So this arcana-paddhati, the devotional service, although we have got this material body, under the direction of śāstra, under the direction of spiritual master, we are working, we are trying to serve God, Kṛṣṇa. So that service is as good as the service in the spiritual world. There is no difference. Just like... The example is: just like you have got a green mango. Green mango. So the green mango is not so tasteful, but when it is ripe, it is tasteful. The mango is not different. The same mango. You wait. You wait for the time when it is ripened, you will taste it, nice. Similarly, in the beginning, in the neophyte stage, when we say, "You must rise early in the morning, you offer maṅgala-ārati, you do this, you take your bath," these things, because we are not ripened, in the neophyte stage, these things appear to be botheration, not tasteful. But you have to do it under the order of the spiritual master and the order of the śāstras. Because unless you practice, how you can... But when it is ripened by practicing, practicing, when one is accustomed... Say by practicing he develops love for God. Then, when he's in love for God, he cannot do without it. Automatically he will rise early in the morning, automatically he'll do everything. It is simply the question of time to arrive to that ripened stage.
As good as (Lectures, SB)
Expressions researched:
"as good as"
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
"There is nice food, oh, let me eat. Then I cannot digest and I go three times to the W.C." (laughter) Not like that. That anāsaktasya. One should be unattached, that "I have to eat something for maintaining the body and soul together." Not that to the excess. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. If one makes his life in that regulated way, then he is as good as a... Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ, nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. And the viṣaya enjoyment should be in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Just like we eat and others also eat, but we eat in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has eaten, and we take the prasādam. In this way we make progress in spiritual life. Go on.
So there was no black market, because people were religious.
Therefore if civilization is based on religious life, it doesn't matter what religion he belongs to, he is elevated. Any religion. And therefore I ask the Christians that Lord Christ says that "Thou shall not kill," why you are killing? They give some vague explanation. But actually a real Christian is as good as a real Hindu, as a real Muslim—if he follows. No religion is bad. We don't say. But the first-class religion is that... That is explained here: sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Every religion teaches how to love God more or less. Why more or less? That is the only aim. How to learn how to love God. But they are rejecting God, what to speak of love. Rejecting. "What is God, this nonsense? I am God. God is dead. Finished."
By bhakti-yoga process, your original knowledge will be revived.
What is that original knowledge? Original knowledge is that God is the Supreme Father, I am His eternal son, or eternal servant, as you... Son is always servant because son, real son is obedient and servant is also obedient. And as we have got distinction here, servant and son, in the absolute world there is no such distinction. A son is as good as the servant and servant is as good as the son. That is absolute world. Don't think "Why shall I become a servant?" No, whatever you like, you can become, but in relationship with God, everything is one. There is no such distinction. So janayaty āś..., this is jñāna, this is knowledge. That God is great, I am very insignificant small, my business is to serve. This is jñāna, this is knowledge.
Now, eating is necessary, but a hog, he eats the most abominable thing, stool, but whole day and night he is searching out, "Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool?" So similarly, if human civilization is so made that simply for eating one has to work so hard day and night, so it is as good as the hog's life; it is not human life. Human life should be peaceful. They should get their foodstuff very easily, eat very nicely, save time for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is human life, not like hogs and dogs, simply searching after... But if we create such civilization like cats and dogs and hogs, then Kṛṣṇa will give us the chance to work day and night simply for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is the position now. We wanted it.
In Bombay we have got now six buildings full of tenants.
This year we have seen practically how these American boys and girls, hundreds and thousands, always who are remaining, not less than five to seven hundred... And for one week continually, in Janmāṣṭamī, we observed Janmāṣṭamī festival. Actually it was as good as this Vṛndāvana, because the chanting of the holy name was going on and hearing about Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was going on. There was tulasī plants, devotees, śrī-vigraha. Everything was there. So actually, it was replica of Śrī Vṛndāvana.
That is their omnipotency. We are practiced to say that God is omnipotent. Now, this is His omnipotency. Omnipotency means that He is not different from His name, from His quality, from His pastimes, from His instruction, everything. Therefore the discussion on Bhagavad-gītā is as good as you are discussing certainly with Kṛṣṇa. And not only that; Kṛṣṇa is seated in your heart, in my heart also. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 18.61). God, God is situated in everyone's heart. God is not away from us. He's friendly. He's so friendly that in my repeated change of birth, He's with us. He's trying to see when we shall turn to Him. Rather, He's canvassing. He's canvassing. He's so kind that we may forget Him, but He has not forgotten us. He is with us. Just like the father never can forget the son, however the son may forget the father. That is, that is natural. Similarly, God is the original father of everything, everybody, all living entities.
That is the prerogative. He can stop this process, repetition of birth and death. He can get his real, actual spiritual form again and be blissful, full knowledge and eternal life. That is the whole process. So we should not miss this. And the whole thing begins just what we have begun now, now, this chanting and hearing. I wanted to point out that this chanting and hearing is as good as actual association of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Bhāgavata, that śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). This, this process is called kīrtana. Even one does not understand the language, still, by hearing only, he acquires some piety. His, his assets become pious life, even he does not understand.
There are two types of Bhāgavatas, namely the book Bhāgavata and the devotee Bhāgavata. Both the Bhāgavatas are competent remedies, and both of them or either of them can be good enough to eliminate the obstacles. A devotee Bhāgavata is as good as the book Bhāgavata because the devotee Bhāgavata leads his life in terms of the book Bhāgavata and the book Bhāgavata is full of information about the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees, who are also Bhāgavatas. Bhāgavata book and person are identical. The devotee Bhāgavata is a direct representative of Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, so by pleasing the devotee Bhāgavata one can receive the benefit of the book Bhāgavata. Human reason fails to understand how by serving the devotee Bhāgavata or the book Bhāgavata one gets gradual promotion on the path of devotion. But actually these are the facts explained by Śrīla Nāradadeva, who happened to be a maidservant's son in his previous life.
Kṛṣṇa is speaking Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. Don't malinterpret. Simply hear as Arjuna heard it. Sometimes some rascals say that "Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna heard directly, but we do not find now Kṛṣṇa. So how we can hear?" His words are there. Kṛṣṇa is not different from His words. He's absolute. If you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is through the disciplic succession, then you are as good as Arjuna, hearing directly from Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference. But if you ras..., play rascaldom, "This word means this, this word means that, this word means..." This is rascaldom. If you play rascaldom, then you'll remain a rascal. You'll not improve. But if you hear exactly like Arjuna...
We want to see everything. Therefore, the fire sacrifice, you can see that whatever is offering, it is being eaten up. God can eat in many ways. Because a third-class man, they want to see that God is eating, therefore this is required, sacrifice. God, as it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. His every limb of the body is as good as the other part of the body. Just like we have got our eyes. With eyes we can see, but we cannot eat. But God can do that. He can see, eat also, through the eyes. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. He can hear with eyes. He can eat with His ear. He can see with His tongue. That is God. Every part of the body is equally good as other part of the body. That is called Absolute Truth. Our, this body, is relative. I cannot see... I am, if I close my eyes, I cannot see with my hand. But Kṛṣṇa can do that.
Therefore Vyāsadeva made this śāstra, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, ajānantaḥ, for these rascals, one who does not know the aim of life. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. We are meeting with so many problems of life. These are called anarthas, unnecessary. I am spirit soul; you are spirit soul. We are as good as God. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Our real position is ānanda. Sac-cid-ānanda. Why we are meeting so many problems? This is due to this body. This is due to this body. Therefore the real culture is, real education is, how to stop this repetition of body. But they do not know. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. He is fully joyful. You'll see always Kṛṣṇa joyful.
So how any rascal can come out and say, "I am the avatāra, I am the incarnation"? So that some other rascals may believe, but those who have sense, they will not accept. Here it is clearly mentioned, Lord Rāmacandra. He appeared just like ordinary human being. Nara-devatvam āpannaḥ, accepted. There were many other kings as good as Lord Rāmacandra, but why people are after Rāmacandra? Because He is God. Unfortunately, there are so many rascals. They pose themselves as incarnation of Rāma, incarna..., Kṛṣṇa. And people are all foolish śūdras, no education, no knowledge, and they are accepting.
They will not make further progress. They will stick to that principle. So therefore it is abominable. Yatasya kāma karmādi anyayena tattva-jñānena kriyamānāya(?). Tattva-jñānena. When they'll be advised higher truth... Just like those who are addicted to killing process under the shadow of religious rights, if they are said that "You don't kill. This is not good. After all, this living entity is as good as you are. As you are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God, similarly, this cow, or this animal, is also part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, but he has got a different dress only. That does not mean that you should kill..." If these things are instructed for higher elevation of life, they will not accept. They will not accept. They will say, "Oh, my religion says this. So I must do it."
We are trying to be pūrṇam, but it is not possible. We can be purified, but because we are very small particle, mamaivāṁśa... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, that we living entities, we are small particles. Just like the fire and the spark. The spark is also fire, but very small particle. Similarly, we are, although fire, when as good as God in quality, just like the spark and the big fire, but the spark is very small. It can burn a small portion. Suppose a spark falls on your floor, a spot can burn. But big fire can burn. That is the distinction between God and ourselves. We are also God, but we are not pūrṇam God. That is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).
Similarly, ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Anyone who is following ācārya, whatever he says it is correct. Because he does not manufacture. He says what he has heard from the ācāryas exactly like the child, what he has heard from his father, from the superior, he speaks.
So that is the position of guru. Guru is respected as good as God. Why? Only for this qualification, that he does not speak anything nonsense. He speaks only what he has heard from the ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Ācāryopāsanam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said ācāryopāsanam. So Vyāsadeva is our ācārya, therefore we offer vyāsa-pūjā. On the birthday of guru we offer vyāsa-pūjā. Actually, it is not directly Vyāsa, but because the bona fide guru represents Vyāsadeva, his pūjā is also vyāsa-pūjā. Mad-bhakta-pūjā abhyadhikā. To worship Vyāsadeva, worship the bona fide spiritual master and worship the Lord, they are the same.
And He says also in the Bhagavad-gītā directly, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Mayādhyakṣeṇa, "Under My supervision prakṛti is acting." So how prakṛti is directed, how Kṛṣṇa is directing prakṛti to make a nice flower... Just like here, they're painting flower on the wall. It takes so much time, so much arrangement. Still, it is not as good as a natural flower. Here you have painted one rose flower, and here are roses. There is art also, and here is art also. Without art, without artistic sense, how this nice thing, beautiful thing, can come in? You'll find a beautiful flower bloom in a plant, you appreciate it. And don't think, as the rascal says, "By nature it has come automatically." No. The same energy as you are taking, you are applying your energy to paint a flower on the wall with your paints and brushes... But Kṛṣṇa is also doing that, but His energy is so inconceivable that we cannot see how He's working. But He's working.
Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but we cannot see. But at least in Mahābhārata, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in Kṛṣṇa's dealing with the Pāṇḍavas, the Kṛṣṇa's hand is there. That is Kṛṣṇa's desire. (break) ...it is not like that. One who is advanced, one who is actually in knowledge, they will take kṛṣṇa-kathodayam. Wherever Kṛṣṇa's kathā is there, it is as good as any other. That is the way of... Thank you very much. (end)
Similarly, ant's hundred years and my hundred years different.
The modern science admits that everything is relative. Relative world. According to the body, according to the time. Relative world, not absolute. The absolute world is different. Where there is no relativity. Everyone is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is oneness. Not that one has become as powerful as the Supreme Lord. No. Maybe as powerful. Still, they're individual. They're not amalgamation. That is wrong theory. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that in the past we were all individuals. He says that "It is not that in the past we did not exist, and it is not that in the future we shall not exist. We shall exist." Nityaḥ śāśvato yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So we are eternal.
Don't do anything thinking yourself as independent. You cannot be independent. If you don't accept mataṁ ca vāsudevasya, then by the ear you'll be pulled by the māyā to do something. You'll be obliged to do something. You are not independent. As soon as we forget this principle, we become fool enough to consider as independent: "I am as good as... I am God." That is rascaldom. That is rascaldom. So 'ham. So 'ham, that does not mean that "I am as good as. I am God." No. I cannot be God because I am under the obligation of the laws of nature.
You cannot be independent. You are not independent. If you falsely think that you are as good as God or you are independent, that is ahaṅkāra-vimūḍha. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā.
So following the mahājanas, the principles, as Arjuna is doing, we must follow the instructions of Kṛṣṇa. That is fully explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. And surrender unto Him. And then our life will be successful. There will be no disturbances. Otherwise, if we declare independence, that is troublesome. It will create simply trouble. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). That is māyā. To think oneself independent is māyā. We are not independent.
Just like dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogis, they think of Viṣṇu form within the core of the heart. That is also vigraha. Don't think that is imagination. That is also vigraha. So there are eight kinds of vigrahas, and each and every one of them are as good as the other. Similarly, vigraha of guru is also... Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. This is the injunction of the śāstra. And... "May be in the śāstra, but it is not carried." No, it is carried. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **, it is said, tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. Those who are aware of the śāstras...
Just like we have installed the Deity according to śāstra. There is nothing imaginary. It is not idol worship. Idol worship is different.
Not that even though they become interested, they keep behind. No. On the... With the equal force with men, they also promoted.
So Kuntī, out of her humbleness, meekness, she is presenting herself that "We are woman, striya." But she's not ordinary woman. She's devotee. Similarly, any devotee woman is as good as Kuntī. So out of humbleness, she says, presenting herself as woman, less intelligent, "How we can see You, Kṛṣṇa? You are meant for the paramahaṁsa. You are meant for the bhakti-yogī. You are meant for the great muni. You are so many things... You are meant for persons whose heart is cleansed. How we can see You? We are woman." That is her humbleness. She knows perfectly well what Kṛṣṇa is.
"Although Kṛṣṇa is playing the part of human being, He is for everyone's good. He simply presents. As enemy or as friend, it is beneficial." Either He is playing the part of enemy or as friend, it is the same thing because He is absolute. In the Absolute world there is no such thing: "This is good; this is bad." Everything good in the absolute world. Kṛṣṇa's killing is as good as Kṛṣṇa's saving. It is the same thing.
So Kuntī could understand. The devotees can understand. So He has no partiality. Nobody should misunderstand that Kṛṣṇa has got partiality, no. This partiality and enmity, friendliness, these are material, duality. Here we cannot understand good unless there is bad. Therefore it is called relative world.
Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says that kaivalya, the impersonalists' theory of becoming one, monist, with the Absolute... That is called kaivalya. So he says: kaivalyaṁ narakāyate: "For a devotee who has got little favor of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for him, this kaival ya-sukha, happiness of becoming one with the Supreme, is as good as the hell." Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And tri-daśa-pūra ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Tri-daśa-pūra means where thirty-three millions of demigods live, heavenly planets. It is something like phantasmagoria, ākāśa-puṣpa, which has... Just like in Bengal they say, jokingly, ghoṛā ḍim. Ghoṛā ḍim means a ghoṛā, a horse, never gives eggs. It is fantastics. It is not possible. Similarly, these heavenly planets, for a Vaiṣṇava, is ghoṛā ḍim. They don't care for it. It is no fact.
Just like Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says: sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ **. A spiritual master is honored as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Honored. Sākṣād-dharitvena. Haritva means "as God." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ: ** "It is stated in all śāstras." It is not bogus that spiritual master is as good as God. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. Uktas tathā... Because it is stated in the śāstras, tathā, therefore, those who are advanced, uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ. Sadbhiḥ means those who are actually advanced in spiritual life, they obey the spiritual injunction. Then is spiritual master as good as God? The next line is, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. A spiritual master is not God. He is... The distinction is sevya-bhagavān, sevaka-bhagavān.
So 'ham. Māyā is so strong. Even after so much austerities, coming practically on the verge of perfection, they are misled by māyā. This so 'ham. So 'ham means "I am the same." But "I am the same" does not mean "I am the same Supreme." "I am the same in quality." So 'ham does not mean that "I am as good as the Supreme Brahman." It does not mean. Part is never equal to the whole. We are part of the Supreme Brahman. Mamaivāṁśaḥ. So in quality, just like a small particle of gold is also gold-quality is the same. A small drop of sea water is the same quality, salty. But that does not mean the drop of sea water becomes the sea. The māyā is so strong. Therefore Bhāgavata says, "The impersonalists, Māyāvādīs, although they think that they have become one with the Supreme, but their intelligence is not yet complete." Ye 'nye, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ.
For a devotee, mukti is not very important. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says that mukti, kaivalyam, one with the supreme, kaivalyam, kevalam, narakāyate: "What is this? It is as good as the hell." That is the opinion of the bhakta. They don't want mukti. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "I don't want any material wealth," dhanam. Na janam. "I don't want to be leader of hundreds and thousand of people, president or this or that. No." These are material desires. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is nullifying everything: "No, I don't want this."
Therefore they are addressed as viprarṣe. Not only brāhmaṇa, but they were ṛṣi. Ṛṣi means saintly person. They were rājarṣi, rājarṣi. Saintly person can become, anyone, provided he lives like a saintly person. It doesn't matter whether he is a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya. Generally, brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya, the first and second status of the human society, they can live as good as the saintly persons within the forest or Himalaya. At home they can live. So another place these brāhmaṇas were addressed as dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ, "best of the brāhmaṇas." A brāhmaṇa is already the best man, but if he becomes a saintly person, then it becomes still more magnified.
There are animals also. They are... These rascal state executive, sometimes they make a show of benefit for the men but no benefit for the animal. Why? Why this injustice? They are also born in this land. They are also living entity. They may be animals. They have no intelligence. They have intelligence, not as good as of man, but does it mean that regular slaughterhouse should be constructed for killing them? Is that justice? And not only that, but anyone, if he comes to the state, the king should give him shelter. Why distinction? Anyone takes shelter, "Sir, I want to live in your state," so he must be given all facilities. Why this, "No, no, you cannot come. You are American. You are Indian. You are this"? No. There are so many thing. If actually they follow the principle, the Vedic principles, then the ideal king will be a good leader.
He gave the instruction: "This is the position. You are like this. Your position is like this. You are now in trouble. You are in material existence. Why you are struggling for existence simply making your mind as the guide?" Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "These living entities, they are My part and parcel. They're as good as I am, but..." Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣa... "They have made the mind, given the power of attorney to the mind, and therefore they are forced to the struggle for existence." This is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā.
We are interested in the words of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is like us, He has got the same material body, then why we should be interested to read Bhagavad-gītā, He is also a man like us?
Therefore here it is said, śravaṇīya-sat-kathaḥ. By hearing about Kṛṣṇa, you become liberated. So if He is equally as good as you are, then what is the use of reading His book, reading His instruction? But here it is said, śravaṇīya-sat-kathaḥ, tadāhar apratibuddha-cetasām. These things are spoken by less intelligent class of men, apratibuddha-cetasām. They say, cetasām abhadra-hetuḥ kalir anvavartata: "Because Kṛṣṇa passed away, therefore Kali got the opportunity to enter."
So they should use their intelligence properly. But because every human being has got little independence, because he is part and parcel of God... God has got full independence, so he has also little independence. Just like big fire and small fire, a spark. The spark is also fire. When the sparks fall on your body, it immediately burns your clothes, because it is fire. Similarly, in quality, we are as good as God. We are spirit soul, and Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spirit soul, Paramātmā. So qualitatively, there is no difference. But quantitatively, there is difference. His intelligence, His power, and my power, my intelligence, is not the same.
Or this yoga practice was done by any gentleman. Therefore they were so sober, steady and determined. Everyone was a yogi. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is described, rājarṣi. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Ṛṣi. Ṛṣi, saintly persons, they know how to practice yoga. So formerly the kings were as good as ṛṣis. They were simply sitting on the throne as a matter of responsibility to the citizens. They were not political opportunists. No. Nowadays people are political opportunists. As soon as they get some opportunity, they capture the power. Formerly... Just like Bhīṣmadeva. Actually, he would have been the king. But he was not opportunist. To serve his father he gave up everything. This is called rājarṣi.
If you stop this sense, the other sense is prepared to kill you. Because they are called enemies, they are manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). We are struggling for existence with the mind and the senses. Otherwise it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, "These living entities, they are My part and parcel." That means "They are as good as I am." Why they are rotting in this material world? Because on account of the mind and the senses. So yoga practice you have to control first of all the mind, and then you have to control the senses. That is perfection of yoga. So Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, a great devotee, he controlled his mind, senses, in this way. The first thing is to... Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). This yoga practice... Bhakti-yoga means this, not to try artificially to control the mind the senses. That will be failure.
And before that, there was no history, according to them. But that is not the fact.
Anyway, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira went to the northern side. Gata-pūrvāṁ mahātmabhiḥ. His forefathers, they were also mahātmās. Formerly the kings were not, I mean to say, licentious drunkards. They were all ṛṣi, as good as great saintly persons, rājarṣi. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā was taught to the saintly kings. The modern people, they say that "Why not this movement amongst the poorer-class men?" They do not know who is poor. Anyone who is poor in spiritual understanding, he is poor. By material opulence, one does not become rich. He is animal. By material opulence, one may be polished animal, but he is animal. One who is spiritually advanced, he is actually in knowledge. Because basic principle is spirit.
That is stated by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. He says that kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalyam, the monism, to merge into the effulgence, the Absolute Truth, to become one, that is called kaivalyam, only spirit, that's all. So for a devotee this kaivalya perfection, monism, is as good as hellish condition of life. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Tri-daśa-pūr means the higher heavenly planets where big, big demigods live. Just like people are trying to go to this planet, that planet. So tri-daśa-pūr. Tri-daśa means thirty, three daśa, ten times...aḥ, three times ten. So there are thirty millions of demigods. And they have got different planets also.
So they are promised, "If you come to this demigod's planet, yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25), you will get so much happiness, you will live for so many years, you will have better standard of life, thousand times more than in the... These are... They are described in the Vedas. But a devotee says that this tri-daśa-pūr, this heavenly planet, is as good as phantasmagoria. They have no value for these things.
So the..., this is the aspiration of the karmīs, to elevate life to higher standard of life. As the world is going on... The struggle is going on for having a higher standard of life. But they are becoming implicated. Now, there was bull-drawn cart or horse-drawn carriages. Now they have got nice cars also, but the problem is petrol. So the karmī world is like that.
For him the home is as good as forest. Therefore there is no family system. Everything finished.
So it is only Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement trying to bring back Vedic culture so that people may be very happy. It is not a business; it is not a religious sentiment. It is a program to make everyone happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is Vedic culture. Not that "I exploit you, you exploit me, I cut your throat, you cut my throat." This is not human society. And this has begun already. Because you cut throat of the animals—you are very expert, cutting throat—now you will cut throat each other.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means complete understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Just like there are steps; if you want to go to the 104th floor, there are so many steps. So everyone is going, aiming, to that 104th, but one has covered ten steps, one has covered twenty, another hundred, like that. The aim is the same, but you cannot say that one who has already covered one hundred steps, he is as good as one who has covered two steps. There is that difference. Here is a person who has covered only two steps; here is another person who has covered fifty steps; here is another person who has covered hundred steps. Suppose you have to fulfill five hundred steps. So proportionately, that is the position. But the steps are already there. So any religious system—it doesn't matter Hindu religion or Christian religion or Muhammadan religion—it is the question of how the followers are covering the steps. They are going on the same staircase, but it is the question of...
And nobody knows. Therefore, bahir-artha-māninaḥ: they are accepting this external feature. Just like we have got external feature. We can understand very easily that this body, this body is external feature. Real "I" am within. As soon as I go away from this body, this external feature, as good as the garbage in the street. That they do not understand. They are busy piling garbage. "Bring more garbage, more garbage." And this is the working capacity. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They think, "This garbage will save me." Very important question. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). The ātma-tattvam means "I am now within this garbage for the present. And after leaving this, in this garbage, I pile up so many other garbages. And in this way, working uselessly the whole life, then I transmigrate from this body to another garbage body." That I do not know. This is called apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2).
There is no, I mean to say, broadmindedness. And broadmindedness, when you come to the platform of ātmā. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). When you come to the point of God, then you see, "Oh, everything belongs to God. Everything belongs to God. Here is an animal. Here is an animal. He also as good as I am because he is also soul." So ātma-tattvam to be discussed, but they are not prepared. Therefore gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. So what is their business, those who are blind to the ātma-tattvam? So that business is described in the next verse.
Simply by nature's manipulation. Just like we are coming... Karandhara showed me. The plastic, some trees. So they have made the plastic tree exactly resembling the tree. But it is not tree. Similarly, this body is as good as the plastic body. It has no value. So tyaktvā deham. So when Kṛṣṇa says that after giving up this body... But this body is plastic body. Just like you have got cotton shirt or plastic shirt or so many. You can give it up. That does not mean you die. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). As one gives up old garment for a new one, similarly, death means to give up this plastic body and take another plastic body.
So you have got very responsible task, to inject within their ear the chivalrous activities of God. Otherwise, their earholes remain as snake holes. As I explained yesterday, in the snake holes, nobody goes there. Nobody puts their hands or legs. Similarly, if these earholes remains empty, without aural reception of the great activities of the Lord, it is as good as the snake holes.
Bile batorukrama-vikramān ye na śṛṇvataḥ. They have decided, "There is no God. God is dead. God has no personality. He's zero." Therefore they have no opportunity to hear about God. Na śṛṇvataḥ karṇa-puṭe narasya. This human form of body... These earholes are meant for giving aural reception to the message of God. But they'll not do that. Therefore your mission is to go home to home, village to village, town to town, and give them injection, "Hear." Make such arrangement, nice dancing, nice chanting, prasāda distribution. Why? Just to inject in their snake holes the words of Kṛṣṇa. This is your mission. Those who have taken sannyāsa especially, it is their duty.
So you are being trained up. In India they are trained up since centuries. Their culture is different. They automatically can adopt, immediately. They're trained up. You are not trained up as yet. You are being trained. So unless you are fully trained, don't establish Deity to make a farce. Better learn it perfectly in the temple, and when you think that the members of the household are also now as good as the devotees in the temple, then you must establish the Deity. That is required. Next.
This is called anuvraja. Anu means to follow. It is therefore best to follow the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master, even in visiting temples and the holy places of pilgrimage. One who does not move in that way is as good as a standing tree condemned by the Lord not to move. The moving tendency of the human being is misused by visiting places for sightseeing. The best purpose of such traveling tendencies could be fulfilled by visiting the holy places established by great ācāryas and thereby not being misled by the atheistic propaganda of moneymaking men who have no knowledge of spiritual matters.
This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Because spiritual master has to be accepted, sākṣād-dhari, directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore the so-called spiritual master should not be puffed up, that "Now I have become God." This is Māyāvāda. This is rascaldom. He is most confidential servant of God, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the disciple accepts him as good as God. Therefore the conclusion is simultaneously one and different. Acintya-bhedābheda. Bheda, different, means the spiritual master is a confidential servant, or the servant God. To the disciple he is servant God.
Tulasī dāsa says—it is very nice—that "Put and mut, they are coming from the same source. So a put, if he is devotee of the Lord, then he is put. If he is not, then he is mut. Then he is mut." If the son... After begetting son, if the son does not become devotee, then he is as good as mut. I pass urine. Mut son, he says, because he's less than mut. Because mut, I pass urine. The obnoxious thing, that is gone away. But it is present. It is present. The bad smell is constantly giving me trouble. Mut karma's there.(?) So these are very instructive. So why this is? Anyone... Everyone is son of God, but one who is acting as real son of God, he is praised, "He is my only son." This idea, not that God is limited to produce only one son. Why? God has unlimited sons. He is unlimited. If an ordinary man can beget hundreds of sons, just like Dhṛtarāṣṭra... There are many instances..., Ṛṣabhadeva.
Svayaṁ-jyo... Etad jyotiḥ, I am as effulgent... Just like spark. Spark is jyoti, but not as brilliant, effulgent, as the original fire. The original fire—phat! phat!—there are some sparks. You have got experience. The spark is also jyoti. If a spark falls on your cloth, it will immediately burn. The burning capacity is there. But it is not as good as the original fire. Svayaṁ-jyotiḥ. Here it is said, nirantaram. So nirantaram means there is, so far jyoti is concerned, there is no difference, but the small, very small. Aṇimānam akhaṇḍitam. This is self-realization. Don't falsely claim that "Because I am qualitatively one with God, therefore I am God." No. You may be god. God means controller. But you are not the Supreme God. The Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ. Parama means Supreme. We are īśvara, we may be īśvara. I may be īśvara for few persons, another may be for a big nation, another may be for the... You can go on increasing. But you cannot reach the, I mean to say, position of God. That is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ.
Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Rājarṣi. The kings were... Although they were king, rāja, still, they were as good as the great saintly person, ṛṣi. So Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was also a rājarṣi. He gave example: although he was busy in his administration work, still, he was talking only of Kṛṣṇa, only. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). Whenever he would talk, he will talk about Kṛṣṇa. This required practice. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised all His devotees, grāmya-kathā nā kahibe. This requires... This is called advancement. Don't talk nonsense of these material talks. What is the use? What you will gain? Just like you open the newspaper. What do you find? The same thing.
Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). And who's guru? Guru means representative of Bhagavān. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ **. Guru... Because the real guru, he's representative of Kṛṣṇa, sākṣāt-hari. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. In all scriptures it is described that guru is as good as Bhagavān. Means he knows from the right source. Therefore he may be, not maybe exactly, but as good, sākṣād-dharitvena. Why? Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya. Guru is servant, servant God. The master God and the servant God. Kṛṣṇa is the master God and guru is the servant God. Although he's respected as Kṛṣṇa, still, kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya; He does not claim that "I've become Kṛṣṇa." No. He's very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Kintu prabhor yaḥ priya. Priya. Priya means dear. Why he's so dear? Because he preaches the master's message.
And self-realization means opening the knots, opening the knots. The knots began like that. Janasya moho yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). And here it is said, hṛdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Bhedanam means separate them. Separate them. That is self-realization. Self-realization means that "I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. So 'ham, "I am as good as the Supreme Spirit, Kṛṣṇa. Somehow or other I am now in contact with this material attachment." This is called ātma-darśana. And that is clearly explained, ātma-darśana means hṛdaya-granthi-bhedanam. Ātma-darśanam does not mean hṛdaya-granthi vṛddhi or increasing. Therefore, real ātma-darśana, real liberation, real consciousness is separation from this material attachment. Voluntarily, forcefully, or by knowledge, that is required.
Then accept him. Otherwise don't accept." So God has virāḍ-rūpa. So both God and we are, living entity, are of the same quality. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi means so 'ham. These words, Vedic words, are there to indicate that "Qualitatively, I am as good as God. He is spirit soul; I am also spirit soul. He has got creative power; I have got creative power. He has got senses; I have got senses." Everything just similar, facsimile. In the Bible it is said, "Man is made after God." Is it not said like that? That means God has exactly the same form. And therefore man is made also, the same form. So in this way both God and the living entities, they are anādi. Anādi, there is no beginning.
So those who are too much infected by these material qualities, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). They think that "Kṛṣṇa and we are the same." But that is not the fact. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because Kṛṣṇa comes as human being, we may think that "Kṛṣṇa is as good as I am." No, that should not be... Kṛṣṇa is vibhu, and we are aṇu. Kṛṣṇa is master, and we are servant. That is our eternal relationship. We should not forget that. And sa eṣa prakṛtiṁ sūkṣmāṁ daivīṁ guṇamayīṁ vibhuḥ. Prakṛti, prakṛti, this prakṛti is also Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa, the supreme powerful, He can utilize the prakṛti as He likes. He is not controlled by prakṛti. But we are controlled by prakṛti. Because He is vibhu... Vibhu means the great. So you cannot say great māyā, or prakṛti is greater than Kṛṣṇa. You cannot say. Then your God is not great.
Māyā..., whose māyā? It is Kṛṣṇa's māyā. Māyā means something wonderful, mystic. Or māyā means illusion. So many, there are meaning. Māyā means affection also. So some way or other, this Durgā-devī, Māyā, is Kṛṣṇa's māyā. Just like prison house. Prison house is also government house, but it is not as good as the government house. It is government... The proprietor is the government. It is looked after by the government. You can call it government house, but government house is different, rāja-bhavan. Similarly, everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to Him. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā. Mama māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). That is creation of Kṛṣṇa. It is necessary.
Kṛṣṇa said that "The living entities, they are My part and parcel. They are as good as I am." But because the part and parcel of gold is also gold... It is nothing else. It may be small gold, but it is gold. Similarly, we may be very small fragmental part of the Supreme Person, Brahman, but we are Brahman. This is Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is Brahman realization. It is not very difficult. If you simply understand that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa," that is Brahma-jñāna. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). It does not take very much time, but it requires little brain, that "If I am part and parcel of God, then I must be qualitatively the same." Part of gold is also gold.
This manasaś cendriyāṇi, as it is stated here, manasaś ca indriyāṇāṁ ca bhūtānāṁ mahatām api. Mahā-bhūta, mahā-bhūta, these five elements, kṣitir āp tejo marud vyoma, and mind. So in this way we are entrapped, and there is struggle. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati, mamaivāṁśa: (BG 15.7) "They are My part and parcel. They can live as good as I am, but unfortunately, they are undergoing a struggle for existence on account of this polluted mind." What is that pollution? Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. He thinks that "What is the use of..." this is, what is called, "service mentality, slave mentality." They say, "This bhakti-mārga is slave mentality. Instead of becoming God, they want to become servant or slave of God. So this is slave mentality." No, this is not slave mentality. This is actual liberation, because our constitutional position is to remain. We are servant of Kṛṣṇa. But somehow or other, we revolted.
That is great soul who has captured the Supreme Soul. He's great soul. We are... We are very small. Our identity, magnitude, as stated in the Vedic literature, it is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. It is very small. You cannot even imagine. So we are very small, but we can become the greatest, almost as good as God, if we engage ourself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. You have got best example. Just like Lord Jesus Christ. He, he's worshiped as good as God because he dedicated everything for God. Similarly, if you also dedicate your life, your intelligence, your money... Prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā. By four things you can attain greatness, almost greatness like God. How? By engaging your life, your wealth, prāṇair arthair dhiyā, your intelligence... If you have no money, then you can apply your intelligence.
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. But so far we are concerned, we don't want even to merge into the existence of God, but we want to become associated with God in friendship, in love, in servitude, in so many ways. We want to keep our existence, individual existence, and associate with God. That is the Vaiṣṇava philosophy.
Who is guru? Guru means who's coming from the paramparā system. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Rajarṣaya, big, big, learned saintly kings. That means government. Now we are taking, accepting king by democracy, anyone by votes. No. Rājarṣaya. One must be governor, he must be as good as a ṛṣi, saintly person. Rājarṣaya. They must understand the purport of Bhagavad-gītā, the aim of life. Then they will educate, the governor will educate the citizens how to make life successful. But if he does not understand what is the success of life, how he will govern? But it is going on. But Bhagavad-gītā says, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. The Bhagavad-gītā is meant for the rājarṣis, saintly kings, saintly governor. Because he has to govern, he must know how to govern: what is the aim of life, how they can be elevated. Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, because he was a good governor, good king, so during his time, it is said that kāmaṁ parjanya vavarṣa.
No, that is not gṛhastha. That is called gṛhamedhi. Gṛhamedhi and gṛhastha, there are two words. Gṛhamedhi means he does not know the rules and regulation. He thinks that this family, this husband and wife, children and home, that is everything. That is called gṛhamedhi. But gṛhastha means he is as good as a sannyāsī. Gṛhe tiṣṭhati 'pi gṛhastha (?). He is suitable..., he is not suitable to become a brahmacārī, because every facility is there, but regulated. And one who follows the regulative principles, he is āśrama. Either it is gṛhastha āśrama or sannyāsa āśrama, the same thing. Āśrama means—very easily understood in India, there is discussion—the place where the spiritual culture is cultivated, that is called āśrama. What is the difference between the āśrama and ordinary home? Ordinary home means the..., without any regulative principles, and āśrama means real purpose is self-realization, development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Otherwise, theoretical knowledge has no meaning.
So in order to know that science, one has to approach a perfect teacher. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Here also it is said, gurau haṁsa. Haṁse gurau mayi. The mayi is also significant. That means, paramahaṁsa guru means, he's as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because he does not deviate from the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the symptom of guru. Guru does not deviate from the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not manufacture something new, novel. No, the same thing. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter, although He is the speaker, millions of years ago He instructed the science to the Sun god, and again when He was instructed to Arjuna, He said that, "I am instructing the same thing." Sa evāyaṁ purātanaḥ. Not that on account of change of time, the instruction has been changed, no. (aside:) What is that exact verse? Sa evāyaṁ purātanaḥ?
They do not care. Insignificant. That śloka of Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he realized this, that kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. The liberation of becoming one with the Supreme is called kaivalyam, kevalādvaitam, oneness. So for a devotee it is as good as the hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. And then? What about heavenly planets, Svargaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka? Ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāya. In Bengal there is one word, ghorabdin (?), means "no value." Just like horse. Horse never give any egg, but it is said, "It is as good as the egg of horse." That means "There is no such thing, insignificant." So ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Ākāśa-puṣpāyate means it has no value. Simply imagination. Actually that is the fact. Suppose if you go to Svargaloka, become Indra.
You cut it; it does not respond, does nothing. But if there is life, little pinching—immediately, "Why you are pinching?" That is the difference between life and dead body, or jada and cetana. So long one is not conscious, he's as good as the stone or the wood. Therefore sometimes Vaiṣṇava poets say that amāra lid pasanta bolo na, pasan hole bolo yato(?). We have created such a strong heart of material existence that it does not respond even after suffering so much. This is our position.
So therefore our Gosvāmīs, under the śāstra..., that "Engage yourself in Kṛṣṇa activities; otherwise you will fall down." Īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā vacā.
So here is Ṛṣabhadeva giving example. So far the body is concerned, it has nothing to do with the spiritual activities. The body is as good as that of the animals, the crows and the cows, birds, beasts. He is showing the same now, that so far body is concerned, it is the same thing. But when you come to the spiritual platform, that is... This is negation or equation with the material body. But real activities are ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttama. Simply be ready to work for Kṛṣṇa, sad-dharma-pṛcchāt, as Sanātana Gosvāmī exemplified.
So this is also opulence of Kṛṣṇa. Jaḍavad avadhūta-veṣa. Although He is the proprietor, sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), still, this is another opulence, how to become renounced. This is another opulence. It is as good as the other opulences. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya. All the op..., means property, money, wealth—these are aiśvarya. And He says, Kṛṣṇa, sarva-loka-maheśvaram. Not only in one planet but all the universes, all the planets within the universes, they are all the properties of Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram. Aiśvaryasya samāgrasya vīryasya. Strength... What is that? Eh?
That is the difference between you and God. The creative power is there. Because we are part and parcel, the value is there. Just like gold mine and a small particle of gold. So small particle has... It will be called gold, and it has got some value. But not as good as the gold mine. This is the difference between God and ourself. We should understand. So if we give up this service to the senses and we engage ourself in the service of the great... Everyone wants to serve the great. That is natural. If one is serving ordinary mercantile firm, he is thinking of getting some service in the government office. That is very secure. So if we seek our service to the supreme government, Kṛṣṇa, or God, then we will be happy. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Then reading books, class, taking care of the temple. Tan-mandira-mārjanādau. Don't think that if one is engaged in the Deity worship and if one is engaged in the gardening work there is distinction. No. The one who is working as a gardener, he is as good as the one who is dressing the Deity, because it is Absolute plane. There is no difference between... Just like in the material world, if one is working as manager and the other is working as menial servant, there is difference of pay or difference of service. No. In the spiritual world there is no such thing. In the spiritual world even a small ant who is serving Kṛṣṇa by chance...
In the spiritual world there is no such thing. In the spiritual world even a small ant who is serving Kṛṣṇa by chance... Suppose if there is an ant and the flower is thrown into the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and the ant kisses the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he is as good as the pūjārī. This is spiritual world. So we should give everyone chance how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Then he will remain on the upper platform. Samatītya. Atītya mean transcending. Etan guṇān. Etan guṇān means because the material world is complicated with the modes of material nature, so this is called guṇa. So anyone who is engaged constantly in devotional service, sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26), he immediately transcends the influence of the material qualities. Sa guṇān samatītya etān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate.
Therefore there are four sticks within the daṇḍa. Those who have taken sannyāsa, they know it. The idea is that "I surrender to my spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa." Spiritual master is identical with Kṛṣṇa because he gives true knowledge. Therefore he is as good as God. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata **. A spiritual master is considered directly as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sākṣād. Sākṣād means directly. Why? Because he is jñāna-prada. He gives knowledge, real knowledge. That is the qualification of spiritual master. Nobody can become spiritual master if he has no knowledge. If he's a speculator, he cannot become a spiritual master. He must give the right knowledge. Then he is bona fide spiritual master. Otherwise he's a bogus. Jñāna-prada. And without real knowledge, our life is useless.
Just like gold and particle of gold. If gold is valuable, the little particle, it may be less valuable, but it is valuable. It is not ordinary thing. Similarly, we living entities, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "These, all these living entities, they are My part and parcels," means "as good as I am." But thing is that manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣ... He is concocting; he is manufacturing ideas to become happy. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi. And with the senses he is trying to satisfy himself. But because he has no information how to become happy, manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Karṣati means that is struggle for existence.
The other planets are also filled up with living entities. Even in the sun planet. We cannot think... The sun planet is made of fire. How living entities can live there? Yes. Why not? You have to little consider about your rascal senses. What is the fault in the sun planet that there shall be no life? The five elements means earth, water, fire, air, ether. So fire is as good as the earth, one of the elements. Earth, water, fire, air, ether or sky. So we are experiencing that on earth, on the land, there are so many lives. And in the water there are so many lives. In the air there are so many lives. And why not in the fire? What is the reason? You have got some concocted ideas that in fire, nobody can live there. But Bhagavad-gītā says, "No, you can live there." There is a verse—I now forget—that "Fire cannot burn it." Can anyone recite that verse?
So we have to practice this, that Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If we practice, there is chance at the time of death repeating the same thing, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. So immediately you are saved, not to go to the yama-mandira. The powerful name, holy name is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no difference—absolute. Absolute means... Just like here if I simply chant "mango, mango, mango," there is no mango. Mango is different from the name mango. If I want to eat mango, the substance mango I must have. So there is difference between the name and its substance. That is material-duality. But in the absolute world there is..., means there's no duality. The name mango and mango: the same.
There is no difficult process of... The Kali-yuga especially, this is a special prerogative of this age because God realization is very, very difficult for them. But if you take advantage of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy... It is... Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy means it is perpetual. Not that because Caitanya Mahāprabhu has introduced the saṅkīrtana movement, therefore the name is as good as the person. No. It is always the name Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa, the name of the Supreme Lord, is as good as the Su... It is always. But in this age especially it has got special potency. That is because we are all very, very fallen souls. (child crying) (aside:) The child. We are very, very fallen souls. We cannot do anything. It is very, very difficult. Although at any time, as it is said before, kevalayā bhaktyā. Kecit kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ (SB 6.1.15). Simply by bhakti, devotional service, one can become liberated from all contamination. That's a fact, especially in this age.
Why? We shall keep ourself, our individuality, the body exactly like Kṛṣṇa. In the Goloka Vṛndāvana they keep exactly like two-handed Kṛṣṇa. In the Vaikuṇṭha they also keep themselves four-handed as Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa. So the Vaiṣṇavas are very intelligent. They want to keep themself in as good as God. Sometimes more than God, Vaiṣṇava. That is very intelligent. What is the use of becoming one? I lose my individuality. So that is jñānī's aspiration. But the bhaktas, they want to keep association with Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu in the same opulence, same prosperity, everything, bodily features the same, everything.
So advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). So nava-yauvanam. Lord Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, or the liberated devotees there, they are of the same bodily feature, nava-yauvanam, always young.
How is that you are claiming to be servant of Yamarāja, Dharmarāja, and do not know?" Therefore they were smiling.
So their challenge was that "You are claiming to be servants of Yamarāja, but we are doubting whether you are bona fide servants of Yamarāja. Otherwise why you are committing this mistake?" So this indicates the servant should be as good as the master. That is servant. Because sometimes servants may be challenged. So that is the qualification of Kṛṣṇa's servant. Kṛṣṇa's servant must be always equipped, because they have to meet so many opposing elements, Kṛṣṇa's the... Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). There are so many... Practically the whole material world is full of duṣkṛtām. They want to create God. They don't want to become servant of God. That is their challenge. Therefore, anyone who is claiming to become servant of God, Kṛṣṇa, he must be well equipped to meet the challenging spirit of others. Prahasya idaṁ megha-nirhrādayā girā. Very gravely enquired from them.
Nitai: "The omnipotent Yamarāja is as good as Lord Brahmā because although he is situated in his own abode or being situated in everyone's heart like Paramātmā, by his mind he observes the past activities of a living entity, and according to that, by the same mind he understands how the living entity will act in his future life."
Prabhupāda:
- manasaiva pure devaḥ
- pūrva-rūpaṁ vipaśyati
- anumīmāṁsati apūrvaṁ
- manasā bhagavān ajaḥ
- (SB 6.1.48)
So now the Yamadūtas are describing about Yamarāja, who is as good as Brahmā. He is entrusted with the majestical power To Yamarāja not all the living beings are taken to, neither the animals, only the human being and those who are criminals or sinful, not all of them. First of all there are living entities, 8,400,000 forms, or species. So not all of them sinful and subjected to be brought for justice before Yamarāja. Just like magistrate, criminal magistrate.
Devotee: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "The omnipotent Yamarāja is as good as Lord Brahmā, for while situated in his own abode or in everyone's heart like the Paramātmā, he mentally observes the past activities of a living entity and thus understands how the living entity will act in future lives."
Prabhupāda:
- manasaiva pure devaḥ
- pūrva-rūpaṁ vipaśyati
- anumīmāṁsate 'pūrvaṁ
- manasā bhagavān ajaḥ
- (SB 6.1.48)
This is called tri-kala-jña: past, present and future. So Yamarāja or Lord Brahmā or great personalities, they, even great sages, saintly persons, they know the three features of time. Just like yesterday I told you that there is an astrological system; immediately they will speak what I was in my previous life, what I am now and what will be my future life.
As Yamarāja knows, anyone who follows the mahājana... Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We cannot ascertain what is our aim of life, so we have to follow these mahājanas. Yamarāja is mahājana. Baliḥ vaiyāsakir vayam. So, (reading:) "One should not consider Yamarāja an ordinary living being. He's as good as Lord Brahmā. He has the complete cooperation of the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart, and therefore by the grace of the Supersoul he can see the past, present and future of a living being from within. The word anumīmāṁsate means that he can decide in consultation with the Supersoul. Anu means 'following.' The actual decisions concerning the next lives of the living entities are made by the Supersoul and they are carried out by Yamarāja." So actual witness is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone's heart He's living. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā:
The difference is that I can be trained up to become religious; the cats and dogs cannot be trained. That is the difference. Dharmeṇa hīnā paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. So if I don't take education and enlightenment how to become religious, I do not know how to distinguish between right and wrong, then yathā paśu—then I am as good as animal.
That is the position at the present moment, that people are not educated to distinguish or to become pious. They are not educated. They are being... Now, at the present moment, education means you learn technology and learn how to earn money, and then, after earning money, you spend it for sense gratification: eating meat, eating wine, going to the brothel, prostitute. This is modern civilization. So therefore it is the civilization of paśu, animal civilization, polished animal.
Now, this name, hare... Sometimes the Māyāvādīs, they say that any name, either of Hari or any other demigod, is equal. No. That is not. That is nāmāparadha. If one thinks that the holy name of Hari is as good as the name of other demigods, then it is nāmāparadha. That is not śuddha-nāma. So people are being misguided in that way. But the śāstra does not say that. The śāstra says, harer nāma, harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21), the holy name of Hari, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu-tattva. Hari means Viṣṇu-tattva. There are... Tattva is manifested in different ways: Viṣṇu-tattva, Viṣṇu-śakti-tattva, jīva-tattva, like that. So śāstra says that harer nāma, Viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu... Of course, Lord Viṣṇu has several thousands of names according to His different activities: Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Hari, Govinda, Mādhava, many names.
These are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam while He was talking with Uddhava, Eleventh Canto. Just like Kṛṣṇa had talks with Arjuna, which is known as Arjuna-gītā, similarly, He had talks with Uddhava, another devotee. That is known as Uddhava-gītā. So in that Uddhava-gītā these statements are there, that ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt nāvamanyeta karhicit: "Ācārya should be known as good as God." That is confirmed in Viśvanātha Cakravartī... Sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. He also refers to the śāstra, not that he is opining by his own intellect. No. That is the speciality of learned scholars and devotees. They should immediately give evidence from the śāstra. Viśvanātha Cakravartī said that "Guru is as good as God by the verdict of the śāstra." Sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. And Kṛṣṇa says, ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt: "Ācārya should be known as good as Myself."
Yes. Not directly. No. You cannot say that "I have become Sudāmā." No. You have to follow the footsteps of Sudāmā. "I have become Mother Yaśodā." No. You have to follow the footsteps of Mother Yaśodā. That is real position. And as soon as you say, "I am Yaśodā. I am Su...," then it is as good as the Māyāvādīs say, "I am God." You see? So dāsa-dāsānudāsa. That process should be followed.
Because devotional life means coming to the original position. Original position is that we are part and parcel of God; therefore our original position is godly. Not exactly like God, but godly. Just like gold and a particle of gold is also gold. A drop of ocean water contains the same chemical composition. Similarly, qualitatively we are as good as God in our original position. Now we are covered by this material body, but as soon as we take to the devotional service, that is our original position. Then very quickly we develop our good qualities, original godly qualities. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇair tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12).
"Anyone who thinks that the Supreme Personality of Godhead Nārāyaṇa is as good as the demigods, he's a rascal, he's a fool." Sa pāsaṇḍī bhaved dhruvam. And the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ: (BG 7.20) "Those who are worshiping other demigods, they are hṛta-jñānāḥ. Their knowledge is lost." That requires a very big explanation. So one thing is that you should never place or put the demigods on equal footing with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is a great offense.
That formula I've already explained that tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you simply understand what is God, simply by this understanding, tyaktvā deham, after leaving this body, punar janma naiti, you don't get any more this material body. Simply try to understand what is Viṣṇu, then you become as good as that Viṣṇu. First of all you understand Viṣṇu, that He is all-pervading. So Viṣṇu, because He has got spiritual body, similarly, when you get your spiritual body How you can get? By understanding Viṣṇu.
Therefore in the Vedic mantra, Rg mantra, it is, tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sada paśyanti sūrayaḥ. The sūraya, those who are demigods or Aryans, they are, their destination is Viṣṇu. But ordinary men, they do not know that. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that their ultimate goal of life is to understand Viṣṇu. Why? Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ.
Take for example the sun planet. We see every morning the sun is there. But actually we do not know what is the sun planet. There are, may be so many theories, but actually, we do not know what is the sun planet. But we can understand from the Vedic literature. The sun planet is as good as this planet. There are also cities, towns, houses, and population, and it is very big. This information we get from the Vedic knowledge. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, Kṛṣṇa says that, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). "This knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā, I spoke first to the sun-god. His name is Vivasvān." Vivasvān manave prāha. "And that Vivasvān explained this knowledge to his son Manu." Manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. "And Manu also explained the same knowledge to his son, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, King Ikṣvāku." He's the forefather of the kṣatriya dynasty in which Lord Rāmacandra appeared. So we get this knowledge from the Vedas, perfectly.
Prabhupāda: As good as Kṛṣṇa's body. Kṛṣṇa has got spiritual body, similarly you will have spiritual body. Is that clear?
Śāradīyā: I want to know, when we serve Kṛṣṇa, we have spiritual senses, then that satisfies our spiritual senses when we serve Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇaloka?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You dance with Kṛṣṇa, you eat with Kṛṣṇa, talk with Kṛṣṇa, you enjoy with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will kiss you also. (laughter) Kṛṣṇa is very kind to everyone, either you love Him as a lover, either you love Him as your son, either you love Him as your friend, or you love Him as your master. In whichever way you like you can love, and Kṛṣṇa will respond. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). In the Bhagavad-gītā you will see Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who loves Me in different ways or different type," so Kṛṣṇa also loves reciprocating that way.
So gṛhamedhi means he has fixed up his center, the wife and children, and going round throughout the whole life, no ending. They are called gṛhamedhi. And gṛhastha means gṛhastha-āśrama. Gṛhamedhi-āśrama nei. Gṛhamedhi, only gṛhamedhi. And gṛhastha-āśrama. Gṛhastha-āśrama means it is as good as other āśrama, sannyāsa-āśrama, gṛhastha-āśrama. If he lives according to the regulative principle, that is āśrama. That is also not for all the time, only for twenty-five years.
So those who do not observe these rules and regulations, they are called ajitātmanaḥ, uncontrolled victims of senses, victimized by the senses, ajitātmanaḥ. So their business is to sleep as much as possible. They are never practiced to get up early in the morning. Unless they are bound or knot(?), they cannot take to this practice.
That is another thing. Therefore, atheistic persons, demons, they think in their own way that God, Kṛṣṇa may be like this, Kṛṣṇa may be like this, Kṛṣṇa may be like this. Generally they think that Kṛṣṇa are I. How they say? Kṛṣṇa is not great. They do not believe that God is great. He thinks that God is as good as I am, I am also God. This is demonic.
So this demonic principle, Prahlāda Mahārāja is trying to demolish this demonic mentality of his friends that "Don't try to be falsely puffed up to understand God. Take the process of bīja-nirharaṇaṁ yogaḥ." This material world means we have got a seed of ambition that I want to become greater than everyone. I want to be the greatest businessman, I want to be the greatest personality, I want to be the greatest leader, the greatest, greatest, greatest, and there is comp... Everybody is trying to be greater than his friend so therefore, there is competition.
Never, that is also one of the ten offenses in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you know that. One of the offense is when you think that any name will be as good as harer nāma. No. Otherwise, why śāstra says harer nāma harer nāma, three times stressing? Nāma, Holy Name means harer nāma, not any other name. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). There are many foolish persons, they say, "No, any name. You chant Durgā's name, you chant Kali's name, you chant Siva's name, you chant Kṛṣṇa's name, they're all the same. But no, they're not all the same. That is pāṣaṇḍī. That is pāṣaṇḍī. Kṛṣṇa or God is supreme.
If I say, suppose somebody is sitting here with his subordinate servant. And if I say, "For me, you are all the same." So the master who is sitting, he will be insulted.
Śastra says, yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devam. Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord... Brahmā-rudrādi daivataiḥ. What to speak of daridra, even if you equalize Nārāyaṇa with such big, big demigods like Brahmā or like Lord Śiva, if you look that "Nārāyaṇa is as good as Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva," samatvena vikṣeta sa pāṣaṇḍi bhaved dhruvam, immediately he's a pāṣaṇḍi. Pāṣaṇḍi means most wretched. This is the sastric injunction. Yas tu nārāyaṇaṁ devam brahmā-rudrādi-daivataiḥ samatvena.
They are taking flower, offering. It is imitation, but the effect is there, the same. Either you imitate or you do real, effective. Just like if you touch fire, either knowingly or unknowingly, it will act. It will act. Similarly, sv-alpam apy dharmasya, either this child, the children, they imitate the elderly person offering flower, taking prasādam, offering obeisances, they're as good as their father and mother. This is devotional service.
Abhaya, abhaya means it doesn't vanquish. There is no expenditure, it is increasing. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam (CC Antya 20.12). These transcendental activities, transcendental bliss increases, ānanda ambudhi. Ambudhi means ocean.
So much fearful that all the demigods came to pacify Him, but He was groaning in anger. So there is anger in God also. Somebody says that "Why God should be angry?" No, God, there is anger. Everything is there in God. Otherwise where anger comes from? He is the source of everything, but He is absolute. His anger is also as good as His mercy. That is the difference. When we become angry, there is no mercy. Mercy is far away from it. But God, Kṛṣṇa, because He is absolute, either He is angry or He is merciful, He's the same. The word God is good. He's good when He's angry and He's good when He's merciful. That is difference. In the material contaminated state, not only God, even God's devotee, they also acquire the same quality. Sometimes we see that saintly persons like Nārada, Śiva, they also become angry and curse somebody, but that curse becomes benediction. So that is the absolute stage.
They cannot understand. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, ceta etair anāviddha. Therefore we have to purify ourself. The prescription is there, very simple thing, to become purified, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If we simply recite all these mantras... The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, all these ślokas, they're all mantras, just like as good as Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. There is no difference. So if we hear... That is the prescription given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and we are trying to introduce this. Our so many centers, we are inviting people in so many ways so that they can hear. This class is meant for that. It is not that everyone will understand each word, but simply if he hears, it will be beneficial, the mantra. Simply if one hears Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting, he'll be purified. If he hears this mantra, a verse from Bhagavad-gītā, a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, attentively, even he does not understand the meaning, the purport, still, he'll get benefit. That is the way. So we must hear.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-nitya kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). The real identity of living entity is eternal servant of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa dāsa. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly explained, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). In the Bhagavad-gītā or any Vedic literature, there is no such mention that the jīva is as good as the Supreme Lord. It is never stated. Aṁśa, minute particles.
Just like the sun and the sunshine. Sunshine is combination of minute luminous molecular parts. There are finer atomic parts, lumination, combined together, that is called sunshine. That minute particle, shining minute particle is never equal to the sun. Similarly, jīva is minute particle of the supreme sun, Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7).
If anyone thinks that Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu... They're all viṣṇu-tattva, bhagavat-tattva, Rāma. If somebody thinks that Nārāyaṇa is as good as Lord Siva or Lord Brahma, sa pāṣaṇḍi bhaved dhruvam, he becomes a pāṣaṇḍī.
So this human form of life is meant for realizing our relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is the mission of this human form of life. So our duty in this human form of life is to realize our original relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prahlāda Mahārāja says... There is a stotra offered by Prahlāda Mahārāja. When Prahlāda Mahārāja's father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was killed by Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, He was very angry. Because this Hiraṇyakaśipu, although father of Prahlāda Mahārāja, he persecuted him in so many ways. The only fault was that he was a devotee.
He has come again. First of all He came as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You rascal, you are creating so many plans. It will not help you. You just surrender unto Me." He said, but still, we are so rascals, we could not take up the proposal of Kṛṣṇa: "Oh, why shall I surrender? Kṛṣṇa is also as good as I am. I am also a man; He is also man." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ (BG 9.11). These rascals, they are so rascal that Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa comes to bestow His mercy as human being, they think that "Kṛṣṇa is like me." Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto. The rascal means he does not understand what is Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ bhāva. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). And these other rascals, they are declaring that "Kṛṣṇa is dead and gone; now I am Kṛṣṇa." So this is going on.
Jehovah. All right you chant Jehovah. So that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's recommendation, that if you think that this is God's name, you chant. Nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, that holy name of God is as good as God. We cannot see God. We can see, but not immediately. When we are advanced we can see God, talk with Him. But because we are not competent now, so if we know this is the name of God, let us chant it. That's all. Is it very difficult job? Anyone will say it is very difficult job? Chant the name of, holy name of God. Then what will happen? Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Your, if you chant the holy name of God, then your heart which is considered to be mirror... Just like you see your face on the mirror, similarly, you can see your position on the mirror of the heart, core of the heart. You can see. That is called meditation.
| Page Title: | As good as (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 10 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=99, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 99 |