Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). That is the meaning of dharma: obedience to God. There is no conception of God, and what to speak of obedience. But this is the simple meaning of religion: obedience to God. That's all, three words. God is the supreme proprietor, God is the maintainer... Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Therefore we are maintained, we are predominated, we are servant, we should remain obedient to God. This is religion. Where is the difficulty? Unfortunately, they do not know what is God, what is His command, what is religion. They do not know. They manufacture. And because they do not know the simple process, they are called durbuddhi, not very nicely intelligent. A rascal, in other words.
Obedience (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So what kind of religion? They accept dharma as religion, faith, a superfluous faith only. But that is not dharma, religion. Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). That is the meaning of dharma: obedience to God. There is no conception of God, and what to speak of obedience. But this is the simple meaning of religion: obedience to God. That's all, three words. God is the supreme proprietor, God is the maintainer... Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Therefore we are maintained, we are predominated, we are servant, we should remain obedient to God. This is religion. Where is the difficulty? Unfortunately, they do not know what is God, what is His command, what is religion. They do not know. They manufacture. And because they do not know the simple process, they are called durbuddhi, not very nicely intelligent. A rascal, in other words.
Akāma means devotee. Devotees have no desire. They have got desire just to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is natural desire. If the son desires that: "I shall be obedient son of my father," that is natural desire. Or the son desires that: "I shall depend on my father, and I shall be happy," that kind of desire is natural desire. Similarly, if one desires that: "I shall become a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa," that is natural desire. But when I desire to lord it over the material nature and forget my service to Kṛṣṇa, that is called vāsanā. That is material desire, abhilāṣa. So we have to give up these material desires. Then it is bhakti. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñānaṁ karmādy anāvrtam anukūlyena kṛṣṇa... (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11).
So this is Vaiṣṇavism. One who wants to satisfy Viṣṇu, he is called Vaiṣṇava. That is Vaiṣṇavism. Viṣṇu means the Supreme Lord. So everything is arranged to satisfy the Lord Viṣṇu. So where from it begins? The cats and dogs, they can be trained up for satisfying Viṣṇu? No, there is no possibility. They are dogs, animals. They are simply busy with four principles of life: eating, sleeping, sex-life and defending. That's all. They cannot be trained up that "You become very obedient to Lord Viṣṇu. Become a devotee." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). "You become the devotee of Kṛṣṇa." No, that is not possible. Therefore it is said that manuṣyāṇāṁ. Manuṣyāṇāṁ. It is the duty of the manusya, not of the dog. Manuṣyāṇāṁ. Utsanna-kula-dharmānāṁ manuṣyāṇāṁ janārdana (BG 1.43).
He's not acquired. She's given that position by Kṛṣṇa. Because there are many individual souls who will defy Kṛṣṇa; therefore Māyāvādī (Māyādevī) is required to punish them. Māyādevī is required to punish them. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). "It is very difficult to surpass the stringent laws of My māyā." So laws..., the māyā is not independent. Just like police force. What is the value of police force unless government gives the power? Does it mean... Suppose a Mr. John, he comes as a policeman. He's Mr. John. What power he has got? But because government has given him power, he can arrest you. Similarly, Māyā has no powers. Kṛṣṇa has given her power to chastise these individual souls who are defying the authority of Kṛṣṇa. They should be punished. It is Māyā's thankless task, but Māyā is obedient servant of Kṛṣṇa. Mama māyā. He says, "My māyā."
That is the Sanskrit word. Real deva means the Supreme Lord, and when you call devas... These devas, they are all obedient servant of the Lord. They are very powerful. So when you become obedient devotees of the Lord we can get such post. In the sun planet, in the moon planet, in the heavenly planets, in the Brahmā planets. So the devotees of the Lord, they are not loser. They get more power. For controlling power. Therefore they are called devas, devas. Devas means those who are the... There are two words used in Sanskrit, devas and asuras. Asuras. Now the definition of these devas and asuras are like this: viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Viṣṇu-bhakta. Those who are devotees of the Lord, they are devas. This is the difference between devas. Devas, devas and asuras does not mean that asura has got a very ugly face. No. Even a very beautiful man, he can be asura. He can be a... And even a very ugly man, he can be deva. Just like Hanumān. Hanumān was a beast. He was not even man. He was animal. He, he comes from the monkey species of life. But he's a great devotee of Lord Rāmacandra. So he's deva. So viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva. Those who are unalloyed devotees of the Lord, they are called devas. And those who are against the obedience of the Lord, they are called asuras.
So therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very pious movement, the most, the most glorious welfare activities. And we are preaching this movement all over the world. Just to place Kṛṣṇa... Our only ambition is that to place Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is our proposition. We don't want to become Kṛṣṇa, but we want to become the most obedient servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our proposition. So we invite everyone, from all parts of the world, and they are coming, they are joining. So in India Kṛṣṇa appeared. India has got a special advantage to understand Kṛṣṇa, and the Indians neglect it. That's a great misfortune, but we request everyone to join this movement, study the philosophy and become happy. That is our proposition. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)
When he says that "Wherefrom you have got this courage, Prahlāda?" "My dear father," or "My dear demon, I have got this courage wherefrom you have got this courage. But you are forgetting. That is the difference. You have got so much power that you can defeat anyone, even the demigods. You should know that you have got this power from the powerful. But you are not obedient to the powerful." That is demon. Demons, when they get power, they think that "I have got it, I have earned it. It is my thing. Who can challenge me?" But he forgets that everything can be withdrawn within a second by the powerful. That is demoniac. And Vaiṣṇava, devotee means although he is very, very powerful, he never thinks that "I am powerful." He thinks that "I am acting simply by the order of the powerful." This is the difference.
Yes. Suppose a father creates some children. So the purpose is that he wants to enjoy family life. This is the purpose of creation. But the father wants that each and every one of his children become nicely educated, obedient, but if the child, the boy is not nicely, properly taking the instruction of the father and spoils himself, and he is in suffering, so is that the fault of the father or the child? Whose fault it is?
God has given you the chance, all right, you do it. But you are not happy. Huh? God does not want you to become happy, therefore He comes, He instructs you again and again. But you do not hear. You neglect the instruction of God. There are your suffering. You come to your consciousness, become obedient to God, you will be happy. That is our propaganda, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Just like state laws. State laws, there are some rules and regulation in the lawbook, in the statute book of the particular state. Similarly, dharma, another meaning of dharma is, it is the law of God. Maybe differently described in different countries according to different climatic condition or situation. But in every religious scripture the obedience to God is instructed. That is a fact. No scripture says that there is no God and you are independent. Either it is Bible or Koran or Vedas or even Buddhist literature, Buddhist scripture.
Just like the same example, your relationship with the state. You Americans, you follow the state laws, keep the car right, keep right. In India and in England I have seen also, that "Keep to the left." So the process may be different, but the actual obedience to the state is there, either in India, or in America, or in England, or everywhere.
So when there are discrepancies of this violation of law, there is incarnation of God. So Lord Buddha appeared in that way. Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Therefore each and every avatāra, or incarnation of the Lord, has a particular mission, and they are all described in the revealed scriptures. Nobody can be accepted as an avatāra without references to the scriptural indication. It is not a fact that the Lord appears only on Indian soil. He can advent Himself anywhere and everywhere and whenever He desires to appear. In each and every incarnation He speaks as much about religion as can be understood by the particular people under their particular circumstances, but the mission is the same: to lead people to God consciousness and obedience to the principles of religion. Sometimes He descends personally, and sometimes He sends His bona fide representative in the form of His son or servant."
Who are miscreants? Miscreants, means just like outlaw. A person may be very nice, well-educated, or wealth. So many qualifications he might have. But if he is an outlaw, then all his qualification becomes damned. Similarly, duṣkṛtām, miscreant, outlaw, those who are not obedient to the laws of nature or laws of God...
So duṣkṛtina means a person who does not believe this. They are called miscreants. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So God, in His incarnation, appears with two missionary purposes. One purpose is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām, just to protect the pious who are obedient to the laws of God or the laws of nature. And to vanquish persons who are disobedient. They are called duṣkṛtina. This duṣkṛtina, or miscreant, is described in another place also in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). The purpose is, Kṛṣṇa says, that those who are miscreants, always disobeying the laws of nature or always denying the prime factor behind the wonderful activities of nature, such miscreants, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Mūḍhāḥ means they are rascals. They cannot...
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, the point of realization: na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). He says, "I don't want these material riches, dhanam." Everyone is after money. "Money, money, money." But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanam, "I don't want money." Na dhanaṁ na janam. "Don't want followers." Everyone wants to become leader and some followers. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "What is the use of becoming leader of these fools?" Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā. Everyone wants very beautiful, obedient wife. He says, "That also I don't want." Then what do You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). It is so pleasure, it is so great a pleasure that if you come to this bhakti platform, if you realize little, then you'll forget all these things.
Yes. God's law you must know. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā ultimately God says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You just become obedient to Me, surrendered to Me. I shall give you all protection." This is the law. So if you become a surrendered soul to God, then your position is very secure. Otherwise you will suffer.
So accept Kṛṣṇa as son, and He'll be most obedient son just like He was playing the part before Yaśodā. Similarly, accept Kṛṣṇa as husband or lover. You'll never be frustrated. That is the whole philosophy. Anything, whatever desire you have got, you can establish a relationship with Kṛṣṇa in that desire and you'll be happy, perfectly happy, never to be cheated. So na māṁ karmā... iti māṁ yo 'bhijānāti. Anyone who understands this philosophy, this transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, then what is the result? Karmabhir na sa badhyate. Because every act... We are bound up by the reaction of our past deeds. So as soon as we understand the transcendental activities of Kṛṣṇa, at once we become free from all reactions.
Because they have taken to the āsuraṁ bhāvam... Āsuraṁ bhāvam means, Śrīpāda Rāmānujācārya has explained that āsuraṁ bhāvam means disobedience to the order of God. That is āsurīm. And devānām means obedience to the order of God. There are two kinds of men: daiva āsura eva. Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Simply one who carries out the order of Kṛṣṇa, he is devatāḥ, and who does not carry out the orders of Kṛṣṇa, he is āsura. These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely. So I am only requesting that Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that originally we are all Kṛṣṇa conscious, just like the water when it falls down on the ground it is distilled, clear water, but as soon as it touches the earth it becomes muddy.
How you can approach the pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān without being pavitra? So there is a process to appreciate whether Kṛṣṇa or God has form. Unless we adopt the form, superficially it is not possible. I see otherwise there are... Why so many process of bhajana-sādhana if it is so cheap that we can immediately understand what is God? No. And the Veda says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That was our system. First of all, they used to become brahmacārīs, to become most obedient servant of the spiritual master before becoming gṛhastha. Celibacy, brahmacārī, then gṛhastha. So these things are all lost now.
That is no knowledge. So therefore Kṛṣṇa personally says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan. This is a yogi. This is the first-class yogi. Kṛṣṇa has explained that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yukta... (BG 6.47). So śraddhāvān bhajate yo mām, one who is worshiping Kṛṣṇa with śraddhā, with faith, complete faith, bhajate, and serving Him, so who is that person? A devotee. Without being a devotee, how with faith and adherence and reverence and obedience you can serve Kṛṣṇa unless you love Kṛṣṇa?
I think we have discussed all this. Now, tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair ebhiḥ sarvam idaṁ jagat. We are discussing about the three modes of material nature. Now, the Lord says that the whole world is captivated by the three modes of material nature. And mohitam, and bewildered by the actions and reaction of these three modes of material nature, one has forgotten his eternal relationship with God, or Kṛṣṇa. We have got eternal relationship with God because we are sons of God. How the relation can be broken? Suppose you have got son. Now, he is not obedient to you. That is all right. He has gone out of home. He does not like you. But the relation cannot be broken. When he will be asked, "What is your father's name?" he has to name your..., that "I am son of such and such gentleman." That relation cannot be broken. Similarly, we are all sons of God, Kṛṣṇa.
So kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.20). So worshiping of the demigods means that gradually, when they... They will gradually develop into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you... If one is completely disobedient, then there is no chance. So obedience is taught there. Just like a police officer, he's standing on the crossroad. As soon as he shows his hand, oh, you have to stop. You may be a millionaire; that doesn't matter. But you have to show the respect to the policeman because he's a government officer. If you don't, then you'll be fined. He's a petty officer. Your position may be very high.
There are six, twenty-six qualifications of a factual devotee of the Lord. They are very kind. They are very obedient. They are sober, economic, everything, all good qualifications. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). One, if he becomes the devotee of the Lord, all good qualities automatically will develop because he is good. By nature a living entity is the perfect good, but due to the contamination of the lust, he has become vicious. He has become vicious. By nature he's not vicious; he's perfect. Because he's part and parcel of the gold, he's gold. By outward covering he has become something nonsense.
Just like foolish person suffering from some disease, he wants to kill himself, sometimes commit suicide, because he does not know that after suicide, the policy, there is no stoppage; he will have to become a ghost because you have disobeyed. God has given you certain type of body. You have to stay in that body for certain period. That is obedience to God. If you untimely kill this body, then it is sinful. Just like you are put into prison house for a certain number of months or years. Before that period, if you flee away, then you are again punished. Is it not? Because you did not fulfill the terms of your prison life, then again you become criminal. Similarly, those who kills another body, or those who kill another body, or those who make suicide, they become again criminal. Again criminal. This is the law of nature, but they do not know. Therefore one who does not know the laws of nature, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). The prakṛtiḥ, the laws of nature, is going on under the direction of Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore our Society's name is Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. We have got so many literatures. Each and every boy is engaged. Somebody's printing, somebody's writing, somebody's typewriting, somebody's dispatching, somebody's attending letter, somebody's cooking. Twenty-four hours, we are thinking of Kṛṣṇa. How? Because we are engaged in the duties of Kṛṣṇa. So mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. And what is that duty if you have no obedience? You have to obey. Therefore it is said namaskuru. You offer your respect. So bhakti minus respect, that is not bhakti. With love, with respect, with designated duties, if you be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your life will be successful. Not identifying falsely with this material body and engage yourself with all sorts of nonsense. That will never make you happy. The same thing, that...
So here it is said bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca. The Vyāsadeva, writer, he says that, bhagavān... now, uvāca, said. What? He has already, we have finished nine chapters. He has already said man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). "Just become always thinking of Me. Just become My devotee. Just worship Me." Man-manā, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru. "Just offer your obediences." Mām evaiṣyasi. If you continue these four things... What are these four things? Man-manāḥ, always fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa. That means you become always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
It is not partiality. Just like if a gentleman has got five sons, and out of the five sons, those who are very obedient to the father or one of them, two of them, naturally the father is inclined to them. That is not partiality, that "Why the father is inclined to some sons and other sons, indifferent?" That is natural. As we have got this natural instinct, similarly, God has also the same instinct. If we study ourself analytically, we can understand what is God. Because we are the sample of God. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Sample.
Just try to understand. Senses, as I have already explained... God is also living entity. He is the chief living entity, chief intelligent man or god, whatever you say, and we are subordinate. Now, material life means... God... And what is our relationship? God is the supreme father; we are all children. So as in the family—the father is one, the children are many, say ten—if the children are very obedient to the father, then that family is very nice, is very nice. If every children is obedient to the father, then father is happy and they are also happy. The father is also very open to satisfy the children. Father knows what is the needs of the children. He automatically supplies. And if the children become disobedient, the father is not satisfied. He may do as duty, to give them some food, but he is not satisfied. The same relationship with our relationship with God.
The āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritaḥ means demons. There are two classes of men, demon and god. Not the Godhead, God. Those who are Vaiṣṇavas means obedient to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are also god or godly. And those who are not obedient, they are demons. This is the difference between demon and God or godly. So there are two classes of men always in this material world. In the spiritual world, they are all gods, godly. Kṛṣṇa is the Godhead and all living entities there, they are godly.
So in the spiritual world there is no facility for the demons. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa likes to fight, because after many many years not fighting, because in the spiritual world there is no fight. All obedient servant, where is the possibility of fighting? Therefore sometimes He comes here to fight with the demons. (laughter) Just to get the body fit. (laughter) Yes. Therefore sometimes when there are scarcity of demons, some of the devotees, they come and become a demon. Not become demon, just Kṛṣṇa wants to fight, so without demon, how Kṛṣṇa will fight? Therefore they play the part of demon so that Kṛṣṇa—that means they want to serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wants to, just like sometimes big men they keep some wrestlers to make mock fight. Similarly, to serve Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa has desire to fight so they come down and become just like a demon and fight with Kṛṣṇa.
Just like you have seen the master taking his dog. The dog is allowed to do whatever he likes, the master waits. The real business of the dog is to obey the master's order. But the master gives the dog facility, "Yes, you can walk, you can run, you can pass urine, stool, I'll wait." As the master gives facility. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, Kṛṣṇa is so affectionate, that we have come to enjoy this material world, He is giving us the facilities. Just like the master is giving the facility to the dog. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. But He wants, Kṛṣṇa wants that every living entity should be obedient to Kṛṣṇa. Then that is Kṛṣṇa's enjoyment.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Just the scientists, they are trying to understand the laws of God, but because they are imperfect, therefore they cannot understand what is God, in spite of their scientific improvement. They do not know. Ask any scientist, "You are great scientist. Can you say what is God?" The reply will be, "No. We don't believe in God. We don't believe." Why? You believe in the laws of God? "Yes, that we are studying." But the laws means somebody has made that law. That is our experience. Just like when we understand government laws, we understand also the government has enacted this law. We understand that. Just like on the street when you go, it is written there, "Keep to the left." It is the order of the government. You have abide by that. That is obedience to the government. Discipline. Discipline is the first law of obedience. If people do not care for the government laws, then there will be chaos.
Just try to understand. Just like a good citizen means that he is following the state law, as we do actually. When there is red light, immediately you stop your car because you have to abide by the laws of the state; otherwise you become criminal. Although there is none to look, still, you have to stop your car, "There is red light." That is obedience. And then, when there is green light, you start your car.
Just like if you want to be a mathematician, so you may pass from any university, Calcutta University or Delhi University or London University—any university. Mathematics two plus two equal to four everywhere. It is not that in Calcutta University two plus two equal to five, and in London University two plus equal to three. No. Everywhere two plus two equal to five, four. Similarly, dharma means obedience to the laws of God. That is dharma. Either you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim, whether you accept God as the supreme authority and whether you abide by the laws of God, then you are dharmic. Otherwise, it is cheating. If there is no conception of God, if one does not know what is God and what is the order of God, then that type of religion is cheating religion and that kind of religion is completely thrown out from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura said, pṛthivīte āche yata..., pṛthivīte yahā kichu dharma nāme cale. Cale means it is passing on in the name of religion but it is not religion. Because religion without conception of God, what is the meaning of that religion? If that is religion, that is not parā dharma. That is aparā dharma. Aparā dharma. Just like sometimes we take deśa-dharma. Samāja-dharma, gṛha-dharma, and so many things.
It is very difficult. You are trying to be happy by adjustment of material conditions, but that is not possible. Māyā is very strong. She'll not let you become happy under material condition. That is not possible. Then how one can become happy? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). As soon as you become obedient, surrender to Kṛṣṇa, you become transcendental to the laws of material nature. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Those who are mahātmās, they are not under material condition. They are under spiritual guidance. Daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ. And what is their symptom? Bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ. Without any diversion, they are engaged in bhajana. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. This is bhajana.
So unless people take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understand and learn how to obey Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they cannot, there cannot be any peace. There cannot be any happiness. And there is no condition... Here it is said, ahaituky apratihatā. That obedience should be without any motive. Just like see here the Europeans and American boys, they are obeying Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative without any condition.
So religion is disturbed by duṣkṛtina, demons, and those who are saintly person, they execute religion. So paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. Sādhu means saintly person, devotee of God. They are sādhu. And asādhu, or demon, means persons who deny the authority of God. They are called demons. So two business—paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duskrtam: "To curtail the activities of the demons and to give protection to the saintly person, I descend." Dharma-saṁsthā...: "And to establish dharma, the principles of religion." These are the three business for which Kṛṣṇa, or God, or God's representative—or, you say, God's son—they come. This is going on. So what is religion, then? The religion is obedience to God. Just like law means obedience to the state, and one who obeys the laws of the state, he is good citizen, similarly, the laws given by God, one who obeys the law, he is religious or saintly person. So it doesn't matter what religion you are following. It doesn't matter. If you are actually obedient to the laws of God, then you are religious. It doesn't matter.
Therefore, when He is spoken of, that "He has no eyes," that means He has no eyes like us. It is to be under Acakṣuḥ. He hasn't got eyes like this—I cannot see more than hundred feet. But He can see everywhere. Sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādas tat: "He has got His hands and legs everywhere." He has got His eyes everywhere. So therefore He is described here, adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means beyond sense perception. And still, you have to become obedient.
What is that original knowledge? Original knowledge is that God is the Supreme Father, I am His eternal son, or eternal servant, as you... Son is always servant because son, real son is obedient and servant is also obedient. And as we have got distinction here, servant and son, in the absolute world there is no such distinction. A son is as good as the servant and servant is as good as the son. That is absolute world. Don't think "Why shall I become a servant?" No, whatever you like, you can become, but in relationship with God, everything is one. There is no such distinction. So janayaty āś..., this is jñāna, this is knowledge. That God is great, I am very insignificant small, my business is to serve. This is jñāna, this is knowledge. This is knowledge. If simply we can understand this little philosophy, that God is great, I am very small. We have got experience here. Just like the government is great and we are small so whatever the order is government, the government wants somebody, "Come and join this draft department," you have to join, do it. Because you are small. So we can see in our practical life, the great puts the little into his service. Nūnaṁ mahatāṁ tatra.
Just like we are powerful human being, we are killing so many animals because they are weak. Otherwise it is not possible that you can live at the expense of poor animals, because they are weak. So similarly, in God's relationship, there is no such thing that if you remain subservient to God, He will kill you. No, He will protect you. He is protecting everyone but if you become obedient devotee of God, there is special protection. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa declares in the Bhagavad-gītā, "My devotee will be never be vanquished." He'll give protection. He is giving protection everyone but a protection general, and protection special, for the devotee special protection. Just like a very nice gentleman, he loves everyone but he gives special protection to his own children.
So rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. There are three stages, you know: sattva, rajas, tamas. The material world is conducted by three modes—the modes of goodness, modes of passion, and modes of ignorance. Therefore we find varieties of men. So one has to come to the platform of the modes of goodness. Just like illiterate, uncultured, animal-like man is trained up to come, to become civilized. By training, it is possible. Just like, by training, even cats and dogs and tigers, they are also become obedient. That is our practical experience. The tiger in the circus, they play obediently to the orders of the master.
Now the original person is Kṛṣṇa. Now, to maintain this creation, He expands Himself into three: hari, viriñci, hara. Hari means Viṣṇu, viriñci means Brahmā, and hara means Lord Śiva. Hari-viriñci-hareti saṁjñāḥ. But, just like the Māyāvādī philosopher says that "Then, if Kṛṣṇa has become Hari, Viriñci and Hara, three, so I can worship anyone." No. That is hinted here: śreyāṁsi tatra khalu sattva-tanor nṛṇāṁ syuḥ. But if you want your ultimate goal, then you take shelter of Viṣṇu—sattva-tanoḥ—not Śiva, not Brahmā. Here, clearly says. If you want... Because your conditioned life is due to your disobedience to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So unless you surrender unto Him, you again become obedient, there is no question of your goodness or your good or fortune.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is dharma, obedience to God. Religion means obedience to God. Nowadays it has become a fashion to drive away God and make a so-called show of religion. Drive away: "No God." Just like our secular state. "Don't think of God. This is botheration. Kill God." Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa secular state. "Don't talk of God." Rāvaṇa's secular state. Without God, what is life?
So actually we are collecting votes from dogs, hogs, camels and asses. How? The dog means very obedient servant of his master. That is a good qualification, but after all he is a dog. But to execute the service of his master, he is offending so many people. We have got experience. We have nothing to do with the dog's master's house, but still from the house, we are passing from the street. Unnecessarily offending. Sometimes they come nearer. This is dog's business. He has no sense that "This man, they are not thieves or rogues, they are not coming here." But they will do their business because the master has trained him.
So to become obedient servant and to have no discrimination of sex and food, that means dogs, and they are not human beings. And camel, although he is a big animal, he takes pleasure in eating his own blood. How is that? You will find the camels are very fond of eating thorns. So the thorns they eat, and the thorns cut the tongue, and the blood comes out. It makes a taste, and he is thinking that the thorns are very tasteful. That is camel. Similarly, we are everyone camel because we are enjoying sex. What is this sex? I am spoiling my blood. One drop of semina is created by sixty drops of blood. That is scientific. So when one discharges this semina, he thinks he is enjoying. He does not know that he is spoiling his blood. That is camel. He thinks he is enjoying. He does not think that "I am spoiling my blood. And if I spoil my blood more, then I shall be attacked with so many diseases, I will lose my resistance power." He does not know. But he thinks that sex enjoyment is very nice. It is not nice at all.
So this Śukrācārya, he was against Viṣṇu. So Bali Mahārāja immediately rejected him. Therefore he became a mahājana, exemplary. Because you cannot give up your spiritual master. That is a great sin. Once accepted, the spiritual master takes responsibility for the disciple. And disciple also must be obedient to the spiritual master for life, for good. That is the relationship. So if one rejects spiritual master, he becomes a great sinner, most sinful. So Bali Mahārāja rejected his spiritual master. That's a great sin. But he rejected on shastric ground, because he objected for Viṣṇu worship. Therefore such spiritual master should be rejected. Should be rejected. Therefore he became mahājana, authority. Anyone who is obstruction to worship the Supreme Lord, he should be rejected immediately. That is bhakti. Ānukūlyasya grahaṇaṁ prātikūlyasya varjanam.
Just like government. Government is not anyone's enemy or anyone's friend, but if anyone gives special service to the government, he is recognized. He is given the title "Sir" or C.I.E.,(?) or something like that. These things are natural. This is not partiality. It is not that if government offers anyone special recognition for his service, that is not partiality. Similarly, when Nārada Muni in his previous birth was very sincerely, obediently engaged in the service of the saintly persons, they cakruḥ kṛpām, special favor. Unless there was special favor, how immediately after that birth he could become Nārada Muni? Special favor. Everyone is engaged, but this is the special favor. There are many instances like that. But that we should not take, that this special favor is partiality. No. Therefore this word is used, tulya-darśanāḥ.
So many. There are different terms. So this is the process. We are eternally related with Kṛṣṇa, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti, and we're eternally very affectionate and obedient servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our position. Somehow or other, it is covered. So that garbage that's covering has to be moved. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). This is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it is covered by dust you cannot see your face nicely. But as soon as it is nicely brushed and cleansed, you see exactly what you are. Similarly, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means cleansing the heart of all the dirty things that is accumulated life after life. It is not an artificial thing, we are learning to become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. We are already devotee of Kṛṣṇa, but we have forgotten, or the consciousness is covered. Now, by this process, devotional process, especially by kīrtana, by chanting, glorifying the holy name of the Lord, the cleansing process is accelerated. Very soon it takes place.
So the process is that if you want to make any progress... Just like Nārada Muni. He made immediately progress simply by associating with the mahātmās only for four months. Why? That is explained in the next verse. What is that? Tasyaivaṁ me anuraktasya. "I became attached to them. I became a lover of the mahātmās." Anuraktasya praśritasya. "I became obedient." Not disobedient. Guror avajñāḥ, that is great offense. If you become disobedient to guru, then your business is finished. These are the qualifications. Me anuraktasya praśritasya... And hatainasaḥ. Hata enasaḥ. Means "All my sinful activities stopped." Nobody can understand the bona fide guru or Kṛṣṇa unless he is free from sinful life. Therefore we have to accept this principle: no illicit sex, no gambling, no, I mean to say, intoxication, no meat-eating. If you follow these four principles, then you become hatainasaḥ. Hata enasaḥ. Your sinful life stopped. So hatainasaḥ śraddadhānasya. Śraddadhāna means with faith and obedience. Not that blindly. Śraddadhānasya bālasya. And although he was a boy, but he got this qualification. Bālasya dānta, silent, no more playing. Anucarasya. Anucara means following. These are the qualifications. If you become qualified with these qualities... What is that? Anurakta, means attached, obedient, no sinful activities, and faithful, and not disturbing, dānta, and follower. And if the guru is mahātmā and if you are qualified with these qualifications, then the result will be there. Immediately.
One should be very very careful to follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never said that "I am directly servant of Kṛṣṇa." No. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dasānudāsaḥ: "Servant of the servant of the servant of the..." The more you become servant of the servant, you are perfect (CC Madhya 13.80). And as soon as you declare independence, you are rascal. This is the process. We should always remain most obedient servant of my master.
Pramatta. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu (SB 2.1.4). Deha, body. One is feeling secure, "I have got very strong body. I shall live forever." Rascal. Pramatta. That is not possible. Deha and apatya. Apatya means sons. "Oh, I have got so many nice sons, very earning, very obedient; therefore Yamarāja will not touch me." No, no. That is not possible. There is a very joking story in Bengal, gaye gum akale jam care na(?). Gu means stool. So one intelligent person, he thought, "I shall be free from the touch of Yamarāja by one tactics." What is that? "Stool is very obnoxious. Nobody comes to stool. So let me smear my body, whole body with stool so that Yamarāja will not come and touch me." Gaya muk gum akale jam care na(?). This is another pramatta. That crazy fellow, that he is thinking "By keeping myself dirty and obnoxious, Yamarāja is gentleman, he'll not come and touch me." This is another pramatta.
Just like a big rich man. He eats so many nice things. But sometimes he says, "Give me some puffed rice." Puffed rice is not his food, but he likes sometimes. Similarly, everyone prays to God with reverence and vow and obedience, but He wants to be chastised sometimes. That chastisement, from where this chastisement will come? It will come from His devotee, not ordinary. If ordinary man chastises, imitating Yaśodāmāyi, he will be offender. He will be punished. But where He agrees to be chastised, "Mother you chastise Me," that is bhakti. That is devotional service. So there is nothing extraordinary when it is said here, bhagavān devakī-suta. He can become Devakī-suta.
So Kuntī knew it; therefore, although Kṛṣṇa was present before her as a nephew... Aunt is respectable, that Kṛṣṇa came to offer His respect, obeisances, before going home. But Kuntī is offering respect to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore she is saying namasye, "I offer my obediences unto You, Kṛṣṇa." Why? Puruṣaṁ tvā, "You are the Supreme Person; therefore I must offer my respect unto You." Namasye puruṣaṁ tvā, ādyam. Ādyam means original, original person.
He'll evaporate the water, He'll make it cloud. Then when it falls down, then it becomes sweet. Otherwise you cannot touch. Everything under control. Everything is full-water, light, heat. Everything is complete. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). His stock is never finished. Simply you become obedient and the supply is there. You can understand.
So Kuntī is remembering all the dangers that she had passed before getting the kingdom. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). These Pāṇḍavas, they were great devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And in the material world, because people are interested in material things, so they were put into so many dangerous condition of life. That was the policy of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, how to kill the sons of Pāṇḍu and usurp the kingdom for his own sons. That was his policy from the very beginning. But they were very obedient because Dhṛtarāṣṭra was their guardian.
Viṣāt: "from poison." The Dhṛtarāṣṭra group, Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his sons, they conspired to give them poison. They were transferred to a house. They were so obedient because Dhṛtarāṣṭra happened to be the superior in the house, and he took care of the Pāṇḍavas when they were small children because their father died at an early age. So it was the duty of the elderly members of the family. After all, they were very respectable kṣatriya family. So the elderly members means Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Vidura and Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva was the grandfather of the family, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra was the elder brother of Pāṇḍava, and Vidura was also brother, Vidura, also elder. Pāṇḍu was the youngest, the father of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira and... So it is, after all, a, what is called, varṇāśrama family, Vedic family. So the elderly people had the responsibility to raise the fatherless children. So Dhṛtarāṣṭra took charge as the eldest member.
So after many requests, Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja said, "Mahārāja, you have got many tenants. You are Mahārāja. Why you are trying to make me your tenant? Because you are rich man, you also want... As your tenants carries your order, so you also want me. So why you are...?" "No, sir, no. You are my lord. Whatever you say, I shall carry out." "Will you carry out?" "Why not?" So he said that "Don't go home. Sit down here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." He fled away. (laughter) You see. So he was very humorous also, Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī, that "If you are so obedient, then I ask you, 'Don't go home. Better give up your dress and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa here.' "
Unlimitedly. Aśeṣa-tejāḥ. Then what is his function? Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. Sun has got his orbit. So God has ordered that "You just travel within this orbit. Not here, not there." The scientists says that if the sun is moved a little this side the whole universe will be ablaze, and if it moves this side the whole universe will be frozen. But by the order of the Supreme, it is neither going even, even one ten-thousandth part of an inch, this side or this side. Exactly in the line. Exactly during, in the time, fixed time, at 5:30 it must rise. So there must be some discipline. There must be some obedience. There is some order. In this way the śāstra says: yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ.
So the representative must be very obedient. Then his position will go on. And... Just like so-called spiritual masters. They proclaim, "I am God." So they have no position. They have no position. Because they are rebellious. A spiritual master is supposed to spread God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, make everyone Kṛṣṇa conscious, as the most confidential servant of God—not as God. Just like Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says: sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktaḥ. A spiritual master is honored as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Honored. Sākṣād-dharitvena.
Those who have, I mean to say, traveled by ship, you'll see the ocean and sea is so clear water that up to twenty feet you can see clear water. Clear water. The stock, the ocean water, it is very clear. So everything is nicely arranged. Simply they'll work nicely when you are obedient to God. Just like if you are a good citizen the government cooperation is full with you. But if you are outlaw, if you are rascal, if you are criminal, no supply, you go to jail. That's all. Try to understand. This is the arrangement.
So here you have to understand that the rivers, the ocean, the mountains, and the trees, and the creepers, they will all serve you very, I mean to say, regularly, provided you are obedient to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Phalanty oṣadhayaḥ. Nowadays we do not know. As soon as we become sick we go to the doctor or to the drug shop. But in the forest all the medicines are there. All the medicines are there. Simply you have to know which plant is the medicine for what kind of disease. Phalanty oṣadhayaḥ sarvāḥ, and kāmam anvṛtu tasya vai. And according to seasonal changes you'll get fruits, flowers and drugs and everything.
Dharmasya glāniḥ means... We have explained several times. You have read in the Bhagavad-gītā. Glāniḥ means discrepancy, discrepancy. And dharma means obedience to God. That is dharma. Religion means..., religion does not mean anything else. You can manufacture so many formulas and theses. The real meaning is obedience to God. That is religion. Simple definition. If a man is obedient to God, it doesn't matter to which religion he belongs. He may be a Christian, he may be Hindu, he may be Mussulman. It doesn't matter. Religion means... This is the... I have given.
Yes. All of them are sons. They, whether one is demon or demigod, both of them are sons of God. But what is the difference between them? Just like a father has got two sons or more sons. One son is very obedient to the father, and the other son is not. That is the difference here. God has not made anyone demon or demigod. For God, everyone is equal. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "I am equal to everyone." Otherwise, how He is God? He is equal to everyone. But they are creating their own situation and becoming god or demon. So in the human form of life, advanced consciousness, instead of becoming demon, we should become demigod. That is the fulfillment of human life. And if we remain demon, then this opportunity is missed.
So we are debted to God. So just like, if you don't pay taxes to the government, the government does not become poor, but your supply will be stopped. You will suffer. Similarly, if you don't accept there is supreme government, the supreme governor... The governor is quite sufficient. God is completely munificent or rich. He will not suffer, but you will suffer. Therefore it is said, te sādhu kṛta-sarvārthāḥ. Just like if you remain cleansed, paying all your taxes, then you are very honest citizen. Similarly, if you become obedient to God and His government, then you are sādhu. Otherwise you are dishonest. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. One who is very much obedient to the laws of God, he is sādhu.
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.
Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā... (BG 18.54). This is the verdict. So for a devotee mukti is not very big thing. Mukti's already there if he's actually a pure devotee. A pure devotee means just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. He has no other desire. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīm (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Everyone is desiring in this material world for riches, wealth, dhanam, and janam, good family, high aristocratic family, or good followers, leader, minister. Janam. They are aspiring popular votes. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitām. And next is to have a very beautiful, obedient wife. These are the aspirations of material life. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "I do not want all these things." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīm. This is bhakti life.
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.
In other words, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the property of His pure unconditional devotees, and as such only the devotees can deliver Kṛṣṇa to another devotee; Kṛṣṇa is never obtainable directly. Lord Caitanya therefore designated Himself as gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80), or "the most obedient servant of the servants of the Lord, who maintains the gopī damsels at Vṛndāvana." A pure devotee therefore never approaches the Lord directly, but tries to please the servant of the Lord's servants, and thus the Lord becomes pleased, and only then can the devotee relish the taste of the tulasī leaves stuck to His lotus feet. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that the Lord is never to be found by becoming a great scholar of the Vedic literatures, but He is very easily approachable through His pure devotee. In Vṛndāvana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the pleasure potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
So we can interpret... When the Christian people say that... Just like they say "only son." So we can interpret... Of course, we are not going to interpret. We can take it that anyone who becomes confidential... Just like father position. He has got many sons. One son who is very obedient, he says, "He is my only son, and others not sons." Does he not, father say, sometimes? "Actually he is my son." Sometimes father says like that. But that does not mean that he has got only one son.
How one can be pleased? That is the process. Praṇipātena sevayā. You can please one simply by surrendering to himself and by rendering service, "Sir, I am your most obedient servant. Please accept me and give me instruction." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Even Arjuna was a very intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa, still, while learning Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā from Him, he surrendered himself to Kṛṣṇa and said that "I am no more your friend." Of course, friend is also, a friend of Kṛṣṇa is also surrendered. That is... But specifically he said, śiṣyas te 'ham. Śiṣya means "You can rule over me now."
So we are all sons of God. This is a fact, either I am human being or demigod or cats or dog or tree or plants or insect, anything, all living entities. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu. Sarva-yoniṣu mean "All different forms or species of life, as many living entities there are, they are all My sons." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "I am the seed-giving father," or "They are all My sons." This is our relationship. Actually, this is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. And as the father and son relationship means the son may live at the cost of the father... Father has got immense property. They can enjoy. But they must remain very obedient to the father—very natural—then he is happy. If the father is very rich man, he has got all the resources, and if the son is obedient, then where is trouble? Is there any trouble? Father wants simply... Father is ready to give all the property to the sons. That is natural inclination. And the son's duty is just to become obedient to the father.
But that we have rebelled: "No, why shall I be obedient?" Therefore it is said, evaṁ parābhidhyānena kartṛtvaṁ prakṛteḥ pumān. All the living entities in this material world, they are thinking that "I am proprietor. I am supreme. I can do anything, whatever I like. There is no question of accepting any authority of God. These are primitive thoughts. We are self-sufficient." That means he is speaking all nonsense under the influence of prakṛti. He is a rascal number one. Just like a madman speaks so many things full of rascaldom—nobody cares for—similarly, when a devotee sees that a nondevotee atheist is claiming so many things for himself without giving credit... Even big, big swamis, they are teaching that "Why you are giving credit to God?"
Brahmā was given inspiration or lesson from within the heart. Kṛṣṇa is therefore called caitya-guru, "the guru from the heart." So He gives intelligence for doing particular thing when He is satisfied with the service. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15). Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam (BG 10.10). Kṛṣṇa is ready to give intelligence to everyone because everyone is Kṛṣṇa's son. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4) So father is not particularly inclined to a particular son. No. But a son, if he is very obedient, then father discloses the most confidential things to that son. This is natural. This is not partiality. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ: (BG 9.29) "I am equal to..." Otherwise, how He can be God? If He is partial to somebody... Foolish people think, "Why God has made me poor? Why God has made so many poor men?" God has not made. They have made themselves poor. God has not made. He does not make any distinguish. He says the plain truth, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). He is saying to everyone. So if we do not do—we have got little independence—then we are in this miserable condition of life.
So this is God's grace. We should depend on Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is kind, wherever we go, everyone will be pleased, everyone will be kind. And if Kṛṣṇa is unpleased, even in your family life you'll not be comfortable. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, at a certain age, it is indicated that one should retire from family life. So this Ṛṣabhadeva Mahārāja, He was retired. Although He had one hundred sons, all obedient sons, He was emperor, anything was at His command—still, He was retiring. That is the Vedic system. He had no disadvantage. He was personally the incarnation of Godhead, an emperor, very obedient sons, and opulence, everything complete. There are many instances. His son, Bharata Mahārāja, he also retired.
Yes. If spiritual master says something which is not in śāstra or scripture, that is not good. Of course, sometimes we do not..., we cannot understand, but that is the principle. Similarly, a saintly person also, a mahātmā also, cannot disregard the regulative principles of śāstra. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya: "A person who gives up obedience to the ruling of the scriptures," vartate kāma-kārataḥ, "and he acts in his own way, by his whims," na siddhiṁ sāvāpnoti, "he cannot attain perfection."
Yes. God has got two business. Maintenance and punishment. That is stated in Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). That the government has got the law to give protection to the obedient citizens, and to send the rascals to the prison house.
I may say many things to you, but when I say something directly, "Do it," your first duty is to do that. You cannot argue, "Sir, you said me like this before." No, that is not your duty. What I say now, you do it. That is obedience. You cannot argue. Of course, Kṛṣṇa never said anything contradictory, but if when one thinks foolishly that Kṛṣṇa said something contradictory, no, that is not to be. You could not understand. So even though you could not understand, you take My direct orders now. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām e... (BG 18.66), that is your business. The master says like that, and the servant's business is to accept it as it is, without any argument. That's all right.
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.
This is also opulence. And to have great amount of money, that is also opulence. Dhanaṁ janam. And another a opulence, to have a very nice wife, beautiful, obedient, very pleasing. So these are material necessities. People generally aspire for these three things: wealth, many followers, and a good wife at home. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanam: "I don't want money." Just the opposite. Everyone wants money. He says, "No, I don't want money." Na dhanaṁ na janam: "I don't want many men to..., as My followers." Just see opposite. Everyone wants. The politicians, the yogis, the swamis, everyone wants, "There may be hundreds and thousands of my followers." But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No, I don't want." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "Neither I want very nice, beautiful, obedient wife." Then what You want? Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī: "Life after life, let me remain a faithful servant of Your Lordship."
That is their only desire. That is natural. Because we are eternally servants of Kṛṣṇa, or God, our desire should be how to please God, how to please Kṛṣṇa. Just like obedient servant, sincere servant, they are always waiting for the order of the master, and they try how to please him, how to make him happy. Of course, this is not possible in this material world. Material world nobody is servant of anybody. Everyone wants to be master of another. Actually he does not serve anyone. He serves because he gets some money. So as soon as the money payment is stopped, immediately servant becomes disobedient. Therefore there is no service in the material world. It is exchange of money. The service is niṣkāma.
So the students, they would bring charities naturally. This was brāhmaṇa's profession. They would not charge anything, but his disciples, students, would beg from door to door and bring. That is gurukula. Gurukula. Gurukula means every student should go to gurukula and learn to become very simple and obedient and self-controlled and learn how to address every woman as mother. This is guru..., from the very beginning. They would go every home. Small children or big children, they will address, "Mother, give us some alms." So every woman will give, and they would bring it to guru.
Deśa means situation, and kāla, time, and pātra, and the subject. Just like a child, he takes one fruit here. So he is not punishable. According to Vedic system, a child, a woman, a brāhmaṇa, a cow and a saintly person, they are not punishable. Cow, woman, saintly person, brāhmaṇa and child—they are beyond all laws. Even they commit some... They do not do. They have no criminal purpose. Formerly the women were trained up in such a way, very chaste and obedient. So they had no chance to commit any offense. And brāhmaṇas, they are also trained up. Śamo damaḥ satyaṁ śaucam... (children making noise)
He will... It will do immediately. My hand—"Just take it." I'll take it. The hand will take it. So this is prakṛti and puruṣa. The puruṣa orders, and the prakṛti performs the duty. This is the real..., not that as soon as we say prakṛti and puruṣa, immediately there is question of sex. No. Means... Prakṛti means obedient, obedient to the puruṣa. This is natural way. In the Western countries they are artificially trying to become equal, but that is not possible by nature.
That is the situation. The māyā, the stringent laws, are there. Just like what is the purpose of this police force or material force or military force? The purpose is to keep the citizens obedient to the state. That is the purpose. So long... At any time, if a citizen becomes disobedient to the state laws, he is immediately put into the police custody. And if he is more powerful, then under military custody. Similarly, anyone who has rebelled against the superiority of God, he is put into the stringent laws of material nature and he is suffering. That is the position. Therefore his self-interest is to seek out the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrender unto Him. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That will make you happy. Otherwise, if you simply try to adjust material things and become happy, that is not possible. This is the explanation of Prahlāda Mahārāja.
He is also obeying the laws in the prisonhouse, forced: "If you don't obey, then you will be punished." That is called prison life. And if you become obedient to the laws, then you are not outlaws. You are free, out of the walls of the prisonhouse. So either you obey or not obey, you have to serve the laws of the state. Similarly, either you be Kṛṣṇa conscious or not Kṛṣṇa conscious, you have to serve.
And as soon as he is disobedient, he is contaminated. Therefore he is put into the jail. Similarly, our material existence means that we have revolted against the will of Kṛṣṇa or God. Therefore we are dragging the struggle for existence, and as soon as we become again obedient to Kṛṣṇa, we shall always remember that our characteristic is to serve. So by natural way, if we serve God, then we are happy, and by unnatural way, if we serve our senses, then we are unhappy.
So, sva-pāda-mule patitaṁ, Lord Brahmā, as soon as asked Prahlāda Mahārāja to pacify the Lord, he immediately fell down at His lotus feet, sva-pāda-mule patitaṁ tam arbhakaṁ. Just like we are sometime extraordinarily happy, pleased when a small child offers his obedience. So naturally, when Prahlāda Mahārāja, a small boy five years old, and he fell down at the lotus feet of the Lord, He became very much pleased. So, not only for Prahlāda Mahārāja, anyone in this material world who offers his obeisances before the Deity, don't think it is useless. It is taken into account.
This is There is a song of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: "My dear Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, kindly accept me as your dog." Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura. As the dog, by the indication of the master, does everything very obedient, we have to learn this lesson from the dog, how to become faithful to the master. That is the instruction. In everything you can learn something. Everyone Therefore mahā-bhāgavata, they accept everyone as guru, to learn something. Actually, from the dog we can learn this art, how to become faithful at the risk of life even. There are many instances, dog have given the life for the master. So, and we should be dog to the Vaiṣṇava. Chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā, nistāra pāyeche kebā.
So these four things, unfaithful wife, a dupli..., a cheating friend, and servant disobeying order, and a snake within the room, all these things are causes or the..., will cause death at any time. At any time, they can do anything. There are many instances. So these moral instructions are very nice given by Cānakya Paṇḍita. So all living entities who have disobeyed the order of Kṛṣṇa, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), that is the principle. Every living entity must be obedient to Kṛṣṇa. But by misuse of his little independence, if he does not obey the orders of Kṛṣṇa, he immediately becomes arrested by māyā.
He doesn't require anything from us, but He wants everyone that because he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, He wants to see that everyone is obedient to Him, everyone loves Him. That is His aspiration. Just like the father is very rich man. He doesn't require any help from his son, but he aspires that his son should be obedient and lover. That is his satisfaction. That is the whole situation. Kṛṣṇa has created... Eko bahu śyāma. We are vibhinnāṁśa-mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7)—part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, every one of us. So everyone has got some duty.
So "They are Your most obedient servant, and they are all devotees." Sattva, bhakta eva nanv eva bhayaṁ ca asuram eva vaidha-bhāvaḥ: "They are not just like enemies. We are Your enemies." He's taking always himself... This is another sign of devotee. He is not... He is more than the demigod.
Similarly Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "My dear Lord, these demigods, they are all devotees. They are Your obedient servant. Sattva-dhāmno. And they are not like us, disturbing." Kṣemāya bhūtaya utātma-sukhāya cāsya vikrīḍitaṁ bhagavato rucirāvatāraiḥ. "And Your appearance as Nṛsiṁhadeva is not for me, but for them. Because I am born in atheistic family. It is Your determination that You want to cut down the atheistic people.
So upakrame avasāne ca caraṇau śirasā namet. Just at the lotus feet of guru the brahmacārī... So our students, they are very obedient. And if our students see the guru hundred times, he practices this process, offering obeisances while meeting and while going. These things are to be practiced. Then dānta. Brahmacārī guru-kule vasan dānta (SB 7.12.1). Then he'll be controlled, self-controlled. Obedience is the first law of discipline. If there is no obedience, there cannot be any discipline. And if there is no discipline you cannot manage anything. That is not possible. Therefore this is very essential, that the students should be very disciplined. Disciple means one who follows discipline. This is disciple, śiṣya. The Sanskrit word is also the same, śiṣya. I have several times explained. Śiṣya, it comes from the verb śās, śāsana, ruling. So śiṣya means one who voluntarily accepts the ruling of the spiritual master. He is called śiṣya. Śiṣya, śāsana, śāstra, śāstra, śāsana—these things are the same, from the same root. So this is the instruction.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
This obedience, the sense of obedience to higher authorities, to love somebody, these propensities are there in everyone. Even a child, we have seen, when there is saṅkīrtana, they also clap their hands. They also try to dance. This is natural. So this has to be little organized. That is called practice. Otherwise the things are there, dormant. Sometimes by bad association that dormant propensities are cut down. They forget.
So the practice of devotional service, sādhana-bhakti, can be divided into two parts—namely, regulative and spontaneous. Rūpa Gosvāmī defines the first part of devotional practice, or vaidhi-bhakti, as follows: 'When there is no attachment or no spontaneous loving service to the Lord, and one is engaged in the service of the Lord simply out of obedience to the order of the spiritual master or in pursuance of the scriptures, such obligatory service is called vaidhi-bhakti.' These principles of vaidhi-bhakti are also described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto, First Chapter, verse 35, where Śukadeva Gosvāmī instructs the dying Mahārāja Parīkṣit as to his course of action. Mahārāja Parīkṣit met Śukadeva Gosvāmī just a week before his death, and the King was perplexed as to what should be done before he was to pass on. Many other sages also arrived there, but no one could give him the proper direction. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, however, gave this direction to him as follows: 'My dear King, if you want to be fearless in meeting your death next week (for actually everyone is afraid at the point of death), then you must immediately begin the process of hearing and chanting and remembering God.' If one can chant and hear Hare Kṛṣṇa and always remember Lord Kṛṣṇa, then he is sure to become fearless at death, which may come at any moment."
So even in the minds of the jungle people, there is obedience to the Supreme. As soon as there is some thunderbolt strike, so they offer obeisances. As soon as they see a big sea, ocean, they offer obeisances. Offering obeisances to the great, that is natural. That is the gradual appreciation of the potency or energy of the Supreme Lord. Because whatever we see, whatever there is, they're nothing but different manifestations of the energy of the Supreme Lord. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. We can appreciate the potencies, the energies of the Supreme Lord, anywhere. As I explained yesterday, the potency is there in the seed. As Kṛṣṇa says, bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (Bg 7.10). A big banyan tree is concentrated within a small seed, smaller than the mustard seed. There is the potency of a very big tree.
Pradyumna: (reading) "Rūpa Gosvāmī defines the first part of devotional service, or vaidhi-bhakti, as follows: 'When there is no attachment or no spontaneous loving service to the Lord, and one is engaged in the service of the Lord simply out of obedience to the order of the spiritual master or in pursuance of the scriptures, such obligatory service is called vaidhi-bhakti.' These principles of vaidhi-bhakti..."
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are preaching that God is one and to think of God is also one and to become obedient servant of God, that is also one. Not that you have to become a different servant, I have to become different ser... Everyone is servant originally. So we accept to serve God. Then our religion is there; our fulfillment of desires are there. Therefore the author said, mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau: "That is my everything. To take shelter of Rādhā-Madana-mohana, that is my everything. I have no other desire." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
It is possible if we become obedient student of guru, then even though we may be dumb, deaf and dumb, still, we can become good lecturer. Mūkaṁ karoti vācālam, talk very much about Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa's grace, mūkaṁ karoti... Paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim, if one is lame man, he is made to cross over the hill, mountain. This is the mercy of guru.
Therefore, we are inviting you at this place of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His birthsite, to take the inspiration given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That will help us understanding Kṛṣṇa. Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā visate tad anantaram. If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, tattvataḥ, in truth, by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's activities means His distributing kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa. He has no other business. He has no other business. At the full youthful age He gave up His family life, beautiful wife, most obedient perfect wife, beautiful wife, mother, affectionate mother, very good prestige, social prestige.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not an artificial thing, that we have manufactured some ideas and advertising that we are Kṛṣṇa conscious. No. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means just as an obedient citizen of the state, he's always conscious of the state's supremacy, similarly, a person who is always conscious of the supremacy of God, or Kṛṣṇa, he is called Kṛṣṇa conscious. He's called Kṛṣṇa conscious. And if we say that "Why should we become Kṛṣṇa conscious?" if you do not become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you become criminal. You become sinful. You have to suffer. The laws of nature is so strong that it will not let you go without suffering.
He goes within because... And the message will come through him. In Dvārakā... Perhaps you have read in the Nectar of Devotion that Brahmā, Indra, they used to come to see Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa's orderly... They were offering prayers, and Kṛṣṇa's orderly was requesting them, "Please make no noise." They were offering prayers, Brahmā, Indra, and His personal servant was prohibiting him, "Please do not make noise. Sit down here." This is the position. So vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Kṛṣṇa is not available, not approachable, simply by studying Vedas. He has to be obedient to the orders of the devotees.
Simply you understand plain thing, that "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa"—you are mukta immediately. That is the definition of mukti given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa avasthitiḥ. Just like even a criminal in the prison house, if he becomes submissive that "Henceforward I shall be law-abiding. I then shall obey the government laws very obediently," then sometimes he is released prematurely on account of giving a declaration.
My relationship is eternal with the Supreme. I have forgotten it. Now, that relationship is that He is the original father of everything, and we are all sons. So we have to become... We have... So long we have been disobedient. Now we have to become obedient. That's all. This obedience means that... What is called? Obedience, the first law of discipline. So as soon as the people of this world, so-called advanced world, they become obedient to God, then there will be discipline and there will be peace. There is no discipline now. They are not agreeable to follow any rules and regulation.
They are all clear of this nonsense ignorance. Anuvratā: they are always following. Therefore there is unity, oneness. There is oneness. God is one, and the living entities there, they are all followers, obedient of God. There is no influence of time, no influence of ignorance, no influence of passion. So that is perfect. That is spiritual kingdom, the description of spiritual world. This is from Bhāgavatam. And there are other verses in this chapter where this verse appears that, I have read it, that there are aeroplanes also. And the devotees, and the woman, they are just like lightning.
So there is no death, there is no birth, there is no ignorance, and everyone is obedient, everyone is happy. And their features of body is also exactly like God. In the spiritual planets, all of a sudden if you go, you cannot distinguish who is God and who is not. Yes. Just like here also, when Kṛṣṇa comes, He appears just like one of us. So man is made after God. So so far features are concerned, there is no difference between God and man. But the difference is only that God has no material body; we have got this material body subjected to the influence of time. When Kṛṣṇa comes, He does not become old. He remains just like a boy even when He is great grandfather because on His body there is no influence of time. Because His body is spiritual, therefore there is no influence of time.
Everyone is obedient servant. Therefore He comes here to find out some enemy. The two functions are served. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He satisfies His fighting spirit; at the same time, He protects the devotees and protects that enemy also by killing him. Because when a demon is killed by the Supreme Lord, he is at once liberated. The liberation which he had to achieve after many, many births, he at once achieves. That is the advantage. So He saves the enemy and saves the devotee, and at the same time, He satisfies His fighting desire. So God is good. So any fight, that is also good. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is inducing, inciting Arjuna, fight. There is a plan, big plan. So foolish people who criticize, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is inciting war. We are very good men, nonviolence." So this "good man" has no value. That fighting has much value. But there is a plan, good plan. So this is called pastime, līlā, līlāvatāra.
Whenever they find something extraordinary, just like lightening, or a great hill, or a great tree, they offer their respect. So that is sense of God. Sense of God is there in everyone's heart. Unless he is an animal, everyone heart there is. Artificially, we try to drive away this obedience. But there are other Even in the civilized society, there are persons, they are put into such a circumstances that they will never be able to understand what is God consciousness or what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are so misfortunate. And as soon as one becomes godless or forgetful (of) his eternal relationship with God, then his life is immediately condemned.
Festival Lectures
They did not recognize Him that He is Personality of Godhead. They knew, "Oh, He is my ordinary son." Tad abhijño'pi bhagavān sarvātmā. Sarvātmā means one who is situated in everyone's heart. Sarvātmā sarva-darśanaḥ. Sarva-darśanaḥ means one who can see everything past, present, and future. Still, praśrāyavantaḥ, "Just like an obedient son, submissive son," apṛcchad vṛddhān nanda-puro-gamān, "the elderly persons of His father's friends and associates, with very humbleness, He inquired." He inquired. And what is that inquiry?
"My dear father, I very respectfully and humbly I am inquiring. What is this arrangement? Why you are busy in making some sacrificial ceremony, and what is the reason, and what is the result?" Kiṁ phalaṁ: "What is the result of doing this?" Kiṁ phalaṁ kasya ca uddeśaḥ: "By whom... Whom you are trying to satisfy?" Kena vā sādhyate: "And what is the purpose of this sacrifice? So I cannot understand. Will you kindly explain to Me?" Etad brūhi mahān kāmo: "I am very much anxious. Kindly explain to me." Etad mahān kāmo mahyaṁ śuśruṣave pitaḥ: "Oh, I am your most obedient son, so you kindly explain to Me." This question was posed.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us this instruction that we shall always remain a foolish student before our Guru Mahārāja. That is the Vedic culture. I may be very big man, but still, I should remain a foolish student to my guru. That is the qualification. Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāśana (CC Adi 7.71). We should be always prepared to be controlled by the guru. That is very good qualification. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Āra nā kariha mane āśā **. So we should become always a very obedient student to our guru. That is the qualification. That is the spiritual qualification.
Initiation Lectures
So we are observing these rules: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. So all my students, they strictly follow these rules, and therefore they're advancing so quickly. Yes. You see the advancement so quickly because they follow my instruction. They follow very obedient, and they have therefore, by grace of Kṛṣṇa... Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). It is the statement of the Upaniṣad.
Wedding Ceremonies
So I am very happy that Professor Howard Wheeler, he is very obedient student. And by God's grace, Kṛṣṇa's grace, we practically met on the street. You see. When I first started my class in New York, 26 Second Avenue, I was just going out after entering the storefront and this boy met me. He asked me, "Swamijī, you are coming from India?" And I told him, "Yes, my dear boy." So that was our first acquaintance, and I think that is eternal.
"...and shall see to her comfort, provide with all necessities of life, without thinking of any personal gratification." (Vaikuṇṭhanātha repeats) You say that "I accept you as my husband. (Śāradīyā repeating) I shall serve you throughout my life as your most obedient servant." (chuckling) Yes. "And we shall live together peacefully for prosecuting Kṛṣṇa consciousness, forgetting everything else, and live happily." Now change your garlands.
So you say, "I accept (Baradrāja repeating) Rukmiṇī as my wife. I shall maintain her throughout my life, supply all necessities of life, and we shall work together for prosecuting Kṛṣṇa consciousness." You say that "I accept you (Rukmiṇī repeating) as my husband, and I shall serve you as your most obedient wife, to keep you in all comforts, in all distress and happiness, and we shall continue our life for Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Now change. Change the garland. Mind that this promise has been made before Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. You cannot change all these promises. Change your seat.
General Lectures
Just like a man is very happy in his family life... He has good house, good wife, good children, and good bank balance, enjoying life, but śāstra says, "No. You are fifty years old; you must get out." So he has to get out. He cannot say that "I am so happy in my family life. My wife is so nice. My children are so obedient. I have got nice money, income. Why shall I go out?" But śāstra says, "No. Vanaṁ vrajet." Vrajet means must. You must go to the forest. But if you disobey, then you will be in trouble. Just like you disobey the laws, you will be in trouble. So this is called tapasya. I do not like to go out of my home, very comfortable home, happy home, but śāstra says, "You must." So I have to accept inconveniences. If I leave my home, comfortable home, I do not know where to live, how to eat, where to stay. These are experienced. When we took sannyāsa, in the beginning, we thought like that, but by the grace of God, Kṛṣṇa, we are not uncomfortable. We have got... We left only three or four children; now we have got hundreds of children, without any botheration of wife. (laughter) And they are so obedient and so beautiful, so nice, that I could not expect even the children which I begot at home. So by Kṛṣṇa's grace, by God's grace, everything is there, provided you depend on Him.
Similarly, religion means the words of God. Man-made religion has no value. The Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra: (SB 1.1.2) "Such cheating process or pseudo religion process is completely eradicated from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." Religion means obedience to the Supreme Lord. And the ruler and the king or the chief of the government is also accepted as representative of Nārāyaṇa.
It may be a little different from one country to another. Just like in the political state management also, it is not exactly the same. But the obedience to the state is everywhere. The state may be, the constitution may be little different, but the obedience to the state is absolute necessity. Similarly, religion may be different according to time, country, position, understanding, but the obedience to God must be there, obedience to God. Otherwise it is not human civilization.
Guest (8): Swamijī, something you said was the connection between the necessity for obedience to the state and necessity for their obedience to God. To take an example that occurs to many young man in this country, and I suppose in America, the question of military service arises where the state demands their absolute obedience, and many young people feels this clashes with their obedience to God. How do you advise people to resolve this sort of conflict?
Śyāmasundara: About the draft. If one has to obey the state and go to war, how is that the same as obeying God?
Prabhupāda: Well, God consciousness does not prohibit war, but it must be for the right cause. Just like in Bhagavad-gītā we see that the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā was given to Arjuna in the battlefield. And in the beginning Arjuna did not like to fight. He was a good, good man, religious man, devotee. Naturally, he was not inclined to fight with his relatives, kinsmen. He said, "Kṛṣṇa, the opposite side, they are all my brothers and nephews and fathers and grandfathers. So there is no use of fighting like this, to kill them and take the... Let... Let them enjoy." That was his conclusion.
Na dhanaṁ na janam. The karmīs, they are hankering after wealth, riches, great following, great dependents. Na dhanaṁ na janam. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I don't want. I don't want riches. I don't want many followers." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Another demand of the karmīs is that "I must have very nice, beautiful, obedient wife." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "No, I don't want that." Na dhanam. This is finishing materialism. In the material world people want these three things: dhanam, janam, and sundarīṁ kavitām. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. "Then mukti, You take mukti?" "No." Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī: (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4) "I don't want to finish My repetition of birth and death also." That is called mukti. Mukti means stopping the repetition of birth and death.
They are being sent to the slaughterhouse under some plea. So they are all punishable because every living being is the son of the Supreme Person. Bhagavad-gītā says. We also address the Supreme Being, God, as "Father." Father means every one of us, we are sons. But we are disobedient son. One who is obedient son, he is perfect. One who is disobedient son, he is imperfect. Therefore we have to ask. Father is giving food even to the disobedient son. He is so kind. So God is always kind upon us. But we are suffering because we have forgotten God. This is our position. Therefore God comes, Kṛṣṇa comes, and teaches us Bhagavad-gītā, how to become God conscious, how to become obedient to God. And at last He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).
Now this śaraṇāgati, how to surrender to God, you have to learn. Therefore, as you have to learn something from a superior person, therefore it is recommended that how to learn... It is said, svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ (SB 6.3.20). In the śāstra it is recommended that twelve great personalities, you have to learn from them what is actually dharma, how to become obedient to the principles laid down by God. So they are described in the śāstra as twelve principle authorities. Who are they? Svayambhū, Lord Brahmā. Nārada, Nārada Muni. Then Śaṁbhu, Lord Śiva. Kumāra, the four Kumāras, Sanat-kumārādi. Kapila, the great sage Kapila. Manu, Manu. The original Manu is the emperor of the universe.
But always Śrīla Prabhupāda is with us by our following his instructions. We simply have to be obedient to these instructions. As Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying last night in the initiation lecture, that human life is meant to follow these instructions of tapo-divyam (SB 5.5.1), going to the difficulty of giving up sinful habits, meat-eating, illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and engaging in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we do these things very sincerely, then we shall always have Śrīla Prabhupāda guiding us. Kṛṣṇa is in the heart, and when Kṛṣṇa in the heart sees that we are trying to follow the instructions of the pure devotee, who's also a manifestation of Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa within is the Supersoul. Kṛṣṇa manifested before is us the spiritual master.
So the Lord within the heart will see that we are trying to follow the instructions of the spiritual master and will enlighten us how to always stay strong in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how to always feel the direct association and direction of the spiritual master by obedience to his instructions. So all these things we'll realize more and more if we simply faithfully stick to Prabhupāda's instruction, and his main instruction is that we simply all be happy and engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: He says, "The proper office of religion is to regulate the heart of man, humanize their conduct, infuse the spirit of temperance, order and obedience."
Prabhupāda: Yes, that is our system. We say, the social service, that "No illicit sex." If people indulge in illicit sex, society will be in chaotic condition. "No meat-eating." If we go on eating meat, then we revolt against the will of God, because God is the father of all living entities; He does not like that one of His son unnecessarily killed by another son on the plea that he is advanced son. The father cannot agree that the advanced son kill the ignorant or foolish son, the father will not agree. Therefore we say no meat-eating. When other foods are available, why one should eat meat?
Prabhupāda: What are these? He should say practically. The certain, imperative morality is this: that you should be obedient to God. That's all.
Śyāmasundara: He says that the standard for the categorical imperative is that one should act only in such a way that he would want his action to be followed by everyone. In other words, sort of "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you." That is his...
Prabhupāda: This is a compromise. This is not morality.
Prabhupāda: No. A priori, in this sense, that imperceptively I have got obedience to Kṛṣṇa, or God—everyone. That is manifested even in uncivilized men. Whenever they see a thunderbolt, they offer prayer. Just like these Africans, they are coming here, offering obeisances. That is inborn. Although we say they are not civilized, but that thing is there, that we are sādhus, or here is God. So that is there. But it is not very much manifest.
Prabhupāda: That dignity is his inherent quality of obedience to the Supreme. That we should not sacrifice. Here, modern civilization is that he knows that he is not independent, he is subordinate to God's will. Still, artificially, to defy God he is manufacturing so many philosophies, hypocrisy.
Hayagrīva: He says, "An ethical commonwealth can be followed only as a people under divine commands, that is, as a people of God, and indeed under laws of virtue. We might indeed conceive of a people of God under statutory laws. Under such laws, that obedience to them would concern not the morality but merely the legality of acts."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: "This would be a commonwealth of which indeed God would be the law-giver."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the best quality of state. If we abide by the orders of God, or the king or the government abides by the order of God, that is ideal state.
Prabhupāda: Eternally, it is not possible. Just like a father and son. It may be, circumstantially, the son is separated from the father, but it is not possible to forget eternally. Sometimes he remembers his father. Father is always remembering the son, and father is looking after the opportunity when the son becomes obedient to his order. So there is no question of perpetually.
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. So His fighting with the demons is, actually it is play. It doesn't affect His energy. Just like a small child is fighting with his strong father. So one slap by the strong father is sufficient to the small child. Similarly the fighting of the demons with God is like that. He gives some chance to play fighting but one strong slap to the demon is sufficient. So there is no question of fighting with God. He is omni-powerful, omni-competent, omni... But the demons are there disobeying. When the living being becomes too much disobedient and harassing to the obedient persons or devotees, then it is necessary that God kills them. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). That two business is going on, to chastise severely the demons, non-devotees, and to give protection to the devotees. That is the idea of fighting with the demons and the demigods. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām, whenever there is such fight, God takes side of the demigods.
Prabhupāda: Yes. If you are actually in clear conception of God, and if you have decided to obey God and love Him, that is happiness. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, ahaituky apratihatā (SB 1.2.6). This process of acting in obedience to the order of God, as we are doing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement... We have no other business than to obey the orders of God. God says that you preach this confidential philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness everywhere.
Prabhupāda: All living entities are the members of the same family. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi' anācāra: just live in the family of Kṛṣṇa without violating the rules and regulation. Then it is family life. Or without violating the orders of God. Just like in the family the father is the chief man, and the sons can live very happily by being obedient to the father. There is no trouble; father will give all supplies and necessities if we remain obedient to the father, and all the brothers can live peacefully. A very common example. But they will not do that. They will encroach upon others' jurisdiction. That is the cause of disturbance: obeying..., disobeying the orders of God.
Śyāmasundara: He does. The modern philosophers, his foIlowers like Sartre and Camus and people like that, they have only followed his lower development stages. They have not thought of this aspect of a religious stage. He said that the ethical stage is typified by a regard for duty, but this advances to the religious stage when there is obedience and commitment to God. And the chief symptoms of this stage...
Prabhupāda: So it is not that he is supporting our movement?
Śyāmasundara: No, no. He does. He says that the chief symptoms of the religious..., when one is advanced to the religious stage, are suffering and faith.
Prabhupāda: Not always suffering. (indistinct) We are, we in religious. Suppose we are in the topmost. Does it means that we are suffering?
Śyāmasundara: We were talking about the decision; you were talking about the other levels. The religious stage, you said, is obedience and commitment to God.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But to get to that stage, you have to go through the second stage. So how do you get to the second stage by making your own decisions without God's..., without God's representative? In other words, how can you come to the platform of the third stage from the second stage?
Śyāmasundara: It is gradual development. You gradually develop.
Prabhupāda: Why gradual development? Here Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme Self, "Surrender unto Me. I give you all protection." Why gradual? Immediate.
Hayagrīva: Kierkegaard wrote one book called Works of Love, in which he saw God as the hidden source of, of love. He says man, "A man must love God in unconditional, in unconditional obedience and love Him in adoration. It would be ungodliness if any man dared to love himself in this way or dared to love another man in this way or dared to permit another man to love him in this way. God you must love in unconditional obedience even if that which He demands of you may seem injurious to you, for God's wisdom is incomparable with respect to your own."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. God demands that "You give up your own plans or any other's so-called intelligent person's plan or philosopher's plan. Take My plan," sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), "just surrender unto Me fully, then I shall take care of you so that you will not suffer." That is our position. If we fully depend on Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then He will guide us how to make progress back to home, back to Godhead.
Hayagrīva: He says, "The only thing which enters Him, God, who is all-majestic, is obedience."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: "It is so easy to see that one to whom everything is equally important and equally insignificant can only be interested in one thing: obedience."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is wanted, and Kṛṣṇa, or God, demands that. Full obedience. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is the qualification. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). So original obedience is to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, similarly obedience to the spiritual master is representative of God. So anyone who carries out the order of God, he can become bona fide guru, because he is not manufacturing anything.
Śyāmasundara: He says... Now here is maybe one degree of difference. He says that ethical life, or knowledge of the Absolute, comes to our conscience or our reason, and the ethical life is to act in accordance or obedience to our conscience or our reason.
Prabhupāda: Conscience..., not ordinary conscience—Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Conscience is pure, but when it is diluted, contaminated, so somebody has got his conscience, consciousness, a different type. Just like Pakistani, Hindustani, they have got Hindustani consciousness or Pakistani consciousness, Muhammadan consciousness.
Hayagrīva: He writes, "It was obedience which brought me grace. One must be utterly abandoned to God. Nothing matters but fulfilling His will. Otherwise all is folly and meaninglessness."
Prabhupāda: Very good. Surrender. Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). That is real life. Śaraṇāgati, to surrender to God, to accept things which is favorable to God, to reject things which are unfavorable to God, always maintaining conviction that "God will give me all protection," and remain humble and meek, and think oneself as one of the members of God's family—that is spiritual communism. As the Communist they think a member of a certain community, similarly a man's duty is to think always as member of God's family. The same idea I was speaking, that God is the supreme father, material nature is the mother, and anything, any living entity coming out of material nature, they are all sons of God. So practically we see that all living entities coming out, either from land or from water or from the air—everywhere there is living entity—so the material nature is the mother. There is no doubt about it. And we have got experience that mother cannot produce child without connection with the father. So this is absurd to think that without father a child can be born. That is foolishness. Father must be there, and that supreme father is God. This conception of a spiritual family is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness.
Prabhupāda: There is Supreme Person, and we should be all obedient servant to Him. Then the society will be in order. That, that is responsibility. God gives us some duty, and if we carry that, that is our responsibility, and that makes the whole society perfect. That should... In the beginning if we reject God, so then it is chaotic. So religion means to avoid this chaotic condition, and in order, fulfilling the responsibility given by God, we make progress, and finally we live with God personally. That is our eternal right.
Prabhupāda: So father gives the seed, and mother begets so many children. So it is a big family. Father is God and material nature is the mother, and then we, as children, we are taken care of by the father and mother, so our duty is to remain peacefully at the cost of the father and mother and become obedient to the father and mother. This is natural. Beyond this, all speculation. That will not give us real peace and prosperity. We must, have to accept. God is there, the nature is there, and we are also there, a big family. Let us live peacefully according to the order of the father. That is natural.
Prabhupāda: No, there is no question of separation, that if we accept God as the supreme father. Now the Christian religion believes God as the supreme father. So if the supreme father is there, and if we become obedient to the supreme father, then why, where is the difference of opinion? But we do not know the supreme father and we do not obey the supreme father. That is the cause of dissension. The son's duty is to become obedient to the father and enjoy father's property. So if we know the supreme father, and if we live according to the father's order, so there is question of antagonism, dissension. It is all our own, father being the center. That, the difficulty is that we call supreme father but we do not accept the father's order or what is the order of the supreme father. That is the defect.
Hayagrīva: Augustine conceived of peace in this way. He says, "Peace between a mortal man and his maker consists in ordered obedience guided by faith under God's eternal law. Peace between man and man consists in regulated fellowship. The peace of the heavenly city lies in a perfectly ordered and harmonious communion of those who find their joy in God and in one another in God." So that peace in its final sense is the calm that comes out of this order.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Peace means to come in contact perfectly with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is peace. When a man is in ignorance, he thinks that he is the enjoyer of this world, but when he comes in contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Controller, he understands that God is enjoyer; we are not enjoyer. We are servants to supply the needs of enjoyment of God. That is our life. Just like a servant supplies the needs of the master.
Hayagrīva: Continuation of Aquinas. Aquinas felt that the monastic vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience gave one a direct path to God but that they are not meant for the masses of men. He conceived of life as a pilgrimage through the world of the senses, through the world of nature, and to the spiritual world of God's grace. These, when a..., when one enters a monastery he takes a vow of poverty, chastity and obedience, these three vows.
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is called tapasya. According to Vedic instruction one must take to the path of tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily self-denial, sense gratification denial. That is tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). Tapasya, our austerity begins with brahmacarya, celibacy, no sex life. That is the beginning of tapasya.
Prabhupāda: And as he is lover of God, devotee of God, he wants to engage everything, because if everything is God's property, that should be used for God's benefit. This is devotee's conception. The asuras, they have no conception of God. Neither they are obedient to God, neither lover of God. He thinks the material world is for his enjoyment. He cannot see the material world is expansion of God's energy. Therefore anyone who uses the material product for his personal benefit, he is called a thief. Just like I have created something. If somebody use up that something and does not think of the proprietor, he is a thief. Thief means, in our childhood we got a definition of thief, that anything taken without the permission the property is theft.
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā: (ISO 1) everything belongs to God. Just like the father has got many sons and the father is the proprietor of the house. He gives one son, "This is your room," the other son, "This is your room." So the obedient son is satisfied what the father allows to him. Others, those who are not obedient, they want to disturb other brother that "This room also belongs to me." That creates chaos and confusion in the world.
| Page Title: | Obedience (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Sharmila, Visnu Murti, Partha-sarathi, Rishab |
| Created: | 24 of Dec, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=148, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 148 |