Experimental knowledge means this gross sense perception. That is experimental. Pratyakṣa. Everyone says: "We do not see God." God is not such a subject matter that you can see with this pratyakṣa, direct perception. God's another name is Anubhāva. Anubhāva. Just like in this room we do not see the sun directly. But we know that there is sun. It is daytime. How do you know it? You do not see. But there are other processes by which you can experience. That is called aparokṣa. Pratyakṣa parokṣa aparokṣa. In this way, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means adhokṣaja and aprakṛta, beyond the senses. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said: adhokṣaja. Where direct perception cannot reach. So where direct perception cannot reach, then how you can perceive anubhāva? That is śrota-panthā. That is śruti. You have to take knowledge from the Vedas. And the Vedic knowledge is explained by guru. Therefore one has to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme guru, or His representative. Then all these troubles, means ignorance, can be dissipated.
Dissipate (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
In your Christian Bible also it is said. You go to church: "O God, give us our daily bread." That's all right. Kṛṣṇa is supplying you bread. Otherwise wherefrom you are getting bread? You cannot manufacture bread in the factory, or wheat or rice. You can manufacture some iron tools, that's all, not eatables. But you cannot manufacture nice grains. That is not possible. It is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. So try to understand in this way Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. Then your dormant relationship with God and Kṛṣṇa will be revived. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Lord Caitanya says, "By revival of Kṛṣṇa consciousness means the dirty things accumulated on our heart will be dissipated, immediately vanished." Then we shall see, "Oh, this is my position. I am Kṛṣṇa's, and Kṛṣṇa is mine."
Because everyone is under the impression that I am God, I am master, I am proprietor. This illusion. To dissipate this illusion and to put him into the right position, that "you are not master, you are not enjoyer, you are simply eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." If you remain in that position, then you are happy. If you artificially try to become Kṛṣṇa, that is your unhappiness. Artificial thing will never give us any pleasure. Prakṛti and puruṣa. Kṛṣṇa is the puruṣa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ divyaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12). He is puruṣa, we are prakṛti. Aparā-prakṛti, parā-prakṛti.
So Kṛṣṇa's purpose of appearing is mentioned here. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Vināśāya means for annihilating, for killing. So Kṛṣṇa's killing is also good for the person who is killed by Kṛṣṇa. And another killing is to dissipate his ignorance. This is also.... One is in ignorance, he does not know what is the value of life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa wants to kill his ignorance and give him real knowledge. That is also vināśāya. Vināśa, killing his ignorance. So the Bhagavad-gītā is going on for two varieties of business. One business is to give relief to the sādhu, to the devotee, and another business is to kill ignorance or kill personally the duṣkṛtinaḥ. Those who are nondevotees. For them, killing business. But the killing is also good for them. Because Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Either Kṛṣṇa loves somebody or kills somebody, the result is the same. That is called absolute. Just like father or mother loves some child and chastises the other. The result is the same—affection. There is no jealousy.
But we are, some of us, or most of us, we are not prepared to accept immediately Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme or we have got many doubts. Therefore, in order to drive away, dissipate all your doubtful ideas, the śāstras, the scriptures, the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, are there, and if we make scrutinizingly study of these two books, we can understand the Kṛṣṇa science very nicely, and our progress in the matter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be definite.
When we are not so much advanced in the material science we think extensively for other also to be in that category of knowledge. So jñānena tu ajñānaṁ yeṣāṁ nāśitam ātmanaḥ. Any person who has advanced in the spiritual knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then his, that covering of material knowledge is dissipated. How? Now, teṣām ādityavaj jñānam. Just like sun rising, the darkness of the night at once dissipated, similarly, when we advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spiritual knowledge, then our material conception of life is at once dissipated.
Cit means knowledge, and our body is full of ignorance. We cannot understand knowledge. We have no knowledge immediately what is beyond this wall. If you ask me what is beyond this wall, then I will have to ask some of my disciples, "What is there beyond this wall?" Therefore it is not cit, not full of knowledge. But Kṛṣṇa knows, He says in the Bha..., vedāhaṁ samatītāni: (BG 7.26) "I know everything past, present, and future." When Arjuna enquired... Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna, he is also playing just like Kṛṣṇa's friend. So he enquired for dissipation of the ignorance that "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are saying that You spoke this philosophy, Bhagavad-gītā, formerly to the sun-god." Without asking Him, "How did You go? How did You return?" he simply asked that "Kṛṣṇa, I know that You are my contemporary. We are of the same age. And how can I believe that millions and trillions of years ago You spoke to sun-god?"
So Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, they are two friends, but friendly talking does not come to any conclusion. Therefore, Arjuna knew that "Kṛṣṇa, although He is my friend, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." He knew it. Therefore, he selected Him as his spiritual master: "So we are not going to talk anymore as friends. Now I know that You can dissipate all my ignorance because You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So I accept You as my spiritual master." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). "I am now your śiṣya, disciple."
This night is full moon. This moon has got its illumination, but wherefrom this illumination comes? It comes from the sunshine. The sunshine is reflected on the moon, and the moon has become illuminating source. Just like in a mirror when there is reflection of the sunshine, the mirror can also reflect another dark place, not independently. Everyone... In childhood everyone has played with a mirror. Just put a mirror in front of the sunshine, and the reflection is there, and you can pass on the reflection in the darkest place and it will be illuminated. Have you got experience? Yes. Similarly, neither the mirror has got reflection, neither the dark place can be illuminated by the mirror. But when the sunshine is there on the mirror, the mirror acts as illuminating agent, and it dissipates the darkness of a corner. So sunshine is the source of all light.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So everyone is searching after what is God. Somebody says, "There is no God." Somebody says, "God is dead." Somebody, "Something, something," but no. God is neither dead nor the action, action that "There is no God"—both of them foolishness. God is not dead; neither we are dead. Because we are part and parcel of God. So if God is alive, then part and parcel are alive. Just like if my body is alive, the finger is alive, because finger is part and parcel of my body, similarly, if God is alive, we are alive. And because we are now in material condition of life, therefore we do not understand what is God and what is our aim. Therefore it is called ajñāna, ignorance. Therefore one who dissipates this ignorance, he is called guru.
The guru means he gives light to the persons who are living in darkness. So that is the motto in our Back to Godhead paper, that "Godhead is light, and nescience is darkness. Where there is God, there is no nescience." So Kṛṣṇa or God or light, the same thing. If you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there will be no more ignorance. Just like here there is light, electric light. There is no darkness. The darkness is there, but when there is light, darkness automatically goes away. Similarly, if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then darkness of life immediately goes away. And that is required in human life. The animal life means full of darkness, and the human life, although full of darkness, it can be dissipated. So our request is—we are pushing this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement everywhere all over the world—just to drive away the darkness of ignorance and come to the light of knowledge. So this center is open for this purpose. I request you, all of you, to take advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be enlightened and be happy in your life.
Gosvāmī means controlling the senses, who has completely controlled the senses. Svāmī or gosvāmī. Svāmī also means that and gosvāmī also means the same thing. Generally adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamiśram. Uncontrolled senses, they are going. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is sending them. He is making his own path clear, either back to home, back to Godhead, or glide down to the darkest region of hell. Two things are there, and that opportunity is in the human form of life. You can select. Kṛṣṇa, as He inquired from Arjuna, whether "Your illusion has been dissipated now, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, now you can do whatever you like." So that "You can do whatever you like," that facility is always given to living entity by God. You can do whatever you like. It is not that we are, we are given no facilities to select, to make choice. We are given facilities and choice, everything to do.
This is also another doubt. Because the impersonalists, they think, ghaṭākāśa-poṭākāśa. Just like the sky. The sky is within the pot, and the sky is outside the pot. So when the pot is broken, the inside sky becomes one with the outside sky. That is their theory. So these doubts are also dissipated when one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That this poṭākāśa means the sky within the pot, no, ghaṭākāśa, the sky within the pot, it cannot be made analogy with the sky in the pot and outside. Because they are individual souls. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that they are part and parcel of God sanātana, eternally, not that they have been cut off. Just like the sky within the pot is walled by the wall of the pot, but actually we are not walled. We are individual. Every, every one of us are individual. We are not surrounded by some material wall. This material wall is supposed to be this body. Actually, we are individual, and therefore, because we are individual, according to our individual karma, we have got different types of body. So these are the doubts. When one become completely, I mean to say, cognizant with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness science, his all doubts are removed.
We have got limited energy, creative energy, so-called scientific knowledge, so-called other knowledge. Limited. Because our senses are limited. And we are thinking that God may be a little bigger than me, Kṛṣṇa? But as soon as it comes to the point that He, He can lift the mountain and the world, the planet, then they doubt. That is saṁśaya. But actually, if you are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you must be free from all doubts. You must know perfectly well what is Kṛṣṇa. So that is also possible by devotional service. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). "If one wants to understand Me perfectly..." Kṛṣṇa cannot be understood perfectly, but still, just to drive away our doubts... Because we have got so many doubts. So that doubts can be also dissipated bhaktyā, by bhakti.
So here is a responsible monarch, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. It is not that some rascal gets some votes and some way or other he sits on the president's chair and secretly doing all nonsense. Just like your President Nixon is now detected, so many things. The monarchy was not like that. Here it is clearly said, pravṛtta-vijñāna-vidhūta-vibhramaḥ. Vijñāna-vidhūta. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was thinking that "For me, so many people have been killed. So I have become very, very much sinful. I am not fit for sitting on the throne, such responsible throne." But his misgivings were dissipated by the words of Bhīṣma.
This is the cause. So try to preach this cult. But not that everyone will accept, but even a few percent, one percent of the whole population accept. Just like in the sky, there is one moon only and there are millions of stars. They're useless. What is the value of the millions of stars? But one moon, oh, dissipate the whole darkness of night. Similarly, at least those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become, each of you become a moon and enlighten the world. These so-called glow-worms, they'll not be able to do anything. That's a fact. Don't remain a glow-worm. Just become a sun and moon. Then you will..., people will be happy, you will be happy.
Purification means that one will be able to see God face to face. That is purification. Just like in the sky, as soon as the cloud is moved, dissipated, you can see the sun immediately. This is the process. God is everywhere, within and without. So why He is not seen? Because our senses are not perfect. God is everywhere. They say, "Oh, why you are going to temple. God is everywhere," as if he has seen God. These rascals say like that. "What is the use of going to temple? God is everywhere." Have you seen? No one has.
Nitāi: "You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the origin and the Supreme Lord of all living entities. You have arisen to disseminate the rays of the sun in order to dissipate the darkness of ignorance of the universe."
Prabhupāda:
- ya ādyo bhagavān puṁsām
- īśvaro vai bhavān kila
- lokasya tamasāndhasya
- cakṣuḥ sūrya ivoditaḥ
- (SB 3.25.9)
So there is the Supreme Person, Bhagavān. Originally, the... It is very common sense. Just like we require a leader. To organize some business, some nationality, any group of organization, it requires a leader. Without leader, you cannot organize anything. Nobody has got any such experience that without direction, without leader, anything has sprung up automatically, by nature. The foolish philosophers say like that, that the whole cosmic manifestation has come out of a chunk. They say like that. The rascals say like that: "There was a chunk." And wherefrom this chunk came? No, that is not fact. Fact is that there must be a good brain behind all this organization. This cosmic manifestation, there must be a leader.
So Devahūti, in the previous verse, accepted her son, Kapiladeva: puṁsām īśvaro vai bhavān kila lokasya tamasāndhasya..., lokasya tamasāndhasya cakṣuḥ sūrya ivoditaḥ. "You are just like the sun. Sun, when the morning the sun is arisen, then all darkness immediately gone. Similarly, You have arisen..." God, Kṛṣṇa, or His incarnation, when They come, the darkness of this material world, illusion, is dissipated. Just like Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, came, the darkness, illusion, Arjuna's illusion, was counteracted. He was also thinking ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). "Why shall I fight with my relatives, the other side?" So this was darkness, aham mameti (SB 5.5.8). Because either you maintain or..., or you love this illusory position, that is sammoham. This very word is used here: atha me deva sammoham apākraṣṭuṁ tvam arhasi. Sammoha. Samyag-rūpeṇa moham. Sammoha. The, the material life, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), we have created some situation, "my" and "mine," all this is false, illusion. "Although it is false, we are so much attached to it. So You require to dissipate that." Apākraṣṭum. This misconception. That is the business of guru.
So this dharma is taught by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His incarnations, by His devotee, by saintly persons. This is real dharma. But we do not take it. That is another thing. But if we take it, then we become benefited. So here it is said, "You are my spiritual master, although You are my son. But I accepted You as my spiritual master. I know You can deliver me from this darkness of ignorance." So atha deva sammoham apākraṣṭum: "I am attached to this material world. That is illusion." Sammoham apākraṣṭum: "Now You dissipate this sammoham." So guru means repeatedly his business is to enlighten the disciple how to become detached to this material world. Simply detachment will not help you. The other philosophy, Śūnyavādi, that you make zero this material detachment... No. That is not possible.
So here Devahūti is requesting Bhagavān Kapiladeva that "I am in this illusion, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), by false conception of life. Kindly You dissipate this illusion because You are my guru." Yaḥ avagrahaḥ ahaṁ mameti iti etasmin yojitas tvayā: "You can say that 'How I am engaged in these material activities...' " That is also, the chance is given, the opportunity is given by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. He says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). If you want Kṛṣṇa to give you material advantages, He'll give you. Take it. And if you want from Kṛṣṇa again revival of your spiritual life, then He will give you. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. Just like a kind father, he says sometimes, "My dear boy, you don't do this." But if the boy, if the son persists, "All right, you can do it at your risk." This is going on.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is actually, factually the movement for unity of the whole world. And that is actually beginning. It is actually being happened. All classes of men, from all groups of men, all religious societies or nation, they are joining this movement. They are joining. Actually there is the possibility. The United Nations could not unite the nations, but if you push on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, all people of different dimensions, of different nations, different religions, they will join. That is required. So otherwise, we are in the moha, illusion. So it is the business of guru to dissipate this illusion, darkness, and enlighten the student to the real life.
People should be engaged always inquiring about progress of spiritual life. That is advancement. Bodhayantaḥ parasparam. There should be constantly discussion. Everything is there in the books. Just like this word abodha-jātaḥ. We can discuss on this point, abodha-jātaḥ.
So this is jijñāsu. And to dissipate this ignorance, get out of this ignorance, one has to approach a person who is not abodha but bodha. Budhā. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ, one who knows what is the destination of life. That budhā... What is that? Bhajante ananya manaso budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ (BG 10.8). So one has to approach a budhā. Therefore Lord Buddha's name is Buddha. From this bodha. He has understood everything.
These sinful activities is due to ignorance. Ignorance is darkness, māyā, and Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness is just like the sun. Now this is night; everything is dark. If some way or other there is sunrise, then immediately the darkness is finished. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that kecit. Kecit. Kecit means it is not possible for all, but some fortunate men do like this instead of going to so many details how to get out of this sinful reaction, simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service, vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, those who are devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa, agham... Agham means all kinds of sinful reaction. Dhunvanti kārtsnyena. Wholesale. Kārtsnyena means wholesale. Kārtsnyena nihāram. Nihāram means just like dews, bhāskaraḥ means sun. As the sun disseminates immediately, dissipates immediately the dews without any effort, similarly, as soon as there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you become free from all sinful reaction.
It is very difficult in this age to follow the principles of brahmācārya, as it is recommended, tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena vā (SB 6.1.13). (to translator:) Yes, go on. Therefore Nārada Muni also... Śukadeva Gosvāmī also advising that "If one is unable to follow the regulative principles, then," he says,
- kecit kevalayā bhaktyā
- vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ
- aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena
- nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ
- (SB 6.1.15)
The translation is, "Only a rare person who has adopted complete unalloyed devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can uproot the weeds of sinful action with no possibility that they will revive." Kevalayā bhaktyā. "Simply... He can do the simply by discharging devotional service, just as the sun can immediately dissipate fog by its rays." So by other processes temporarily it can be ceased, but actually from the root of the cause it is not possible to get it out.
I have got experience when I was coming from India to New York. When there was fog in the sea, then immediately ship would stop and horn, "Onh, onh, onh," Because nobody can see where is another ship. There may be collision there. Similarly, it is dangerous to fly also. The fog is so dangerous. Nowadays people are engaged in the sky, in the water, in the land. Everywhere they have got engagement. But as soon as there is fog, everything is calamity, everything is dangerous. So here this same example is that. When there is fog, it is very difficult to move. But the fog can be immediately moved if there is sunrise. Sunrise is there. If this temperature of the sun becomes little more, then immediately fog is dissipated.
Santoṣa: "The rare person who has completely adopted unalloyed devotional service can uproot all the weeds of sinful activities simply by discharging that service, and there is no possibility that the weeds will grow again. His devotional service is just like the sun, which can immediately dissipate fog simply by its rays."
Prabhupāda:
- kecit kevalayā bhaktyā
- vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ
- aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena
- nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ
- (SB 6.1.15)
So we have been discussing for the last few days how to become free from the reaction of our sinful life. That is real problem. But people, they have no knowledge what is life, what is sinful life, what is pious life, why we are put into this condition that "We have to do this; we haven't got to do that." This is real philosophy of life.
So in the previous verses the mode of progress is tapasa brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena vā (SB 6.1.13). These things are to be executed. But here in these verses, simply if you become a pure devotee, then it is to be understood that you have already executed tapasā, brahmācārya, śama, dama, everything. As soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa...
- sarva-dharmān parityajya
- mām ekaṁ śaraṇam
- ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
- mokṣayiṣyāmi...
- (BG 18.66)
That our miserable condition of life is due to our material attraction or pāpa, impious activities. Here it is confirmed that kevalayā bhaktyā, aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena: totally you can kill all reaction of sinful activities. And a very good example is given here: nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. Nīhāra means fog. In the fog you cannot see what is there in your front. But as soon as there is sunrise, immediately fog is dissipated.
So if you accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then life of ignorance will finish and you come to the light and become liberated. If you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the light is there. Therefore the darkness of life is dissipated. Therefore it is said, ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: (Nārada-pañcarātra) "If you have learned how to worship Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then there is no more use of your tapasya." (break) ...ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: "And if you cannot understand Hari, then what is the use of your tapasya?" Antar-bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: "If you can see Hari, Kṛṣṇa, within yourself and outside yourself, then what is the use of tapasya?" Nantar-bahir, antar-bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: "And if you have not learned to see Kṛṣṇa, Hari, within yourself and outside, then what is the use of your tapasya?"
"You are so brilliant that immediately on your appearance the darkness is dissipated. Immediately." They are so much, I mean to say, glowing, their body, in Vaikuṇṭha. Therefore in the Upaniṣad it is said that in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, in the spiritual sky, there is no need of sun, moon. The planets and the bodily effulgence of the inhabitants, they are all glowing. So on account of everything glowing in the spiritual world, there is no necessity of sunshine or moonshine or electricity. They are self-effulgent.
So diśo vitimirālokāḥ kurvantaḥ svena tejasā. Svena: "By your own effulgence you are dissipating the darkness, all directions. You are so bright, brilliant." Kim arthaṁ dharma-pālasya: "Oh, we can understand that you are not ordinary living entities. You are coming from some exalted planet. What business you have got to interfere with our business?"
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So in order to dissipate our ignorance, we should receive perfect knowledge. Then we can stop our sinful activities. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavān says, Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyam. Kṛṣṇa appears, Kṛṣṇa lives here, He teaches, He acts. If we simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa from the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, then we become perfect, so much so that after giving up this body... Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti... (BG 4.9). Without being perfect, without being free from all sinful reactions, we have to undergo the tribulation of accepting different types of body. But as soon as we become perfect through the perfect knowledge, then automatically we become uncontaminated from this material world and we become liberated. Liberated means, as I have several times explained, to be situated in his original position.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Now these same two brothers have again descended as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya-Nityānanda. Sahoditau: simultaneously They have appeared. Not that one is appeared, another is not there. No. Both of Them, sahoditau. And They are compared with the sun and moon. The business of sun and moon is to dissipate darkness. The sun rises during daytime, and the moon rises at night. But this sun and moon, wonderful sun and moon, citrau, They have appeared together. But the business is the same, tamo-nudau. Business is to dissipate darkness, because we are in darkness. We, anyone who is in this material world, he's in darkness. Darkness means ignorant, no knowledge. They are mostly animals. "Why they are animals, so civilized men, so well-dressed and university education degrees? Why they are in darkness?" Yes, they are in darkness. "What is the proof?" The proof is that they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Everyone in this material world, they are suffering in different grades. Just like in the prison house there are different grades of prisoner: first class, second class, third class. But if the first-class prisoner thinks they are enjoying life, that is ignorance. He should know that he's in the prison house. In the prison house where is there enjoyment? It is all suffering. Maybe first-class suffering, (laughter) but it is suffering. So they are all in the darkness, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu appeared to dissipate, tamo-nudau, to dissipate this darkness of the whole human society. That is Their kindness.
According to śāstra, anyone who is identifying himself, this body... That is the first instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa brought Arjuna to fight with the Kurus, and he identified himself as this body, and therefore he thought, "Killing of my cousin-brothers, it will not be good because I have got bodily relation." So to dissipate this conception of life—that is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā—Kṛṣṇa chastised him, Arjuna, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). We are talking very, very big, big talks and plans, but actually we are nothing better than cats and dogs. This is our position because we are identifying with this body.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu, both of Them have come to deliver these fallen souls of this material world who are in the darkness of conception. So They are fighting all over the world this darkness. Just now somebody told me that the king of the Arabia is killed. He is killed now by his nephew or somebody else. This is going on. Even in family affairs it is going on. Why? This darkness. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu along with His associates, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara Prabhu and Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, they are trying to dissipate the darkness of this false identification. Kṛṣṇa simply instructed Arjuna about his darkness of identity, and He punished him, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase: (BG 2.11) "You are talking very big, big words, but you are lamenting on a subject matter on which no learned person laments." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ. That means "You are fool number one." Paṇḍitāḥ. "No paṇḍita makes like that. Now try to understand what is the position."
You cannot understand God, or Kṛṣṇa, without being a faithful servant. This is the secret. And if we become faithful servant under the guidance of proper spiritual master, then we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is Parabrahman, and what is loving affairs with Rādhārāṇī, what is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. These things are revealed. It is not acquired by so-called mundane knowledge. That is not possible. Svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ. Just like in the darkness, if you want the sunshine, it is not possible. But in the morning the sun comes out automatically and the darkness is dissipated. Svayam eva. So we should always remain faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is within everyone's heart, and He will be pleased by your service, and then He will reveal Himself, what He is. Otherwise it is not possible.
So even Brahmā, the first creature of this creation, he had to meditate—"Why I am here, and what is the purpose of my coming here?" So we are also this, in the same position. We are the, I mean to say, dynasty expansion of Brahmā. Brahmā's son is Manu, or this sun-god. Manuṣya. Manuṣya means coming from Manu; therefore we are called manuṣya. So the same process: we are born ignorant, born ignorant. Human life is the chance to dissipate this ignorance, and that requires tapasya, not to live like cats and dogs, frivolous life. That will not help us. Tapaḥ. Tapo divyaṁ yena putrakā śuddhyet sattva (SB 5.5.1). That human life is meant for tapasya, austerities, not to live extravagant life, irresponsible life like cats and dogs.
So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu presented Himself as a fool number one before His Guru Mahārāja. He advised that "It will be difficult for You to study Vedānta-sūtra or practice tapasya, brahmacarya, śama, dama, titikṣa, tyāgena, śamena, damena, niyamena, yamena... (BG 18.42)" It is possible for a human being, but in this Kali-yuga all these functions, to do is difficult. Therefore this process is recommended, vāsudeva-parāyaṇa, bhakti-yogena. Nīhāraḥ. Nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. Just like the, there is mist, fog, and as soon as the sun rises there, all fog is immediately disseminated. Otherwise, it requires so much arrangement. Your railway train cannot move. The ships in the sea, they cannot move. It is very difficult position. Similarly, our sinful activities has covered our heart just like a fog. We cannot see anything. But by bhakti-yoga, it can be immediately dissipated. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was thus advised by His spiritual master to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and He got perfection. That was explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
So this is a very risky civilization. I may feel very comfortable that "I am a spiritual master," or you may think very comfortable, "I am born of a very rich nation, American," but this status of my life is temporary. I will have to change. I'll have to change. So if I do not change for the better, then my life is very risky. Suppose a healthy man, if he is in the society of contamination, is it not his life is very risky? He may be contaminated and infected by disease any moment. So this ignorance should be dissipated. Here it is said that such a devotee can properly discharge his duty of human life.
Festival Lectures
Lord Kṛṣṇa says, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajataṁ prīti-pūrvakam: (BG 10.10) "Those who are engaged in My service with love and affection, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, I personally give him intelligence, yena mām upayanti te, by which he can come to Me." In another place, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣām evānukampārtham: (BG 10.11) "In order to show these devotees special favor, teṣāṁ evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy, I personally dissipate their darkness within the heart." Everything, the mind is full of darkness; therefore we are conditioned. So Kṛṣṇa, from within He drives away the darkness of ignorance. Aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy. Aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva, just like that.
General Lectures
You keep some dogs. They meet. As soon as they meet together there will be howling—"gow, gow, gow, gow." So you cannot expect if you create dog society, then you cannot expect. You have to create a portion, a certain percentage of the population, brāhmaṇas. Then there is possibility. Just like in the sky the numerical strength of the stars are greater, but there is one moon. That one moon is sufficient to illuminate the sky. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tara sahasrasaḥ. Millions of millions of stars twinkling, they cannot dissipate the darkness. You see. Only one moon, only one sun. So try to make some percentage of the population actually brāhmaṇa. Go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. And protect the cows.
So, this ignorance is dissipated by the knowledge of the Vedas. Lord Caitanya therefore, has said, that Kṛṣṇa he will say, that because we are so foolish we have forgotten how to become happy, therefore Kṛṣṇa has made so many Vedic literatures. Ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa korila. So you should take advantage of these Vedas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says—we have already talked now—He says, sādhu-śāstra-kṛpāya yadi kṛṣṇonmukha haya. This is Bengali—I think you will understand—I will explain in English also. So, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's proposal is: by the mercy of sādhu, holy man, or saintly person, or devotee... Who is a sādhu? We know this term sādhu. Sādhu means saintly person.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: So if the majority of the whole world accepted Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he would call that of value.
Prabhupāda: No, the majority may not accept. You see, if you want to sell jewels, a diamond, you cannot get many customers. That is not possible. But still, diamond is diamond. It may not have many customers. It doesn't matter. If there is one customer, that is sufficient. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca taraḥ sahasrasaḥ. If there is one moon in the sky that is sufficient to dissipate all darkness. There is no need of thousands or millions of stars. So our movement, if anyone, through all men in the world, can understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will do tremendous good to the people. My Guru Mahārāja used to say like that.
Purports to Songs
Then He says, "You have forgotten. But I have brought one medicine so that..." Just like when a man remains unconscious under some intoxication or snake bite, there are some herbs. If it is put before the nostril and if the patient smells, immediately he gets consciousness. Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "I have brought also one medicine." Enechi auśādhi māyā nasibaro lagi': "This medicine can dissipate your this forgetfulness under the spell of māyā." Enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro. What is that? Hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao tumi: "This is this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. You please take it." The idea is that if one simply chants Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, his unconscious stage, or sleeping stage under the spell of illusory māyā, will gradually vanish.
| Page Title: | Dissipate (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Vrindi, Alakananda |
| Created: | 28 of Dec, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=45, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 45 |