Prabhupāda: We can give you correct idea of religious principles as well as our philosophy.
Guest (2): Yes.
Prabhupāda: Religious idea without philosophy is sentiment, and philosophy without religion is mental speculation. They should be combined. Religious idea supported by philosophy, then it is correct. And philosophy without religious idea is simply mental speculation. They should be combined. That combination of religious idea on philosophy you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, provided you accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is. If you interpret Bhagavad-gītā in your own way, then you'll miss the point. Just like in our country, in India, Bhagavad-gītā has been interpreted in so different ways that people are now bewildered. They do not know what is actually Bhagavad-gītā.
Take, for example . . . just like in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). I think you know Sanskrit. Samavetā yuyutsavaḥ māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva kim akurvata sañjaya (BG 1.1). Even a great leader, political leader, he has interpreted kurukṣetra as this body. So where is the dictionary where kurukṣetra means this body? But because he's a big political leader, that Gītā is going on: "Kurukṣetra means this body; pāṇḍava means the five senses." In this way interpreting. Of course, they cannot pull off. I may tell you frankly.
Just like Mahatma Gandhi, he wanted to prove nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in the battlefield, and how he can prove nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā? Then he has to drag some interpretation out of his own way. But because he's a big leader, the people are misled. Similarly, all . . . at present moment in India the Bhagavad-gītā has becoming a plaything, that anyone can interpret in his own way and do all nonsense.
But I'll request you, because you are so much interested, and you have already approved Bhagavad-gītā, you have translated, amongst the leading personalities, you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is and spread it, it will have immediate effect. That is already experimented. Just like in the Western countries, before me, hundreds and thousands svāmīs and yogīs went there. But not a single person could understand what is Bhagavad-gītā and what is Kṛṣṇa. Now hundreds and thousands of these boys in Europe, America, Canada, Africa—everywhere—Australia, everywhere, they are now become devotees like them. So they're intelligent persons, they're coming from rich family. Why they have taken seriously? Because they have understood Bhagavad-gītā nicely.
So I request that God is neither Indonesian, neither Indian, neither African. God is God. And He claims that all living entities, in any form . . . the form is superficial. The form is taken as dress. Just like you are dressed in a different way, I am dressed in different way. But we are not talking to the dress; we are talking to the man who is putting on the dress. Similarly, this bodily distinction is material. But spiritually we are all one. There is no question of becoming Indian or Indonesian or African or Asian or this or that. And that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā—you know—paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śvapāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18).
Because paṇḍita does not see the outward dress. Paṇḍita sees the inside, who is putting on the dress. Therefore, without misinterpreting Bhagavad-gītā or being misled by so-called big, big leaders, if you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, it will be very nice, beneficial to everyone.
That is my . . . not opinion; that is the fact. Things should be taken as it is. Call a spade a spade. Now, interpretation is required when things are not clear. When things are not very clear, not easily understood . . . There is example in Sanskrit grammar, gaṅgāyāṁ ghoṣa-pāli: "The neighborhood of ghoṣa family is on the Ganges." Now, on the Ganges—Ganges is water—how there can be a village? Now, here interpretation required. When the matter is . . .
(break) . . . on the water, but on the bank of the Ganges.
So when the meaning is not clear, then you can interpret. But when the meaning is clear . . . just like Bhagavad-gītā: dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Now Kurukṣetra is still there, in . . . about ninety miles away from Delhi. Perhaps you have been there. The station is there, Kurukṣetra. Now how one can interpret that kurukṣetra means this body? This is going on. In spite of clear understanding, they will interpret in their own way so that they have got their own philosophy, they want to support it. This is going on.
So if you kindly avoid this misleading interpretation, and if you take Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you get the science of God, science of religion, which is applicable either to Indonesian or Indian or African or American—everyone. The science is appreciated everywhere. "Two plus two equal to four," this mathematical science is applicable everywhere. It doesn't matter whether one is a Christian or Hindu or Muslim. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā is the science of religion, science of God.
So if you take this book seriously and try to spread this knowledge among your countrymen, I think you'll be very much benefited. And it can be . . . we are preaching that. We are the . . . our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for one God, one scripture, one mantra, like that, for all people of the world. And we are happy that people are accepting it in that way, very nicely. And it is very easy. It is very easy. So Mr. Director, he has read Bhagavad-gītā?
Guest (2): Yes. He has read it.
Prabhupāda: Very good.