Ṛṣabhadeva, the father of Mahārāja Bharata, under whose name the India is called . . . not India. This whole planet is called Bhārata-varṣa. In the Vedic literature Bhārata-varṣa means this planet. And it is consisting seven islands. That is also mentioned in Vedic literature. Seven islands means Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and Oceania. These seven islands are also mentioned. Description is there.
So this Bhārata-varṣa . . . this planet is called Bhārata-varṣa. Now it is divided. Now it is divided because on account of loss of the old Vedic culture we have now divided. I am thinking, "I am Indian," you are thinking, "Australian." Another is thinking, "American" or "Englishman." These divisions have come very lately, say about three thousand, four thousand years ago. Before that, this planet was one. There was only one king. We get this information from Vedic literature. And he was ruling all over them. The culture was one. That is Vedic culture. Still, I hear some of my student was telling that in Australia there is some Hindu temple somewhere.
So apart from that, the thing is, we are just trying to revive this original consciousness of the human society. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't try to misunderstand. Original consciousness. Just like these boys, mostly they are Europeans, Americans, Canadians. These boys, they are not Indians, neither their father or grandfather knew about Kṛṣṇa. Might be some of them had read Bhagavad-gītā, but nothing particular, the science of Kṛṣṇa. Now, how they have taken this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement so seriously? The only thing is that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not a foreign thing. Every one of you have got Kṛṣṇa consciousness within you. It is lying dormant. It has simply to be aroused. Simply to be aroused. One poet, Vaiṣṇava poet, he is authority, he says:
- nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti sādhya kabhu naya
- śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
- (CC Madhya 22.107)
Udaya means awaken. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there in everyone's heart. It is dormant. Simply by śravaṇādi, by pure hearing process . . . just like a man is sleeping. The consciousness is there, but he appears to be unconscious. He is sleeping. But if somebody calls him, "Mr. Such-and-such, wake up, wake up, wake up." So after two, three callings, he wakes up. He remembers, "Oh, I have got to do so many things." Similarly, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is dormant in everyone's heart. This Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is the process of awakening. That's all. This Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, if we chant repeatedly Hare Kṛṣṇa—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—then the sleeping man awakens to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the process.
So I do not wish to take much of your time. I have simply given introduction to this movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is very simple thing. You do not lose anything. Suppose you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa at your home. Do you think you will be loser? No. Neither we want any money from you that, "Pay me so many dollars, I give you some particular mantra." No. It is not like that. It is open. Everyone can chant. But if you chant, then you will be benefited. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Your heart will be cleansed.