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Even greatest politician like Gandhi, he committed mistake, and so many great men, they committed mistake. "To err is human," therefore, it is called, however he may be great in the estimation of this world, he is sure to commit mistake

Expressions researched:
"Even greatest politician like Gandhi, he committed mistake, and so many great men, they committed mistake" |"To err is human" |"however he may be great in the estimation of this world, he is sure to commit mistake"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

We have got four imperfectness. What is that imperfectness? That we must commit mistake. We must commit mistake. Our constitutional position at the present moment is such that we are sure to commit mistake. Even greatest politician like Gandhi, he committed mistake, and so many great men, they committed mistake. "To err is human," therefore, it is called, that any . . . any man, however he may be great in the estimation of this world, he is sure to commit mistake.

nless one understands himself, he also cannot understand God also. In his . . . in his misunderstanding position . . . now, what Dr. Mishra is teaching is very nice, because he is teaching that "Just first of all you know 'What I am, what I . . .' " That's very good. But that "What I am" can be known from the Bhagavad-gītā also that, "I am not this body. I am not this body." That knowledge, at least theoretically, one must accept, that "I am not this body."

Now Kṛṣṇa is describing that what is the position. I am not this body. That's all right. Now, actually, what we are? What we are? I'm not body, that's all right. Then what we are? Now, the next, next version is Kṛṣṇa . . . we must always know that Kṛṣṇa . . . here it is said: bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca means that He has got so extensive knowledge that there cannot be any mistake. He's authority. He's authority. So whatever He says is right. Is right. That is the conception of bhagavān. Here it is not said kṛṣṇaḥ uvāca. Because somebody may doubt Kṛṣṇa that, "Kṛṣṇa was a historical personality. Why you should be so much concerned with Kṛṣṇa?" as is general view. But here it is said, bhagavān uvāca. And I have given you the definition of Bhagavān, that He is all knowledge. So whatever He will speak, Bhagavān, there cannot be any mistake.

For ordinary persons, there are four, I mean to say, difficulties, four imperfectness. Just like we are ordinary man. We have got four imperfectness. What is that imperfectness? That we must commit mistake. We must commit mistake. Our constitutional position at the present moment is such that we are sure to commit mistake. Even greatest politician like Gandhi, he committed mistake, and so many great men, they committed mistake. "To err is human," therefore, it is called, that any . . . any man, however he may be great in the estimation of this world, he is sure to commit mistake.

And another imperfection is that he is illusioned.

Woman: Deluded.

Prabhupāda: Illusioned. Now, illusioned you can see. Illusioned means taking one thing for another. That is called illusion. Just like in the desert, accepting the sand as water. That is called illusion. Similarly, every one of us who are identified with this body, he's under illusion. But, that's the false thing, but he has no knowledge. Even President Johnson, he's under illusion. Even the greatest scientist, he's under this illusion. So that one is sure to commit mistake, and one is under illusion, and bhrama, pramāda and vipralipsā . . . vipralipsā means the tendency for cheating.

Woman: That is the fourth?

Prabhupāda: That is the third. First is that one is sure to commit mistake, one is sure to be in illusion, and one is adapted to cheat others. Now, he is imperfect, but he wants to give knowledge to others. That is cheating. Everyone is imperfect, but he wants to give knowledge to others. Then you can ask that, "You are also giving us knowledge?" No, I am not giving you knowledge. I am speaking Bhagavad-gītā. I am giving you knowledge as given by Lord Kṛṣṇa. It is not my knowledge.

Woman: But this is your own interpretation.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Not interpretation. It is reading.

Woman: One can cheat.

Prabhupāda: I give you . . . cheat. No, that is also in the definition of a conditioned soul. These four principles are there. It is not my manufactured things. The . . . these are information from authoritative scripture, that a conditioned soul has four imperfectness. One imperfectness is that he's sure to commit mistake: he's illusioned: and he has got a tendency to cheat: and, above all, his senses are imperfect. So anyone who is above all these four imperfectness—who never commits mistake, who is never illusioned, who never cheats other, and who has got perfect senses—He is God. That is also another definition of God.

Page Title:Even greatest politician like Gandhi, he committed mistake, and so many great men, they committed mistake. "To err is human," therefore, it is called, however he may be great in the estimation of this world, he is sure to commit mistake
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-08-29, 10:48:23
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1