the three daṇḍas. Later, Viṣṇu Svāmī considered that accepting the dress of a tridaṇḍa was parātma-niṣṭhā. Therefore sincere devotees add another daṇḍa, the jīva daṇḍa, to the three existing daṇḍas. The Vaiṣṇava sannyāsī is known as tridaṇḍī-sannyāsī. The Māyāvādī sannyāsī accepts only one daṇḍa, not understanding the purpose of tridaṇḍa. Later, many persons in the community of Śiva Swami gave up the ātma-niṣṭhā, devotional service of the Lord, and followed the paths of Śaṅkarācārya. Instead of accepting 108 names, those in the Śiva Swami sampradāya follow the path of Śaṅkarācārya and accept the ten names of sannyāsa.
Indirectly He declared that within the ekadaṇḍa, one daṇḍa, four daṇḍas existed as one. Accepting ekadaṇḍa sannyāsa without parātma-niṣṭhā, devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, is not acceptable to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In addition, according to the exact regulative principles, one should add the jīva-daṇḍa to the tridaṇḍa. These four daṇḍas bound together as one are symbolic of unalloyed devotional service to the Lord. Because the ekadaṇḍī-sannyāsīs of the Māyāvāda school are not devoted to the service of Kṛṣṇa, they try to merge into the Brahman effulgence, which is a marginal position between material and spiritual existence. They accept this impersonal position as liberation. Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, not knowing that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was a tridaṇḍī, think of Caitanya Mahāprabhu as an ekadaṇḍī sannyāsī. This is due to their vivarta, bewilderment.
Prabhupāda: The daṇḍa. Take this and offer obeisances. So add to your name "Swami," that's all. What is his name?
Devotee: Viraha.
Prabhupāda: Viraha Prakāśa Swami. Bow down. Viraha Prakāśa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the symbolic of viraha prakāśa. Govinda-viraheṇa me. He says, śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. That is viraha-prakāśa, that "Everything is vacant for me without Govinda." That is called viraha. So we should be mad after Govinda. That is govinda-viraheṇa me. Śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
General Lectures
Preaching work is the best service, if you preach rightly. If you preach wrongly, that is disservice. You have to simply say the same thing as Kṛṣṇa has said. Kṛṣṇa has said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "You simply surrender unto Me." So we have to say the same thing, that "You simply surrender unto Kṛṣṇa." Then it is all right. If I add something by my concoction, then it is not service. If I say, "You don't serve Kṛṣṇa. You serve me. I am God," then I am going to hell. We have to say, "You serve Kṛṣṇa." I have no right to accept any service from you, but I can accept anything on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. That is the spiritual master position. So what is your question?
Oṁ is also another form vibration of Lord. Oṁ. That is also accepted in Bhagavad-gītā. So Hare Kṛṣṇa or oṁ, practically the same value, but this is easier. Yes. And because Hare Kṛṣṇa was chanted by Lord Caitanya specifically. Oṁ is generally added (when) just beginning one mantra. That is the Vedic way. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paś... Oṁ is also addressing the Lord. Oṁ. And Hare Kṛṣṇa is also addressing. But this is easier and recommended for this age. Otherwise, transcendentally or spiritually, there is no difference.
Meat-eating, and if you believe in Bhagavad-gītā, is not the..., against the, our purificatory process. You cannot kindle fire, at the same time add water on it. If you want to kindle fire, then you have to keep that place very dry and fan it. Similarly, there are rules and regulations. Out of that rules and regulation is jīva-hiṁsā. Jīva-hiṁsā means unnecessary killing of animals. Now, if you have got sufficient foodstuff—a state I see in America... You have got sufficient grains, sufficient fruits, sufficient milk, milk products. Then if you can live on these things which are meant for human beings, why should you kill animals unnecessarily? If there is no alternative, that you cannot live... Just like in the desert, Arabian Desert, there is no food, no grain, for them animal-eating may be permissible.
So, how to test it? The Bhāgavata says, so long you do not come to the platform of understanding yourself, whatever you are doing, it is simply defeat. Zero. Zero has no value. If you go on adding zero, zero, zero, zero, million times, the value is zero. But, if there is zero and put on the left side one, it becomes immediately ten. Therefore, according to... Not according to. Everyone, everyone reasonable man can understand that "What I am doing? What I am gaining?" In your country especially, I see there is so much frustration among youngsters. They are finding that this is zero. Somehow or other they are trying to realize that this sort of life is zero. Actually. Human life, simply increasing the demands of our senses, these activities are zero activities. Parābhava, defeating. Yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. When a human being, as long as a human being does not inquire "What I am?
Therefore I am permanent. That is the real understanding of the living entity. These things have been explained very vividly. And in the Sixth Chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa recommended how to practice yoga. Yoga is the beginning of linking up our lost relationship with the Lord, yoga. Yoga means adding, addition or linking. Because we are now forgotten... The yoga system, any yoga system, means... Bhakti-yoga, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga—there are different names of yogas—but actual fact is how to link up our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is called yoga. Yoga indriya-samyamaḥ. Indriya. Because we are being deviated from our eternal relationship with God, Kṛṣṇa, on account of our too much being engaged in sense gratification.
That's all. And the Kṛṣṇa understanding is there. Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. He, if you do not introduce your so-called foolish scholarship, then you get actually back to home, back to Godhead, by simply studying Bhagavad-gītā. But if you add your foolish rascal scholarship, that "Kṛṣṇa means this and that means this, this means that," then you are lost. Study Bhagavad-gītā as it is. You get all information how to realize Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. So 'ham. Don't misinterpret. Don't... There is no... Just like Kṛṣṇa... This verse is very plain. This verse says, na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsam. Where is the difficulty? "My dear Arjuna, both I, you... It is not that I did not exist, you did not exist. Neither this soldier." Where is the difficulty to understand? Why should we misinterpret?
So as a human being, we have got this privilege, to understand, to go to the right person to take the meaning. Meaning is very clear, but we create some mismeaning. That is another thing. Just like in the Bible it is said, "Thou shalt not kill." It is very clear and simple thing, but we make some interpretation, "This, that, this." Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Don't make the meaning perverted. Take it as it is. Then you become perfect. "Thou shalt not kill"—if you take this as it is, then you become perfect. But if you add your own meaning and go on killing and still you become a Christian, that is your business.
"This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement I spoke to the sun-god long, long years ago." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). This is avyaya. Avyaya means which is never diminished or destroyed. Vyaya means which is destroyed, and Kṛṣṇa says this yoga system... This is yoga system: bhakti-yoga. Yoga means to connect, to add, yoga. So at the present moment we are almost disconnected. Not exactly disconnected; forgotten our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God. God means Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa means God. So in the human society there are many different types of yoga system just to reconnect our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. In the Bhagavad-gītā they are explained differently, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga, dhyāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga. All of them are yogas, but there are different stages. Yoga means to connect or to link up with the Supreme Absolute Truth. Now suppose he is in the topmost platform. So everyone is trying to go there.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: The Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone—that is one of his last books—he condemns prayer as an inner formal service to God, because God does not need information regarding the inner disposition of the person offering prayers. In other words, God does not need formal prayer to know what man needs. Such a prayer would be, "Give us this day our daily bread." However, Kant believes that it is good to teach children to pray so that in their early years they may accustom themselves to a life pleasing to God. So that prayer might add their...
Prabhupāda: That is religion: how to please God. That is not only restricted among the children, but authorized(?) to the children's father. One must know how to please God. That is real religion.
Prabhupāda: Evolution we accept. There is no quarrel about that point. But we say there are 8,400,000 species of life, evolution is coming through that. But you cannot give us any list that so many... We give real evolution, that there are 8,400,000 species of life, and the living entity coming through that. (break) ...evolution is taking from here to here, and how many there are? You cannot say. You simply say "missing," "something missing," "something is added," all vague.
Śyāmasundara: That admitted, but...
Prabhupāda: If you admit that you are imperfect in knowledge, then it is no use citing scripture. There will...
Śyāmasundara: But what I want to know is that...
Prabhupāda: Yes. He is adding zero, without one.
Atreya Ṛṣi: That's right, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Therefore the value remains zero. He couldn't find the one, so that the value of the zeroes at once increases.
Atreya Ṛṣi: But there are some great scientists like Newton who studied many, many, many years and made many, many theories and then they gave it up when they realized that they couldn't go further. Newton, at a very early age, like forty-three I think, went to a monastery.
Prabhupāda: That is a different thing.
Śyāmasundara: ...add more wars.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: President Nixon has made a promise that very shortly this cancer disease should be cured. So he has allotted a lot of money for the coming few years and he is giving to all scientists (indistinct). He is saying he is going to stop this death from cancer, but...
Prabhupāda: Suppose he stops death from cancer. Can he stop death at all?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Not at all.
Prabhupāda: Well then? What is it? He'll direct some other disease come?
Prabhupāda: Poor fund of knowledge.
Hayagrīva: But new worlds are being added, but not indefinitely.
Prabhupāda: No, new worlds added and old worlds subtracted. That is going on, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).
Hayagrīva: The present-day material scientists, astronomers, state..., one of the theories is that the universe is expanding, that the systems are going outward into space and are moving proportionately further and further from one another, just like raisins rising in dough. When raisin bread is in the oven, the raisins, they go further and further and further apart as the dough expands. So is this...?
Prabhupāda: That is good. That is good. Then whether he is a believer or a doubter?
Śyāmasundara: He is a believer, but the extent of his belief we'll discuss in a few moments. He says that the one who disbelieves faces the added risk of losing any chance of discovering the truth.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: So it is better to believe, even though one doesn't know for sure. It is better to believe because it gives one more chance of discovering the truth. He says that we have the right to believe in God, even in the absence of absolute proof. Even though there is no absolute proof, he says, of the existence of God, still we have the right to believe in God because this helps us to get closer to the truth. It gives us a better chance.
Hayagrīva: James writes about religion and total surrender and involvement. He says, "In the religious life surrender and sacrifice are positively espoused. Even unnecessary givings-up are added in order that the happiness may increase. Religion thus makes easy and felicitous what in any case is necessary. It becomes an essential organ of our life, performing a function which no other portion of our life can so successfully fulfill."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Without religion the human society is animal society. So religion must be there, and religion means to understand God, to learn how to love God, how to obey His orders, and actually real religion means to accept the order of the Supreme Lord, God. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā this fact is taught. God is personally teaching that "You become My devotee, always think of Me," man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, "worship Me," mad-yājī, "and if you cannot do anything more, you simply offer your obeisances unto Me." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65).
Hayagrīva: Concerning evil, James writes, "Evil is a disease, and worry over disease is itself an additional form of disease which only adds to the original complaint. Even repentance and remorse, affections which come in the character of ministers of good, may be but sickly and relaxing impulses. The best repentance is to up and act for righteousness and forget that you ever had relations with sin."
Prabhupāda: Yes. The final morality is... What in this portion?
Hayagrīva: He feels that evil is a disease first...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: ...but worry about evil is just an orig...
Hayagrīva: Three: "That prayer or a communion with the spirit thereof, be that spirit God or law, is a process wherein work is really done and spiritual energy flows in and produces effects, psychological or material, within the phenomenal world, for religion produces a new zest which adds itself like a gift to life and takes the form either of lyrical enchantment or of appeal to earnestness and heroism." In other words, our relation with God in the world gives...
Prabhupāda: That we have al...
Hayagrīva: ...it's like a gift to life.
Prabhupāda: ...already explained. We have got five relationships. To realize the creation of God with awe and veneration, appreciation, that is one relationship. This is called śānta rasa. Then further progress is that to offer himself to serve God. That is called dāsya rasa. And further advancement, to treat God as friend, that is sākhya rasa. Then accept God as son, that is vātsalya rasa. And accept God as the most beloved, that is mādhurya rasa. So in this mādhurya rasa, to accept God as the most beloved includes other relationships; therefore here is the highest perfection of relationship.
Prabhupāda: So that is the Vedānta-sūtra: to find out the ultimate cause of everything, the inquiries about the Absolute Truth. So these inquiries should be made to the person who knows; otherwise, what is the use of inquiring? That is the Vedic injunction. If you want to inquire about truth, then you must approach the bona fide spiritual master, guru. Guru means bona fide. But because there are so many pseudo gurus at the present moment, therefore we have to add this word "bona fide." Otherwise, guru means bona fide. One who is not bona fide, he cannot be guru. But people are misled by persons, pseudo or false gurus; therefore you have to add this word "bona fide." Otherwise there is no necessity of adding this word.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa (indistinct). Kṛṣṇa is one, and everything is zero, so if there is one, zero is added-ten, hundred, thousand-increases its value. Take out the one and it is all zero. Thousands of zeros will not carry any weight (?). So they are all zero without Kṛṣṇa.
Śyāmasundara: He says that philosophy has a social responsibility to influence intelligent management of human affairs.
Prabhupāda: That we are doing. We are asking everyone that "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious and do things intelligently, your life will be successful. You'll be happy." How else you'll be happy? That is our propaganda.
Prabhupāda: If you know the elements, you say that "You add this element." Just like when the motorcar stops for want of gas, you take gasoline from the petroleum store and it starts again. Either you do it, otherwise you are rascal, you are putting some wrong theory. If you say that it is a combination of chemicals, and you know that addition, that these living symptoms are there, then bring that chemical and add to it and let the body go out again. If you cannot do that, then you are nonsense. There is no sense of your statement.
Prabhupāda: This is evidence: that there is no soul. The self, the individual soul, is now departed; therefore this body is lump of matter. This is evidence. And because the soul is there, therefore the body changes or develops. Just like if a child is born dead, then the body does not develop or changes. It remains in the same condition. But so long the soul is there, the child grows or changes his body. That is evidence. Because the soul is there, therefore the child is growing or changing body from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youth. Suppose a child is born, doctor says it is dead child. You say something is wanted, but what is that something? You do not know. Otherwise, if you know, you add it. What is that something? Suggest, what is that something? Simply vague idea something, that is nonsense idea. That is not science. You must give, "This is wanting." Suppose that you say that the blood, the redness, just like nowadays blood supply is the theory, so what is this blood? Blood is a liquid, red liquid, like chemical or something, with some salt. So you can add salt, just like in cholera cases, they add saline injection. So dead body, you give saline injection, make it red by some color, give him life. If you say that "Red blood is now white," so make it red.
Prabhupāda: But zero, that is our point. From zero knowledge you cannot go to the perfection by zero speculation. That is our point. You, if you are zero, you must go to someone who is one. And when zero is added to one, it becomes ten. Otherwise you go on adding zero, zero, zero—it is all zero.
Śyāmasundara: But if you do not there is such thing as father-let's say you are so infantile you do not know that "I have father"—first of all you must discover...
Prabhupāda: Therefore I say it is childish. Only the foolish child knows that he doesn't require any father, "My mother is everything." Just like these foolish scientists, they are thinking the nature is everything. Nature is mother. Just like a small child on the lap of the mother, he knows simply, "My mother is everything." But when he is grown up, he understands that "I have a father."
Śyāmasundara: He doesn't see a soul, per se, he sees that a personality or a...
Prabhupāda: What is that personality? As soon as we come to the personality... Entity, that we call soul. Individual entity, adding personality, that is soul.
Śyāmasundara: He would call personality a set of behavior which is organized...
Prabhupāda: Wherefrom the personality comes? Because you are a living entity, you have got separate identity, therefore I recognize your personality. So without individual soul, how you can think of personality? There is no question of personality unless there is that individual living entity.
Revatīnandana: Is he saying that the self is an entity that tries to coordinate the conscious and unconscious?
Śyāmasundara: He said, "Between God and I, I must admit that God is (indistinct)." (indistinct) quote. He says that "Between myself...," between himself... He says there is a curious similarity between himself and God, adding, however, that "Perhaps I must yield to God in point of seniority." He wants to play God.
Prabhupāda: He wants to play God.
Śyāmasundara: He wants to design the culture.
Prabhupāda: What is his conception of God?
Śyāmasundara: Senior qualities.
Prabhupāda: That's right. (laughter) We accept that. Nityo nityānām. (laughter) We accept that. That is Vedic. That is Vedic. He is also living being, but who is the superior, chief living being? That is Kṛṣṇa. Just like we are also living beings, but you accept me as chief of the society. Similarly, there are innumerable living entities all over the universes, all over the creation, but who is the chief of them? That is God, the leader. Our philosophy is to follow the leader, Kṛṣṇa.
Śyāmasundara: But that's what happens in Russia. The managers, they don't get much more than the workers, so that everyone only can have a certain income. Just like Himavati's relatives,they sent their relatives in Russia some gifts for Christmas. The relatives sold the gifts and used the money to buy wood to add a room to their house, and because of that they were greatly punished, severely punished, by the state. But they should have given that money to others, they should have distributed it equally, that was the state's theory because anything that I use for my own benefit is wrong.
Prabhupāda: So my tendency is to (consider) everything as my own, but by the taking of the state I am forced to avoid(?). So how long will this work? By force how you can change one's mind? It is not possible. Therefore we say these things are only nonsense proposition. It will never happen because anyone who is in this material world, he has the prime tendency that I shall become the Lord. (indistinct) pratiṣṭhā. The material world means everyone is seeking after some profit, everyone is seeking after some adoration, and everyone is seeking, I mean to say, some position. This is the material world. So, if everyone, seeks profit, adoration and position, so how you can make equal by force?
Śyāmasundara: The Communists, and even to a certain extent the capitalists, believe that service for the production of goods is the only real service. So they condemn us because we are not adding anything to production. We are not working, we are not building factories. So they condemn us.
Prabhupāda: How they can condemn? We are giving service to the humanity for better knowledge. Then high-court judge, he is not producing any grain in the field, so he is not giving any service? He is sitting on the chair and getting(?) five thousand, ten thousand (indistinct). You can say, "Oh, he is not giving any service, he is simply sitting in the chair."
Śyāmasundara: So his follower was Nikolai Lenin. Mostly he reinforced all of Marx's ideas, but he added a few touches of his own. One is that revolution is fundamental, that history...
Prabhupāda: There were so many revolutions. It is not that they have made revolution. There were other revolutions, especially in Europe, the French Revolution. There were so many revolutions.
Śyāmasundara: He studied the revolutions, and he said that history moves in leaps and progresses toward the Communist leap. So he wants to make a leap into the dictatorship of the proletariat, and this he calls the final stage of development of history.
Prabhupāda: That's all.
Devotee: Is it not a fallacy to think that by adding sense gratification we will decrease the demands, desires for more?
Prabhupāda: That is not possible. Adding sense gratification means adding ghee, pouring ghee on the fire.
Devotee: Yes. But some has to be there as the senses, which they're denying. The basis of their ideology is that conflict brings about growth or progress. If they want a peaceful society, they're still trying to get rid of their conflicts.
Hayagrīva: Although he was considered a great philosopher, he concluded that philosophy in itself only leads to skepticism, that faith is needed, and he always added here, "God."
Prabhupāda: Philosophy means, real philosophy means to understand the truth. That is philosophy. So without understanding about the truth, if he encourages untruth... Just like some philosophers are philosophizing on sex life. So the people are becoming degraded. So what is philosophy in sex life, that is an (indistinct). It is there in animal and man also. So sex life is not actual life; it is a symptom of life only. So if we stress on this point only, that is not philosophy. Philosophy means, as it is stated, tattva jñānārthaṁ darśanam. To find out the Absolute Truth, tattva, that is philosophy. And tattva means the spirit soul or the spiritual atmosphere.
| Page Title: | Add (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 25 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=111, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 111 |