Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that this body is the network of ignorance, simply sense gratification, "I shall eat this. I shall eat that. I shall hear this. I shall . . ." The ear is engaged in hearing nice cinema songs, and the tongue is engaged going to the restaurant, so many so-called palatable dishes. Similarly, other senses, they are engaged. So the . . . according to bhakti-yoga system, the first control is recommended to the tongue. That is said that, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Now, we receive knowledge through the indriyas, but if the indriyas are impure—senses, they are impure—they cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Na, beginning. Because beginning is śravaṇam. Bhakti-mārga begins by hearing.
Now, what is śravaṇam? Chanting. If there is chanting or there is some speaking, then we can hear. That is recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that simply hear. There are many places recommended that "Hear." So . . . but it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. These present blunt senses, material senses, cannot receive even this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. They say: "This is nuisance." Bhagavān says in the Bhagavad-gītā, catur-vidhā bhajante mām: "Four classes of men who begins bhagavad bhajana," sukṛtina, "those who are pious . . ." But the modern leaders, they say: "This bhajana nuisance." This is our misfortune. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). These are the explanation in the Bhagavad-gītā. Saintly person, mahātmā, they are engaged in chanting satatam, always. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). Kīrtayantaḥ, glorifying. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.
- tṛṇād api sunīcena
- taror api sahiṣṇunā
- amāninā mānadena
- kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
- (CC Adi 17.31)
This is the recommend . . . recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that you should glorify the holy name of Hari. Hari means Kṛṣṇa. So that is the recommendation. But we are meeting so many obstacles because they think, "This chanting is nuisance. This bhajana is nuisance. This is Kali-yuga. Not the Kali-yuga; even every yuga. So ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). A devotee is hearing, he is enjoying, and the nondevotee is thinking, "It is nuisance."
Therefore it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. The blunt senses, material senses, they cannot receive. Nāmādi. Not only name; they cannot see Lord Kṛṣṇa's form. Because hearing and seeing and smelling and tasting and touching . . . we have got so many senses. So these senses being materially contaminated, it cannot hear what is Kṛṣṇa's holy name. Ataḥ kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Then how to understand Kṛṣṇa? That is recommended, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. You have to engage your tongue first of all in the service of the Lord. The Kṛṣṇa realization begins from the tongue. How? Now you simply make it a vow that, "I shall not accept anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa." And you take another vow that, "I shall not talk anything except glorifying the Lord." Then you become perfect. Very simple method. Simply you have to make this determination, that "I shall not talk anything which is not about Kṛṣṇa, and I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa."
So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching these two things specifically. We are distributing little prasādam. If we get opportunity, we can give sumptuous prasādam. We are doing that in all other centers throughout the whole world. By eating, simply by eating, one can be devoted. It doesn't require, if he simply eats Kṛṣṇa prasādam. It is so nice method. So jihvādau. And chanting and hearing. This is recommended here, ya ātma-saṁyama-yogāgnau. Ātmā, you have to make a determination, ātma-saṁyama that, "I shall not allow this tongue to take anything in the restaurant. But I can simply allow the tongue . . ." If you do this, then you become gosvāmī. That is called gosvāmī. Because we are all godāsa. Go means senses.
So actually we are all servants of our senses. The whole activities of the material world means everyone is acting as the servant of his senses, that's all. This is the material world. Everyone is working. Everyone is working so hard. So when one becomes intelligent, then he understands that, "What I am doing? I am thinking that I am master, I am proprietor, I am the head of the family, but what I am doing actually? I am acting as servant of my senses, my son's senses, my wife's senses, my daughter's senses, my servant's senses. That's all." If you speak something wrong even to your servant, the servant will resign, and you will be in trouble. Therefore you have to serve his senses so that he may not be angry. This is our position.