We are gathering knowledge by the imperfect senses. We are seeing every day, morning, the sun which is bigger than this earth by fourteen hundred thousand times. And we are seeing just like a plate. If he's not informed by an authority when he goes to school... The teacher of geography, when he informs, "My dear boy, the sun is very, very big," then he can understand. I am seeing that the one airplane is running very fast, flying in the sky. A child sees, "Oh, such a big thing. How it is flying?" He does not know that this machine is not flying independently. There is a pilot. Without this pilot all this mechanical arrangement is simply void. If that airplane is kept down for many thousands of years with all the machine complete, it has no power to fly unless there is the expert pilot who pushes on the button, it will fly. So therefore imperfect senses.
Independent (Lectures, SB)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Praṇipāta means surrender. So nobody wants to surrender, especially in this material world. Everyone thinks, "Oh, I am the lord. I am the monarch of all I survey. Why shall I surrender?" Independent. Especially in the Western countries. They are refusing to surrender to the social laws, to the king's law, everything. But here is the process: surrender. Surrender means everyone is puffed up with some so-called knowledge, and he thinks that "I am perfectly all right. My knowledge is perfect. Why shall I surrender?" But if you want to receive knowledge actually from the person who has actually knowledge, then you must surrender there. This is the process. Just like Vyāsadeva first of all: paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. This is surrender. Surrender. Without surrender, we cannot get knowledge. And in another... There are many places. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva.
Yes, particularly. One should be willing to go back to home, back to Godhead and take shelter particularly, means his representative. Such person can be elevated. So it is not that... But unfortunately, in India, although Bhagavad-gītā is there, they neglect it. The so-called brāhmaṇas, so-called gosvāmīs, so-called..., they neglect this process. Just like in India, the Muhammadans, the Muhammadans who claim to be partitioned: Pakistan and Hindustan. There are number of Muhammadans, they protested that "India is going to be independent, but we do not wish to participate with the Hindus. We must be separate." Why? Because they have got a bad experience that the Hindus did not treat them very well. Did not... Even śūdra. In South India, it was the process, so bad process. If śūdra is passing on the street, he has to cry, "I am a śūdra passing on the street. Please close your door." The brāhmaṇas would close the door so that they may not even see a śūdra. Then everything will be spoiled, their food grains and everything. They will close. You see. Now the result is that South India, the Communists Communists means the so-called low-class people, śūdras and caṇḍālas, they are now in majority. They have formed a government that on principle, as soon as some brāhmaṇa comes for government service, he will reject. So the brāhmaṇas are now hiding themselves, that he is brāhmaṇa, because he cannot get any job. (laughter) This is the position.
Yes. "The American boys being supported by the American government to become Vaiṣṇava." Just see how fools they are. And the American boys, they have given up their all American comforts, and they are after me. They are eating anything I give, or I don't give anything, they are suffering. They are still bribed. Just see. They have no common sense even. (laughs) So anyway, they think like that. So sometimes the politicians do that.
So in this way, later on... Because the Britishers thought that "India is going to be independent, that cannot be checked, so make them smaller, smaller, smaller." That is the European history. Yes, in... Formerly, under Roman Empire, all the Europeans were one nation. Is it not? I think it was, under Roman Empire. But when the empire dismantled, they became different nations-Germany, English, French. I see the same culture, the same civilization all over Europe. How they became Germans and Englishmen and this, I do not know. Anyway, this is the policy of the politicians.
So when one becomes inquisitive how to go to the light, for him the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is required. Therefore it is said that atititīrṣatām. Titīrṣatām means to surpass, to overcome. Ati, desiring to overcome, atititīrṣatāṁ tamo 'ndham, this darkness, the position in darkness. Who are in the darkness? Why these people are in the darkness? Saṁsāriṇām. They are undergoing the punishment. Because they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, they have defied the supremacy of Kṛṣṇa, they are put into the darkness. Just like one who defies the laws of the government, they are put into the jail, outlaws. Similarly, kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. These rascals who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, God, to serve Him, and wants to remain independent, without serving, they are made servant of the prison house, māyā. Just like the criminal. "We don't care for government's law. We can do anything." "All right, come in here. Force you. Sleep. Remain here." This is our position. Simply defying, "I don't care for God," you may not care, but māyā is there. He will give you kick and put you in the..., That... You will learn how to care. You will learn how to care.
He is thinking that "I am independent," vimūḍha, rascal. Kartāham. He is not kartā. When there is death, you do not like to die. Why there is death? Why you are forced to die? What your scientists will say? "Oh, this is natural." But you cannot fight. You do not want to die, but death is forced. And even though you do not like, you say, "Oh, it is natural." You cannot explain why death is forced there, why birth is forced there. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). You do not want to become old man. Why you are forced to become old man? You do not want to have disease. Why you are forced to accept disease? They have no sense. They are so dull-headed. They do not want any solution. But there is solution. Therefore it is called saṁsāriṇām. They are dull-headed rascal. They are undergoing the nature's process from one life to another. All miserable condition.
That is the fact. At the present moment also, there is advancement of education-many universities, many technological institutes, economic development. In your America there is everything sufficient, but still, people are unhappy. They are becoming hippies. Why? Because there is no knowledge about God. This is the only cause. This is the only cause. Every one of us is part and parcel of God, so our real hankering is God. Just like child, baby, is the part and parcel of the mother, and when the child is unhappy, nothing can satisfy the child except when he is put on the lap of his mother. He is crying, everybody is trying to pacify him, but the child is going on, crying, crying. But as soon as you put him on the lap of his mother and the mother takes on his (her) breast, the child is immediately happy. Similarly, we are all children of God. We are making so many plans to become happy independently, without God. That is not possible. That is not possible. Therefore there is great necessity of understanding God at the present moment. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started.
"Under My control, the material nature is working." Don't think material nature is working independently. That is not possible. Matter cannot act independently. You can see how matter is working, but you are seer, you are superior. Scientist sees that this molecule is working like this, this cell is working like that, but the position is that one who is seeing the action, he is superior than the matter acting under certain material laws. Similarly, the living entity is superior.
So there was big meeting of the sages, and Sūta Gosvāmī was on the chair. So amongst the audience, one sage, his name was Śaunaka, he was putting questions to the speaker and he was answering chapter by chapter. So one question was there, that in this age, Kali-yuga... Kali-yuga means the age of dissension, disagreement. Nobody agrees with anybody. Everyone is independent. That is the sign of... They don't... Unless they are forced, they don't care for any authority. Of course, we care or do not care, the authority is there. If I do not care, then I will be forced to care. That is the law of nature. So in this age, the question was, "What is the best form of religion by which one can become elevated to spiritual emancipation?" The best form of religion. So somebody may recommend that Hindu religion is best, or others may recommend that Christian religion is very good and others may say, "Oh, Muhammadan religion is very good," and others may say, "Buddhist religion is very good." But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says very nicely... Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam does not advocate that "Hindu religion is good" or "Christian religion is good" or "Muhammadan religion is good" or "Buddhist religion is good."
In this material world, we come here to enjoy. Not enjoy, but to satisfy our senses. This is material life. But that is not the right process, to develop the sense enjoyment process. The modern civilization, they are increasing the sense enjoyment process, making life more and more complicated, because the real motive of human life is to develop devotional service to the Lord. Or in other words, instead of gratifying our senses we should gratify the senses of the Lord. That is required. We cannot independently gratify our senses. The Īśopaniṣad therefore says, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). Directly you cannot. The best example is you give me nice a foodstuff, rasagullā. The fingers catches it, but it cannot enjoy directly. That is not possible. It must give to the stomach, and when it is given to the stomach, the energy produced by eating that foodstuff is distributed not only in this finger but in other fingers and other parts of the body.
Just like in your western countries, Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed His life for God's. Can... He was charged that He was preaching something blasphemous. But He was a devotee of God. He, He preached to the people that there is kingdom of God, you love God, and go to the kingdom of God. Simple truth. That is the actual business of human life. This human life is meant for understanding God because we are part and parcel of God and we have forgotten. Just like the same thing, I have given several times example, a person, he belongs to a rich father, but somehow or other he has left home and he is loitering. In your country this example is very applicable. So many boys, they have left their rich father, rich family, and lying down on the street. I have seen. Why? Maybe some reason, but he is not expected to lie down on the street because he has got rich father, at least rich nation, your American nation. Similarly when we become puzzled and confused and want to live independently of God, the richest father—who can be richer than God? God means the richest. No one can be richer than Him. That is another definition of God.
Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to make people free from all sinful activities. Then they will be happy. Because in the soul proper, it is pure. Just like you contaminate some disease, so you suffer. You have got fever, you have got some pain. So you have to go to the physician. He will give you some medicine to counteract the contamination. Then you become happy. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa. Naturally, we must be happy. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). This is our position, that we must be always ānandamaya, jubilant. This is our position. Just like Kṛṣṇa is dancing—you have seen—similarly, our position is simply dancing with Kṛṣṇa and be happy. That is our position. But we have come to this material world to enjoy independently of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have been captured by the illusory energy.
So that we have forgotten. We wanted to be happy. Just like there are many examples: A very rich man's son, he wants to become happy without his father. He becomes independent, comes out of home and goes here and there, but he does not become happy. There are many instances. Again he comes back home. Similarly, our position in this material world is like that. Our position is very jubilant and happy, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), sac-cid-ānanda. Sat-cit-ānan... We have got our eternal life, sat; cit, and full of knowledge; and blissful, as Kṛṣṇa has got. Therefore because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7), so Kṛṣṇa, if Kṛṣṇa is good, so I am also good. If Kṛṣṇa is happy, then I must be happy. If Kṛṣṇa is jubilant, then I must be jubilant. Wherefrom we get this idea of happiness? Because we are part of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Kṛṣṇa dances with the gopīs, we also want to dance with young girls here, in this material world, Why? Wherefrom this idea we have got? The idea is already there, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have got this propensity. So ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt.
So part or whole, it may be. That is difference. Part is never equal to the whole. But quality is the same. Therefore we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, we are trying to utilize our original constitutional position. This is going on. But we are doing that without Kṛṣṇa at the present moment. Therefore it is not successful. Part must remain with the whole. I have given this example many times, that a small screw of typewriter or any machine, it must remain with the whole machine. Then it has value. If it is out of the machine, there is no value. A small screw in the motorcar, so long it is with the motorcar, it has got value. And as soon as it is thrown out of the motorcar, it has no value. So similarly, we are part and parcel of God, Kṛṣṇa. If we remain with Kṛṣṇa Just like we are part and parcel of our family, father, mother. And father is opulent. So if we remain with father and mother, we are also opulent. But if we give up the company of father and mother, father and mother, not ordinary father and mother, opulent God is opulent. So then we are also opulent. And if we give up the company of father and mother, want to live independently, then we are in distress. This is our position.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīka means senses. And hṛṣīka īśa, He is the controller of the senses. Actually, our senses are working not independently. We can understand it. Kṛṣṇa is directing. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. A scientist is working because Kṛṣṇa is helping him, not that he is independently working. That is not possible. But he wanted in that way. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is giving him facilities. But actually, Kṛṣṇa is working. These are explained in the Upaniṣads. Without Kṛṣṇa working, without seeing, without Kṛṣṇa's seeing, you cannot see. Just like the sunshine is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā.
- yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ
- rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ
- yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
Therefore, sun being one of the eyes of Kṛṣṇa, because the sun rises there, because sun is seeing, therefore you are seeing. You cannot see independently. You are so much proud or you eyes. What is the value of your eyes if there is no sunlight? You cannot see. Even this electricity, that is derived from sun. So actually when Kṛṣṇa sees, you can see. That is the position.
You haven't got to go to the forest of Himalaya for attaining jñāna and vairāgya. You can stay in your place. You can remain in Bombay, you can remain in London, you can remain in New York, big, big cities, and you can perform your prescribed duties. You can be very businessman. You can remain in (indistinct), or anything. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. He said also from the Vedic, sthāne sthitaḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhir, jñāne prāyasam udapāsya namanta eva, san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. This was spoken by Rāmānanda Rāya, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted. Originally this verse was spoken by Lord Brahmā. Rāmānanda Rāya quoted from the words of Lord Brahmā, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted: "Yes, this is the process." What is that process? Jñāne prāyasam udapāsya. If we don't be independent, unnecessarily mental exercise to understand what is God, what is Absolute Truth. Don't bother about these things. Then, what to do? Namanta eva: just become submissive, then san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya, just try to hear from a realized soul. This process. Don't try to speculate yourselves as great philosophers and waste your time and become puffed-up, that "I am now realized, I am God." These puffed-up positions must be given up. You must be submissive.
So knot. We have experience... (microphone adjusted) Do it nicely. Karma-granthi. Granthi means knot. So... Just like a man, if it is tied very strongly with ropes, hand and legs, he cannot move independently, similarly, we are tied up by the laws of material nature. Material nature. Just like we, when we become criminal, we become... We are always bound up by the laws of the state; either criminal or civil, it doesn't matter. But criminal is more strong. When we are under criminal laws, then it becomes very painful. We cannot violate the state laws, either criminal or civil; it doesn't matter. But if we violate the civil law, there is no such strong punishment, but if we violate the criminal laws, then it is very strong.
Now this morning we were talking with our scientist friend whether the ultimate source of everything... First of all, the conclusion is that everything is, are, relatively situated here. Just like some gentleman, he is son of another gentleman, relative. Then his father is also son of another gentleman. So our... this world is relative depending one thing upon another. Nobody is self-independent. This is going on. Then... So find out the original source of everything, that original source, whether it is sentient or insentient? The conclusion is original source must be sentient. Because in this, our experience, experimental knowledge, we see something matter and something living. I am seeing here is a small ant and here is a big stone. The big stone is insentient. It cannot move. For millions of years you wait, whether the stone will move—you cannot see. No, it will not move. Because it is insentient. Whereas a small ant, it is going. You just check its marching. It will struggle. It will struggle this way, this way, this way. And ultimately you have to give way. This is sentient. Therefore sentient is superior.
So simply thinking, concocting, is one thing. And fact is another. Fact is that we are teeny, part and parcel of the Absolute Truth. But we are not actually absolute. We are relative. Relative truth. On the existence of the Absolute Truth, we are existing, but we have no independent existence, neither we have got independent knowledge. We are all dependent. The independent knowledge, Absolute Truth, is Kṛṣṇa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. That is the beginning of Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore, bhejire munayo 'thāgre bhagavantam adhokṣajam. Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, beyond the sense perception. This impersonal concept of the Absolute Truth is in negation of the material duality. But that is not absolute knowledge. Absolute knowledge is that when we reach bhagavantam adhokṣajam. Sattvaṁ viśuddham. His existence is viśuddha, not contaminated.
So Kṛṣṇa is the original cause of everything, cause of all causes. But He is independent, svarāṭ. That is described in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). Svarāṭ means completely independent. He's not caused by any, anyone. And He says also in the Bhagavad-gītā: mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). So He's the origin, Vāsudeva. Therefore all activities should be targeted to Vāsudeva. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). This is the aim of life. Unfortunately, they do not know it. People in general, they do not know it. That is ignorance. This material world is full of ignorance. Therefore it is called tamas. Tamas means darkness. We do not know. The human civilization, at the present moment at least, it is always... At the present moment, it is completely in darkness that they do not know what is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). Everyone is very intelligent. At least, he thinks like that, that "I am attaining my interest of life in different ways." But actually one does not know what is his actual interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatim. Svārtha-gatim, satisfaction of our interest. Everyone is interested, but they do not know what is actual interest.
You are not independent, you are part and parcel of God. God wants you to come back home and live peacefully. If you do not do that, then you will have to undergo the severe punishments of transmigrating from one body to another. And there are 8,400,000 bodies in which you will have to suffer. And you can see that they are suffering. So don't misuse this human form of life; don't give way to the sense gratification. Have a little tapasya. Not severe tapasya, not like Nara-nārāyaṇa. They went to the Himalayas and underwent severe, very severe, just like Dhruva Mahārāja. In this age it is not possible; therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given you a concession. You take these sixteen words, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Chant these sixteen rounds. If you can increase, all right, or these sixteen rounds. And observe these four principles—no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication. Is it very difficult?
So how you can manufacture your law? That is not possible. Even if you do manufacture, what is the benefit? It will not be accepted. It will not work. Suppose if you manufacture some law at home, will it be accepted by the public? No. Nobody will accept. So similarly, this Kali-yuga is so dangerous that gradually we are becoming involved in more difficulties. That is the way of Kali-yuga. The symptom of Kali-yuga is disagreement, fight, quarrel. Kali means this quarreling, fighting, unnecessarily fighting. Just like recently in India we have seen. Formerly there was Hindu-Muslim riot, sporadic riot in some village. Say, some fifty men this side, some fifty men that side, they fought, say, for two hours, and it is finished. Again they are friendly. Now, since India has become independent, the Muslims have become Pakistan and the other part... They are not all Hindus. Suppose Hindus, they have become Hindustan. They organizedly fight. Now recently, last year, they fought and spent millions of dollars unnecessarily. This is going on. This is called Kali-yuga. Unnecessarily they will disagree, unnecessarily they will fight and spoil energy, spoil money. This is called Kali-yuga. The brain is so crazy that they do not consider that "Why you are fighting? Why you are spending money?"
We have heard from authorities. There is no question of inquiring. What is the... Even if you don't quote, you can assert firmly that everyone is a śūdra. How? Now, guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Bhagavad-gītā says this classification is made, guṇa-karma. So what is the karma at the present moment? They're seeking service. The so-called education means seeking service, master. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). This is śāstra. Anyone who is attached to give service to others or, without giving service to others, he cannot live, that is, he's śūdra. He has no independent existence. Just like I was showing, the dog. Unemployed. Lean and thin and... Because he has no master. The same dog, when he has got a master, he'll be stout and strong, and he'll, as soon as you... "Owf! Owf! Bow! (laughter) I have got my master." So this is śūdra. Śūdra is compared with the dog. A dog is never happy without a master. Then it is a street dog. That is the difference between household dog and a street dog. So in this age practically you see, unless there is employment, he's a street dog. That is the proof that everyone is a śūdra. That is the proof.
That is actually fact, actually fact, that if one wants to live independently... In Calcutta I have seen. Even poor class vaiśyas, and in the morning they'll take some ḍāl, bag of ḍāl, and go door to door. Ḍāl is required everywhere. So in morning he makes ḍāl business, and in evening he takes one canister of kerosene oil. So in the evening everyone will require. Still you'll find in India, they... Nobody was seeking for employment. A little, whatever he has got, selling some ground nuts or that peanuts. Something he's doing. After all, Kṛṣṇa is giving maintenance to everyone. It is a mistake to think that "This man is giving me maintenance." No. Śāstra says, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. It is confidence in Kṛṣṇa, that "Kṛṣṇa has given me life, Kṛṣṇa has sent me here. So He'll give me my maintenance.
But they do not know. They want that "I shall go at ten o'clock in the office, and I shall do nothing. Simply I shall take the pen and make like this and take my salary." That's all. Cheating. This is going on. Therefore the whole system is polluted. Nobody's doing his duty. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma... (BG 4.13). According to one's quality, one must work. But nobody wants to work. So therefore they are śūdras. They are working, but at the care of somebody else. Not independently. Now the school, college, the teacher is also depending on salary. So they are śūdras. So what teaching they will give? Teaching is the business of the brāhmaṇa. No salary. Formerly, all the brāhmaṇas, they used to have that... It is called ṭola, catuṣpāṭhī. Catuṣpāṭhī. Brāhmaṇa, he'll sit down anywhere and invite that "If you like, you can come and take some teachings from me."
Yathecchasi tathā... The word is used there, yathecchasi tathā kuru. We have got the little independence. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). But why people are not doing that? Because they have got little independence. Every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has got the quality of full independence. Naturally, the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, it has also independence. But that is not absolute independence. Just like independent country. America, independent country. We are also now independent country. But the citizens, they have independence dependent on the state independence. Not absolute independence. Similarly, we have got independence. We living entities, we have got independence—but dependent on the independence of Kṛṣṇa. Not absolute independence. So... Therefore we become entangled in our own karma. Kṛṣṇa does not give anyone a position or karma. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that He does not give anyone a better position or anyone an inferior position. Everyone creates his own position. Kṛṣṇa simply orders that "This is your position. Now you enjoy or suffer." We create our own position.
That is not very difficult to understand. Just like in your Johannesburg there are so many people. Why not all of them come here? Some of them might have gone to the liquor shop; some of them might have gone to the hotels. So it is your option. The three qualities are there. Now it is up to you where to go. But if you know that by associating with the Kṛṣṇa conscious people you'll be benefited, get knowledge—then come here. And if you do not know—in ignorance—then go liquor shop, hotel, restaurant. So after all, we are part and parcel of God. God is fully independent, and we are minute part. The same example, that the spark is minute portion of the fire. It has got the burning capacity—not exactly like God, but it has got the godly power. There are so many examples. This morning I was discussing that you are living entity, part and parcel of God. You have created one aeroplane, 747, with five hundred passengers and many tons of loads of things, it is flying. So that is your creation. And God's creation is this planet. This is also running one thousand miles per hour, and so many big, big ocean, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and so many big, big mountains, it is also carrying. It is also floating in the air, and the 747 is also floating.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. If we take to it as our goal of life, then our life is successful. Otherwise—yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam—we shall continue the life of changing this body. That we have to do. We cannot be independent. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā (BG 3.27). If we think that we are independent, that is due to our ignorance. We are not independent. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. He is simply sammohita, by false prestige. He is not independent at all. We should always remember this. We are dependent on the laws of nature. We cannot say, "Now I invented some scientific discovery. We shall not going to die." That is not possible. You must die. That is the law of nature. You must die, you must take birth also, and you must be diseased, and you must suffer from old age. These are the four disadvantages of material existence. So if we want to get out... This is anartha. That will be explained in the next verse.
So anartha-nivṛtti, that is required because we are surrounded by so many anarthas, unwanted things. They are all impediments, stumbling blocks on our progressive journey to Kṛṣṇa realization. Here it is said anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje lokasyājānataḥ. People do not know it. Therefore vidvān, Vedavyāsa, he has compiled this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sātvata-saṁhitā. It is Vedic version, and directly to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead and become free from all contamination of the material nature. Because we are now under the contamination of material nature.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
We are thinking we are very independent, we can do any nonsense, whatever we like. Who cares for...? But that is not good, because we are not independent. We are completely under the grip of material nature. Simply as a crazy man we declare independence. That is not a very good idea. We must know what are the anarthas and how we shall get out of it.
We have repeatedly said that if you keep yourself in the ignorance and if you do... Because wrong thing is done by rascals and ignorant. No intelligent man will do any wrong thing. That's a fact. Violation of the law is done, either a criminal willfully doing or a person, one who does not know the law, he commits. But you know or not know, if you have violated the law, then you have to be punished.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
You are not independent.
So Vyāsadeva, he is giving us this knowledge. Vidvān lokasyājānataḥ. The whole population, the total number of the living entities—either he is Brahmā or a small—proportionately, they are all in ignorance. Otherwise why Brahmā required Vedic knowledge? It is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1).
So this is a wrong idea, that matter is doing independently. That is not possible. Therefore it is clearly said in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Matter does not work. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, by His different energies, He is working. That is Kṛṣṇa. You have to understand like that. Kṛṣṇa is in the background. In another place in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). If you say that Lord Brahmā has created, because he is the creator of this universe... Deva, there are three principle devas-Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara. Kṛṣṇa says aham ādir hi devānām. Actually that is the fact. Even Brahmā is originated from Viṣṇu's navel; therefore Brahmā's name is Padma-yoni. And he, when he was created, he saw everything dark, so he was instructed to undergo tapas—these are explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—then he was given the intelligence how to work. So even a person like Brahmā is also instructed by Kṛṣṇa how to create. So any person, any ingredient, any matter, everything is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore His name is Kṛṣṇa.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead can be known by a person who has got a slight favor of the Lord upon him. This is the Vedic version. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena. Ātmā, the Supreme Absolute Truth, cannot be understood... Nāyam ātmā na pravacanena labhyaḥ... By becoming a great debater one can understand the Supreme—that's not possible. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na bahunā śrutena. Nor by a person who is very vastly learned or by a great scientist or philosopher, na medhayā—in this way we cannot understand. But one who is surrendered, he can understand. Arjuna is surrendered. In every case he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. As soon as there is any problem... Problem or no problem, he surrendered. Not that "When there is problem I am surrendered, and when there is no problem I am independent." No. Always surrendered. That is Arjuna's position.
So you have to remain with Kṛṣṇa in some relationship. Here our relationship is through this external energy, māyā. The relationship is there. Although we have tried to give up our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa has not given up. Kṛṣṇa is always with you. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). He is within your heart. Why? Just to give you association. Now we are rebelled. You want to do something independently. Kṛṣṇa also has agreed, "All right. You do independently. But it is not possible for you to live independently. That is not possible. So I'll give you sanction for independent living." Just see how Kṛṣṇa is friend. You cannot live independently. That is not possible. Because you are aṁśa. Aṁśa means part and parcel. Just like this finger. Finger is finger so long he's with the body; otherwise who cares his finger? Suppose a finger is cut and thrown in the street. Who cares for it? The finger is important so long it is with the body. Similarly, we are always with Kṛṣṇa indirectly or directly. But here Arjuna sees sākṣāt, directly. But we are forced to accept Kṛṣṇa indirectly, māyā. Arjuna is māyāṁ vyudasya. He has no intervention by māyā. And we have got intervention by māyā. Therefore we cannot see Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is always there. Kṛṣṇa is always there.
So that is our bondage. We are mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Why you are conditioned? The condition is because māyā-mohita-cetasaḥ. Māyā-mohita. They are bewildered by māyā. Māyā means "what is not." Mā-yā. So because we are under the clutches of māyā, this material world, therefore we have been conditioned. And what is that māyā? That māyā is forgetfulness of our relationship with God. That is māyā. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. This jīva, when we forget Kṛṣṇa, our relationship with Kṛṣṇa... What is that relationship? Caitanya Mahāprabhu says jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). That is our relationship. We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. When we forget this, and we want to be master of all I survey... "I am the monarch of all I survey." I think, "I shall become independent and I shall enjoy. I shall improve my economic condition, and I shall be very happy." This is called māyā-mohita-cetasaḥ. He'll never be. Because he is conditioned. You cannot improve. That is not possible. That is called destiny. So the Western peoples, they say, "Why should we..." (break) ...any animal, take. You cannot improve the condition. Suppose the pig, he is conditioned to live in a very filthy place and eat stool, urine. You cannot improve that condition. By philanthropic mentality, if you want to improve his condition, not to live in filthy place, not to eat stool, if you try to give them halavā instead of stool, they cannot. That is not possible. This is called conditioned.
When Arjuna wanted to become nonviolent, so He gave him instruction that "There is no question of nonviolence. You are talking like an anārya, uncivilized man." Kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam. "In warfield, and you are talking of nonviolence, rascal. There is no question of nonviolence. You have to fight." So he was still arguing. Then he finally said, "My dear Arjuna, you fight or don't fight. It doesn't matter. They are not going to return. They'll be finished here. That is My arrangement." He says, nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin: "They're not going to return." It is Kṛṣṇa's arrangement. He says,
- yadā yadā hi dharmasya
- glānir bhavati bhārata
- abhyutthānam adharmasya
- tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
- (BG 4.7)
When people become too much sinful, too much godless, the world becomes overburdened, and there must be some machine to kill. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra (BG 3.27). They are thinking independently. No independence. As soon as you become sinful, there is reaction immediately. Immediately there will be war, pestilence, famine, flu, and so on, so on.
So if we actually follow mataṁ ca vāsudevasya, and if we want to stop the upadrava, the disturbances of this material world, as Arjuna is following under the instruction of Kṛṣṇa... He's doing everything under the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. But he's doing political, he's counteracting with this brahmāstra another brahmāstra. As a military man, he's doing his duty, but he's doing everything under the instruction of Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. That is truth. 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. We are completely under the control. So, so long we declare independence we suffer. And if we remain fully dependent on the will of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, then we are happy.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches from this point, that you are dāsa. Give up this idea that you are independent master, or one with God, or so many rascal ideas. That is not good. It begins with this point. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches from the point when Bhagavad-gītā ends. Bhagavad-gītā says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the relationship. We are trying to become master here, everyone. Kṛṣṇa says, "You give up this idea. You are planning so many things, to become master of the world, 'I am the monarch of all I survey.' Give up this idea. Then you'll be in proper position." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). That means "I am master. If you want to be peaceful, then accept this proposition that I am master; you are servant." Therefore Yāmunācārya said, kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ praharṣayiṣyāmi sanātha-jīvitam: "I have troubled myself in so many lives, therefore," bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. He's praying, "My Lord, when I shall be constantly Your servant?" Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ. Nirantara means "always." Praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ. We are being conducted by the mental speculation.
So although this material world is condemned... Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), Kṛṣṇa says. It is also Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. Because everything belongs to God, Kṛṣṇa. So this condemned place is created for suffering of the condemned persons. Who are condemned? Those who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and wants to become happy independently, they are all condemned demons. And those who are surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, they are not condemned. That is the difference. So although Kṛṣṇa has created this material world for the condemned persons, still, He wants to see that they are having their necessities of life and..., so that they may live prosperously. And let them enjoy for some time this material world according to their inclination. But at last, let them come back home, back to home, back to Godhead. Just like the prisoners: they are condemned, and the government puts them into jail. So for their criminality they are punished within the jail. But the government does not want that these prisoners may remain perpetually within the jail. The same thing. Try to understand. Government does not want. Government wants that "They have been condemned. So for their criminality, let them suffer for some time. And then they correct themselves and again they are freed."
To accept this material world means to accept different types of material body, and so long you have got this material body, either you have got the body of a human being or an animal or of demigod, that always there must be fearfulness, anxiety, because we have accepted something foreign. This material world is foreign to the living entities. The living entity is spiritual, so his actual residency is in the spiritual world. But somehow or other he has come in contact with this material world; therefore he is suffering threefold miseries-adhyatmic, adhibautic, adhidaivic. He must suffer. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to get the living entity relieved from this material miserable condition of life, and take him back to home, back to Godhead. That is also Kṛṣṇa's mission. Kṛṣṇa also came to impress that "This is not your place." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. "You are creating so many plans to live here very peacefully, but that is not possible. Therefore you give up all this nonsense plan, just come to Me, surrender to Me, and I shall give you protection." Because He is the father, father wants that the nonsense sons, they want to live independently, but he has no such means, therefore father comes to invite, "Come back." Sarva-dharmān..., vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ. These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
This durgā power is there. You have seen the picture of Durgā. She has got ten hands and different types of weapons. Now the Durgā-pūjā will be performed. You can see the Durgā deity. So ten hands, the material nature. Ten hands means ten directions: north, south, east, west, and then the four corners, eight, and up and down. So ten directions. So this material nature, Durgā, is controlling the whole universe, ten directions. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44). Ekā. Chāyeva. But how she is working? Not independently. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva. She is working just like shadow. The original body and the shadow body, they are two different. But the shadow body moves if the original moves. So therefore this word is used, chāyeva. This vast power, material nature... It is a very powerful... Sṛṣṭi-sthiti. It can create; it can destroy. At any moment, if there is some earthquake, the whole sea water may come and cover the land portion, and within the sea you can see one island has come out. Everyone has got this experience. So sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya. One side, pralaya; one side, creation. So this can be done by the material nature. But how she is working? She is working under the direction of somebody else. That is Govinda. And Govinda also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "She is working under My direction."
Govinda is not ordinary thing. That Govinda... Which Govinda? Now, this material energy, Durgā, who is working so wonderfully... Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktiḥ. She has... This material energy has got so much power that it can create, it can destroy, it can maintain, so much power. But don't think that this material energy is working independently. And then how is...? How she is working? Chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Just she is working just like shadow. The... Then what is the reality? Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So we are worshiping that person who is the original director of this material... Because we are captivated by the three guṇas of material energy, we think this material energy, material world, is everything, because we are foolish. Nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam. Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ. They have been captivated by the three material... They cannot understand that behind this, there is Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore it is said that anvayād itarataś ca abhijñaḥ. How does He know? Now, svarāṭ. Because to know means we require some master, some teacher... But because He is the Supreme Being, He does not require any teacher. Svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means independent. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). He knows everything automatically. That is the difference between God and ourself. Just like Kṛṣṇa said that "I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god," and Arjuna became doubtful: "What Kṛṣṇa is saying? He is my contemporary. I do not know how He knows." So he questioned that "Kṛṣṇa, how can I believe You, that you spoke this, this philosophy to the sun-god millions and millions of...?" So Kṛṣṇa explained, "Yes, at that time, you were also there because you are My constant friend. But the difference is you have forgotten; I have not forgotten. That is the difference." Svarāṭ. Abhijñaḥ. We are not fully abhijñaḥ. We do not know.
Therefore the conclusion is that matter cannot develop out of itself. No. That is not possible. The superior energy must touch it. Then it will be, will, active. There are so many machines. That is matter. Inferior energy. Unless a operator comes to touch the machine, it will not act. First-class motor car, very costly motor car machine, but unless a driver comes, it will stand for millions of years there. There is no use. This common sense is lacking. The matter cannot work independently unless the superior energy, living entity, touches it. This is common sense. So how these rascal scientists say that life develops from matter? No. How it can be concluded? There is no such instances. They falsely say that... They do not have sufficient knowledge.
So these universes, they have also developed on account of Kṛṣṇa's presence. Therefore Brahma-saṁhitā says: aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-s... They are studying now atoms. So many things are going on, electrons, protons, Why? Because the Kṛṣṇa is there. This is really science. So Kṛṣṇa has no past, present and future. He is eternal time. He has no beginning. He has no end. And He is equal to everyone. Samaṁ carantam (SB 1.8.28). Simply we have to prepare ourself to see Kṛṣṇa, to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is the business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So Nārada came to see. "Kṛṣṇa has married 16,000 wives. How He's dealing with them, let me see." So he, when he came here, he saw in 16,000 palaces, Kṛṣṇa is acting differently. And somewhere He's talking with His wife. Somewhere He's playing with His children. Somewhere He's getting marriage ceremony of His sons and daughters. So many, 16,000 ways He's engaged. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, although... Just like He was playing just like ordinary child. But when Mother Yaśodā wanted to see His mouth open, whether He has eaten earth, dirt, He showed within the mouth all the universes. So this is Kṛṣṇa. Although He is playing just like ordinary child, ordinary human being, but when there is need, He shows His Godly nature.
Just like Arjuna. He was driving the chariot, but when Arjuna wanted see His universal form, immediately He showed him. Thousands and millions of heads and weapons. This is Kṛṣṇa. So na yasya kaścit. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa has no enemy. Kṛṣṇa has no friend. He is completely independent. He does not depend on enemy. But He plays like that for the benefit of the so-called friend and so-called enemy. He's Kṛṣṇa... That is Kṛṣṇa's absolute nature. When Kṛṣṇa favors either as enemy or as friend, the result is the same. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is absolute.
Kuala Lumpur. Yes. We had been in Kuala Lumpur. Now, instead of sandalwood, they are growing rubber, rubberwood. Yes. So formerly malaya-candana, Malaysia, Malayasian candana, sandalwood was very famous. Still it is famous. So this candana tree can grow anywhere, but it is famous as Malayan candana. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa can appear from anywhere. He is independent. But He appeared as this descendant of the Yadu dynasty. Why? Yadoḥ priyasya, puṇya-ślokasya kīrtaye (SB 1.8.32). Those who are devotee, they are puṇya-śloka. Or Kṛṣṇa is also puṇya-śloka, uttama-śloka, Kṛṣṇa's another name... As Kṛṣṇa is known as Uttama-śloka, similarly, the devotees are called puṇya-śloka. How they become puṇya-śloka? Simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śloka-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Anyone who is always in contact with Kṛṣṇa, he's puṇya-śloka, and Kṛṣṇa is Uttama-śloka. Uttama-śloke bhagavati bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī.
So somebody says that Kṛṣṇa appeared for this purpose, somebody says Kṛṣṇa appeared for this purpose, but the real conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa appeared for His own pleasure. Not, not being bound by any cause. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent. Just like we take our birth being bound by the cause of our karma. Kṛṣṇa does not come being bound up by somebody's request or by His karma. He comes out of His free will. Ātma-māyayā. It is said ātma-māyayā. He's not compelled by another's māyā. Just like we are compelled by the energy of Kṛṣṇa, external energy, this material energy. We are compelled to take birth. Kṛṣṇa does not take birth in such condition. Ātma-māyayā. Not by the... Because māyā is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. So how māyā can control Kṛṣṇa? One who thinks that Kṛṣṇa is also like us, controlled by māyā, they are called mūḍhas. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Read the purport little.
Pradyumna: "But Nārāyaṇa, being omnipotent, is not bound to any condition of energy. He is complete and independent to do anything and everything by His various potencies."
Prabhupāda: That is explained in the beginning of Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means He's not dependent to anyone. He is self-sufficient. Everything. That is God. Nowadays there is so many incarnation of God, but as soon as there is some toothache immediately: "Ooooonh, doctor, give me... Save me, save me. Save me, save me, save me, save me." You are God. You save yourself. Why you have come to doctor? So these rascals are going on. So it is very difficult to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The whole world is overburdened by these rascals and demons. So atom, atom bomb is waiting for them. Yes. It will be finished. All the demons will be finished.
So, just try to understand. This is the difference between spiritual life and material lie. Material life means you have to work. You will be forced. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. When analyzing the energy of Kṛṣṇa in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said, viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā. Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu's energy is parā, superior energy or spiritual energy. Parā. Parā and aparā, you have read in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. When Kṛṣṇa is analyzing, two kinds of nature, parā and aparā, inferior and superior. This is also nature, bhūmih, āpaḥ, analo, vāyuḥ, land, water, fire, air. This is also Kṛṣṇa's nature. Kṛṣṇa says vidhi me prakṛtiḥ aṣṭadhā. "These eight kinds of material nature, they are My nature, they are My energy. But they apareyam. But this is inferior energy. And there is another, superior nature." "What is that, Sir?" Jīva-bhūta, this living energy. And these rascals, they do not know that there are two natures working—material nature and spiritual nature. The spiritual nature is within the material nature; therefore it is working. Otherwise material nature hs no power to work independently. This simple thing the so-called scientists cannot understand.
So if you make research, that is intelligent research. Then you'll find, "Here is the electric powerhouse." Similarly, if you further study, that who is running on this powerhouse, you'll find a human being. He's not impersonal; he's person. The electricity is impersonal. Even the powerhouse is also imperson. But the man behind the everything, that is a person. Therefore God is person. Logical conclusion. How He can be imperson? Imperson has no brain. The... Just like so many machines now we have invented, very wonderful machines. But the machine is not the brain. The operator is the brain. Why do they not understand? Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "You are seeing the energy or the wonderful action and reaction of this material cosmic manifestation. But don't think that they are working independently. No. I am behind there." So what is the difficulty to understand? Or from example you can understand how things can go on nicely without a nice brain behind these things? It is conclusion. Mayādhyakṣeṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says further, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam avyakta-mūrtinā (BG 9.4). Avyakta, avyakta is also mūrti, a form. Just like the sky. The sky is avyakta, not manifest, but it has also a form, a round form, the universe. Without form there is nothing. Everything has form. The so-called impersonal, that is also form. Just like you go to the ocean, you will find a form, a big circle. That is also form. How you can say there is no form?
Kṛṣṇa's arrangement is very complete. Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Kṛṣṇa has given us everything in complete. There is no question... Although we have come to this material world for undergoing some tribulation on account of our rebellious attitude towards Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa, we are meant for serving Kṛṣṇa, but we have rebelled: "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? I shall serve my senses. I shall remain independent without Kṛṣṇa." This is our folly. That is not possible. We have discussed already that without Kṛṣṇa there is no question of happiness. There is no question of happiness. It is our... This is called ignorance.
- kṛṣṇa bhuli' sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha
- ataeva māyā tāre deya saṁsāra-duḥkha
- (CC Madhya 20.117)
There is something like... Our only fault is that we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and we have come to enjoy this material world. Material enjoyment means sense gratification. That's all. That is the material world. And spiritual world means there is no sense gratification, only activities for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. That is spiritual world. The so-called material world can be converted into spiritual world when this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there, that everything should be used for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure. That is spiritual world. Otherwise, it is material world.
So actually, for Vaiṣṇava, who is dependent on Kṛṣṇa, there is no want. There cannot be. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham, teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām (BG 9.22). If one is actually dependent on Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of scarcity. That is the Śukadeva Gosvāmī's instruction, kasmād bhajanti kavayo dhana-durmadāndhān (SB 2.2.5). He says to the saintly persons to become independent. So he advises that "Why you are anxious for bedding? There is very nice grass. And you have got pillows, this hand, arms. You can lie down here. And where is... What is the necessity of keeping a waterpot?" Because a sannyāsī, even giving up everything, he keeps one waterpot. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī criticizes, "What is the use of keeping waterpot? You have your palms. You can take water from the river and drink." Cirāṇi kiṁ san..., pathi na santi. And old cloth, thrown away... Formerly, gṛhasthas, in different ceremonies, after taking bath, they would throw away their garments, their..., so that poor people, they can take it and use it. And new. Every religious function... In our childhood also we have seen. As soon as there was a new function or pūjā, there was new cloth. Even household pūjā... That takes place practically every month. Lakṣmī-pūjā, Kārttika-pūjā... Bara mase tara upara bhan.(?) The... Actually there are twelve months, but the festivals are thirteen. It was very difficult to adjust where the another festival, in which month it should be observed.
So Kṛṣṇa is fully independent. He could have refused: "No, I cannot stay more." But here it is said, premṇā. Premṇā means out of love. Rājñā nivāritaḥ. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira cannot order the Supreme Personality of Godhead to stay or to undo His decisions. But premṇā, everything is possible. Premṇā. Premṇā means by love. Therefore, if we increase our love for Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa becomes purchased by us. Kṛṣṇa agrees. Kṛṣṇa is the order-giver for everyone, but He accepts the order of the devotee. Just like Kṛṣṇa, while driving the chariot, Arjuna said senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta: (BG 1.21) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are Acyuta." Acyuta means who never falls, falls back. So "You have accepted my charioteer post..." So charioteer post means He has to carry the order of the king who is on the chariot. Chariot driver is a driver, and the master is the man who is sitting on the chariot. That is the position. So Arjuna knew that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Out of friendship, He has become my charioteer, order-carrier." So when he requested Him, rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta... "Just place my chariot between the two soldiers," senayor ubhayor madhye, so he was little hesitating that "I am ordering Kṛṣṇa." Therefore he reminded: "Acyuta." Acyuta means who never falls back. Therefore, he reminded that "Kṛṣṇa, although You are my master, but because You have voluntarily accepted to become my charioteer, therefore I am asking You. It is not disrespect. So you have to carry it as a charioteer." Kṛṣṇa also said, "Yes, I am willing. Yes." This is the position.
So sometimes it is very cold, sometimes it is very warm. And how these feelings are appreciated? Due to this body. The water is the same, but in summer season water is very pleasing to take bath. The same water is very troublesome to take bath in winter season. So according to the changes of the season and according to the affection of this material body, we are feeling pains and pleasure. Otherwise there is no pains and pleasure. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. Ātmā, real spirit soul... Just like our scientist was asking whether soul is dependent on the matter. No. Soul is independent. Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. That is the Vedic instruction. It is never affected. Although therefore it requires knowledge. It requires knowledge. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya (BG 2.14). Our pains and pleasure we feel on account of this skin, mātrā-sparśāḥ. So we should not deviate from the duty. Even there are pains and pleasure due to this body, we should not deviate from our duty. That is the instruction of the śāstra. It is not that because it is very, I am feeling very much cold, I shall not take my bath. No. That's my duty. I must take. And because I am feeling very hot, therefore I shall not go to the kitchen. There shall be no cooking today. No, that is not possible. Cooking must go on. Similarly, despite all difficulties, all inconveniences on account of this false body, one must do his duty. And that was the instruction to be given to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira.
So children, brāhmaṇa, and here it is said strī, woman. According to Vedic politics, the children and brāhmaṇa, old men and woman, they have no fault. They are out of all laws of the state. Their fault will never be taken as seriously. They are innocent. They require protection. Now the agitation is that woman should have equal rights with man. So that is not Vedic idea. Vedic idea is that woman should be always protected. She is not independent. Just like child. All these children, their mother is always attentive. Child is going here; she is taking care. So that dependence is required. If the child says, "I am independent," that is not for his profit. The child must be taken care of. That is good. Similarly, woman also. Just like old man like us, I am always taken care of. Similarly, a brāhmaṇa also should be taken care of, first consideration. First protection, brāhmaṇa, saintly person. That is civilization. That is human society. Not that the children, women and the brāhmaṇas should be treated like cats and dogs. No, that is not civilization.
So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme pure. We are also pure, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a small particle of gold is also gold. The value is gold. It is not iron or something low-grade metal. The same. Similarly, as Kṛṣṇa... Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said Kṛṣṇa is aja. He never takes birth. Bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Although He is the Lord of all living entities, still, by His desire, He appears. Our appearance in this material world is also the same desire, but that is not independent. Our desire... (aside:) Who is talking there? He must stop. That portion is simply talking-camp. Just like these frogs or toads, they're talking whole day and night, ca-ca ca, ca-ca ca. Actually we have got tongue, and these frogs, they have got also tongue. So they are using their tongue, ca-ca ca, inviting snakes: "Please come here and eat me." That is their business. Nature's way. So if we simply talk like the frogs without any kṛṣṇa-kathā, then we are inviting death very soon. So don't waste your time, ca-ca ca. That is my request. It is our habit because we are no better than frogs also. We are also living entity. But we have got the chance to stop this ca-ca ca and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This chance we have got. The frogs, they haven't got that chance. They cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between the frog and myself. So similarly, if we waste our time in that ca-ca ca, then we are no better than the frogs. We are no better than the frogs.
So Kali found it difficult where to go. At the present moment we say the Kali-yuga is strong because everywhere you'll find these four sinful activities. Everywhere. That has become part and parcel of modern civilization. But up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, these sinful activities, nobody could trace out where it is. Therefore every nature's resources were supplied. Because after all, supply is being made by Kṛṣṇa through the agency of material nature. Material nature is not independent. Independent. Therefore we find... In your country there is no mango. Mango is supposed to be the king of all fruits. So in India there is sufficient supply. But in some year there is so much supply, enormous, and some year there is no supply. Similarly, grains also; in some year there is sufficient supply, and some year there is no... There is scarcity, famine. Then after all, you will have to depend on nature. You cannot produce in your factory these things which are received through these phalanty oṣadhayaḥ sarvāḥ. That depends on nature's gift. And the nature is working not independently. Nature is working by the order of Kṛṣṇa.
So everything... And what to speak of ourselves, we want to become independent. What is the meaning of independence? Even the sun, moon, or the sea, ocean, nobody is independent. And how we can be independent? We are teeny, very small. There is no question of independence. The so-called independence, as we fight for independence, that is māyā. There is no question of independence. When I first met my Guru Mahārāja, on the first meeting, he said that "You go to preach in the Western countries." I was surprised. There was no acquaintance. So "Caitanya Mahāprabhu's message, you are all educated young men, you should go and preach." I replied that "We are dependent nation, Indians. Who will hear us? Nobody will hear." So at that time he explained dependence and independence—temporary, it has no meaning. Actually, at that time I could not realize the independence. We were waiting for independence. What independence we have got? Independence means you go for one kilo of rice and stand there for two hours. (laughter) This is our independence. Everything is controlled. You cannot get. And the price... Before independence the price of rice was two annas or five rupees, six rupees per mound, two annas per kilo. Now it is more than two rupees. Everything. Practically we have increased our dependence. Not independence. In the name of independence, we have increased our dependence. So actually there is no independence. But we manufacture so-called independence. Nobody is independent. I thought, "We are so much dependent on the state rules and regulation. America is independent." When I went to America I saw they are so dependent, that any young man could be called for military service without any objection. So the whole nation is dependent on the whims of the military board. So dependent.
So we are dependent. So long we are under the control of māyā, we are dependent. We are depend... Our constitutional position is dependence, servitude. So by false declaration we think that "We are now going to be independent. We shall not service Kṛṣṇa. We shall become independent. I shall become Kṛṣṇa." As the Māyāvādī thinks that he shall become Kṛṣṇa, "I shall become God," that is another dependence. You cannot be independent. That is not possible. And to remain dependent, that is our happiness. That we do not know. Instead of declaring independence, if we remain dependent, that is our happiness. Just like children, women, śūdras, dogs. Their happiness is when they are dependent. Artificially... Now in India also, the women are imitating independence. But I have seen in the Western countries, in your country, the independence, declaration of independence by the woman class, is not their happiness. They are unhappy. Better to become dependent upon father, upon husband and upon elderly children. That is their happiness.
So you cannot violate the laws of Kṛṣṇa, or laws of nature, that is not possible. You are not at all independent. Because these rascals, they'll not understand this. They are always thinking, we are independent. That is the cause of all unhappiness. Nobody is independent. How you can be independent? Nobody is independent, neither you can be independent, neither nobody is independent. That factual, who is independent? Here you are sitting, so many boys and girls, who can say "I am independent of everything"? No, nobody can say. So this is our mistake, and by misusing our independence we are suffering in this material world in so many ways. That has to be reformed. That has to be checked. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has preached, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). We living entities, we are eternally servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. But if we deny this position, "Now why shall I become servant of Kṛṣṇa? I am independent," then suffering begins, immediate. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare, as soon as you desire to enjoy independently, immediately—that means immediately he is captured by māyā.
It is very easy to understand. Just like if you don't care for the government laws, if you want to live independently, that means immediately you are in the clutches of the police force. You haven't got to create, it is already there. So our position is always dependent on God. We should understand this. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has a song,
mānaso deho geho, yo kichu mora,
- arpilun tuyā pade nanda-kiśora
This mistake is going on, that I am independent, king, and my soldiers or my society, community, family or—so many we have manufactured—but
- dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv
- ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api
- teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ pramattaḥ
- paśyann api na paśyati
- (SB 2.1.4)
Just like a man fights, just like Hitler declared war, or so many wars are declared. This man is declaring, everyone is thinking, "I am independent." So, and we are thinking that we have got so many soldiers, so many atomic bombs, and so many aeroplanes, we shall come out victorious. Similarly, each and everyone of us, we are thinking, "I am independent, and my wife, my children, my society, they are my soldiers. If I am in danger, they will help me." This is going on. This is called māyā. Pramattaḥ teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati, because we have become mad after this so-called independence, independence of God, we are thinking these things will help us, will protect us, but that is māyā. Teṣāṁ nidhanam, everyone will be destroyed. Nobody will be able to give us protection. If real protection is wanted, he will have to take protection of Kṛṣṇa. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). You rascal, you are thinking that so many things will give you protection. That will not be possible. You will be finished, and your so-called protector, and friends, and soldiers, they will be finished. You don't depend on them. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam... (BG 18.66), you just surrender unto Me, I'll give you protection, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. This is real protection.
Everyone is falsely thinking independent, but he is dependent. But he is depending on false platform. That is the mistake of this material civilization. They are thinking of protection from a (sic:) tiltering platform, material world. So we have to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is very friendly to all of us. Therefore he comes down from Vaikuṇṭha to inform this, that is Bhagavad-gītā. And that is elaborately explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This is the only thing. So the crisis, people are faced with so many crises, problems. That I told in the airport. The reporter asked me "What is the solution of this crisis?" The solution is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is already there, but you rascal, you will not take it. Solution is already there. If the Arabians think that this oil is Kṛṣṇa's property and the others, purchasers, they also think, Kṛṣṇa's property, then they must agree also. America also must agree that this land of America is also Kṛṣṇa's property. If you think that the Arabian oil is Kṛṣṇa's property, God's property, we shall take it, by force. Then why the Arabians should not be allowed to come from the desert and live in America? But they (are) foolish, they will not come, they have got United Nations. But United Nations means simply committing mistake, mistake, mistake, mistake. That's all. That is their business. Why don't you united? Yes, this Arabian oil is Kṛṣṇa's property. Similarly the Australian land, or the African land, or this American land, so vast tract of land But "No, you can not come here, yow yow." They say, the immigration department. You see. Yow yow department.
So this is the instance, that we may be very powerful so long Kṛṣṇa keeps us powerful. We are not independently powerful, even in the case of Arjuna. We are very much proud of our janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ (SB 1.8.26). The material world, everyone is very much proud of his birth, riches, education and beauty. Beauty. These four things are obtained as result of pious activities. And as a result of impious activities, the opposite number. Not birth in a very nice family or nation, no wealth, poverty, no education and no beauty. But one should know that these assets, material assets... Just like you American people. You have got nice assets. You are born of a very respectful nation-American nations are still honored all over the world. So that's a good opportunity for you, janma. You are born in... Every American is... In comparison to India, every American is rich man, because any ordinary man earns here at least four thousand, five thousand rupees. And in India, even the high-court judge, he cannot earn so. Utmost four thousand. So you should be conscious that by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, you have got all these things. There is no poverty, there is no scarcity, there is good chance of education, and you are wealthy, beautiful, everything. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrīḥ. But if you do not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you misuse these assets, then again punar mūṣiko bhava.
So this is going on. You see? This is going on, and therefore in the name of devotion, in the name of love, in the name of faith, they are trying to satisfy their own senses. This is called illusion. And he will never be happy so long he will try to satisfy his senses. And that is the truth. They will never be happy. Because... I have given this example. The parts and parcel of your body. If separately the part and parcel of the body wants to satisfy itself, it will never be satisfied. The only means of satisfaction is that the part and parcel conjointly work and satisfy the stomach, and then it will be satisfied. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. If we want to satisfy ourself, our senses, independently, we shall never be satisfied. This is the fact. You have to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be satisfied. This is the process. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170).
The Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore sings, anādi karama-phale paṛi' bhavārṇava-jale taribāre nā dekhi upāya. One who is sane person, he knows that "I may be first-class prisoner, that does not mean I am not prisoner. I am prisoner." The suffering of the prison house, that I have no independence to do anything, that is prison life.
We are, everyone is thinking that we are independent, but that is not the fact.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Actually, everybody is being carried by the laws of material nature, but a foolish person is thinking that he is doing himself. So here it is said that prāyeṇa etad bhagavata īśvarasya viceṣṭitam. We cannot do anything without the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just like in state you cannot do anything without the sanction of the government, similarly the supreme state, the supreme order-giver, Kṛṣṇa or God, without His sanction we cannot do anything.
So matter, matter is manipulated by a living entity and it has become useful. A microphone. It is common sense affair. So a living entity is not matter. He is superior nature. We should understand that. So everything... Now this superior nature, living entity. He has got mind, intelligence. That is also material. But under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, the mind, intelligence, ego is working. And how it is working? As you wanted. He is giving simply permission. I want to... Just like I want to manufacture something in chemical laboratory. My intense desire is how to make it successful. Then when Kṛṣṇa sees that you are so much, mean, burst to do this, so Kṛṣṇa gives you intelligence that "You do like this." Then He becomes a scientist, discoverer. He cannot do it independently. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). One man is committing mistake and one man is doing right. Why? Because within the heart, there is Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is giving direction as he wanted.
So this law is going on, nature's law. Nature is not independent. Nature is working under the direction of the Lord. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). So everything is under the law, under the order of God, but He is not under anyone's order, anyone's guidance or anyone's order. That is God. That is the difference. This morning we were discussing that if everything has got cause, then God has got also cause. Some of our... Yes. But that is the difference, that if God also has got cause, then how He becomes God? He is one of us. God has no cause. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).
We take our birth and we accept our death not independently. We are under the another potency. We are also one potency. The potency... There are... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Those potencies have been divided into three. Multi, but roughly, they have been divided into three. One is called internal potency, one is called the external potency, and one is called the marginal potency. So the external potency means this material world. The whole material universe—so many universes, so many planets, stars, skies, and everything—these are the demonstration of the external potency. And similarly, there is the spiritual world. Spiritual world. That we cannot see. That is not within our experience. But we get it from the śāstra. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). Kṛṣṇa says, "There is another nature." Paras tasmāt. "This material nature, beyond that there is another nature." Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). That is eternal. This material nature is not eternal. Just like your body, my body, it is not eternal, similarly, this gigantic body of universe, that is also not eternal. It has a date of creation, and it has a date for dissolution. That is the nature. Therefore it is said that "That material nature is sanātana. That is never created; neither it is annihilated."
So formerly, the whole planet, Bhāratavarṣa... It was named Bhāratavarṣa. And it was being governed by one emperor. Therefore it is said here, sva-rāṭ. Sva-rāṭ means completely independent. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was not dependent on any other king or any other state. He was fully independent. Whatever he liked, he could do. That is king. That is emperor. If the so-called king or the president is dependent on the votes of some rascal voters, then what kind of sva-rāṭ he is? At the present moment, the so-called president is dependent on the votes of some rascals. That's all. The rascals, they do not know whom to vote, and therefore another rascal is elected, and when he is not doing well, they cry. You have elected. Why you are crying now? Because they are rascals. They do not know. So this is going on. But actually, the head of the state should be sva-rāṭ, fully independent. Not on the votes of the prajā. He is only dependent on Kṛṣṇa, just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. All the Pāṇḍavas, they were under the order of Kṛṣṇa.
So nature can change at any time, at any time. You are not controller of nature. You are under the control of nature. That we forget. This is our illusion. We are under the control of material nature fully, cent percent, and still, we are declaring independence. What kind of independence you have got? Any kind of independence can be finished by one kick of nature. And still, you declare independent. You cannot be independent. When you go above the control of the material nature, then you can say independent. But they do not know that. And nature is controlled by God. That also they do not know. Nature... Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Just like police force. Police force is under the control of the government, and you are under the control of police force. Everyone knows it. So how you can get out of the police force? When you are not criminal. That's all. Similarly, nature is like police force, this material nature. As soon as you become irreligious, making friendship with Kali and his friends, then you will be punished.
What is the value of your independence? Can you avoid death? Suppose you are independent. What is the meaning of this independence? When death will come, will catch you by your neck and throw you away, your independence, nonsense independence... What is the value of this independence? Be independent from the clutches of māyā. No more death—that is independence. That is independence. No more birth—oh, that is independence. No more death. Otherwise what is the meaning of independence? You are not independent. You are under the clutches of māyā. You are struggling. You are struggling to get out of the clutches of māyā or the material nature, external energy of God. You are trying to make nice medicine to get out of the attack of disease. But you can manufacture a better medicine, but you cannot get out of disease. That is not possible. This is struggle. Now we have manufactured such a nice medicine that cancer or any other disease will not attack us. That is very nice. But find out some medicine that death will not attack you. "Oh, that is not possible." Then where is the meaning of your advancement?
So Yamarāja, Yamarāja is the representative of the Lord. Just like the police chief. The... What is called, the police chief? The superintendent or what? Commissioner. Commissioner of police. He is representative of government. So the police department is fearful department for the criminals, not for the law-abiding persons. Similarly, Yamarāja, who is the superintendent of death... Death is certainly cruel. At any moment death can stop all our activities. Nobody can protest. That is not possible. So... And nobody wants death also. That is also fact. But nobody can stop death also. The so-called scientific advancement, they cannot stop death. You can talk all kinds of nonsense of advancement of life, but after all, you have to die. Big, big scientists, professors, they talk so many things, but when death came, it could not save him by his scientific process. Because death is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Who can check? Therefore the Lord's name is Ajita, Ajita. Ajita means one who is never conquered by any other means. Sva-rāṭ, self-independent. These are the words used. Sva-rāṭ. Sva-rāṭ means fully independent. Nobody can make him dependent. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is God. Every one is dependent, but Kṛṣṇa is not dependent. Therefore He is called sva-rāṭ.
So that is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). Abhijñaḥ. This word is used. Abhijñaḥ means cognizant. Then if He is the origin of everything, how He got all knowledge perfectly? Therefore the next word is sva-rāṭ: He is fully independent. He doesn't require to take knowledge from anyone else. Otherwise how He can be origin? Sva-rāṭ. Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. That origin is so perfect, and still, sūrayaḥ, many scholars, many scientists, philosophers, they are also bewildered, that "How He can be a person?" Muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ. These things are described.
That is stated in the śāstra. Whether a man who is professing to become a brāhmaṇa, whether he is following strictly the brahminical rules and regulations. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Similarly, kṣatriyas, whether he is powerful, he is brave, he has got forwardness to fight. When there is fight he does not go back, and whether he is making charity. The kṣatriya qualifications also there. And similarly, the vaiśya qualification. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). Whether one who is professing to become vaiśya, whether he is making agricultural attempt, giving protection to the cows and making trade. And śūdra-karma, paricaryātmakam. Śūdra's business is to serve these higher class, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Śūdra cannot live independently. That is śūdra. Nowadays the education is that nobody can live independently. Higher education means if he does not get a suitable service, then it is useless. Nobody. The education means nobody can live independently. So one takes titles in education degrees, "agriculturist." But he does not go to the field actually to act as agriculturist, kṛṣāṇa, no. He is finding some job in some school, college, how to teach agriculture. Nobody goes to the land practical, how to plow the land, how to produce foodgrains. Simply theoretical knowledge. "I am teaching you; you are teaching," that's all. This is going on. No independence.
So tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. So there, how to learn from guru, that is also stated. Tad viddhi: try to learn from him... Tad viddhi praṇipātena. First of all surrender yourself. You cannot go to any person for learning anything where there is no sense of surrender. I accept a guru, but in my mind I remain independent, "Oh, why shall I abide by the orders of guru?" That means there is no surrender. There is no surrender. It is false. It is just to satisfy some motive, but that will not help. If you have got any duplicity in your mind, then you'll never be successful in any field of activities. So the process is... Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). Must be surrendered. Praṇipāta means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāta. And therefore, unless you find somebody where you can fully surrender, don't accept guru. That is cheating. Unless you are fully confident that "I am surrendering to this person. He is... Actually he is superior to me. He can give proper knowledge..."
I'll give you practical example. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body, your body, but if it becomes diseased, then it cannot act as my finger. It becomes a source of pains only. Then sometime doctor advises, physician, or the surgeon, that "Unless you cut off this finger, the whole hand will be faulty," and you have to cut off to save the other fingers. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. When we become disobedient or diseased... To become disobedient to God means that is diseased condition, because we have to become obedient to somebody, even if our so-called disobedient state, don't care for God. All right don't care for God, but care for somebody else. That is obligatory. You cannot say that "I am..., I don't care for anybody." That is not possible. If you don't care God, then you have to care for somebody else. If you don't care for the state law, then you have to take care of the police department. You cannot say that "I am independent." That is not possible. So, our position is forgetting God. We have been kicked out constantly by māyā. The māyā has given us the senses, and the senses are dictating us, "Do this, do that, do this, do that," and we become servant of our senses.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we have got new book, The First Step in God-Realization. Yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: First, Invocation. (devotees repeating each word) Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo vāsudeva. Text one. (devotees repeating)
- śrī-śuka uvāca
- varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ
- kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa
- ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ
- śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ
- (SB 2.1.1)
Now you recite independently. Oṁ namo bhagavate.
Devotees: (recite oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya and the verse.)
Prabhupāda: Very good. All right. Again.
(devotees repeat)
Prabhupāda: This last line, it is śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ.
Devotees: Śrotavyādiṣu...
Prabhupāda: Diṣu, short. Śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ.
Devotees: Śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ.
Prabhupāda: So these Bhāgavata verses, if it is chanted with little tune, then it is very nice. The tune should be like this: (repeats verse with tune) Like that.
Prabhupāda: Ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsām.
Devotees: Ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsām.
Prabhupāda: Śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ.
Devotees: Śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ.
(verse is repeated three more times)
Prabhupāda: Now chant independently.
Devotees: (recite oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya and the verse.)
Prabhupāda: Again. (devotees repeat) Very good. So read the translation. Yes.
Gargamuni: First with the Invocation?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Gargamuni: Translation: "O my Lord, the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You."
Prabhupāda: Purport. Go on.
Gargamuni: Purport. "Vāsudevāya means to Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva. As by chanting the name of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, one can achieve all the good results of charity, austerity, and penances, so by the chanting of this mantra, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, it is to be understood that the author or the speaker or any one of the readers of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam offer respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, the reservoir of all pleasure. In the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the principles of creation are described, and as such the First Canto can be called 'Creation.' "
Prabhupāda: So this om means addressing the Lord. In the all the Vedic mantras they are addressing. Our this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, mahā-mantra, that is also addressing. Hare, Hare, addressing the energy of the Lord, Harā. The energy is Harā, Rādhā, Sītā. So when a female is addressed, it is like that: Hare, Late, Sīte, Rādhe. So Hare means addressing first, first of all the energy. The impersonalists, they do not know this, this addressing first of all Kṛṣṇa's energy. We Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, we don't worship Kṛṣṇa alone, ekala-vāsudeva. No. We must worship Kṛṣṇa along with His energy. Just like Kṛṣṇārjuna, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Arjuna is also energy, living entity, and Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, His internal energy, and marginal energy. So Kṛṣṇa means with His energy. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. This bhagavate means full of energies. I have several times explained bhagavān. Bhaga means opulence, and vān means one who possesses. Bhagavān. That is the meaning of word bhagavān. So when this bhagavān word is addressed, it is addressed as bhagavate. The word is bhagavat, bhagavat-śabda. Of course, these are grammatical arrangement. Vat, this affix, is there when it is meant... Sanskrit, every word, every syllable, has got meaning. That is Sanskrit language. It is not like that "beauty but, (?) beauty put." No. If you say "beauty but," then you must say "peauty put." But in English, "beauty but, peauty put." So in Sanskrit language, you cannot do like that. If you have to follow the rules, then the same rule will go on. So bhagavate address, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudevāya. This is the form of, fourth form of, śabda, sound vibration, fourth form. Just like kṛṣṇāya. When I offer something, kṛṣṇāya, viṣṇave. Similarly, bhagavate, vāsudevāya.
Himavatī: And that's permitted to the gṛhasthas?
Prabhupāda: No. Gṛhastha, when a brāhmaṇa is gṛhastha, he shall be a teacher. Paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. Generally, the brāhmaṇas, those who are gṛhasthas... There are four varṇas, or division of castes. The brāhmaṇas, they are generally teachers, priests, and writers, philosophers. So society requires all these things, so they take up this charge. And the kṣatriyas, they are administrators, so they rule over the country. They exact taxes from the citizens. They live on the tax, and the brāhmaṇas, on the contribution of the public. Just like we are teaching, we are living on the contribution of the public. The public knows that there is an important institution. They are giving good lessons. So public contributes. So we can accept contribution. But a king is not allowed to take contribution. Because he is administrator, he can tax, so his source of income is tax. And the brāhmaṇas' source of income is contribution because they are rendering transcendental service. Similarly, the vaiśyas or the mercantile class, their means of living-trade, cow protection, and agriculture. And those who are śūdras, laborer class, they will serve these three higher classes, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and the vaiśyas, because they have no independent means. They cannot do anything, neither they are educated, nor they are king, princely order, nor they have money to do business. Therefore they have to serve.
Actually, there is no... Brahmacāriṇī is not allowed in the śāstra. Where is the question of brahmacāriṇī? Because according to Vedic system, as soon as a girl is fourteen years old or sixteen years old, she is at once married. According to Vedic system, no girl should be allowed remaining unmarried. So there is no question of brahmacāriṇī. Every girl is supposed to be married. That is the Vedic system. A father's duty is that as soon as the girl is grown up, she must be married. She must be given in charge of a suitable boy. That is Vedic system.
Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ. A woman is meant for being protected. So long she is not young, she is under the protection of the father. And as soon as she is young, she is given in charge, in charity. Kanyā-dāna. Dāna means charity. He should find out some suitable boys and give in charity: "My dear boy, take charge of this girl. So long she was under my charge. Now it is under your charge." So where is the brahmacāriṇī? There is no question of brahmacāriṇī. And when he is old enough, then the husband leaves the home and gives charge to the elderly son: "My dear boys, take charge of your mother." So she is always in charge of somebody. So according to Vedic system, there is no independent life of woman. Na strī svātantryam arhati. Manu-saṁhitā, that "Strī"—strī means woman—"should not be allowed independence." They should be given all protection. That's a very nice system. Not... Independence does not mean their position is very lower, no. Just like children. Children has no independence. No independence means they are well-protected. No independence does not meant that he has no independence to act. No. She has got. But under the protection. Just like there are some nation still now, protectorate. America is protecting. America is a big nation, and protecting another small nation. That does not mean they have no independence. They are also independent. They are acting like that. But because weaker, they should be given protection. Similarly, woman, children, brāhmaṇa, cow, old men, diseased men, they are to be protected. That is the social order.
Deha means body, and apatya means children. Apatya. So those who are family men... Those who are not family men, their question is different. They are not even human beings. Ordinarily, the Vedic process is that first of all you try to remain without family, alone. Be independent, no cares, no anxieties. You can lie down here, or whatever you can eat, that's all. But be spiritually advanced. That is called brahmacārī life. Brahmacārī means... Brahma means Absolute Truth. And cārī means who is, whose business is only with Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, with spiritual advancement of life. That is called brahmacārī. And he has no interest with anything material. He's, at least, educated in that way, that "Actually, you have no interest with these material things. You are, you should be interested only for your spiritual advancement. This is the opportunity."
So we have no independence. As in materially also, we have no independence. In... There is no independence, either materially or spiritually. But we're falsely thinking to become independent. That is called illusion, māyā. The rascals do not know that there is no independence at all, either materially or spiritually. Just like the outlaws, they have no independence, either criminally or civilly. When he's a civil citizen, good citizen, there is no independence, and when he's criminal, there is no independence. So why he's thinking that "I shall act this work criminally and become independent"? That is not possible. And because they cannot understand it, they are rascals. What he's thinking, independence, that is illusion. Where is, where is your independence? Illusion. Māyā. When you are under the strict rules and regulations of the material nature, how you are independent? Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). They think that to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, this is slave mentality. "I shall remain free." But where is your freedom, sir? That is illusion.
So there is... So long one is rascal, falsely thinking that he's independent, there must be the regulative principles, he must observe the regulative principles, vidhi-niṣedha. In this way, when he's actually situated in the transcendental platform, that is called nairguṇya-sthā\ h. Stha means situated. Tiṣṭhati iti stha: "One who stays." Not flickering. Permanently. Nairguṇya. This nairguṇya means devotional service. This is nairguṇya. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
- bhakti-yogena sevate
- sa guṇān samatītyaitān
- brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
- (BG 14.26)
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
Everything is there. So nairguṇya means one who is twenty-four hours engaged in devotional service, he's in the nairguṇya platform, no more influenced by these material qualities. Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa (BG 14.26). Avyabhicāreṇa means without any flaw, without any fault. Simply according to the restriction, or instruction of the śāstra and spiritual master, one is strictly following and engaged in devotional service. Then he is sa guṇān samatītyaitān (BG 14.26). He can conquer or surpass over the three modes of material nature. And his stage is brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate.
So service is not an ordinary thing. So this is, this service is unimpaired, unchecked by any material condition. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he gives us some definition how you can be completely independent to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now our problem is eating-sleeping. Eating-sleeping. After sleeping, there is mating or fearing. These are the problems of bodily demands. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends for a serious devotee, he says, cīrāṇi kiṁ pathi na santi. Cīrāṇi means worn-out, rejected garments. In your country it is very usual to find in the dustbin so many things are thrown away. So sometimes nice dress is also thrown away. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that if you have problem of dressing yourself, just pick up some old garments from the street. Cīrāṇi kiṁ pathi na santi. "All right.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says "Whether such nice living entity who has dedicated his life for others does not give you fruits?" So why you are thinking of your food problem? The food is there in the tree and the garment is on the street. Then where is my home, apartment? Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, ruddhā guhāḥ kim, "Whether the caves of the mountain are closed?" They are open for you. The caves of the mountain are open for you, the trees are there to supply you food, and people throw away old garments, that is your dress. And water? Water supply? Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "Whether the rivers are dried up?" There is water. In this way he gives a very nice list so that you can become very independent. There is no problem for your bodily demands. But one has to practice. Formerly the saints, mendicants, sages, they used to practice like that, that not dependent on any condition. And so far God, God is within you. So you haven't got to go anywhere to search out God. God is with you, and you can be independent in this way.
That is also stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Just like a blind man is leading other blind men. What he'll do? If a blind man says, "Come on. Come along with me. I shall cross you this road." What is the benefit of this assurance? He is blind himself. Therefore in spite of so much endeavor in the United Nations for the last twenty or twenty-five years, there is no solution. Simply the flags are increasing. Instead of becoming united, the flags are increasing. I have got practical experience. Now India become independent. So India was one. Now there are two: Pakistan and India. So there was one flag; now it is two. And gradually, it will increase to four. So when I pass that United Nations building, I simply see the flags are increasing. Instead of increasing the peace movement, the flags are increasing, that's all. So this sort of bluffing blind leaders cannot make happy the human society. This is the only solution: to push on Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, love of Godhead. Everyone will be happy, the human society. Viśvaṁ pūrṇaṁ sukhāyate. Whole universe will be just like Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means without anxieties. The material civilization means full of anxiety, full of anxiety. Nobody... Just like everyone, every animal, every bird, everyone is anxious.
So because it is very difficult to maintain sannyāsa in this age, therefore the sannyāsa order is completely prohibited. Real sannyāsī means... Here is the description of life. What is that? Cīrāṇi kiṁ na pathi santi. They have to pick up some torn cloth lying on the street and cover it. That's all. Then this diśanti bhikṣāṁ naivāṅghripāḥ, aṅghripāḥ, aṅghri means legs, and pa means drinking. The trees drink water through the root. That is their leg. Therefore they're..., another name is aṅghripa. And aṅghri means leg. So different species of life there is different process of eating. We are eating through mouth; the trees are eating through the legs. This is God's creation. Not that the mouth is only eating. No. There are other senses, active senses, hands and legs, tongue. These are active senses. Genital, rectum, these are active senses. So aṅghripa means tree. The sannyāsī should depend completely on God. That is sannyāsa. Not that I shall go to a rich man and beg something and take money and utilize it. No. That is not required. Completely independent. Because that kind of sannyāsa is not possible at the present age, therefore, generally, sannyāsa should not be accepted. They cannot follow the prohibit.
We are therefore creating brāhmaṇas. We are not creating śūdras. Śūdras are already there. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Anyone born is a śūdra. Śūdra means who has no knowledge, ignorant. He is called śūdra. Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). Śūdra is not intelligent. He cannot do anything nice, thoughtful. "Ehh, get some work, get some few dollars daily. Eat and sleep." That is śūdra. They cannot do anything independent.
A brāhmaṇa will not accept anyone's service. That is especially forbidden, that a brāhmaṇa. . . Brāhmaṇa, even if he is in difficulty, he should not accept anyone's service like a dog. Especially this word is used. A dog cannot live without master. A dog, if he hasn't got a good master is a street dog. He may be killed at any time. He has no protection. Therefore this very word is used. Śūdra means dog. He must have a master, otherwise he cannot live. So there are classes of men, śūdras. No, they must have a protection. Women must have protection, because they cannot do anything independently. To give them independence means to create some trouble. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is clearly said, na strī svātantryam arhati. Woman cannot be given independence. No. They must be protected. When they are child, up to twelve years, thirteen years, say, fifteen, sixteen years, not more than that, she must be protected by the father. And at the age of thirteen to sixteen years, she must be married. Find out some boy who can take charge, the second charge. And when she's old, the charge is given to the elderly sons. So woman is protected like that.
Īśa-tantryām, by the laws of material nature, one who is bound up tight, hands and legs... we are all. We cannot, I mean to say, neglect the laws of nature. If you eat little more, then you have to fast for three days. That we actually know. If you expose little to cold, then you have to pay ten dollars to the doctor fine. So they are so much bound up by the laws of nature; still, they are thinking, "I am free. I am independent. Where is God? I am God." Just see. Such foolish persons, that every moment he's being kicked on his face by the boot of material nature, and still he's saying, "I am God, I am independent."
You see? So andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Just like one blind man is speaking other blind men, "Please follow me. I shall lead you to the right path." "But you are blind yourself, and we are also blind. What will be the help?" But no, they will follow. In our country, Gandhi promised that "I shall give you independence in one year, if you follow me—non-violence, non-cooperation." People followed, but it took thirty years. But actually, that is not independence. So these politicians, especially, they mislead us. Not only politicians, the so-called yogis, so-called... So many things. Real leader is Kṛṣṇa. So if we surrender to Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), "Give up all other occupation, duties. Simply just surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. "Don't hesitate. Do it." Kṛṣṇa is personally canvassing. He's so kind. He comes personally. He speaks the whole truth in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Tejas-kāmo vibhāvasum. Vibhāvasum. There are Vasus, eight kinds of Vasus. So you can worship one of the Vasus. If you want to be very influential person, like Mr. Nixon, then you worship Vibhāvasum. Vasu-kāmo vasūn rudrān. Vasu means "wealth." If you want wealth, riches. So list is there, but Kṛṣṇa says, "This will not make you happy, My dear friend. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). You kick off all this nonsense! You just surrender unto Me." That is Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Because He's the Supreme, He's giving supreme advice. But there are other persons. To regulate them... Because... These they are called yajñas. Saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā. There is little touch of devotion, indirectly. Because if you want to worship Indra, you must worship at the same time Nārāyaṇa. That is the system. Nārāyaṇa-śilā will be there. Because the benediction you want from the particular type of demigod, he cannot give independently.
So we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and He... According to my desire, He puts me into circumstances, material circumstances; I get a particular type of body. This is the secret of different types of body and transmigration of the body. The foolish scientists, they do not know this science. They are trying to create living entity in the laboratories. It is impossible. Just like if a woman wants to create a child independently, it is impossible. There must be contact with a man who must give the seed, then a woman can produce a child. Similarly, these rascals who are trying to produce life by material combination, through the material agency, they are all rascals. They do not know even the ordinary law. By combination of matter you cannot produce any living entity. That is not possible. Living entity, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa must give the seed. Tasmin garbhaṁ dadāmy aham. The creation, the yoni... Yathā yoni, yathā bījaṁ yathā yoni. This is natural.
Prabhupāda: This is the secret, association of the pure devotee of the Lord. Without association of pure devotee of Lord, nobody can come to the stage, unflinching faith and devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I think last purport we did not read? Read it.
Pradyumna: No, we didn't read the last one. "Purport. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as the Puruṣottama, or the Supreme Personality. It is He only who can award liberation to the impersonalists by absorbing such aspirants in the brahma-jyotir, the bodily rays of the Lord. The brahma-jyotir is not separate from the Lord, as the glowing sun ray is not independent of the sun disc. Therefore one who desires to merge into the supreme impersonal brahma-jyotir must also worship the Lord by bhakti-yoga, as recommended here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Bhakti-yoga is especially stressed here as the means of all perfection. In the previous chapters it has been stated that bhakti-yoga is the ultimate goal of both karma-yoga and jñāna-yoga, and in the same way in this chapter it is emphatically declared that bhakti-yoga is the ultimate goal of the different varieties of worship of the different demigods. Bhakti-yoga, thus being the supreme means of self-realization, is recommended here. Everyone must therefore seriously take up the methods of bhakti-yoga, even though one aspires for material enjoyment or liberation from material bondage.
Akāmaḥ is one who has no material desire. A living being, naturally being the part and parcel of the supreme whole puruṣaṁ pūrṇam, has as his natural function to serve the Supreme Being, just as the parts and parcels of the body, or the limbs of the body, are naturally meant to serve the complete body. Desireless means, therefore, not to be inert like the stone, but to be conscious of one's actual position and thus desire satisfaction only from the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has explained this desirelessness as bhajanīya parama-puruṣa-sukha-mātra-sva-sukhatvam in his Sandarbha. This means that one should feel happy only by experiencing the happiness of the Supreme Lord. This intuition of the living being is sometimes manifested even during the conditioned stage of a living being in the material world, and such intuition is expressed in the manner of altruism, philanthropy, socialism, communism, etc., by the undeveloped minds of less intelligent persons.
In the mundane field such an outlook of doing good to others in the form of society, community, family, country, or humanity is a partial manifestation of the same original feelings in which a pure living entity feels happiness by the happiness of the Supreme Lord. Such superb feelings were exhibited by the damsels of Vrajabhūmi for the happiness of the Lord. The gopīs loved the Lord without any return, and this is the perfect exhibition of the akāma spirit. Kāma spirit, or the desire for one's own satisfaction, is fully exhibited in the material world, whereas the spirit of akāma is fully exhibited in the spiritual world.
Thoughts of becoming one with the Lord, or being merged in the brahma-jyotir, can also be exhibitions of kāma spirit if they are desires for one's own satisfaction to be free from the material miseries. A pure devotee does not want liberation..."
Prabhupāda: Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I don't want my liberation alone. Unless I deliver all these fools who are rotting in this material world, I do not want my personal liberation." This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are going to Himalayas or some secluded place for personal benefit. But a Vaiṣṇava, he has no desire for personal benefit. The personal benefit is already there in Vaiṣṇava because he's in touch with the Supreme Lord by his service.
Similarly, ātma-prasāda uta yatra guṇeṣv asaṅgaḥ. Asaṅgaḥ, no more connection with this material nature. But I have my connection with Kṛṣṇa. It may be little, very. I may be very minute, but that, I mean to say, connection is very valuable. I have given many times this example that a car running at a speed of 60 miles, and a cycle is running at the rate of 10 miles, but as soon as the cyclist catches the car, the cyclist also runs in the 60 miles. So similarly, instead of trying to satisfy our senses independently, if we join with Kṛṣṇa in His rāsa dance, as cowherd boys, gopīs, we join with Kṛṣṇa, then you get the same pleasure as Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't try to enjoy independently. Just like here, in this temple. Every one of us trying to enjoy life in connection with Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we are disconnected with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this kind of foodstuff or this kind of living, simple living, will not satisfy you. You'll be tossed by the waves of material nature.
This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. Tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca. We require some satisfaction and some enjoyment, because that is our nature. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Spirit soul. God is also blissful, and we part and parcel of God, we are also blissful. We want simply ānanda, pleasure. That is our nature. But that ānanda, pleasure, you cannot enjoy independently. That is not possible. You must enjoy with Kṛṣṇa. That is called rāsa-līlā. Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, they assemble together. Similarly, we are part and parcel ... Just like part and parcel of big machine. They are assembled, then it works. If the part and parcel are scattered, oh, then it has no meaning. It is simply scrap of iron, that's all. But when they are assembled together, that is meaning. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So we must assemble together. Central Kṛṣṇa. Central Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore, after education you'll have to write application, "My dear sir, I am such and such qualified dog. (laughter) If you'll kindly give me some service." And the tail is like this. (laughter) You see? Just imagine. If by education he becomes independent ... Just like Vedic culture. The brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriya, the vaiśyas, they are independent. The śūdras are compared with the dogs because they cannot live without a master. Brāhmaṇa, he will not accept anyone's service. That is real brāhmaṇa. A kṣatriya will never accept anyone's service. Why the battle of Kurukṣetra was there? The Kurus, they took away the whole kingdom of the Pāṇḍavas. But they were kṣatriyas. How they will live? Therefore the fight was necessity. The kṣatriyas must be, must have some land to collect taxes. That is the kṣatriya's source of income. The brāhmaṇa's source of income, paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana ... They must be learned scholar, they must teach others, they must be devotee and teach others how to become devotee.
They must take contribution and must spend for Kṛṣṇa. This is brāhmaṇa. No service. Formerly, no brāhmaṇa ... Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, they were born in high-class brāhmaṇa family, Sārasvata brāhmaṇa, but because they accepted the service of Nawab Hussein Shah, immediately they were rejected from brāhmaṇa society. It is by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that they again became gosvāmī. Otherwise, they were rejected. No brāhmaṇa could take service and especially service of a low-class man. That is ... In Bhāgavata you will see especially that if a brāhmaṇa is in difficulty, he may accept the profession of a kṣatriya or utmost of a vaiśya, but never take the profession of a śūdra. What is the profession of śūdra? Śūdra ... Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ śūdra-karma śvabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). One who is hankering after service, he is śūdra. He has no capacity to live independently. The brāhmaṇa, real brāhmaṇa, he will starve, he will die out of starvation.
He will never accept anyone's service. That is brāhmaṇa. Uñcha-vṛtti. If he has no income, he will go on the field ... And when the grains are taken away, some grains fall down. They will pick up all those grains and live on that. Still, they will not go to anyone that "I am hungry. Give me something." No. Uñcha-vṛtti. So our education ... And why we were so independent? Because the education was very high, Vedic education. Satisfied with Brahman realization. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Not very long ago, say about 300 years ago, there was a brāhmaṇa, a very rigid brāhmaṇa, in Kṛṣṇa-nagara, near our Māyāpur. And brāhmaṇa's business, he was teaching. So the king of that place, means a big zamindar, Rājā Kṛṣṇa-candra ... By his name, that place is Kṛṣṇa-nagara. So he heard about the brāhmaṇa, very learned brāhmaṇa, but very poor. So he one day came to him and asked him, "Brāhmaṇa, can I help you any way?" So he said, "No, I don't require any help from you."
What is health? First of all you have to understand that however healthy you may be, you must die. What problem you have solved? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9), Kṛṣṇa says. It is not my manufacture. However you may try to remain very healthy, nature's law is that you must die. How you can help yourself? After all, you have to meet death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. So long you have got this material body, there is no question of health. You must suffer. You may be very great scientist in oblivion, but the nature's law must act.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Foolish persons-ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā-bewildered by false egotism, he's thinking, "I am improving health, I am improving this, I am doing..." He's improving nothing. He is completely under the clutches of material nature. He cannot act anything independently. That is the law of nature.
So our little attempt is... We are not manufacturing anything. We are not manufacturer of religious system, neither it is possible to manufacture. Just like you cannot manufacture law. Law is given by the state. Similarly, dharma means dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the law given by God. That is dharma. You cannot manufacture. Who cares for your manufactured system? Just like nobody cares for if you make some law, that "I have made some law," and go to the court, "Sir, I have made this law. Please accept." "He's lunatic. Drive him away." That is not possible. This is dharma, as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is dharma. Don't manufacture dharma. (break) Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). What is that glāni? Discrepancy. So glāni is disobedience to the order of God. That is glāni. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. So the whole world is denying, śūnyavādi, nirviśeṣa-vādi, nirākāra-vādi: "No God. God is dead." So what kind of religious system they'll manufacture? They are simply misled. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Very tightly regulated by the laws of nature, and still, we are independently manufacturing religion. This is not possible. Give us this... Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Actually this is dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). It doesn't matter whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or any other sect. The test is how much you are advanced in understanding God. That is the... If you do not understand God, if you have no obedience to God, that is not dharma.
So this is an actual fact, that Mahārāja Pratāparudra ... He was the King of Orissa, and in the fifteenth century, India was conquered by the Muhammadans, Pathans, but they could not conquer that portion of the country, Orissa. Because Mahārāja Pratāparudra was very strong king. But his strength was on the basis of his devotion to Lord Jagannātha. So even if we want to enjoy material world ... The devotee does not want to enjoy, but Kṛṣṇa keeps his devotee in all comfortable situation. There is no question about it. So we should not desire separately for material comfort. We should simply depend on Kṛṣṇa and be satisfied; in whatever condition He keeps, be satisfied. Then He will look after whether you are comfortable or uncomfortable. If you try, yourself, independently, to become comfortable, that is māyā. You cannot become so. Otherwise, you see everyone is trying to be comfortable in this material world. Do you think that everyone is comfortable?
Pañcarātra-vidhi, this arcanā, temple worship, under the direction of Nārada. So if one gives up all these regulative principles and wants to become a devotee, a writer, then Rūpa Gosvāmī says, without the conclusive statement of the Vedas, smṛtis and pañcarātra-vidhi... Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā (Brs. 1.2.101), without following, aikāntikī harer bhaktiḥ, the show of a devotee, the aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate, it is simply disturbance. Simply disturbance. So such things are happening. Now anyone is manufacturing his own way of self realization, and there are rascals who are supporting, that "Everyone, we are independent. We can find out our own way of worship." But Rūpa Gosvāmī says, "This is simply creating disturbance." That is very natural to understand. Suppose here, in our temple, we have got some regulative principles. But if everyone says that "I can manufacture my own way of worshiping the Deity," then what will be the condition?
He was emperor of the whole world. So he's giving up that. Not that a teeny village or something. No. And that empire also, without any disturbance. He was so powerful that nobody could go against him. Rājye ca avikale. Avikale. Vikala means "broken" or "disturbed." But his kingdom was never broken or disturbed. Now the whole world is broken and disturbed, at the present moment. They have got so many countries, independent countries. That means the world is broken into pieces. Formerly there was no such piecework. One world, one king. One God, Kṛṣṇa. One scripture, Vedas. One civilization, varṇāśrama-dharma. Not very far away. They are giving history of... They are studying the earth layer, but while they were studying earth layer from millions years, and millions of years there was perfect civilization. Perfect civilization, God conscious. Happy civilization. Now they are broken, disturbed. It was not the case formerly.
The original desire is Kṛṣṇa's. What we are doing also, that is also... The original cause is Kṛṣṇa. We cannot do anything independently. If I go to heaven or go to hell, that is also sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa. Without Kṛṣṇa's desire I cannot do anything. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
- mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
- vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
- vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham
- (BG 15.15)
So this theory, that the world is going automatically or we have come into this material world without any reason, without any cause... Kim anyat kāma-haitukam. They say, the rascals say, that our coming to this material world is to the lusty desires of the father and mother. Therefore the child has no meaning. It is a by-product of the lusty desire. So if I don't want it, kill it. Destroy it. This is going on. But that is not the fact. The child has come into the womb of the mother, a particular type of mother—not the sa..., every mother is producing the same type of child. No. Why? There is cause. There is cause, hetunā. Without cause there cannot be anything. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1), the cause is his activities. According to the activities, he is producing the next body automatically. That is automatically. But there is cause, his activity.
Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). This māyā is very much manifest in sex life. They accept the sex life is very nice, but after that, there is so many distresses. Legal or illegal, it doesn't matter. Legal distresses or illegal distresses, but it is distress. Every one of us, we know. Therefore everything—to make the best use of a bad bargain. We have got this material body. The cause was there. The cause was there that because we wanted to enjoy and did not like to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is the cause. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. We are serving Kṛṣṇa. That is our, I mean to say, place, constitutional position, to serve Kṛṣṇa, but sometimes we desire: "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? Why shall I serve the spiritual master? I shall enjoy. I shall enjoy." But that enjoyment was there by serving Kṛṣṇa, but he wanted to become enjoyer independent of Kṛṣṇa. That is the cause of falldown. With Kṛṣṇa, you can enjoy very nicely. You have seen the picture, how with Kṛṣṇa the gopīs are nicely dancing, enjoying; the cowherd boys are playing. Enjoy with Kṛṣṇa, that is your real enjoyment. But without Kṛṣṇa, when you want to enjoy, that is māyā. That is māyā.
Karandhara: "Now the next question will automatically be made as to why the Lord influences the living entity to such consciousness and forgetfulness. The answer is that the Lord clearly wishes that every living entity be engaged in his pure consciousness as the part and parcel of the Lord, and thus be engaged in loving service of the Lord as he is constitutionally made. But because the living entity is partially independent also, he may not be willing to serve the Lord, but may try to become independent as the Lord is. The whole nondevotee class of living entities are all desirous of becoming equally as powerful as the Lord, although they are not fit to become so. The living entities are..."
Prabhupāda: They will never be God, but we see so many persons. By the influence of the illusory energy they think, "I am God. I am God. I shall become God by pressing my nose like this, doing this." So this is going on. They will never be able. That is not possible. Otherwise, there is no meaning of God. If everyone can become God, then there is no meaning of God. But by influence of... Just like karmīs are saying "I shall become millionaire. I shall become trillionaire. I shall become head of the state. I shall become prime minister." This struggle, this is another struggle: "I shall become God." This is another struggle. But it is illusion. It is illusion. So Kṛṣṇa gives them opportunity, some yogic success. Just like in India there is a rascal. He makes like that, and there is immediately some gold. And people become after him: "Oh, he is God. He is God." By producing a little gold, he becomes God.
Because that doll, wherever you lick up, is sweet, and this doll made of clay, you cannot lick. So that is the only explanation. This... Kṛṣṇa says that bhūmir āpo... Apareyam. Aparā. "These are My inferior energies." Itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā: "Beyond this, there is another prakṛti, another nature. That is parā, superior." The superior? How I can understand this inferior and superior? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5), that "Superior energies are jīva, living entity." Just like here the matter is there, and the living entity is there, but the living entity is controlling the matter, controlling the matter, not the matter is independent. The matter independently cannot become this here tape recorder. When the superior energy, living entity, collects them, applies his intelligence and converts into a tape recorder, it works. It is nothing but a lump of matter, only tin and some metal and some paper and something like that. So this superior energy, when it acts on it, then it can work. Therefore, similarly, here this whole material world is made of the inferior energy. Both the energies are of Kṛṣṇa. They are emanating from Kṛṣṇa. But one is inferior energy; the other is superior energy. That's all. This is the difference between material world and the spiritual world.
But Kṛṣṇa or His incarnation, when He comes, it does not depend on His karma, because He is above karma. He is fully independent. Therefore it is said, ātma-māyayā: "by His own energy," not by any external energy, forced by. Just like if the governor goes to the prison house, it is not that he has been forced to come to the prison, he is a condemned person, no. He goes there out of his good will to see how things are going on. But when an ordinary person is put into jail, he has been forced. He has been proved a criminal. So if the criminal thinks that "Here is governor. Now we are one, the governor and myself, one..." The pocket, pickpocket, criminal, if he thinks like that, that... Similarly, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Therefore rascals and fools, they think Kṛṣṇa is one of them, the same thing, as the criminal thinks the governor, as... Mahatma Gandhi went to jail, and if a pickpocket thinks that "Now Mahatma Gandhi and myself are the same..." No. Therefore it is said, ātma-māyayā. Mahatma Gandhi went to jail just to show the people: "Now, if you want to drive away the Britishers, so disobey their law, and they will put us into jail, and that jail will be effective." Jail svarājyake mandira hai. Mahatma Gandhi said. That was a policy, not that Mahatma Gandhi had to go to jail; he was a fit (?) for that person. Similarly, this is an example.
We are controlled by the material nature, but Kṛṣṇa is not controlled, but He's controller. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). One who understands this, that this prakṛti, this material nature, is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, that is our real knowledge. How the things are going on? That is not possible to understand. But the summary, sum total, if we simply understand... Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything is emanated from the Supreme Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa. That much knowledge is sufficient. Then you can increase—how they are working. How, by Kṛṣṇa's energies, the material energy is working by the direction of Kṛṣṇa, that is advanced knowledge. But on the whole, if we... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). That is perfect knowledge. If we think that this matter is working independently, as modern scientists, they think that chemical evolution... No. No chemical evolution. Life does not produce by chemical evolution. Life is from life. That... Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, that ahaṁ sarvatra, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). The answer is given there. The Vedānta-sūtra, the question is "What is Brahman?" And the answer is there... athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Indirectly given. The Brahman, Para-brahman, is that from whom everything emanates.
So this Kardama Muni did it. Because he was a yogi, he strictly followed the principle. So as soon as Kapiladeva was grown up, the mother, Devahūti, was given in His charge and Kardama Muni left home. Therefore it is said that pitari prasthite araṇyaṁ mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. Now it is the duty of the son. Women should be under the protection. In the Manu-saṁhitā it is said that woman should not be given freedom. Na strī svātantryam arhati. They cannot properly utilize freedom. It is better to remain dependent. That is very good. Independent woman cannot be happy. That's a fact. We have seen in the Western countries, on, in the name of independence, so many women are unhappy. So that is not recommended in the Vedic civilization and on the varṇāśrama-dharma. So therefore the mother, Devahūti, was given under the charge of his (her) grown-up son, Kapiladeva. And Kapiladeva was fully cognizant that He has to take care of His mother. Therefore mātuḥ priya-cikīrṣayā. It is the duty of the father to protect the girl very nicely. Women are very delicate. They should be given... So during childhood, until she attains, I mean to say, youthhood, puberty, the girl is under the protection of the father. Still, in India, the father takes care of the girl until she is married to a suitable boy, the father takes.
That is coming gradually. The more people are becoming godless, the more there will be scarcity of food. Because nature is the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mama māyā. The nature is the maidservant. Nature is mother, Goddess Durgā, material nature. But she is not independent. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā, Mother Durgā is so powerful that she can make, create... Sṛṣṭi-sthiti. She can maintain. Maintenance also in her power. So because she is the maidservant of Kṛṣṇa... Chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā. Durgā bibharti, maintains. But it works like chāya. Icchānurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. She is not independent. She works under the direction of Govinda. And Govinda says also in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My order." So prakṛti will be unkind. As we have seen, the Mother Durgā is chastising the asura on the chest; the trident, triśūla, is piercing. Why? Because he's asura. Asura means nondevotee. The asura. Sura and asura. There are two kinds of men: daiva āsura eva ca. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin daiva āsura eva ca (BG 16.6). There are two kinds of men in the world. One is called daiva, devatā, demigods, and the other is called āsura. You have heard about the devatā and asura, there is always fight. Daivāsura. So who is asura, who is deva? Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daivaḥ. Those who are devotees of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, they are devatā. Āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. And those who are not devotee of Viṣṇu, but other demigods, even if he's devotee of Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva, he's to be considered as asura.
So then you will understand ya bhagavān. Ya bhagavān puṁsām īśvaraḥ. Bhagavān means Īśvara, controller. You are not independent. Everyone is dependent. Somebody is dependent of somebody, somebody... But you are dependent. Nobody can say, "I am independent." Even President Nixon, he's not independent. He was dragged down from the post. So you cannot say that "I am independent." That is a foolish proposal. You must always think that you are dependent. That is said, stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha-māninaḥ, and there is said, te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Īśa-tan... We are bound up by the laws of nature, hands and legs, tightly, and you still think that you are independent? You don't care for God? This is the mūḍha. The mūḍha says like that. No intelligent man will say like that. So why it is so happened? The Devahūti says that tamasā andhasya, lokasya tamasā andhasya. Generally, all these people in this material world, lokasya, they are blind by the darkness of ignorance. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Therefore Kapiladeva comes. When they become dark, when they become blind out of ignorance—"There is no God," "I cannot see God"—then God comes, "Here I am. See. See My feature. I am a person. I am a flute-player. I am... I enjoy in Vṛndāvana. Why don't you see Me?" That is called yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7).
Ah! Viṣame bhavāmbudhau. That is our position. Actually we are servant of God, servant of Kṛṣṇa. We are servant in every... Even though we declare independence, we are not independent. We are servant. That is a false declaration, that "We are independent." No. There cannot be independence. Therefore this is self-realization. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,
- ayi nanda-tanuja kiṅkaraṁ
- patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
- kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
- sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya
(Cc. Antya 20.32, Śikṣāṣṭaka 5)
"My dear Lord, Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Mahārāja..." Patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ mām: "I am Your eternal servant, kiṅkara." Kiṅkara means servant. "Now, somehow or other, I am fallen in this ocean of nescience, saṁsāra." Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. Unless one has got the knowledge what is this position, where we are staying, we cannot understand. That is called moha.
Mother Durgā is the external energy, or potency, of Kṛṣṇa, and she is so powerful that sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana, she can create, she can maintain, and she can annihilate, or bring devastation. She is so powerful. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā (Bs. 5.44). And mother Durgā is so powerful alone. Chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā: "But she is acting not independently, but like the shadow," chāyeva. Chāyeva yasya bibharti bhuvanāni: by the indication of Kṛṣṇa. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā also: mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10).
So don't think that this material energy is working independently. She is working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. So a devotee knows this. Just like a policeman is working. A sane man knows that he is working not independently, but under the government order. This knowledge required, not that that because policeman has got some power, he becomes God. No. God is not so cheap. You can accept... Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). God has got multi-energies. One of the energies is Durgā, not that she is all in all, no. There are many millions of Durgās, many millions of Śivas, because there are many millions of universes. Just like many millions of police force, similarly, these demigods, there are many, many millions. But God is one. God is not million. Of course, He can expand in million forms; that is different thing. Svāṁśa, vibhinnāṁśa.
So we are trying to enjoy. Enjoyment is our business. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Ānanda, Kṛṣṇa is ānandamaya, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are also ānandamaya. But we are seeking ānanda in different atmosphere. Just like any man can become very honest citizen, do business honestly, earn money and live very honorably. But no, somebody has learned how to steal. The government does not say that you becomes thief and go to the prison house. The government does not say. But you have selected to become a thief. That is it because we have got little independence, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent; therefore we have got the quality of independence. But because we are very small, minute particle we have got minute particle of independence. Minute... Just like you take a drop of water from the sea. That is also salt, but very minute particle. The salt is there because it is part and parcel of the big sea. It must be salty.
Kṛṣṇa says that He is the father. He has created for enjoyment, not for distressing the children and Himself. But we children of Kṛṣṇa, we have given up the supreme father. We wanted to enjoy independently; therefore we are suffering. Just like if a big man's, very rich man's son, he gives up his home and he want to live and enjoy life independently, it is not possible. Therefore our duty is to go back to home, back to Godhead, again return to our original father, Kṛṣṇa. That will give us happiness. Kṛṣṇa is full of opulences, and He has got enough money, enough strength, enough beauty, everything enough, unlimitedly. So if we go to our original father, back to home, back to Godhead, then we can also enjoy with Him unlimitedly. That is the philosophy, not that... You cannot enjoy... Father has given you birth. You are separate entity from the father. And if you are suffering, if you say father, "My dear father, I am very much suffering. You make me again one with you," is it very good proposal? Father says, "I have begotten you separately to enjoy. You remain separate, I remain separate, and we enjoy. And you are now asking to become one with me? What is this nonsense?"
So mad-bhayād vāti vāto 'yam. These are the very strong sources of fearfulness. If there is cyclone, it is very fearful. It is going on very nicely, but if it is a big cyclone, then it is fearful. So there is necessity of cyclone also. There is necessity of scorching heat. There is necessity of rainfall. So there are different directors and officers, and they are all servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa āra saba bhṛtya (CC Adi 5.142). The only master, supreme master, is Kṛṣṇa, and all others, they are bhṛtya, servant. The demigods, the demigods, they are all servants of Kṛṣṇa. Demigods there are: Sūrya, Candra, Vāyu, Varuṇa, and Bṛhaspati, so many, thirty-three crores of demigods. They have got different planets. But all of them are servants of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). The modern so-called scientists, they say, "There is no demigod. There is no God. This is all natural function." That's all right. Nature is working. But nature is matter. Matter cannot work without the direction of the living being. You cannot say matter works independently. That is not possible.
Just like here it is said... Now we have got experience in the beach. There is always big, big waves. That water is also dull matter, and the air pushing the dull matter, water, and there is big, big waves, and it is dashing on the earth. These things are going on. So they say it is nature's work. But nature is not independent. We get this information from authoritative śāstra. Here Kapiladeva says that... There is high wind. That is due to the command, mad-bhayāt vāti vātaḥ. High wind is there. Sometimes there is breezy, very nice, sometimes very high wind. So there is direction. You cannot say that it is automatically happening, no. There is direction. Kṛṣṇa says that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My superintendence, prakṛti, nature..." The scientists, they say nature is working wonderfully, but after all, nature is not under your control. That you have to accept. You may defy Kṛṣṇa, or God, but you cannot defy the natural, nature's activities. You are subordinate. But because we do not know the background of nature, therefore we think that "Nature is working. There is no God."
But that is not fact. Nature is working under the direction. This is theism. One who knows. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that these natural, I mean to say, ingredients, prakṛti, jaḍa-prakṛti, or material nature, five elements, kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, marut, vyoma, this marut, vāyu, and tejas, this sunshine, kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, and water, the seas and oceans, the land, vast land, kṣitiḥ, āpam, tejas, marut, vyoma, then sky—they are different manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's external energy. They are not independent. There are many śāstras. Therefore one has to consult the śāstras. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is also said, "The material nature is very powerful." Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā: (Bs. 5.44) "The material nature is so powerful that it can create, sṛṣṭi, sthiti, it can maintain, and it can destroy also." Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana: "It is so powerful, it can do that."
But how the material nature is working? Chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). The material nature is working just like shadow. Shadow. If you have got this real hand and there is shadow, if you move your hand, the shadow of the hand also moves. Similarly, this material nature is working in touch with the spirit soul. Just like big pilot is flying in the sky—we have got experience—but it is not independently flying. There is the pilot. He is pushing the button, and it is flying. A big car, big machine, big factory—without touch of spiritual touch, there is no question of moving. We have got this practical experience. Where is the evidence that, without the touch of spirit soul, that machine is moving? Is there any evidence? Then how you can say that without God, the whole universe is moving? There is no evidence. We have no such experience. Then how you can say that without the direction of God, the material nature can move? There is no such experience. And from the evidences of śāstra... Here it is said, "The wind is blowing, the water is moving, the sun is giving scorching heat, everything, all under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Not only that, direction, but it is said, bhayāt . Bhayāt . Bhayāt means if the respective directors or agent of different material elements, if they do not work properly, then he is punished as the master punishes the servant. Mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10).
In another place, in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā is the material energy, and she has got immense power. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktiḥ. She is controlling this creation or this whole universe, sṛṣṭi, and sthiti, its maintenance, and pralaya. Three things she is controlling. She is so powerful. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). The durgā-śakti, material energy, she is so powerful, but it is working chāyeva, just like shadow. Shadow has no independent capacity; it is dependent on the substance. Substance and shadow. So Kṛṣṇa is the substance, and the power derived from Kṛṣṇa, partially exhibited by the durgā-śakti. In the Upaniṣad also it is said, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of God, He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaḥ. Nobody is equal to Him. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcit: (BG 7.7) "There is nothing superior than Me, the Supreme." In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is said, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). That is the Supreme Truth.
So this is foolishness. Tvayā abhihita. This is called spell of māyā. So under the spell of māyā, para, para abhidhyānena kartṛtvam, he becomes independent and talks all nonsense.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Actually, he is being pulled by the material nature. Just like dog, chained, he has to do according to the master desire, similarly, we are also chained by the prakṛti, material nature, and we are being forced to act according to the dictation of the material nature. But ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Because he is bewildered, he is thinking... You will find in the beach so many dogs. They are very proudly jumping and thinking that "I have got full independence," but actually he is dependent.
So this is going on, foolishness, so many foolish persons, full of... And they are controlling this material world. Therefore it is very precarious condition. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Īśa-tantryām. Just like if your hands and legs are tied very fast with some rope, and if you say, "I am independent," what is the meaning of it? If your hands and legs are tied up by a strong rope and still you think that you are independent, has it got any meaning? Similarly, we are tied up by the stringent rules and regulation of the material nature so fast, and still if we think that we are independent, is that very sanity conjecture? No. Even in your eating process, you are so much tied up by the rules and regulation that if you eat little more than you can digest, then there will be some disease immediately. Immediately there will be indigestion, diarrhea. You will have to suffer. If you enjoy when you are youthful too much sex life, then after a few days you will be impotent, no more sex life. In this way we are simply tied up by the rules and regulation of the material nature, and still, we are defying the authority and thinking, "I am independent." This is called rascaldom, mūḍha. They have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā as mūḍha, all rascals. You cannot control the laws of material nature and you are thinking you are independent? And the laws of material nature means material nature is the agent.
Dictated by the material nature, we are acting in some way and thereby creating another resultant action, means another body. In this way it is going on. That is called saṁsṛtiḥ. Tad asya saṁsṛtir bandhaḥ pāra-tantryam. Svātantrya, and just the opposite word is pāra-tantrya, under the direction of somebody else, pāra-tantrya. Just like dog and the master. The dog is pāra-tantrya, dependent on the master. Similarly, we are now dogs of material nature, pāra-tantrya. We cannot go beyond the rules and regulation, condition, of material nature. That is called pāra-tantrya, not svātantrya. Just like they are trying to go to the moon planet, but because they are under condition of material nature, not that they can go very easily. It is not possible. They are coming back again and again trying to go there. This is also material world. Even in this material world we are so much dependent on the rules and regulation of the nature. And what to speak of going to the spiritual world? Pāra-tantrya is there. We admit or not admit. We are not svātantrya, or independent. We are dependent. Bhavaty akartur īśasya sākṣiṇo nirvṛtātmanaḥ.
So we are conditioned soul, but the Supersoul... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not admit the existence of Supersoul. They think there is one soul. We are... They speak of our conditioned life as līlā. This is not very good philosophy. One has got the body of a hog, and he is eating stool, and the Māyāvādī philosopher says that it is līlā. God is eating stool; it is līlā. Just see the philosophy! Because we say kṛṣṇa-līlā... Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is dancing with the gopīs or playing with the cowherds boy or becoming the child of Mother Yaśodā. We say it is līlā. The Māyāvādī philosopher says... Because they do not two, make two. Their philosophy is one. So the pig or the hog eating the stool, they say it is also līlā. Kṛṣṇa is dancing with the gopīs, that is also līlā, and because they do not make two, therefore... We cannot say, of course. They say that God is also, has become pig and they, eating stool, that is also līlā. This is the grossest offense on the feet of the Lord, to bring Him to the status of ordinary living being who is not independent. Dependent, it is clearly said. Therefore they manufacture these words, "daridra-nārāyaṇa," "this Nārāyaṇa," "that Nārāyaṇa," because they do not make any difference between Nārāyaṇa and the ordinary living entity. This is their philosophy.
So our this pāra-tantrya, dependence on material nature, is pāra-tantryaṁ ca tat-kṛtam. Tat-kṛtam. And we wanted this separation. Therefore it is our conditioned life here. That is our selection. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. When we wanted to enjoy life independently, so-called ind..., because we cannot be independent... We have to become dependent. Either this material nature or the spiritual nature, it is not possible. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). You have to take āśraya, shelter, of either of the prakṛtis, parā-prakṛti or aparā-prakṛti. Aparā-prakṛti is this material nature, and parā-prakṛti is the spiritual nature. So therefore jīva-śakti is called taṭastha. Taṭastha. Antaraṅga, bahiraṅga, taṭastha. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport), the Absolute Truth has got multi-potencies. They have been summarized into three. First is parā-prakṛti, spiritual nature, and then the material nature, and another nature, prakṛti—we are also prakṛti—between the two, taṭastha. Just like the beach is between the land and water. Beach is sometimes covered with water, and sometimes it is uncovered; the water is far away. When it is not covered, we call it beach, and it is covered, we call it sea. So similarly, our position is like that, living entities. Although by nature we are parā-prakṛti, spirit, spirit, but because we have got the tendency to enjoy material nature, therefore we come to this material nature.
Anyway, the living entities, they are described as prakṛti in the Bhagavad-gītā, strī, not puruṣa. But here it is said, puruṣam, puruṣam, because in the material world we have given up the idea that constitutionally we are prakṛti, subordinate. We want to declare independence, not under the protection of Kṛṣṇa, or God. This is our position in this material world. Therefore the mentality is not to become prakṛti but to become puruṣa, the mentality. In the material world constitutionally the living entity is prakṛti. It is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho (BG 7.5). The jīva-bhūta, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), prakṛti. But artificially, we are trying to become puruṣa. Ultimately, the same spirit is going on. As puruṣa is the enjoyer, we try to become independent enjoyer of this material world and baffled one after another, one after another, one after another, baffled, and at last, finally baffled still, he wants to become the supreme puruṣa, "I am God." This is māyā. Those who are claiming to become "I am God," they're still in māyā. Because he is prakṛti by nature, but he is still trying in the, first in the karma field as karmī, working day and night hard. But the purpose is that "I shall become the enjoyer. I shall become the Supreme."
So on account of this puruṣa mentality the jīva is described here as puruṣa, puruṣam. And this puruṣa's position is prakṛteḥ param. Puruṣaṁ prakṛteḥ param. We do not belong to this material world. Prakṛteḥ param, transcendental. Because we are spirit soul, we belong to the spiritual world. Prakṛteḥ... This prakṛti is material. This prakṛti is material, but we are falsely identifying ourself as something made of this matter. The whole scientific world is going on under this misconception of life, that we belong to this material world. This is called illusion. Anyway, there are three things: kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtva kāraṇaṁ prakṛtiṁ viduḥ. We are doing something according to our position, kārya, kāraṇa, and kartā, so according to circumstances, according to different causes, and we are placed to execute different types of business, and we are obliged to do that. As soon as kāraṇam, kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve kāraṇaṁ puruṣa... kāraṇaṁ prakṛtim. Kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve kāraṇaṁ prakṛtim. Prakṛti. We accept this prakṛti because as soon as we develop this mentality, that "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? Why shall I serve God? I shall become independent," so immediately we are placed in this material world.
Puruṣa, we living entities, because we have developed this consciousness somehow or other, that we don't want to serve Kṛṣṇa, but we want to become Kṛṣṇa, this prātikūlya, this icchā, and not to serve Kṛṣṇa, this dveṣa, two things combined... Icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa. They cannot... Just like I will give you very small example: just like the criminals. The criminals, they have got two things: icchā, dveṣa. Dveṣa: "Why shall I abide by the government law? I can do anything, what I like." This is dveṣa. And icchā means, "I shall work independently, without the law." So just like this icchā-dveṣa, the result is they are put into the jail. On account of these two things—icchā, that "I shall live independently without the control of the government. Whatever I like, I shall do," this icchā, and dveṣa, "I don't like to carry out the orders of law," dveṣa—this is very nice example—the result is that he will be arrested, and he will be put into the jail.
So it is exactly like that. We are in this material world on account of this icchā and dveṣa. We wanted to satisfy the senses, material senses, independently. And we wanted to disobey the orders of the Supreme Lord. These are the two causes for which we are put into this material world. So we have to rectify this mentality, that "I am independent. I am God. I can do whatever we like." This mentality has to be rectified. For that rectification we are in this material world, and we are undergoing different types of miserable condition of life to become rectified so that we may come to the senses, that "I want to be happy. I want to enjoy life. Why I am put into this unfavorable circumstances? The most unfavorable circumstance is that I do not want to die. Still, I have to die." This is common sense. So in order to... On account of this puruṣa mentality... Just like I have already explained the strī can enjoy happy life along with the husband, not independently, similarly, we, being prakṛti, our business is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Then we will be happy. Otherwise we will not be happy. It is not possible.
And the whole material world, whole Vedic śāstra, whole Vedic culture is meant for rectifying this mentality, that "I am not independent. I am dependent on Kṛṣṇa. So I have forgotten Kṛṣṇa somehow or other, and I have taken this mentality of puruṣa, enjoying this material world. I have to rectify this." So if I rectify that, then I become free from the clutches of māyā. Otherwise, since I have put myself under the clutches of this material energy, she is giving me different types of body, different types of situation, to fulfill my desire. But because she has given a different type of body, a different type situation, she is not responsible; I am responsible. Therefore I will have to suffer or enjoy of the sequence or the resultant action made by the material nature.
Everyone is under the control of māyā. Nobody is free. But there are two māyā, yoga-māyā and mahā-māyā. Mahā-māyā, this material world, and yoga-m āyā the spiritual world. If you agree to be under the yoga-māyā, then you are happy. Just like there are two kinds of laws: civil laws and criminal laws. You have to remain under one of these laws. But if you live under criminal law, then you go to the jail, and if you live under civil law, then you are free. But in either condition, you cannot say that "I am free of law." That is foolishness. That is foolishness. The atheist class of men, they say that "We do not believe in God." But that is craziness. You may believe God or may not believe, but you are under the stringent laws of God. That you cannot say, that "I am free." No. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may be very big scientist, very big man, very big prime minister and whatever you may be. You are under the control of these criminal laws: janma, birth; mṛtyu, death; old age, and disease. Then how you are independent? Where is your independence? How we can say that "You are free. You don't require to obey the laws, or dharma"?
There is a common saying that "Not a blade of grass can move without the sanction of God." Actually, that is the fact. Everyone has got different propensities, and he cannot do it without the sanction of God. This is God's business. Just see. Ananta-koṭi, innumerable jīva, and He has to give sanction and see his business and witness, also give the result. He is witness, and He has to give the result also. Because he is doing independently, he must enjoy or suffer the activities. That is going on. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. He has to give different types of body. Suppose I want to eat everything—never mind how much nonsense and nuisance it is. There are so many men, they eat everything. So he has to be offered the body of a pig, no discrimination, even stool accepted. So who is giving this body? Daiva-netreṇa, by superior observation. Kṛṣṇa is seeing that "This living entity wants a body so that he can eat anything up to stool." So He has to judge; He has to give. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1).
So Vedic culture or the representative of Vedic culture, Mahārāja King Ṛṣabhadeva, He advised His sons, "My dear sons, this human life, human form of life, is not meant for working hard like the animals. This is not." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Kaṣṭān kāmān. Kāmān means we require some necessities of life, but civilization should not be made in such a way that one has to live at the cost of sacrificing everything. This is not human civilization. Kaṣṭān kāmān. Everyone wants something. That is required. So long the body is there, we must have to eat, we must have to sleep, we require sense gratification and protection or security. This is required. But the Vedic civilization was very simplified, simplified. A class of ideal men, the brāhmaṇa, they are ideal. They are simply assimilating the Vedic knowledge and guiding others—kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra—how to live peacefully. The kṣatriya, they are meant for giving protection to the people, security. And the vaiśya is meant for producing food. And śūdra, because they cannot do anything independently, they must serve these three masters: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. So this is very scientific.
So at the present moment there is practically no brain, simply hands and legs and belly. Not even hands, simply belly and legs. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Rajas, rajas means belly, filling up. And tamas, ignorance, ordered. The leg is ordered, "Go there"; it goes. They cannot do anything independently. So rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, at the present moment the rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, is very prominent. But therefore society is imperfect. There must be a section of people, sattva-guṇa, and..., sattva-guṇa especially, to guide. Otherwise they will be simply engaged-rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ means kāma and lobha. Lusty desires and greediness, that's all.
- tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ
- kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye
- ceta etair anāviddhaṁ
- sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati
- (SB 1.2.19)
If you go on simply with rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ... Therefore the competition is going on always-greediness. There is no end of ambition. "More money, more money, more money." Nobody is satisfied.
So from within and from without, Kṛṣṇa is ready to help us provided we become little anxious. Śraddhā. To create this śraddhā, little faith, we are trying to open these branches all over the world, and people who are taking advantage of this..., little inclination will help. But there must be inclination. We are not dull stone that we have no power. We have got little power. That little independence is there because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent, and we, being minute part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got also little independence. You don't forget this. And misuse of this independence is the cause of our material existence, misuse. So still, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He comes. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya (BG 4.8). If we simply become little inclined, svalpam apy asya dharmasya, little inclined, then Kṛṣṇa will help us. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). If somebody is little inclined and out of sentiment or understanding he gives up everything, sva-dharmam, that is the primary requisition.
So originally it is svacchatvam avikāritvaṁ śāntatvam iti cetasaḥ. The consciousness is pure. The same example, as we have explained yesterday, that the water is coming from the sky. Before touching the ground it is pure, crystal, distilled water. So before touching this material energy... Icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). Before our material body creation, in spiritual consciousness, it is clear, crystal clear. But when it is agitated by the material desires... In Bengali there is that poetry, kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. What is that? That desire is that "I can independently enjoy." The example... There are many such examples. Just like a man is honest, but if he becomes polluted by the desire that "If I can get that money by fair or unfair means, I will become rich, so let me take this money," so immediately mind becomes agitated, and it becomes under the spell of criminality. Then gradually, under superior judgment, I am put into the prison house.
So similarly, originally we are all pure, Kṛṣṇa conscious, but as we have got little independence... Because we are part and parcel of God, therefore—God has got full independence—so we have got independence according to the quantity. Just like a small drop of ocean water has got a little quantity of salt also, similarly, we are aṇu, and God is vibhu; He is Prabhu, and we are servant; He is master, we are servant. The master has got independence, and the servant has also independence, not that because one is servant, he has no independence. He has got independence. If he likes, he can give up the service of the master and live independently. This is crude example. Similarly, our material contamination means that, when we desire to live without Kṛṣṇa consciousness: "Why we shall be subservient to Kṛṣṇa? We shall live independently..." That is going on.
Material life means everyone is trying to become victorious in the struggle of existence without God consciousness. That is our material disease. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. We may revolt. That independence we have got, little independence, and we can misuse it, that "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? Let me serve myself." "Let me serve myself" means "Let me serve my different propensities, kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya," like that. My independence means "I will not serve God; I will serve my lusty desires." You cannot become independent. This is a concoction only, that "I will not serve Kṛṣṇa." But you have to serve. What is that? "Then I serve my lusty desires." Indriya-tṛpti, indriya-tṛpti. Yad indriya-prītaye. Simply to satisfy... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means there is no such thing as indriya-tṛpti, or sense gratification. Everything for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Hṛṣīka means the indriya, or the senses. That is stated here also, manasaś cendriyāṇāṁ ca bhūtānāṁ mahatām api, that different types of indriya for sense gratification, we develop. This is the creation, every one of us developing, and it is become complicated with so many other desires. Each life is full of desires.
The same example as I have already spoken several times, that a gentleman takes his dog chained, and the dog passes urine, and the gentleman also stands. He passes. He wants to go there, this and there, gives the facility—but under the control of the chain. Similarly, we, after forgetting our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, when we want to enjoy independently, the chance is given. This chance is given. That is material world. We get a material body, and we are given chance to enjoy as we like. But that is not very fruitful for our satisfaction. After all, we are part and parcel of sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Sat, cit, ānanda. Sat means eternal, cit means knowledge, and ānanda means bliss. So we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, we have got also the same type or same quality of constitutional position. But because we wanted independently, therefore we are in a position or in a circumstance which is neither sat nor cit nor ānanda. Asat acit nirānanda.
Nitāi: "Every form that we appreciate has its particular dimensions and characteristics. The quality of a particular object is appreciated by its utility. But the form of sound is independent. Forms which are invisible can be understood only by touch; that is the independent appreciation of invisible form."
Prabhupāda: Just like the air. We cannot see, but we can touch. The air passes. It touches our body. We can understand, "Now the air is passing." Then?
Nitāi: "Visible forms are understood by analytical study of their constitution. The constitution of a certain object is appreciated by its internal action. For example, the form of salt is appreciated by the interaction of salty tastes, and the form of sugar is appreciated by the interaction of sweet tastes. Tastes and the qualitative constitution are the basic principles in understanding the form of an object."
Prabhupāda: So actually, everything has got form, and there is—why not?—the form of God also. He has got virāḍ-rūpa, and He has got small, also, rūpa. We have got experience of the virāḍ-rūpa in the Bhagavad-gītā. But that is not permanent rūpa. Permanent rūpa of Kṛṣṇa: Dvi-bhuja-muralīdhara. He has got two hands and playing on flute. That is permanent rūpa. Virāḍ-rūpa, as it was shown to Arjuna, it is called naimittika, "under certain conditions." That is not eternal rūpa. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta... Anādi, eternal.
So He has given us little independence because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent. He does not depend on anyone. But although we have got independence to a certain extent, but under the control of māyā. In the spiritual life there is also māyā. That is called yoga-māyā. And in the material life there is also māyā. That is called mahā-māyā, Durgā. So we, being very little... Just like small children. He is given either to the mother for taking care or to the nurse for taking care. The little child must be taken care of, either by the mother or an appointed nurse, maidservant. Similarly, we being very tiny, small, fragmental, atomic part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, although we have got all the ingredients of Kṛṣṇa, still, we require protection. Just like the child and the father. The child possesses all the chemical composition of the father's body. Even if the father is diseased, the child inherits the disease also. This is a fact. Similarly, we have got all the ingredients or qualities of God in us. But in many..., in very, very small fragmental portions. Therefore, although we have got Kṛṣṇa's qualities, still, we sometimes fall down. Because is very, very minute, fragmental, there is chance of being covered by something else.
Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Just like you have been in the beach. The dog is bound up by the chain, or the master says, "You come here." He has to come here. "You go there," like that. So we are enchained by these laws of material nature—daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14)—but we are claiming independent. There is no independence. There cannot be independence. You are the servant. We are all the servant of māyā, prakṛti, because we have given up the service of the Lord. Our constitutional position is to remain a servant. But if we defy God, Kṛṣṇa, and we want to become independent, that means we become servant of prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). We associate with different modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And under different association or being controlled by different modes of material nature, we are getting different varieties of body. Why one has got very good body, very brāhmaṇa body or rich man's body, and why one has got dog's body, cat's body, tree's body? Why? There is some arrangement. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. This is the injunction, that you are working under the impulse of certain modes of material nature. That is being observed by the Supersoul, anumantā upadraṣṭā. He is seeing all your activities.
So this is the simplest method how to make life sublime and superb, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And here it is said that apīcya-darśanaṁ śaśvat sarva-loka-namaskṛtam. Sarva-loka-namaskṛtam. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is worshipable by the devotees. He is worshipable by the nondevotees also. But how the nondevotees are worship How Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by the nondevotees? They do not want to worship Kṛṣṇa. How he makes...? He doesn't want. That's all right. But nature will oblige him to worship. How he can escape the laws of nature? Kṛṣṇa will come before you as death, and you have to worship Him. Kṛṣṇa says, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). If you do not take advantage of worshiping Kṛṣṇa within your lifetime, Kṛṣṇa will come, just like Nṛsiṁha-deva came to Hiraṇyakaśipu: "You rascal, now do you think that you are independent? Do you think?" Immediately finished, within a second.
How it is? The practical example I have given several times that in this body there are different parts of the body. The different parts of the body cannot enjoy senses or satisfy independently. The different parts of the body will depend on the whole body. You can catch up an nice cake, foodstuff, but the fingers, the parts of the body, cannot enjoy it. But if the fingers catch it and puts into the mouth, it goes to the stomach. Then there is some secretion from the stomach, and it goes to the heart, it turns into blood, it is transfused in different parts of the body, and immediately your finger becomes red. This is the process. Tapo divyaṁ yena (SB 5.5.1). Sense gratification is there, but through Kṛṣṇa. Then you feel complete sense gratification. Just like the gopīs, perfect. All devotees, but the gopīs are the supreme.
So this is the process of human life, that we have to purify our present existential condition by voluntarily accepting the regulative principle given by the spiritual master, śāstras. Then we become purified. At that time our senses are employed in the service of the Supreme and we actually enjoy our senses.
So at the present moment, the Kali-yuga, the śāstra says, almost everyone is a śūdra because nobody can live independently. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kalau means in this age, this iron age, almost everyone is a śūdra. It is very difficult to find out really brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Vaiśyas maybe there are. But mostly śūdras. Because the other three orders of life are missing, therefore at the present moment there is no peace. In every step there is fight, there is quarrel. Kali means disagreement and quarrel. So this age is called Kali-yuga. This Kali-yuga has begun since the Battle of Kurukṣetra. You have heard in Mahābhārata or in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is within Mahābhārata. The Battle of Kurukṣetra between the two section of cousin-brothers, the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas, took place under the guidance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa five thousand years ago. And in that battlefield, Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna, His friend, the great book of knowledge, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā.
So if we do not become very sober... Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Then, to become sober, dhīra... Dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra means sober. If we remain restless like animals, then we cannot achieve the goal of our life. We do not know how the laws of nature is working. We can experience how the laws of nature is working in our present life. Present life... Just like a young man, if he thinks that "I shall not become old man. I shall remain young man," will the nature's law allow it? No. You must become old man. There is no question of saying that "I don't want to become old man." So, no, nature's law will not allow you. You must become old man and suffer the old age's disadvantages. That you must. Similarly, if the old man says, "Never mind. I have become old man. I will not die," no. Nature's law will not allow. He must die. Similarly, after death, if you think foolishly that there is no more life, that is also wrong. Nature's law is that you must accept another body. This is nature's law. So we are dependent on nature's law. However foolishly we declare that "We are independent. We don't care for anything," that will not stay. We are under the clutches of material nature's law. In this law, by evolutionary process we have come to this human form of life, and if we don't utilize it properly, then we are missing the chance.
How God creates this material world? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). This creator is well conversant directly and indirectly every details of the universe. Just like we are trying to study how this material world is going on, how the big, big planets are floating in the air. We cannot understand properly. There are so many scientists, but they do not understand what are these. There are innumerable universes. This is only one universe. So He must have full knowledge how He is maintaining this material world. Therefore He is called abhijña. He is not dull-headed. He has got full knowledge. That is God, omniscient. He has got full knowledge. We may not have because we are very tiny. A child may not have knowledge, but the father knows everything. Similarly, He is the supreme father. He knows everything. He has got full knowledge. Anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu. There are things, indirect and direct. In both ways He is abhijña; He is well aware, everything. Then the next question is svarāṭ. Svarāṭ. Because we are thinking in our own way of life, that "If God has got so much knowledge, wherefrom He got it?" Because we have got experience that whenever we require knowledge we go to a superior person and take knowledge from him—"Then wherefrom God has got so much knowledge?" Therefore the answer is svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means He is fully independent. He is not dependent for knowledge to anyone else. So these things are there. We have to study very nicely.
So actually nothing belongs to us. We also do not belong independently. We are not independent. Kṛṣṇa says jīva-bhūtaḥ, or mamaivāṁśo (BG 15.7). We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body, so the finger has no separate existence. If this finger is cut off from my hand and it has a separate existence, it will fall down on the street, and it has no value. Others are trampling down; still nobody cares for it, although it is the same finger but cut off from this body. But so long this small finger is attached to this body it has value. If there is some disease or pain, I can spend thousands of dollars for curing it. And when it is cut off from my body it has no value. Similarly, we being part and parcel of God, when we are forgetful or cut off It cannot be cut off, but still, when we forget God, then we have no value. The same example: When I ask my finger to come here and give me some itching sensation, then the finger is in normal condition. And if the finger cannot give me any service, that is useless. Similarly, we being part and parcel of God, our business is to give service to God. That is our normal condition. And if we do not give service to the Lord, if we keep separately, then we have no value.
Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). We have already mentioned. Kāraṇam, the first cause. Guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. As soon as you want to associate with the modes of material nature, then you are bound up, immediately, by the modes of material nature. Then your work begins. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. That is natural. Actually, every living entity is constitutionally the servant of Kṛṣṇa, but when he wants to enjoy without Kṛṣṇa, without becoming servant of Kṛṣṇa, he wants to enjoy independently this material nature, then he has to associate with the modes of material nature and he becomes bound up. Yajñārthe karma anyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). So you have to know or study all these understanding. Then you will understand what is what. That's all.
This is the difference between devotees and nondevotees. But both the devotees and nondevotees, they must obey the laws of Kṛṣṇa. There is no exception. There is no exception. This is māyā. He is being forced, the nondevotee is being forced to act. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). He's under the spell of the modes of material nature, and he's being forced to act under the spell of material nature, but he is thinking, "I am free. I don't care for God." This is called māyā. He is being kicked by māyā, but he'll not agree to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa. He'll agree to be kicked by māyā. That is his business. That he will agree. "Yes, let me be kicked by māyā." So nobody is free. By constitutional position nobody is free from the laws of God. But those who are voluntarily accepting, they are devotees. And those who are not accepting, falsely declaring themselves independent, they are nondevotees. This is the difference. Any question? Uttamaśloka, you were not here? I did not see you.
So why should we waste our time? Why we should be entangled in this bodily concept of life and become subjected to the transmigration of the soul from one body to another? We should be disgusted, this repetition of birth and death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One should be intelligent enough to understand, "Why I should be subjected to birth and death?" Nobody wants to die. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. Nobody wants the threefold miserable condition of this material life, but it is forced upon us, and we are thinking "Independent." That is foolishness. We are not independent. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). As you are associating with the different modes of material nature, the prakṛti, material nature, by pulling your ear, "You'll come on here. Take this body." "No, I don't want." "No, that is not your discretion. Now you have infected, you see. You must take this body." This risk is there. And just to forget ourself we sometimes say, "No, there is no life after death." Why there is no life after death? You were a child. The child became a boy, the boy became a young man, the young man became an old man, and what is the old man? He must have a body, next body. That is not simply mental speculation. This is confirmed by the most exalted authority, by Kṛṣṇa. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As you have changed your body in so many ways from babyhood to childhood, childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, then, similarly, dehāntara-prāptiḥ.
Where is that civilization? Where is that brahminical culture? Where is that go-rakṣa? Very precarious condition. Therefore we should accept the standard of civilization. This is recommended here, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram ahur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you want to become disentangled or free from this entanglement, conditioned soul one after another... We are forced. Our (indistinct) was saying about the change of body. The change of body is forced. You are young man. You cannot say, "I'll not accept old man's body." "No, sir. You'll have to accept." Forced. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You cannot say "I will not accept this." Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As you are forced to accept this body, old-age body—nobody wants to become old—similarly another body, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. These things are there. We are being forced by the laws of nature. Where is our independence? They're declaring resolution: "Now we are independent. Ah. Finished." Where is your independence? You are kicked out by the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You are not free. You are under supreme control. Nature, they will accept nature's control but not God's control. But the foolish person does not know that nature is also controlled by God. This you will have to learn from Vedic literature.
Nature is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā: sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Goddess Durga is accepted as the material energy or material prakṛti. So she's so powerful. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni vibharti durgā, icchanurūpam api yasya ca ceṣṭate sā (Bs. 5.44). Sā Durga is not independent. Icchānurūpam api yasya, under who's direction she is working? Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. I am worshiping the Govinda, the ādi-puruṣa, the Supreme Person, ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣam nava-yauvanaṁ ca (Bs. 5.33). These are the information we get from the śāstra. Adyam, He is the original person. Ādyaṁ purāṇa puruṣam, the oldest person. Nava-yauvanaṁ ca, and at the same time always fresh youth. So how we shall learn all these things? Mahat-sevā. Go to mahat, mahānta, the guru. Serve him. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). You cannot challenge like a nonsense. You have to engage yourself to the service. That is the beginning. Brahmacārī is indicated, "Go to gurukula." And you may be a king's son or a very learned brāhmaṇa's son, it doesn't matter. You serve your guru just like a menial servant. This is the instruction. This is the first education.
So this is going on. Therefore it is recommended mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes, if you want to become free from all anxieties. First of all this material world means anxiety. We are put... We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Why we are sent to this material world? Icchā-dveṣa sammutthena, sarge yānti parantapa, because we wanted to enjoy life independent of God, or Kṛṣṇa. This is the disease. We are not independent. If there is no rain and there is no food grain, what your independence will do? No. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14), very practical. That if you want to be happy, either animal or man, bhūtāni, then you produce anna, food grains sumptuously. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. And there must be sufficient rain for producing sufficient food grains. Yajñād bhavanti parjanyaḥ, and you perform yajña, there will be regular rainfall. Yajñaḥ-karma samudbhavam. Who is following this principle? Yajñaḥ-karma samudbhavam. Kṛṣṇa never says that factories, by factories bhavanti bhūtāni. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni, He says this is practical. We are not interested how to produce anna. We are now interested how to produce tire tubes. So eat tire tube.
The six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana, they lived in Vṛndāvana by the order... The present Vṛndāvana, holy place, was made by Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. These two brothers, they were ministers in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah. Practically they became Muhammadans; their name were changed. Because in those days the brāhmaṇa community was very strict. Any brāhmaṇa accepting service, he'll be immediately excommunicated: "No, you are not brāhmaṇa." Brāhmaṇa's business is not to serve others. Brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. They should remain... Everyone was independent. Brāhmaṇa independent, kṣatriya independent, vaiśya independent. Simply śūdra's dependent. So in those days, five hundred years ago, these two brothers were born of a very high class brāhmaṇa. They were learned scholar, but because they accepted the service of Nawab, they were excommunicated. So practically they become Muhammadans. Their names were changed: Dabira Khāsa, Sākara Mallika. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them gosvāmī. This is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They were rejected by the brāhmaṇa community, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu made them Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī. The gosvāmī is not a caste title. Gosvāmī means who has control over the senses. Go means senses and svāmī means master. Those who are servant of the senses, they cannot become gosvāmī. That is not gosvāmī. Servant of senses, that is go-dāsa, not gosvāmī. So the Gosvāmī... Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau, the six Gosvāmīs, six Gosvāmīs, and if we follow their footprints, rūpānuga-varāya te, then he also becomes gosvāmī. This is the process.
"After many, many births of this Brahman realization or Paramātmā realization, one may come to the platform of realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Who is that Supreme Per...? Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeva. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That is mahātmā. One who knows vāsudeva sarvam iti, that mahātmā is required. And if we can serve such mahātmā, then our path of liberation, mukti, will be open. That is stated here. mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). And the other way. One path to mukti, another path is bondage. Two things are there: bondage and mukti. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānās te'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Baddhā means bound up. We are, in our material condition of life, we are bound up tight, hands and legs are bound up. We cannot do anything independently. It is not possible. That we must know. People are declaring independence. That is not possible. That is our foolishness. Baddhāḥ, uru-dāmni baddhāḥ, just like uru means this waste. If you are bound up by rope just like thieves are carried, handcuffed and bound up on the waist, what you can do? So we are uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Uru means very strong, and dāmni means rope, baddhāḥ. Just like the bulls are bound up in the nostril and the driver is moving like this, immediately he has to move this way, immediately. Although he's very strong bull, but uru-dāmni baddhāḥ.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: His question is, "Is it not speculation to say that one knows God? As soon as he thinks that he knows God..."
Prabhupāda: You know also God. You know also God.
Guest (2): No, I don't.
Prabhupāda: No, You are... Or do you think you are independent of God?
Guest (2): I don't know what God is.
Prabhupāda: No, no, you do not know. Why you do not know? You do not know that you are not independent?
Guest (2): No, I do not know God.
Prabhupāda: But are you not going to die? Can you check your death? You will be forced to die, so how do you say that you are independent?
Guest (2): I haven't died, so I don't know what it is to die.
Prabhupāda: He does not know what is the meaning of death?
Guest (2): No. For me, personally, I do not know what death is.
Prabhupāda: "For me" means you are a special person.
Guest (2): I don't know what death is.
Prabhupāda: Everyone knows what is death. Everyone is afraid of death. If you do not know, then I do not know whether you are human being or...
Guest (2): No, because speculation about God. If we do not know...
Prabhupāda: So you have to learn it; then you talk. You have to learn it. What you do not know, you have to learn it.
Guest (2): No, because speculation about God. If we do not know...
Prabhupāda: So you have to learn it; then you talk. You have to learn it. What you do not know, you have to learn it.
Guest (2): Then how you learn about God if you do not know what God is?
Prabhupāda: You have to learn it. That I have said. But everyone knows that he is not independent. He is dependent. Just like you are young man. If you say, "I will not become old man," that is false. You will have to become old man. Therefore you are dependent. Why don't you think like that?
Guest (2): I don't say that I won't be.
Prabhupāda: Nobody wants to become an old man, but he is forced to become old man. How do you know that you are independent? You are dependent.
Guest (2): I'm not afraid of becoming old.
Prabhupāda: You may not be, but others are. They do not like to be old man and suffer the old man's position. (break) He says that,
- māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
- ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
- striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
- te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatiṁ
- (BG 9.32)
Striya means woman. So there is no restriction for going back to home, back to Godhead, for anyone, and what to speak of man, woman, anyone. If he wants to go back, there is no restriction. Te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. This is the difference. For God there is no discrimination. Women, men have equal rights to become godly and back to home, back to Godhead.
So these things are there. I can quote many verses like that. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very easy, and everyone should become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). We are trying to adjust things externally, but that will never be fulfilled. Durāśayā. This is hope against hope. You cannot do anything independently because you are fully under the clutches of māyā. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa says, "My dear Arjuna, Īśvara, the Supreme Lord, is situated in the core of everyone's heart." He is not far away. And He is observing. In the Upaniṣads it is said that there are two birds on one tree. One is eating the fruit, and the other is witnessing. The witnessing bird is Kṛṣṇa, and the eating bird is the jīvātmā.
So what is difference between material energy and spiritual energy? Material energy means one works for his own sense gratification, and spiritual energy means one works for sense gratification of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. There must be some sense gratification, working. But when we work for our personal sense gratification, that is called māyā. He cannot personally be satisfied without Kṛṣṇa. Just like in this body, different parts of the body, they cannot enjoy independently. If you get nice cake, you have to put it to the stomach; then you'll get energy. And if you want... This finger caught the cake and want to utilize themself, that is not possible. It must give it here. And then the energy will be distributed. This is the difference. The materialistic persons, they are simply taking things for enjoying themselves. That is māyā. They cannot enjoy them. But if you take through Kṛṣṇa, then it is spiritual life. That is the difference between material and spiritual.
Regretting, lamenting, my Lord I got this human form of life. Unfortunately I have simply wasted. Why? Rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā. It is exactly like drinking poison knowingly. Sometimes we become poisonous unknowingly. Sometimes food poison or something poison. But if one takes poison knowingly, that means he's killing himself. He knows it. Similarly, in this human form of life, if we do not come to this understanding sahasā vipaścit, that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I am simply taking poison, then his life is spoiled, gata-smṛtir vindati tatra tāpān. He will simply be put into miserable condition. That is the nature's way, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā dur... (BG 7.14). You cannot escape the stringent laws of material nature. You will go on suffering, suffering. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra vartmani (BG 9.3). You will suffer again and again this body and next body, next body. That is nature's way. But ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). These rascals, on account of false prestige, false knowledge, false education, he is thinking that I am independent, I can do what ever I like. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham (BG 3.27), we have to give up this, then vipaścit, sahasā vipaścit. Otherwise we have to continue the miserable condition of life. Gata-smṛtiḥ, because we have forgotten our real position.
You are in the hands of the laws of prakṛti, even in this life. Even in this life. If you can eat one chatta, and if you will eat little more, immediately you will become diseased. Immediately. Nature will punish you, three days' starvation. You have taken more. So this is the law of nature. You cannot violate the... There is salt is required, little in the food. If it is a little more, you cannot take. If it is a little, you cannot take. So stricture, you cannot violate even a slightest degree the laws of nature. But these rascals are thinking that "I am independent." Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). We should take guidance of the spiritual master or the guru or Kṛṣṇa. Guidance of guru means guidance of Kṛṣṇa, because ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27). Ācāryaṁ mām, ācārya is as good as guru, as good as Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Not only Kṛṣṇa's mercy, but guru's mercy, both mercy required. Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja.
So this is the position, that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness everyone will try to enjoy sense gratification independently. Either individually, collectively, socially, economically, politically, go on dividing, dividing, divide. There is no oneness; simply division. So Ṛṣabhadeva is advising His other sons—He had one hundred sons—that bharataṁ bhajadhvam: "You just be obedient to Bharata. Don't try to rule independently, because if you follow the principles of Bharata Mahārāja, that will satisfy the citizens, not ruling over independently." We have practical examples. At the present moment there are three dozen minister, four dozen secretaries, and two dozen governors and so on, so on. But there is no peace. There is no peace because they are missing the central point, the central point, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says personally He has come personally to inform us the real situation. He says, sarva-loka maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the proprietor of all planets." So accept this principle, that "Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor, and we are all sons of Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa claims. Kṛṣṇa never said that "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," or "I am Uttar Pradeshiya."
So without Kṛṣṇa consciousness everything will be failure. Therefore Bharata Mahārāja, er, Ṛṣabhadeva Mahārāja is advising that "You concentrate your service to Bharata." (break) ...it is advised to a brāhmaṇa that if, when that time comes, you can come to the position of a kṣatriya or even up to vaiśya, but never to the position of a śūdra. This is dog's business. They are... At the present moment everyone is being trained up to become śūdra, dogs. High education, big, big degrees, but if the dog is not appointed by a master, his all qualification useless. Therefore it is doggish civilization. And Aryan civilization means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Śūdra means one who cannot live independently—he has to depend on some master—he's a śūdra. That's all. The brāhmaṇa should live by education, by knowledge. Everyone will honor them. They will give advice to the śūdras, er, to the kṣatriyas. When Paraśurāma killed eleven..., twenty-one times all the kṣatriyas, his father chastised him that "This is not the business of a brāhmaṇa. My dear son, you are so angry, you have killed all the kṣatriyas and you have killed Kārtavīryārjuna by anger. Oh, you have done great sinful activities. It is not the business of the brāhmaṇa. Therefore you should retire for some time and go to holy places to counteract your sinful activities." This was spoken to Paraśurāma by his father.
So we are just like sparks of fire, so so long we are in the fire, this quality of the spark is also fire. It is also illuminating. It is also has got the quality of burning power, small quantity. But when the spark falls down from the fire it becomes extinguished, the fiery quality. That is our position. We have fallen down from the quality, and we have to revive it. Just like a person becomes diseased. Diseased is not his permanent position. That is a temporary infection. But it can be cured. If one likes, he can cure his disease and again he can become healthy. Similarly, we are fallen somehow or other. "Somehow or other" means the reason is as soon as we become independent, we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, but we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa—we want to become independent. Then immediately we are forced by the illusory energy to come under her and work under her direction. We are born servant, jīvera svarūpa haya-nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. It is made for the purpose of serving me. This is the purpose. But when it is diseased When it cannot serve the body, then it is diseased. Similarly, our constitutional position is to serve Kṛṣṇa. Jīvera svarūpa haya-nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa. That is real life. And when you don't serve Kṛṣṇa or deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is diseased condition. And that is called māyā. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare, pasate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare.
So mano-vaco-dṛk-karaṇehitasya sākṣāt-kṛtaṁ me paribarhaṇaṁ hi. So we can worship the Lord by mind, by words, by seeing, and all senses. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). (aside:) You sit down. Yes. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa sevanaṁ bhakti ucyate. Bhakti means hṛṣīka. Hṛṣīka means the senses, karaṇa. Mano-vaca. Mind is the king of the senses. So mind is also one of the senses. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Mind and the indriyas combined together, we are trying to be happy in this material world, but there is no happiness, simply struggling. Prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho bhuṇkte prakṛti-jān guṇān. He is put into this prakṛti, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhi, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). So we are put into this prakṛti. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhi mano. These are material. There is also mana. Mind is subtle matter; it is not spirit. So in this way, separated energy and the jīva, the living entity, although he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, he wanted to enjoy life separately or independently without Kṛṣṇa, and that is called material world, struggle for existence. Without Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he has to come to Kṛṣṇa if he wants to stop his struggle for existence with mind and senses, then he must come to Kṛṣṇa. That is the natural position.
So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, everything threadbare discussed, very practical, and Absolute Truth. There are social, political, religious. Everything is discussed very scientifically. So here the example is given of the woman, puṁścalī. There are three kinds of woman: kāminī, svairendrī and puṁścalī, according to śāstra. So they become, because... Just like children. They are innocent, and if they are given freedom they will be spoiled. Everyone knows it. If you don't give proper training to the children and allow him to do independently whatever he likes, that means that child is spoiled. Prāpte tu ṣoḍaśa-varṣe...
Cāṇakya Paṇḍita has advised,
- lālane bahavo doṣās
- tāḍane bahavo guṇāḥ
- tasmāt putraṁ ca śiṣyam ca
- tāḍayen na tu lālayet
This is required. And Tulasī dāsa, he has also said... Tulasī dāsa is big poet in Hindi language. He has written the Rāma-carita-manas. His opinion... Not only his opinion, that is the Vedic opinion, that... He says, dhol gamar strī śūdra, paśu śūdra nārī, ei ei sab śāsana ke adhikārī (?). So this statement will not be very palatable to the Western girls. They want independence. In Chicago, when I was there, they talked about independence of the woman. They asked me question. So I replied, "No, woman cannot be given independence." So there was a great agitation against me. In many papers I was very much criticized. But actually it is the fact, because they are innocent, not so intelligent and... These are all practical.
So there are indication in the śāstra that how to make progress towards the goal of nivṛtti-mārga. That is stated, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you associate with devotees, mahat, mahātmā, great soul... Who is great soul? Great soul means who has understood God. He is great soul. He is called mahātmā. That is stated, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ-prakṛtim āśritāḥ bhajanty ananya-manaso (BG 9.13). Mahātmā means he is not under the condition of this material nature. He is under the protection of the spiritual nature, he is mahātmā. You have to live under somebody. That is our position. You cannot say that "I am not living under somebody. I am independent." No. That is not possible. Nobody can say. Can anybody say that "I am independent"? No. Because our constitutional position is that, to serve. Either I serve my family or serve my community or serve my nation or serve my government—in this way go on increasing—but your position is to serve. You... Here you will find, therefore, that the so-called master is also servant. Just like President Nixon. He was elected the master, president, but actually he was the servant of the popular vote. As soon as he became unpopular, he was immediately dismissed. So the president of a big state is the position that he is a servant. How you are not a servant? That is our nature. So people are engaged in service generally. "Generally" not. That is the law. If one hasn't got to serve anybody, no family, no children, no wife, then he keeps a dog, to serve him. Is it not a fact? I have seen in the Western countries, old man who has no family, his whole day he is keeping a dog and seeing the television. That's all. (laughter) Because nature is to serve. That you cannot... Therefore pravṛtti-mārga means that we are trying to become false master, sense gratification.
The rascals, they are thinking they are independent. They are not independent. Completely under the control of the material nature. Otherwise why there are different species of life? Where is the arrangement? Arrangement is there. If you remain in sattva-guṇa, then you get higher form of life. Nature's law is so perfect that it hasn't got to create. It is automatically. Just like if you infect some disease, germs, you will automatically suffer from that disease. Similarly, if we are in contamination, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa... Sattva-guṇa... Here sattva-guṇa is also a contamination. And what to speak of rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa? So this is called pravṛtti-mārga. According to our inclination we are contacting a certain type of the modes of material nature and we are getting different types of body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya sad-asad janma yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Kāraṇam. Why one is getting better position, and why one is not getting? Why one is dog, and why one is millionaire? So it is due to our association with different modes of material nature.
What Kṛṣṇa is speaking in the Bhagavad-gītā, if we take it, "Let Kṛṣṇa speak. I am not going to accept anything..." Aśraddadhānāḥ: there is no faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa. Aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣa dharmasyāsya: "The religious system which I am speaking." What is that? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66), this religion. So if one is neglectful, does not like this proposal, then what is the result? Aprāpya mām: "He'll never get Me." Aprāpya mām nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Then he will have to continue this process, mṛtyu-saṁsāra vartmani. He'll take birth, again die, again take birth, again die. That will continue. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. So,
- pravṛtti-lakṣaṇaś caiva
- traiguṇya-viṣayo mune
- yo 'sāv alīna-prakṛter
- guṇa-sargaḥ punaḥ punaḥ
So we have to give up this habit that "I am master. I can enjoy, and I can do. I am independent." You have to give up this habit. Then you will be eligible for going back to home, back to Godhead.
You can construct a very nice skyscraper building, and you can have a nice car, but you will not be allowed to stay here. What you have done for that? You will be kicked out at any moment. Then your all labor is simply... You can solace yourself that "My children will enjoy" or "My grandsons will enjoy." But why not enjoy yourself? That is very uncertain. Any moment I shall be kicked out. And then, if it is a fact that I am going to accept another body, there is no guarantee what kind of body I am going to accept. I have constructed a skyscraper building on account of my attachment. I may be allowed by the nature's law to stay in that building, but if by my activities I become a rat or cat in that building, then what is the profit? We are under the nature's law. You cannot say that you are independent. Nature's law is very strict. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Nature's law... Just like fire. If you touch fire, it will burn. And even a child who is innocent, if the child touches the fire, it will burn. There is no excuse. You cannot say that "The child is innocent. It does not know the effect of touching fire, so he should be excused." No. Ignorance is no excuse. Especially... That is the state laws. You cannot say... Suppose you have committed some criminal act. If you plead, "My lord, I did not know that the, after doing this act, I had to suffer imprisonment. So you excuse me," no, that will be no excuse. You know or not know the law, if you have acted like that, you must suffer. This is going on.
So people do not care to understand how nature's law is going on. Nature's law means God's law. Nature is not independent. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Nature is a machine. So do you think a machine works without an operator? Do you think? Is there any evidence? Now, this is a machine, photography, a wonderful machine. It is taking the picture, and it will move. But there is an operator. Where is the machine which is working without operator? Can you give any example, "Here is a machine which is working without operator"? So how do you think that the nature machine is working without the supreme operator, God's instruction. How do you think it? This is not very reasonable. We have to judge. There are different evidences. One of the evidence is hypothesis. That hypothesis is that "Because we see that no machine works without operator, therefore we should conclude it, even though we do not know what is God, what is the nature, we must conclude it that the nature is working under some supreme operator. That is God." It is not necessary to see the operator, but we can guess that there must be operator. So human life is meant for finding out who is there to operate. That is human life.
So we may declare very foolishly that we are independent. That is the foolishness of the modern civilization. They are not independent, nobody. Everyone is dependent. But because they are dependent and there are so many sufferings awaiting them for their so-called independent life, they do not believe in the next life. This is the, I mean to say, special feature of the modern civilization. They say, big, big professor, big, big leader, "No, there is no life after death. This is once we get and finished." That is also another foolishness. Just like a child. A child, he knows that his body will be changed. Nobody will remain a baby. Nobody will remain a child. Nobody will remain a boy. Next life is awaiting. It is very simple philosophy. And then after this body another body is waiting. That's a fact. And not only fact. If you cannot understand it—there is no difficulty in understanding—but the authority says, Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). As we are changing from this body to that body, this body to that body, this body to that body, every moment... According to medical science, every moment we are changing body. That's a fact.
So this education is lacking now. They are... Everyone is thinking that he's independent, he can do whatever he likes. That is not possible. Then you'll be punished. Nature's law is so strict, stringent. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot escape the stringent laws of nature. Little discrepancy... Suppose you can eat eight ounce. If you eat nine ounce, then you will have to starve for three days. There is no excuse. "Why you have eaten more than eight ounce?" The nature says... Just like we require salt in our foodstuff, everyone. But if the salt is little more, it is useless. And if the salt is little less, that is also useless. It must be exactly to the quantity. So nature's law is like that. People, if they simply study nature's law, he becomes a learned scholar. There is no need of going to school, college. But if he sees how nature is working... You can see this flower. Every flower is so beautiful, nicely constructed symmetrically. You'll find two flowers, the small fiber coming out exactly in the same way. There is no question of accident. There is no question of accident. They are also being manipulated by the laws of nature. And what is the laws of nature? The laws of nature is acting under the supervision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that the volume of atonement should be according to the gravity of the offense. Just like when a man is diseased, he goes to a physician. He prescribes different type of medicine to the different type of patient according to the gravity of the disease. But there are many rascals, they say that any medicine we take, that's all right. No. That's not all right. You have to take the medicine through the physician, not independently. In your country there is law that you cannot purchase from the drug shop any medicine without being prescribed by the medical man. Is it not? So the prescription should be taken from the experienced physician to cure the disease. So in this age, Kali-yuga... It is called Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means the age of quarrel and misunderstanding. This is the age. For nothing there is misunderstanding and quarrel and fight and war, for nothing. So in this age the medicine for delivering the conditioned souls from miserable, materialistic way of life is prescribed in the śāstras. What is that? Harer nāma, simply chanting of the holy name of Hari, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam: (CC Adi 17.21) "In this age, simply this harer nāma kevalam, only." There is no other alternative. Therefore in the next line it is stressed, nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā: "There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative."
So the discussion is going on between Parīkṣit Mahārāja and Śukadeva Gosvāmī. In the last portion of the Fifth Canto, Śukadeva Gosvāmī has given description of different hellish planets down this universe. There are many hellish planets. As there are heavenly planets, similarly there are hellish planets. Those who are pious, in the modes of goodness, they are promoted to the higher planetary system, and those who are very much abominable, condemned, they are degraded to the lower planetary system. There are different planets, and our modern scientists, they say that "Except this earthly planet, there is no life." This is their knowledge. But actually that is not the fact. Everywhere there is life—but the life of different grades. Just like here also we see. In this planet some of them are very well situated, and some of them are very much degraded in every respect, by birth, janma aiṣvarya, by opulence, and by education, by beauty. There is such arrangement, by nature's law, that you are promoted or degraded. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that prakṛti, we are under the guidance or rulings of material nature. That is It is not a fact that "We are independent," "There is no life after death." These are all foolish man's theory. We are eternal, there is life after death, and that life also has got different gradation. So this has been described, and this is the fact.
Guest: I (indistinct) something. How does one learn to control the senses, overwhelming?
Prabhupāda: This is very easy. If you apply your senses for the service of Kṛṣṇa, then your senses cannot act independently. That is controlling. Just like if you absorb your mind in something you forget everything. Similarly, if you practice how to make yourself Kṛṣṇa conscious, then automatically the senses and mind become controlled. It is not very difficult. Therefore we say that for solution of all problems you come and join with us. Here is a big temple. You live here. You learn how to do it. All right, thank you. (end)
So this is going on. Don't be misled. Īśa-tantrya, by the laws of nature, we are bound up tight, hands and legs. We are not independent. You cannot do anything independently. You are completely under the clutches of material nature. And behind the material nature is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore our business is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and take knowledge from Him, and then you become perfect. That is explained here, sakṛn manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor niveśitaṁ tad-guṇa-rāgi yair iha. Who will take instruction from Kṛṣṇa? Tad-guṇa-rāgi. When you understand that "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. We have to take instruction from Him." Nobody is perfect except Kṛṣṇa. Or one who follows Kṛṣṇa, he is perfect. Kṛṣṇa is perfect; one who follows Kṛṣṇa, he is perfect. Just like a child. He does not know what it is, but if he takes instruction from his father or teacher that "This is microphone," so when he says, "This is microphone," this is perfect. He may be child, but because he has learned from his father or teacher, "This is microphone," and he says, "This is microphone. This is this," then it is perfect. So the instruction of Kṛṣṇa is perfect, and the teacher or guru who speaks the same thing as Kṛṣṇa says, that is perfect. And if he manufacture his own ideas and becomes more than Kṛṣṇa, then he's a rascal number one. There is no benefit.
So this is the chance. We should not neglect. So if we misuse this human form of life like animals, then we are punishable. Then you have to go to the Yamarāja and he'll judge what kind of body you'll get. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Just like if you are criminal, then you are put into the magistrate's court and the magistrate decides what kind of punishment you must be given. So don't think you are, we are, every one of us, independent. No. No independent. And after death you are completely under the grip of material nature. That time you cannot say, "I don't care for anyone." No, you have to care. You can falsely become proud so long this body is there. You can talk all nonsense. But when the body is finished, now you are completely under the control of nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. Then your quality will be judged. Guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everyone is under the control of this prakṛti, but rascals, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, too much bodily concept of life, bewildered, vimūḍha... Viśeṣa mūḍha, first-class rascal, vimūḍha. Vimudhātmā kartāham iti manyate. He says that "Whatever I like, I can do," kartā. No. That is not possible. So this life is preparation for the next life. You can prepare. It is in your hand. It is in your hand. God has given you the superior intelligence better than the animals. The animals are simply interested eating, sleeping, mating and fearing. So we have got better intelligence, so we must utilize it.
When Arjuna was asked to Kṛṣṇa that "How can I accept that You taught this philosophy to sun-god? Because You are my contemporary. We are born practically on the same date." So He replied, "Yes. Both you and Me, we took many, many births. But you have forgotten. I know everything." And that is God. That is God. Abhijñaḥ. God must be cognizant of everything. And I do not know everything, and still, I claim I am God and people accept. How rascal. The Bhāgavata explains that the Absolute Truth is cognizant of everything, abhijñaḥ. "So how His knowledge is so perfect?"—the next question, because we become cognizant by taking knowledge or accepting knowledge from spiritual master. But how he has become so cognizant? The answer is svarāṭ, fully independent. He hasn't got to learn... (break) But He is God without taking knowledge from anybody. That is real God. Svarāṭ. In this way Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has explained the Vedānta-sūtras, that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the right explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. Bhāṣyāyāṁ brahma-sūtrānām. The Brahma-sūtra means Vedānta-sūtra. And the real commentary and explanation is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, of Vedānta. But these Vedantists, so-called Vedantists, they do not read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Even read, they make a different interpretation, because to make them popular they have to go through Bhāgavata sometimes. I see Akṣajānanda also tries to explain. But they explain in their own way. Just like "This Kurukṣetra, this body, and this means..." I, in a... Long ago in Bombay this Akṣajānanda explaining one śloka. I just forget, but I remember his interpretation, that "When I am satisfied, God is satisfied." He explained like that. And he is passing on as a great scholar and great sannyāsa. He said like that: "When I am satisfied, God is satisfied—because I am God." We say, "When God is satisfied, then I am satisfied." If you say that "When the finger is satisfied, the whole body is satisfied," it is possible?
So kāla, as it is said. Kālaḥ atyagāt mahān. Mahān means very powerful, great. You may be a very big scientist and very powerful politician, you don't care for anything, but you cannot conquer over the mahān, the great powerful time. Oh, that is not possible. You are independent. You don't care for God. But God will come. You will see. Kālo 'smi. When Kṛṣṇa showed the gigantic form, virāḍ-mūrti, Arjuna enquired, "Who are You, Sir?" Because he was dealing with Kṛṣṇa as friend, but after seeing the virāḍ-rūpa, the gigantic universal form, so he enquired, "Who are You, Sir?" He replied, kālo 'smi: "I am kāla, kāla. I have appeared to take away all these sinful demons." So Kṛṣṇa appears still in form of war, big gigantic war, and takes away so many millions of people by one stroke. This is going on. So we should have sense that "We hear from the śāstras that we are eternal. Why we are subjugated to these laws of nature, kāla? I do not wish to die, I do not wish to suffer, I do not wish to be old man, I do not wish to be diseased, and these things are forced upon me. I have to accept, and still, I am so fool, I am thinking I am independent." This is called foolishness, rascaldom.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to remove this rascaldom, foolishness. That is the purpose of this movement, that "Sir, you are not independent. You are completely under the grip of material nature, and after death, your all independence finished. You are under the control of material nature, and you have to accept. A type of body will be forced upon you." Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). So how the next body is formed? Karmaṇā, by your activities. You are forming your next body. You are responsible for your next body. Therefore you should not become a tenth-class man like Ajāmila. Of course, Ajāmila is better than anyone. That will come. But we are creating this tenth class... No. Everyone has the chance to become first-class man and come to the understanding, the value of life, and mold our life so that we can, next life we can get better chance. The so-called Darwin's evolutionary theory... Some way or other, he brings to the human body, but he has not discussed what is after human body. He has avoided. But after this, that depends on your work. Because your consciousness is developed than the animal, than the cats and dogs. And the śāstra is giving you information, how you can get the other body, next body.
Suppose you are studying the machine throughout the whole life. What you will get that? Can you make the machine to your favor that this machine will not be lost, there will be no death? You all scientists, you are studying the machine. Have you found out any means that there will be no death? Where is that knowledge. Death will be there. You study the machine or do not study the machine, in due course, time, the death will come and will take you. The machine will stay. So this is intelligence. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānu... (BG 13.9). You cannot cure even one disease. You are embarrassed with the cancer disease. You find out how the cells are working, how it can be changed, and there will be no cancer. No, that you cannot do. You go on studying simply, waste your time. So śāstra says, "Don't waste your valuable time in that way. Try to understand God. Use your intelligence for this purpose." Tapaḥ. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). You have to undergo austerities that you may not be subjected to this machine. That is your business, not to study the machine. How to become independent of the machine. So long you are in this material world, you are desiring differently. Nature is supplying you a different type of machine, and you are busy. Then again, the machine is broken, then you accept another machine. This is going on.
If you go in the court and if you're punished, so if you say, "My lordship, I believe like this. I'll not be punished. So you're punishing me," so that is no excuse. You believe or not believe, the law is law. So, similarly, these philosophers theorizing so many "I believe." So these things will not go. These things will not go. That is useless, simply waste of time. You must know there is God. How we can deny it? There is supreme power. I am being controlled every moment. Who wants to die? And who is forcing me to die? How he can deny the superior power? I do not want to become old man, and superior power forces me, "You must become old man." So, so long there is force behind you, you have to act according to that. Where is your so-called belief or independence? That is foolishness. That is foolishness. But they have no brain that "I am being kicked. I'm being enforced to do something, and still I'm thinking 'independent,' 'I believe.' " What is this meaning of his belief? There is no question of. This is foolishness.
So you have to understand from the śāstra, śāstra-cakṣuṣa. The Vedas say that you have to see through the śāstra, through the authoritative śāstra. With these blunt eyes what can you see? You're so much anxious. Everyone says, "Can you show me God?" What you can see? What is the power of your eyes? You cannot see even your eyelid. The eyelid is attached to the eye. Can you see? So how you can see God? You're so imperfect. Just like if there is some particle within the eyelid, we become embarrassed. But the eye is attached. Why not see and take it away? This is practical. So what is the power of your eyes? You cannot see the nearest and you cannot see distant place. You cannot see in darkness. So many conditions. So you're always under the conditions, and you declare "Independent." How foolishness it is. Your senses are all imperfect. No senses are perfect. You can use the senses under certain condition only. I'm claiming "This is my hand," and as soon as there is some nervous disability it is paralyzed, finished.
So you have not created. Kṛṣṇa has created. So how it is your body? It is Kṛṣṇa's body. He has given you the concession that you can live. "You can live peacefully. You can enjoy the products which are given to you. I have given you food grains. I have given you fruits, flowers. Or, even if you want to eat meat, that also I have given you." You cannot produce an animal. So everything you are eating, given by God. Your body is given by God. Your mind is given by God. And you, you also the soul, you're also part and parcel of God. So what is your independent existence? There is no independent existence. This is knowledge. Not only that. Because you have forgotten that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, He is also sitting within you. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna... (BG 18.61). Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣ... Again He says hrdi, "in the heart." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭa, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Everything is there. The Lord and the living entity, both are within his heart.
So those who are yogis, they want to find out that "God is sitting with me. Let me see by meditation." That is yogi's business. Dhyānāvasthita tad gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogina. This is yoga system.
There is a ruling all over the universe under the jurisdiction of Dharmarāja, or the supreme judge, for considering sinful and pious activities. There is a big government within this universe. But those who are thinking very poorly, without any advanced knowledge, atheist, they think that everything is coming automatically. Anīśva, anīśvara rahuḥ.(?) They say there is no īśvara, supreme ruler, and everything is happening by nature. But they cannot explain what is nature. At least, they have to admit nature is a power which is controlling him. We are not independent of the laws of nature. That is not possible. Even if you accept nature, then you are under the control of nature. That is a fact. Who is controlling nature, that you may not know because your knowledge is very poor. But nature is controlling you, that you can understand, everyone can understand. You cannot supersede the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Just like ordinary criminal, thief. The police is chastising him. He does not think that there is any other power over the police. He thinks the police is the father and mother, and he is poor class. He does not know that police is not the supreme power. The supreme power is the president or the minister of law and order. He thinks, "This constable is everything." So poor-class thinking, they think nature is everything. But any way, everyone is under the control of nature.
You cannot supersede the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Just like ordinary criminal, thief. The police is chastising him. He does not think that there is any other power over the police. He thinks the police is the father and mother, and he is poor class. He does not know that police is not the supreme power. The supreme power is the president or the minister of law and order. He thinks, "This constable is everything." So poor-class thinking, they think nature is everything. But any way, everyone is under the control of nature.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
The so-called scientists, thinker, they are thinking that "We are everything. We can create, and we can control over the nature." These are all mad thinking. It is not possible. Nobody has ever been able to control over the nature, what to speak of understanding God. God is the controller of nature. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Nature is not independent.
So ūcur niṣedhitās tāṁs te. They are the servants of Yamarāja, vaivasvata. So therefore they are vaivasvata-puraḥsarāḥ. The important assistants of Vaivasvata, Yamarāja, they heard that somebody is warning, "Don't touch." In the previous verse we have learned, vārayām āsuḥ, forbidden, "Don't touch," ojasā, very strongly. So they became surprised, "Who are these persons? They are interfering with our business. We have come from supreme authority, magistrate." Just like police comes with his warrant of magistrate—nobody can check it. If somebody wants to check it, then he will be punished. The whole government force is behind the warrant of the police. Nobody can check it. If there is riot, then government will bring military forces to accept. So this is called ruling. So we are under these rulings. However foolishly we may declare we are independent, that is our completely foolishness. When the warrant is there, you cannot check it. The whole power is behind. Either you become the great scientist or philosopher, when the warrant of death will come from Yamarāja, there is no power to check it. Therefore they were surprised, that "Who is this foolish?" But they saw that the persons, they are coming from Vaikuṇṭha. They had different features, so beautiful, four handed, nicely decorated. So they were surprised.
So there is śāsana. Śāsana means government. Śās-dhātu I have several times explained. Śās-dhātu means ruling. Śās-dhātu. From śās-dhātu the word has come, śāsana. There are many other words. From śās-dhātu is śāstra. And from śās-dhātu, śāstra. From śās-dhātu, śāsanam. The Sanskrit words are coined from the dhātu verb. So śās-dhātu means ruling. So there is ruling. You cannot think that you are independent. There is government. If you disobey the ruling, the government has got police department, and if you are still disobedient there will be military department. You cannot disobey the rulings of the government. Similarly, this government, God's government, there are so many things—government officers, department rulings. Don't think that there was a chunk and immediately there was... Nonsense. It is not chunk. (laughs) It is regular government. Just like we have here a small place. In Hawaii you have got so many government officers, rulers. And do you think such a vast (indistinct) is manifested and there is no ruling? Just see how poor thought. There is ruling. Don't think all of a sudden that... Any sane man can understand that things are being carried systematically—the seasonal changes, the seasonal fruits and flowers, the sunrise, the moonrise, the birds, death, old age, disease, everything systematically. And is that happening by chance? Why by chance one does not live forever? There is no such chance, sir. There is ruling. You cannot say, "Now here is a chance the man has not died." Where is that chance? Why do you speak of nonsense chance? It is not chance. It is ruling. You must die. However, utopianly says, "Now we shall live." Oh, that is not. There is ruler.
So in that interview I gave that information that woman's freedom? I gave this reply, that "Where is the woman's freedom? The boy and the girl intermingle, and the girl becomes pregnant, and the boy goes away without any responsibility, and the burden..., the child is a burden for the woman. Either she should kill or beg from the government. Is that independence?" They are trying to be independent. This is not civilization. There is no question of independence. The woman must be given protection in childhood by the father unless she is married, and in youthhood by the husband, and in old age by grown up sons. This is Vedic civilization. Na striyaṁ svatantram arhati. Just like children, they must be always protected. It is not dependence, it is protection. So there should be responsible father, responsible husband, responsible sons to keep woman very happy. In India still it is going on.
So anyone who has accepted this body, daihyasya, and whatever he is doing, it is all being witnessed by so many witnesses. How can you avoid? How you can do something very secretly? That is not possible. Everything is being noted. And so punishment or reward, you will have to accept because you are not independent. We foolishly say independent. "We don't care for anybody. There is no God." But there is death. That you have to believe. So that death is God. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca. One who does not see God during lifetime, so he will see God at the time of death. So there is no question of not seeing God. Here is God, Kṛṣṇa. He is standing. He is so merciful. He has come to this temple so that we can take the advantage of seeing Him, But we are seeing Him still idol or something, stone or wood. He does not know that because we cannot see now at the present moment without being wood or stone or something material, so Kṛṣṇa has very kindly come to me so that I can see Him in a form which I can see. That is His mercy. We have repeatedly said this.
So Yamarāja is for this purpose. When we are punished that is no envious envy on the part of God or His agent; it is our correction, I think the Yamarāja, er, the Yamadūtas said in the beginning that "We have come to take Ajāmila just to correct him." So dharma and adharma... Our real dharma is to serve God. That is our real duty. And as soon as we neglect this permanent service or occupation, then we are liable to be punished. You cannot become independent of God. That is not possible. That will (not) make you happy. The healthy condition of the finger is that it is able to serve the body. If the finger is not able to serve the body, that will mean unhealthy. Otherwise... Similarly, when we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engaged in the service of the Lord, that is our healthy state. That is mukti, liberation. Mukti means no disease. So when we deny to serve Kṛṣṇa, when we are not engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is our diseased condition. That is not healthy condition.
So we are, at the present moment in different conditions of life on account of our different activities, pious and impious, dharma, adharma. So pious activities means to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa, and impious activities means to be controlled by māyā. We have to be controlled. Our position is such that we cannot become controller. That is not possible. If we want to become controller, that is my artificial desire. And the resultant action we will have to suffer. First of all you must understand this, that we are controlled. Either you agree to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa or you agree to be controlled by māyā, but you cannot become controller. Is there anyone here who can say that "I am controller"? Is there anyone who will answer this? So I may think that "I am controller," but I am controlled by drugs, by sense gratification, desires-kāma krodha lobha moha mātsarya. So there is no question of the living entity's being independent. That is not possible. He is dependent. But if he becomes dependent on Kṛṣṇa, then life is successful. Exactly the position, the dog. The dog is loitering without being controlled by somebody, he is seeking, "Somebody may control me." He's seeking position. But if he does not get anybody to control him, his life is very precarious; he is not happy. Therefore, if you want to be happy, then we must return to our own original position: to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa. This is perfection of life.
In another place, in the Third Canto, I think, it is described, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). We are acting in different way. We are not independent. This is foolishness. Just like an outlaw. He is thinking that he is free from the jurisdiction of state laws, and he is working irresponsibly, but when he is arrested, then he has no independence. He has to undergo the punishment. Similarly, in this life we may think very independent, "Whatever we like, we can do." That is foolishness. You cannot do that. If you do it wilfully, then you will be punished. That they do not know. Punished means by a different body. If a man, human being, is punished to stand up like as a tree for five thousand years, just imagine how much great punishment it is. And that is possible. Just like in the śāstra it is stated that those who want to remain naked, they are punished in the next life to become tree, that "You wanted to be naked. Now you stand naked." The trees, they do not dress; neither they have the opportunity. Nobody goes to dress them. So they stand naked for so many hundreds and thousands of years. This punishment is awaiting. Human being is not supposed to be naked. That is civilization. They must cover. But if one wilfully does not cover, becomes as dull as the tree, then he gets the next body as tree. This is punishment. Otherwise, wherefrom all these living entities are coming? They have no calculation. They are thinking that "I shall remain in this human form of beautiful body and in opulent..." No, changing. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change your body according to the decision of superior authority, daiva-netreṇa. We should always remember it.
So how to keep oneself always with Kṛṣṇa, that is the aim of human life. And if we do not do that, that is sinful. Then we become punishable, that "You were given the chance to understand yourself, Kṛṣṇa and your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. You did not take this chance." Oh, he is punished: "All right, you become again animal, again in the cycle of birth and death." So we should be very, very careful. Do not think that "We are independent, and we can do whatever nonsense I like." That is very risky life. Do not think like that, foolishly. There is a regular... There is Yamarāja. Because we are sons of Kṛṣṇa, when Kṛṣṇa wants that "These My sons, rascals, are suffering in this material world. Let them come back home," therefore He comes personally. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmyaham (BG 4.7). He desires that, that "These rascals, they are rotting in this material world, birth after birth. Let them come back." Because He is more affectionate. So... And if he does not utilize this human form of life to take the advantage of going back to home, back to Godhead, that is sinful. Then he is punished.
So, the fact is, this is nature's law. Nature's law is that if the human being does not follow the injunction of the śāstra and he acts whimsically, independently, then he becomes punishable, exactly in the state laws, if you violate the laws... You are not independent. If you violate the laws, you'll be punished. Similarly, dharma means the laws of God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). So if you violate the laws of God, the principles of dharma, then you will be punished. What is that principle of dharma? This Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We have manufactured so many different types of religious faith, but they are man-manufactured. They are not laws. And now it is being supported by many so-called swāmīs, that "You can manufacture your own religion. It doesn't matter. Whatever nonsense type of religion you follow, you get the same result." This is going on. But that is not the fact. Dharma is that, only one. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). To surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is real dharma. And what of others? They are cheating. That is stated in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2). Kaitava means cheating. Cheating type of religion is rejected.
So we cannot violate the laws of God, or dharma. Then we'll be punished. The punishment is there, awaiting, by the laws of nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). The laws of nature is to punish you. So long you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, the laws of nature will go on punishing you—three kinds of miserable conditions: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. This is the law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You are thinking independent, but that is not the fact. We are dependent, completely dependent on the laws of nature. And laws of nature means laws of God. What is prakṛti? Prakṛti is acting under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Just like a police constable is working under the direction of magistrate or superior office, similarly, prakṛti is giving us various types of miserable condition of life directed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ suyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Kṛṣṇa says, "Under My superintendence the laws of nature is working." And what is the laws of nature? That in the human form of life, if you do not endeavor to understand what is God, what you are, what is your relationship with God, what is your duty—these things, if you do not learn, then you are punishable immediately.
As soon as you forget Kṛṣṇa and you want to act independently, then immediately you are captured by māyā and you are punished.
So when you come to this senses, that "I am punished by māyā on account of my forgetting Kṛṣṇa consciousness; therefore my duty is to come back again to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be saved from the punishment of the material nature," that is human duty. You cannot say that "I don't want Kṛṣṇa consciousness." If you don't want, then you must suffer. If you want to save yourself from suffering, then you must take to Kṛṣṇa. It is a question of "must." It is not your option. Your option is there. Because you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, you have got little independence. But if you misuse that independence, then you are punishable. You cannot. Just like everyone has got little independence to violate the laws of the state. You can do that, but that is punishable. So if we take the risk of being punished, then we can violate the laws of nature or laws of God. The laws of God is very simple thing. It is not very difficult. God personally says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Just always think of Me." So it is not at all difficult. Kṛṣṇa is here. You see the Deity of Kṛṣṇa. Have impression in your heart how Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma is standing, how Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is standing, how Gaura-Nitai is standing. So you can think always. Man-manā. Or you can think of Him by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty? Man-manā. You become devotee, come here in the temple, offer your respect. So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not at all difficult. But people will not take to it; therefore they must suffer. This is the law.
Unfortunately the go-dāsas are claiming to be gosvāmīs. That is the cause of falldown of Indian Vedic civilization. One has to become gosvāmī. Gosvāmī means refuse to follow the dictation of the senses. Simply he has to follow the dictation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That dictation comes through the paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa dictated Arjuna, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If you follow Arjuna, then you (are) in directly contact with Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty. The dictation comes through disciplic succession. Now Kṛṣṇa is teaching to His disciple, Arjuna. Arjuna accepted, śiṣyas te 'ham: (BG 2.7) "Just now I become Your disciple." Śiṣya means one who voluntarily accepts the ruling of a spiritual master. He is called śiṣya. Nobody wants to follow the dictation of others—that is another independent nature of living entity—but when one voluntarily agrees to serve the dictation of the spiritual master..., means to follow the dictation of Kṛṣṇa... Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt. Kṛṣṇa says, "Ācārya is My self." Nāvamanyeta karhicit: "Never disobey." Na martya-buddhyāsūyeta: "And do not think him as ordinary person and become envious of his position." Then there is fall down. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit, na martya-buddhyāsūyeta (SB 11.17.27).
So long you were in the lower grade of life it was not possible for you to take the path of Vedas and Purāṇas. That was not possible. But now, even if getting the human form of life, if you live for sense gratification like cats and dogs, then the Yamadūta... Yamadūta. Kṛṣṇa nāma kara bhāi āra saba miche, palaye barā kathā naya yo māche piche.(?) These are very easily understandable. You cannot avoid Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. If you avoid, then yo māche piche—the Yamadūtas will carry you. You can say, "I can do whatever I like. Why you are forcing me to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? I can do whatever I like. There is no need of your preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I am independent. I don't believe in the next life." That is the general statement of the rascals and fools. But the fact is different. If you don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Yamadūtas Then you'll be punished. You cannot avoid. You are completely dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme, and you are the servant. You have declined to serve Kṛṣṇa; therefore you must be punished. This is the nature's way. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). You cannot escape. You can not escape the mundane, man-made laws, but you cannot the God-made laws. That is not possible.
So our request is, you all foreigners, so you have learned something about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order. Although He expected that every Indian should go out for parupakāra, but anyway, some of the Indians, at least one... But you take this mission and go everywhere, in every corner. I am thankful to you. You are already doing that, in Europe and America, (people are) deep asleep. Because people are sleeping under misguidance, and they are becoming candidate for being carried away by the Yamadūta. This is the position of the whole world, Yamadūta. Palaye barā kathā naya yo māche piche.(?) Yamāduta will not excuse you, however you may be very proud of becoming independent. This is not possible. To save the human civilization, the rascal civilization, that "There is no life after death, and you go on enjoying as much as you like," this wrong civilization is killing civilization. So you save them. You save them. Otherwise the Yamadūta is there.
If you chant Lord Śiva's name you will get material opulence, but if you chant Lord Viṣṇu's name, then you'll be transferred to the spiritual world. So we have to be very cautious. Just like a person, after being freed from the diseased condition, he is in convalescent stage. In convalescent, again if he does something wrong, the disease is relapse. Then, at that time, one has to be very careful, not that "Because I have become liberated, I'll do anything," no. That is going on. Just like we Indians, we have become independent, and therefore we are doing anything we like and we are conditioned now again.
The certain section, they say that "Why God will come? God has no business to come here." So these rascals, they do not know. Why God will not come? Is He your father's servant, that you think God cannot come, therefore God cannot come? You can think in your way, but God is fully independent. Whenever He likes, He can come. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. Just to show the example. Why God should be restrained not to come? He is not God. If God is restrained by us, by our speculation, by our imagination, that is not God. That is dog. A dog can be restrained: "Don't come here." Why God can be restrained? So there is no reason. He says freely that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). He wants. We are part and parcel of God, just like sons are part and parcel of father. If the father is rich man, all-powerful, he does not like to see that his sons are loitering in the street without any food, without any shelter. He doesn't like. Father entreats, "My dear son, why you are rotting in this way? Come home. You'll be comfortable.
So Yamarāja says, (reads Sanskrit commentary) ko 'sau yatra yasmin vittam otam protam urdham urdhva tiryak tanti tu tatavat yasya tu amsabhyo brahma-visnu-rudrebhyasya trtiyadaya bhagavān tu yasya ca bhase loka vartase nasi nasikayam prota bali madhyam iva vastu.(?) So, before claiming oneself as the Supreme, one should consider how he is the Supreme. There are different controllers. And the supreme controller, as is explained by Yamarāja, is one who creates this cosmic manifestation, maintains, and again annihilates. He is the supreme cont... And this is confirmed by Bhagavad-gītā, that this prakṛti, or the nature, is not working independently. The scientists take it, a platform, that the nature is doing out of its own accord. That is not a very scientific proposal. Anyone knows that nothing takes place automatically unless one living force adjusts the materials. The house does not come automatically, although the ingredients are there. It has to be handled by a living entity, and then the house is appearing as one of the product of this material world. Similarly, we have to consider that this big cosmic manifestation is not creation of blunt material energy. No. That is not possible. There must be. How one can deny God? There is no possibility of denying God.
As soon as we desire to enjoy... Because constitutionally we are not enjoyer; we are enjoyed. We are not predominator, but we are predominated. That is our position. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Our real position is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is our real position. But because we have got little independence... Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is supremely independent. abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ. Description of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ (SB 1.1.1). Sva-rāṭ means fully independent. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent. But because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are minutely possessing almost, not all, all the qualities of Kṛṣṇa in proportionately in minute quantity. Just like the particle of gold is also gold. That is nothing else but gold. But the value of that particle is different from the gold mine. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is like that. Kṛṣṇa is just like the gold mine, and I and you, just like gold earring. The gold earring or gold finger ring or any golden ornament, that is gold undoubtedly, but is not as big as the gold mine. That is the difference between God and ourself. That is the difference. Qualitatively, we are one, being part and parcel of the Supreme Absolute Truth, but quantitatively we are different. Therefore, simultaneously, we are one and different. This is called acintya-bhedābheda tattva. Acintya. We cannot conceive in our present status of life that one thing can be equal and different from another. But if we think over it (a) little soberly, we can understand. This is the example. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7).
Here is the perfect sense gratification, Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī. The same thing as here: young boys and girls, they try to enjoy senses. But where this propensity comes from? It is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the quality of sense gratification is there; therefore we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, the quality of sense gratification also there. But the difference is here we are trying to gratify our senses in the material world; therefore we are frustrated. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that you gratify your senses in association with Kṛṣṇa. Then it is perfect. The same example: just like this finger, the finger. There is a nice sweetball or a nice foodstuff. The finger picks it up, but it cannot enjoy. It has to be..., the foodstuff has to be, given to the stomach, and then the finger also can enjoy. Similarly, we cannot gratify our senses directly, but when we join with Kṛṣṇa, when Kṛṣṇa enjoys, then we can enjoy. This is our position. The same example: the finger independently cannot eat anything, cannot enjoy the sweetball, nice sweetballs. The finger can pick it up and put it in the stomach, and the stomach enjoys, the finger enjoys. This is our position.
Now at the present moment in a godless civilization, if some great scientist proves... Just like Professor Einstein, he also said that as we are making advance in science we find that there is a big brain behind this cosmic manifestation. That is acceptance of God. What is that big brain? That big brain is God. The Vedānta-sūtra says janmady asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Just like when you see a wonderful bridge or wonderful engineering work, you must think that there is a brain behind it. This nice construction, there is a brain behind it. Similarly, those who are sane men, they'll see that with this cosmic, in this cosmic manifestation, so wonderfully working. The sun is rising in due time, the moon is rising in due time, the seasons are being changed in due course, the rain is there, the produce is there, the fruit is there, everything is nicely arranged. So don't you think that there is a brain behind it? Must be. The Bhagavad-gītā says mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Don't think that this material nature is working automatically or independently. There is a brain behind it.
So we are making different plans but it will not be successful. That much I explained last night, that we are thinking independent and we are planning so many things independently to become happy. It is not possible. That is not possible. That is māyā's illusory play. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā. You cannot surpass. Then what is the ultimate solution? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). If we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then we revive our original position. That is... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means instead of keeping so many things in consciousness... They are all polluted consciousness. The real... We have got consciousness, that is a fact, but our consciousness is polluted. So we have to purify the consciousness.
Even Brahmā, he is also worshiping the Supreme God. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yatra sūrayaḥ. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). So God is svarāṭ. He is not dependent on any other controller. That is God. We are god, that's all right, but we are controlled even by the material nature, what to speak of other things. So we are not independent. Independent God is Kṛṣṇa. Svarāṭ. He is described as svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means independent. He is not controlled by anyone. That is real God. And we may be god but imitation god or small god. But the great... "God is great." That "great" God is Kṛṣṇa. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that kaumāra. The boys... He was taking the opportunity of teaching his class friend. He was five years old boy and his father was a great demon, Hiraṇyakaśipu: "Don't talk of God." So in this way he was in a very precarious condition. Still, because he was a Vaiṣṇava he was taking the opportunity of preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Now what kind of body he's going to get? Because I have already explained. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body. So the answer is he can get any of these forms. There is no guarantee that he will again get the American body or Englishmen body or Swiss body—not like that. That will depend on nature. That is not in your hand. As soon as you change your body, the next change will be offered by nature according to your desire. So in this life we are creating different types of desires. Therefore, we find different types of bodies. This is nature's work. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Don't think that you are independent. None of us are independent. We may think independently that "There is no God, there is no nature's work, we are everything." That crazy statements may be there, but there is good management, beyond our conception. As you see there is good management in the natures—exactly in due course of time the sun is rising, the moon is rising, the seasons are being changed, the water is there in the ocean, it is not transgressing the limit, the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean. There is full control of the material nature. And behind this material nature, there is God. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Prakṛti, nature is working, but nature is working under the direction of God. That we get information from this Vedic literature.
Don't think nature is blind. Nature is matter, material energy. It cannot work independently, just like machine. Machine, it is made of matter. But if there is no driver, however efficient machine may be, it is useless, a lump of matter (only). There must be driver. Similarly, whatever wonderful activities you find within this material nature, that is not being done independently. That is being done under the driver. Just like the big car or this airship is running very nicely so long the pilot is there, so long the driver is there. Without pilot, even the arrangement is very nice, good machinery assembly, but it cannot work. Similarly, this nature, although we find very wonderfully working, but behind this nature, there is the living entity, supreme living entity, God. So to understand that God, how He is working, what we are, what is our relationship with God, why we are here, why we are transmigrating from one body to another—all these are called bhāgavata-dharma. This is called bhāgavata-dharma.
But these rascals, they do not understand that everyone is strictly under the laws of nature.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
This is the position. Independently doing everything, irresponsibly doing everything, do not care for sinful activities. This is implication. Entanglement. Therefore Bhagavān says in the Bhagavad-gītā: yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If you do not act for yajña... Yajña means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is called yajña. (aside:) What is that exercise? So, yajñarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). The, here Prahlāda Mahārāja says yajña means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore varṇāśrama-dharma, according to Vedic civilization.
Yes. Marginal energy is that, that by your individuality you can abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa, and if you like, you do not abide by the order of Kṛṣṇa. That is your choice. That is practical everywhere. The father and son—the son may obey the father, and the son may disobey also. That is the choice of the son. That is given there, that every individual living entity has got this minute quantity of independence. And as soon as we misuse this minute quantity of independence we are in the hands of māyā. Just like in every country... You are American. You are considered to be independent. But that does not mean that you are absolutely independent, you can do whatever you like. But you have got the right to do whatever you like. But as soon as you misuse your independence, you are in danger, although you belong to the independent nation. So there is possibility of misusing the independence at every moment. Therefore we have to continue Kṛṣṇa consciousness so this possibility of misusing the independence will no longer live. All right.
This body is given by the material nature at the direction of..., by the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Because the nature is working by the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Nature is not independent. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). So īśvara, Kṛṣṇa, as Supersoul, He is in the core of my heart, sitting with me. I am also in the heart. And I am desiring, and Kṛṣṇa is fulfilling my desire. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Smṛtiḥ, Kṛṣṇa gives a body, by the living entity: "You wanted to eat anything and everything, without any discrimination—now take this body of a hog. You can eat even stool. I give you the facility." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam. "Now, here you have got this body, you eat stool." Smṛtir jñānam. In this way we are going on, life after life. We are creating different types of body. This is called seasonal changes. Just like there is tree, and every season there are fruits. The fruits, they are undergoing six kinds of transformation. First of all it is just like a small bud, or flower, then grows into a green fruit, then it is ripened fruit, then there is seed, then it is completely ripened, then falls down and finished.
You can perceive the activities of the soul even in your present state. That I am explaining, that the soul's activities is to serve. So we are serving dog. We have to serve God. That is soul's activities, real. Simply the difference is that instead of dog, we have to change the word—"God." The service is already there. Your activities are already there. You are not stopped. It is not a new thing. Service is already there. Just like India has become independent, or you have become independent. Now, there were government servants. Before independence declared, they were servant in the same office. And now the Britishers have gone away, Indians are controlling their own management. The same servant is there. Now he's thinking, "I am independent." And what independence? You are serving here still. In the British period, you also served, and you are serving. What is your independence? "Oh, now I am serving my own country." That's all, rubberstamp change. For imperial government, "His Majesty," now the rubber is "India government." The rubber stamp is changed. So you have to change your rubber stamp. Instead of serving dog, you have to serve God. That's all. Change your rubber stamp. Is it very difficult? So please try to change your rubber stamp. That's all. Yes.
That means Kṛṣṇa has given us little independence. Independence, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is fully independent, sva-rāṭ. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). He is fully independent. But we are, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got also little independence. That quality is there. Kṛṣṇa does not touch that independence quality. You can utilize it. You can use it properly, you can misuse it also. That is independence. Kṛṣṇa does not force that "You must do this." He can give you instruction. Just like Kṛṣṇa gives instruction, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Now it is my independence, I can give up everything, all other engagements, and I can simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. And I cannot also, I may not. If I don't like, Kṛṣṇa does not interfere. Kṛṣṇa says, "Whatever you like, you do." Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). That is, Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, "Now whatever you like you do." So this independence is always there.
You may falsely be proud. You say, "No, no, I shall not become old man. I shall remain young." But nature will not allow you. Nature will force you to take the old man's body. But these foolish people, they are thinking, "independent." You are not independent. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). Sad-asad, good birth or low-class birth, sad-asad, that is... How it is done? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. As you make association with the guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. If you associate with sattva-guṇa, then you get sad-janma next life. And if you associate with tamo-guṇa, then you get tamo-guṇa life. After death your so much prestigious position, so much proud—everything will be finished. Then you are completely under the laws of nature and you have to accept a body and..., according to your quality. This is the way. But they do not know. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I am born in ugra-yoni, so how can I offer my prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" But he was born in the ugra family, but he was devotee. He's qualified because a devotee is neither belonging to any of these material qualities.
As soon as. As soon as one tries to become independent without serving Kṛṣṇa, that means he is in māyā. He's in māyā. Immediately māyā is there. Just like as soon as you become a criminal, a thief, immediately you are under the jurisdiction of the police, immediately, without the... You may hide yourself for time being, but immediately you have become criminal. Similarly, as soon as one is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's immediately a criminal, punishable. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta... (BG 7.15). He does not know what he's doing, this rascal narādhamāḥ, mūḍha. These mūḍhas... Therefore when we say that a man who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is narādhamāḥ, mūḍhāḥ, that is a fact. But the world is such that satyaṁ bruyāt priyaṁ bruyāt ma bruyāt satyam apriyam. They want if you can say the truth, but don't say the unpalatable truth. But that is social etiquette. When you speak about spiritual life there is no such scope. You must speak the truth: "Yes, you are rascal. Because you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious: rascal, mūḍha. You are sinful. You are lowest of the mankind." Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ.
So this material world is that heat. Just like I am sitting here, I feel heat—immediately I shall be warm. There must be some fire; otherwise wherefrom the heat is coming? "See where there is fire." If there is smoke, then one should understand there is fire. I have seen practically in Nainital, very high hill, and there was smoke. So I asked the station master that "Why there is smoke?" So he said, "There is forest fire." So nobody goes there to set fire, but there is fire. By the smoke, one can understand there is fire. Similarly, we should try to understand there is presence of Kṛṣṇa by the heat and light; two energies, spiritual energy and material energy. The spiritual energy means light. You can see directly Kṛṣṇa. You can talk with Him. You can deal with Him. And the material world the heat is there. The Kṛṣṇa's energy is working. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Without Kṛṣṇa's energy, how everything is taking place? And He is explaining. He says, mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10). Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. Don't be rascal, that "This material nature is working automatically." This is rascal's. Material nature is not working independently, not by accident. It is not accident that exactly at 6:30 or 6:15 the sun is rising. Do you think accident takes place every day? One day you may say, "The sun is rising at 6:30 by accident." But daily? What is this rascaldom?
So those who support this accident theory, they are simply rascals. How accident can take place exactly in the same time and in the same way, exactly in the same season changing? And the flowers are coming. The atmosphere is different. Is that accident? Less intelligent, mūḍhā. They will not agree that it is being done by God, by the direction of..., mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10). Adhyakṣa means direction. So the sun, moon, or anything material that is working, we see they are working very wonderfully, but don't think that they are working automatically or independently. No. That is not possible. The foolish man may think like that, "automatically." No, there is no automatically, no accident. Therefore, yena yasmād yataḥ yad uta, superior, inferior—everything is systematically being done according to the desire. They say, "Not a blade of grass moves without the desire of Kṛṣṇa." That's a fact. Without Kṛṣṇa's desire... Every step we are going forward, it is guided by Kṛṣṇa. It is not directly by Kṛṣṇa but through the instrument of Kṛṣṇa. This is nature.
So Durgā-devī is keeping you captivated. When Kṛṣṇa says, "Let him go," immediately released. Immediately you are released. And when Kṛṣṇa says, "Keep him under your control," so you have to remain. So we are captivated now within this material world. We are announcing that "We are independent. Whatever we like, we can do." These are all foolishness. You are entangling yourself, simply entangling. A little mistake—you'll have to suffer. Just like in our daily affairs you can eat so much. A little more eating means disturbance in the digestion. You are so much under the control of nature. But these rascals, they do not understand it. They declare, "Freedom."
So it is possible. Because a living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so he has got the qualities of Kṛṣṇa in very, very minute, fragmental portion. I have several times explained this. Just like a small drop of sea water has got the same chemical composition as the vast sea water. Therefore, if you taste the vast sea water, it is salty, and the drop is also salty because the same chemical composition is there in minute quantity. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is svatantam. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). Svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means independent. Bhāgavata begins that "The origin of everything, the Absolute Truth, is sentient." He's not a chunk. He's sentient. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). Abhijñaḥ means sentient. He's not a dull matter. But, the question is, wherefrom knowledge and sense comes? We have to take senses, learn knowledge, from master, from teacher. But so far Kṛṣṇa is concerned, He is svarāṭ. He hasn't got to take any knowledge from anyone. That is Kṛṣṇa's, I mean to say, feature, svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means independent. Everything He's independent. He's not dependent. Nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. The other day we learned, nija-lābha-pūrṇaḥ. He is always complete in Himself.
So when we imitate Kṛṣṇa—we want to be complete in ourself without the help of Kṛṣṇa—this is called māyā. Māyā means that we want to imitate Kṛṣṇa. That is going on, material world. Therefore you'll find these Māyāvādīs... (aside:) Who is that? Take him out. The Māyāvādīs, they persist on this point, that "I am God." The māyā is working there. Māyā is working there still, although he is thinking that "I am now liberated. I have become Nārāyaṇa." Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. He is thinking that "I am God." That means he is in the darkest region of māyā, and still, he is thinking that he's liberated. He is thinking what he's not. At the present moment, you'll find, the whole world is filled up with these rascals. They are in the deepest region of māyā and concocting that he is God, he is God. This is māyā. Therefore it is said, māyā manaḥ. The māyā manaḥ is so strong that māyā manaḥ sṛjati karmamayaṁ balīyaḥ. Very strong. His material existence began from this point, that "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? I shall remain independent." But the rascal does not know that he cannot become independent. That is not possible. But this is the beginning of material life. "Why shall I accept God? I am God." So the same thing is continuing in different phases.
So we cannot engage our senses for Kṛṣṇa. This is the disturbing condition of material world. Senses are there, I am there, and how the senses should be utilized, the subject matter is also there, but it is misled. This is called māyā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So what is the business of the servant? The business of the servant is to carry out the order of the master. So the senses are... I am the body—taking for the time being—and my senses, hands, legs, eyes, ears, tongue, genital, so many, ten senses, they are working senses and knowledge-gathering senses. There are so many senses. So if I am servant of Kṛṣṇa, then my senses should be always ready to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is real position. But we are not doing that. We shall wait, that "If I serve Kṛṣṇa, then where is the opportunity for my living condition?" No. There is good opportunity. Just like we want to eat. That is the first problem. So if we say, "Don't eat this," so that does not mean you don't eat. The eating is not prohibited, but eating independently, whimsically, that is prohibited. Just like to keep your health in good order, sometimes it is said, "You don't eat it." That does not mean eating is prohibited. The some particular thing is prohibited. But we are accustomed to satisfy our senses; therefore we are misled.
So Kṛṣṇa is bhava-sambhava-lopa-hetoḥ. Everything which is going on—creation, maintenance, and also annihilation—the original cause is Kṛṣṇa. When there is need of creation, the cause is Kṛṣṇa. When there is need of maintenance, the cause is Kṛṣṇa. Everything, the cause is Kṛṣṇa. And there is annihilation—the cause is Kṛṣṇa. So sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya, although it is being done... Sṛṣṭi means creation; sthiti means maintenance; pralaya means destruction. These things are going on in the material world. Everything is created. Just like your body, my body, it is created at a certain date. There is history. And it will maintain, say, utmost, for fifty, sixty or hundred years. It will never be eternal. Because it is created, it cannot be eternal. Anything created cannot be eternal. So this sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana is actually being done by Kṛṣṇa, whatever way. But because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa in the background, we see only the wonderful activities of the nature. Nature is working not independently—by the direction of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Whatever is going on by the wonderful activities of nature... People are amazed by seeing the wonderful activities of nature. But behind these activities there is the direction of the Supreme Personality. Therefore Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva is addressed here, bhava-sambhava-lopa-hetoḥ.
So Kṛṣṇa can do anything. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya-vṛttimanti. He can do anything. We cannot do without His favor. So Prahlāda Mahārāja requests that "If You kindly become merciful upon us, it is not a great task for You, because You can do whatever You like. Because You are the cause of creation, maintenance and destruction, so it is not difficult for You." Besides that, mūḍheṣu vai mahad-anugraha ārta-bandho. Generally, those who are ārta-bandhu, friend of the suffering humanity, they specially show favor to the mūḍha, to the rascals. Kṛṣṇa comes for that purpose because every one of us, we are mūḍhas. Duṣkṛtino. Na māṁ duṣkṭtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante. Normally we, because we are sinful, because we are mūḍhas, we do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ prapadyante. Anyone who does not surrender to Kṛṣṇa, He is classified as duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhamā, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. It is not at all possible to become independent of Kṛṣṇa's will. That is not possible. Therefore those who are trying to work independently, without Kṛṣṇa's favor, they're mūḍha, all rascals. They will not accept what Kṛṣṇa says, and they are trying to establish some law without Kṛṣṇa. "There is no need of God." This is the... Most scientists, they say like that. "Now we have got science. We can do everything." They are mūḍhas. It is not possible. Independently you cannot do without Kṛṣṇa's favor.
So best thing is that always try to seek favor of Kṛṣṇa. And you cannot seek Kṛṣṇa's favor directly. That is also another point. Kiṁ tena te priya-janān anusevatāṁ naḥ. You cannot jump over to Kṛṣṇa without the favor of His devotee. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. You cannot seek favor of Bhagavān directly. That is another foolishness. You must go through the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. This is our process. We don't approach Kṛṣṇa directly. We must begin our service to the Kṛṣṇa's servant. And who is Kṛṣṇa's servant? One who has become the servant of another Kṛṣṇa's servant. This is called dāsa-dāsānudāsa. Nobody can be independently servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is another foolishness. Kṛṣṇa never accepts anyone's service directly. No. That is not possible. You must come through the servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). This is called paramparā system. As you receive knowledge by the paramparā system... Kṛṣṇa spoke to Brahmā, Brahmā spoke to Nārada, Nārada spoke to Vyāsadeva, and we are getting this knowledge. Just like Kṛṣṇa... Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna.
Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Vaiṣṇava... That is Vaiṣṇava's duty, because they practically see that these rascals are engaged only in false activities which will not help him. They are planning this "ism," that "ism," that "ism," that "ism," simply wasting time, because he knows. He knows, everyone knows, but Vaiṣṇava understands; the non-Vaiṣṇava does not understand. He is a fool. He's a fool, does not understand. When in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said clearly, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), "Everyone is under the control of the modes of material nature, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa," and still, this rascal is thinking that he is independent... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ. And the so-called yogis and swamis encouraging them, that "Yes, you can go on doing all nonsense. Pay me thirty-five dollars, I will give you mantra, and you'll be perfect." This is going on.
So that is the problem. For Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement these are the problems. First of all the public is also vimūḍha, rascal, and their so-called leaders, political, social, religious, and so on, so on, so on, so many leaders, misguiding them. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantrya uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Everyone knows that "I am completely under the stringent laws of material nature," and still, they are making plan to become independent. This is their vimūḍha, vimūḍhaka. This is their stupidity. Stupidity. They are seeing,
- ahany ahani lokāni
- gacchantīha yama-mandiram
- śeṣāḥ sthitam icchanti kim
- āścaryam ataḥ param
The Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja asked by Dharmaraja that "What is the most wonderful thing in this world?" he said, "This is the most wonderful thing." What is that? Ahany ahani lokāni gacchantīha yama... "Every moment people are dying." Lokani, every planet. Not that in this planet there is death; in other planet there is no death. No. Within this material world every planet, either Brahmā or the small, insignificant ant, must die. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Everyone has to die. There is no excuse. So, and still they are planning permanent settlement. So, this is their vimūḍhaka.
This is the conviction of a (person) perfectly convinced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. The preacher who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they must be convinced that without accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, nobody has any means of escaping these stringent laws of material nature. It is everywhere stated. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti. Unfortunately, the conditioned souls, although they are very, very much afflicted with the pressure of material nature, they have become callous. Every moment, every second, they are being controlled, and still they are thinking they can do anything and everything independently. So in this way they are suffering. But a learned, saintly person... Prahlāda Mahārāja, he thinks that "Without delivering these fallen souls, alone I am not prepared to go back to home, back to God." Naitān vihāya kṛpaṇān.
So we should not think independent. We must become bhadra. Then all auspicity will come. These two words, if you can understand... Prahlāda bhadra bhadraṁ te (SB 7.9.52). If you are not bhadra, then you will remain always abhadra, rākṣasa or asura. And here it is said, 'prīto haṁ te asurottamam: "You are the best of the asura family." Because Prahlāda was born of a father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, and the most ferocious asura, so he cannot escape the relationship with his father, with reference to his father. "How can I say that I am not son of a...?" There is that asura, mean, facility or disadvantage. But he is uttama. He surpassed that platform. How it is possible? Now, because Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon him. Prīto 'ham. Although he is born in an asura family, low-grade family, but because Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon him, he becomes immediately bhadra. This is the facility. So those who speak that the, these Europeans and Americans cannot become Vaiṣṇava, they are mistaken. If Kṛṣṇa is pleased upon them, immediately they become the best of the brāhmaṇas. Here it is said, prīto 'ham: "Never mind you are born in the family of asura, but because I am pleased, you are all-purified.
They are traveling, wandering. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya sad-asad janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). These rascals who are not dhīra, they are thinking independent, rascals. Not a single moment you are independent. You are controlled. Even if we are dropping our eyelids, there is regulative principles. Some demigod is controlling. Breathing. Breathing, there is control. You can breathe for so many years, that's all, and live. And when the breathing is finished, then you are not controller. The great scientists, they are begin oxygen gas, injection. Can you increase the period breathing for a moment? No. Controlled. Controlled. You cannot increase your breathing even for a moment. So the yogis, they try to save the breathing. That is yogic process. Samādhi. They practice breathing control so that without breathing they can remain. Recaka, kumbhaka yoga, so they can increase their life. Suppose I shall live for eighty years or hundred years. There is breathing period. If I can save breathing, then I can live more. Just like your bank balance. If you don't spend it, your balance is all right. But you spend it, then the balance will be zero some day.
| Page Title: | Independent (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 10 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=234, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 234 |