Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa Book is written in such a way that everyone can read. But the scheme is like that. To understand Kṛṣṇa, one has to go through this . . . the idea is that Kṛṣṇa Book should be read. Just like the example can be given, sandalwood. Sandalwood, it is rubbed in the flat way. But if you rub in the horizontal way, how . . . no? What is called? Standing?
Devotees: Vertical.
Prabhupāda: Vertical way. It will give the pulp, but not so very easily. But if you rub it in the horizontal way, it will give very easily. So the . . . if one regularly reads the other chapters and reads Kṛṣṇa, that will be very nice. Not only, "Simply I'm interested to Kṛṣṇa Book in the thirty-fifth . . . from twenty-ninth chapter to thirty-fifth chapter." That is not good. People generally read those chapters. That is not good.
Acyutānanda: If we, when we show the books to new Life . . . potential Life Members, they go to that part. They look . . .
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone is attracted to that. So therefore it is said: śrotra-ramo 'bhirāmāt. It is pleasing to everyone. But unless one becomes a devotee—it may be pleasing—he cannot derive the effect. He cannot derive the effect.
As we practically see, generally, the Bhāgavata reciters, they read these chapters and they hear also, but they do not improve. They do not improve; simply sentiment. They do not understand Kṛṣṇa.
- manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
- kaścid yatati siddhaye
- yatatām api siddhānāṁ
- kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
- (BG 7.3)
They do not understand Kṛṣṇa in truth. Therefore they become sahajiyās.
Therefore the system is given by lokasya ajānataḥ vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām (SB 1.7.6). Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaje, the Transcendence, when one is engaged in His devotional service, the anarthas will be vanquished. Anartha upaśamam.
But when we see that anarthas are not decreasing, they're increasing, that means they're not entering. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. Anarthas, unwanted things, unwanted things, the so many things we have described. Sometimes we see that they cannot give up even smoking. That anartha is not being diminished. It is increasing. So where is the entrance? Phalena paricīyate.
We have to understand by the result. If the result is not very satisfactory, then you must know that progress is not very nice.