Only in His own abode is there a total absence of misery. In that abode there is no need of light from sun, moon or fire. The planets are self-luminous. Life there is perpetual and full of knowledge and bliss. That is what is known as sanātana-dharma. It is therefore natural to conclude that the living entities must return home, back to Godhead, to enjoy life in the sanātana-dhāma with the sanātana-puruṣa, or the puruṣottama, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. They must not remain to rot in this miserable land of material existence. There is no happiness in the material sphere—even in Brahmaloka—so plans and activities for elevation to higher planets within the material universe are carried out by those who are less intelligent. Less intelligent men also take shelter of demigods and only derive benefits which endure for a limited period. Thus their religious principles and the benefits derived therefrom are only temporary. The intelligent man, however, abandons all engagements in the name of religion and takes shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus receives absolute protection from the Almighty Father.
Rotting
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Śrīla Vyāsadeva or his representatives are qualified because they are rightly trained to see things in true perspective. Śrīla Vyāsadeva and his representatives are pure in thought due to their spiritual enlightenment, fixed in their vows due to their devotional service, and determined to deliver the fallen souls rotting in material activities. The fallen souls are very eager to receive novel informations every day, and the transcendentalists like Vyāsadeva or Nārada can supply such eager people in general with unlimited news from the spiritual world. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the material world is only a part of the whole creation and that this earth is only a fragment of the whole material world.
The Lord desires, as He has directly said in the Bhagavad-gītā, that all conditioned souls, rotting in the kingdom of material energy, come back to Him by giving up all engagements in the material world. This is the most confidential part of knowledge. But this can be understood only by the pure devotees, and only such devotees enter the kingdom of God to see Him personally and serve Him personally. The concrete example is Nārada Himself, who attained this stage of eternal knowledge and eternal bliss. And the ways and means are open to all, provided one agrees to follow in the footsteps of Śrī Nārada Muni. According to śruti, the Supreme Lord has unlimited energies (without effort by Him), and these are described under three principal headings, as above mentioned.
The Pāṇḍavas are eternal companions of the Lord, and therefore they are more interested in the company of the Lord than anything else. Besides that, being an ideal king, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira wanted to retire just to set an example for others. As soon as there is some young fellow to look after the household affairs, one should at once retire from family life to uplift oneself to spiritual realization. One should not rot in the dark well of household life till one is dragged out by the will of Yamarāja. Modern politicians should take lessons from Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira about voluntary retirement from active life and should make room for the younger generation. Also retired old gentlemen should take lessons from him and leave home for spiritual realization before forcefully dragged away to meet death.
They are practically desireless devotees. In the mundane world they have nothing to achieve, and in the transcendental world they are full in themselves. Then why do they come to the mundane world? They descend on different planets as messiahs by the order of the Lord to deliver the fallen souls. On the earth they come down and do good to the people of the world in different circumstances under different climatic influences. They have nothing to do in this world save and except reclaim the fallen souls rotting in material existence, deluded by material energy.
SB Canto 3
At night, hellishly engaged persons take advantage of wine and women to satisfy their tired senses, but they are not even able to have sound sleep because their various mental speculative plans constantly interrupt their sleep. Because they suffer from insomnia sometimes they feel sleepy in the morning for lack of sufficient rest. By the arrangement of supernatural power, even the great scientists and thinkers of the world suffer frustration of their various plans and thus rot in the material world birth after birth. A great scientist may make discoveries in atomic energy for the quick destruction of the world and may be awarded the best prize in recognition of his service (or disservice), but he also has to undergo the reactions of his work by rotating in the cycle of repeated births and deaths under the superhuman law of material nature. All these people who are against the principle of devotional service are destined to rotate in this material world without fail.
"Persons who are determined to totally rot in false, material happiness cannot become Kṛṣṇa-minded either by instructions from teachers, by self-realization or by parliamentary discussions. They are dragged by the unbridled senses into the darkest region of ignorance, and thus they madly engage in what is called 'chewing the chewed.'
Almost all the conditioned souls who are rotting in the material world are misusing their independence, and therefore five kinds of nescience are imposed upon them. As an obedient servitor of the Lord, Brahmā creates all these as a matter of necessity, but he is not happy in doing so because a devotee of the Lord naturally does not like to see anyone falling down from his real position. Persons who do not care for the path of realization get full facilities from the Lord for executing their proclivities to the fullest extent, and Brahmā helps in that procedure without fail.
Here in the Bhāgavatam, in this verse particularly, it is stressed that people who try to discuss and understand the real spiritual nature of the spiritual sky and the Vaikuṇṭhas are fortunate. The variegatedness of the Vaikuṇṭha planets is described in relation to the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. But instead of trying to understand the spiritual abode and the spiritual activities of the Lord, people are more interested in politics and economic developments. They hold many conventions, meetings and discussions to solve the problems of this worldly situation, where they can remain for only a few years, but they are not interested in understanding the spiritual situation of the Vaikuṇṭha world. If they are at all fortunate, they become interested in going back home, back to Godhead, but unless they understand the spiritual world, they rot in this material darkness continuously.
Your lotus feet are the true vessel to take one across the ocean of mundane nescience. Only persons deprived of their intelligence by the spell of the deluding energy will worship those feet with a view to attain the trivial and momentary pleasures of the senses, which even persons rotting in hell can attain. However, O my Lord, You are so kind that You bestow mercy even upon them.
The Lord unwillingly creates this material world, but He descends in His personal form or sends one of His reliable sons or a servant or a reliable author like Vyāsadeva to give instruction. He Himself also instructs in His speeches of Bhagavad-gītā. This propaganda work goes on side by side with the creation to convince the misguided living entities who are rotting in this material world to come back to Him and surrender unto Him. Therefore the last instruction of Bhagavad-gītā is this: "Give up all your manufactured engagements in the material world and just surrender unto Me. I shall protect you from all sinful reactions."
SB Canto 4
Clearing all these points, Mahārāja Pṛthu inquired from the four Kumāras about the fallen conditioned souls who are rotting in this material world due to their past bad or inauspicious activities. Is there any possibility for their auspicious spiritual life? In this verse, the word indriyārthārtha-vedinām is very significant. It indicates persons whose only aim is to satisfy the senses. They are also described as patitānām, or fallen. Only one who stops all activities for sense gratification is considered to be elevated. Another significant word is sva-karmabhiḥ. One becomes fallen by dint of his own past bad activities. Everyone is responsible for his fallen condition because of his own activities. When activities are changed to devotional service, one's auspicious life begins.
SB Canto 5
"They are rotting in material activities for transient material pleasure and spoiling their lives toiling all day and night simply for sense gratification, with no attachment for love of Godhead. I am simply lamenting for them and devising various plans to deliver them from the clutches of māyā." (SB 7.9.43) Karmīs who act very seriously for sense gratification are always referred to in the śāstras by such terms as pramatta, vimukha and vimūḍha. They are killed by māyā. However, one who is apramatta, a sane, sober person, a dhīra, knows very well that a human being's primary duty is to render service to the Supreme Person. Māyā is always ready to kill those who are pramatta with her invisible bows and arrows. Āgnīdhra questioned Pūrvacitti about this.
SB Canto 6
Vaiṣṇavas are also Viṣṇudūtas because they carry out the orders of Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa is very eager for all the conditioned souls rotting in this material world to surrender to Him and be saved from material pangs in this life and punishment in hellish conditions after death. A Vaiṣṇava therefore tries to bring conditioned souls to their senses. Those who are fortunate like Ajāmila are saved by the Viṣṇudūtas, or Vaiṣṇavas, and thus they return back home, back to Godhead.
A materialistic father and mother want to engage their sons in begetting children, striving for improved economic conditions and rotting in materialistic life. They are not unhappy when their children become spoiled, useless citizens, but they lament when they join the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to achieve the ultimate goal of life. This animosity between parents and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has existed since time immemorial. Even Nārada Muni was condemned, not to speak of others. Nevertheless, Nārada Muni never gives up his mission. To deliver as many fallen souls as possible, he continues playing his musical instrument and vibrating the transcendental sound Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
As a dutiful father, he did not hesitate to allow his sons to receive cultural instructions concerning the perfection of life; he depended upon them to choose whether to return home, back to Godhead, or to rot in this material world in various species of life. In all circumstances, the duty of the father is to give cultural education to his sons, who must later decide which way to go. Responsible fathers should not hinder their sons who are making cultural advancement in association with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is not a father's duty. The duty of a father is to give his son complete freedom to make his choice after becoming spiritually advanced by following the instructions of the spiritual master.
"As devotees surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā." Both Indra and Vṛtrāsura were certainly devotees of the Lord, although Indra took instructions from Viṣṇu to kill Vṛtrāsura. The Lord was actually more favorable to Vṛtrāsura because after being killed by Indra's thunderbolt, Vṛtrāsura would go back to Godhead, whereas the victorious Indra would rot in this material world. Because both of them were devotees, the Lord awarded them the respective benedictions they wanted. Vṛtrāsura never wanted material possessions, for he knew very well the nature of such possessions.
"I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him." This gives the definition of the guru. Everyone is in the darkness of ignorance. Therefore everyone needs to be enlightened with transcendental knowledge. One who enlightens his disciple and saves him from rotting in the darkness of ignorance in this material world is a true guru.
SB Canto 7
In the varṇāśrama system, one first becomes a brahmacārī, then a gṛhastha, a vānaprastha and finally a sannyāsī. Going to the forest means accepting vānaprastha life, which is between gṛhastha life and sannyāsa. As confirmed in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (3.8.9), varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate: (CC Madhya 8.58) by accepting the institution of varṇa and āśrama, one can very easily elevate himself to the platform of worshiping Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise, if one remains in the bodily conception, one must rot within this material world, and his life will be a failure.
SB Canto 8
Thus while the elephant became reduced in strength, the crocodile became more and more powerful. Now, from this we may take the lesson that in our fight with māyā we should not be in a position in which our strength, enthusiasm and senses will be unable to fight vigorously. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has actually declared war against the illusory energy, in which all the living entities are rotting in a false understanding of civilization. The soldiers in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must always possess physical strength, enthusiasm and sensual power. To keep themselves fit, they must therefore place themselves in a normal condition of life. What constitutes a normal condition will not be the same for everyone, and therefore there are divisions of varṇāśrama-brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, it is advised that no one take sannyāsa.
SB Canto 9
The material body, whether in the higher or lower planetary system, is destined to die. In the lower planetary system or lower species of life one may die soon, and in the higher planets or higher species one may live for a long, long time, but death is inevitable. This fact should be understood. In the human form of life one should take the opportunity to put an end to birth, death, old age and disease by performing tapasya. This is the aim of human civilization: to stop the repetition of birth and death, which is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). This can be done only when one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, or has achieved the service of the lotus feet of the Lord. Otherwise one must rot in this material world and accept a material body subject to birth, death, old age and disease.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
"My dear Lord, I have no problems and want no benediction from You because I am quite satisfied to chant Your holy name. This is sufficient for me because whenever I chant I immediately merge in an ocean of transcendental bliss. I only lament to see others bereft of Your love. They are rotting in material activities for transient material pleasure and spoiling their lives toiling all day and night simply for sense gratification, with no attachment for love of Godhead. I am simply lamenting for them and devising various plans to deliver them from the clutches of māyā." (SB 7.9.43)
“Cow-killers are condemned to rot in hellish life for as many thousands of years as there are hairs on the body of the cow.
CC Madhya-lila
Materialists always remain blind because they are always guided by blind rascals. A materialistic person considers himself free to act as he likes. He does not know that he is rigidly controlled by the stringent laws of nature, nor does he know that he has to transmigrate from one body to another and perpetually rot in material existence. Such rascals and foolish people are lured by the prayers of their foolish leaders for sense gratification, and they cannot understand what is meant by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The material world exists outside the spiritual sky, and a foolish materialist cannot estimate the extent of this material sky. What, then, can he know of the spiritual sky? Materialists simply believe their imperfect senses and do not take instructions from the revealed scriptures. According to Vedic civilization, one has to see through the authority of the revealed scriptures.
There are innumerable conditioned souls rotting in the material world, imprisoned by māyā under the spell of sense gratification. The living entity is so entranced by the spell of māyā that in conditioned life even a pig feels satisfied. There are two kinds of covering powers exhibited by māyā. One is called prakṣepātmikā, and the other is called āvaraṇātmikā. When one is determined to get out of material bondage, the prakṣepātmikā-śakti, the spell of diversion, impels one to remain in conditioned life fully satisfied by sense gratification. Due to the other power (āvaraṇātmikā), a conditioned soul feels satisfied even if he is rotting in the body of a pig or a worm in stool. To release a conditioned soul from material bondage is very difficult because the spell of māyā is so strong. Even when the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself descends to deliver conditioned souls, asking them to surrender unto Him, the conditioned souls do not agree to the Lord's proposal.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Easy Journey to Other Planets
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
“My dear Lord, it is known to us that You are so kind and liberal that when a person leaves everything just to engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, You sometimes give Yourself in exchange for that unalloyed service. You have appeared in the Yadu dynasty to fulfill Your mission of reclaiming all conditioned souls rotting in the sinful activities of material existence, and this appearance is already famous all over the world. My dear Lord, You are the ocean of unlimited mercy, love and affection. Your transcendental form is full of bliss, knowledge and eternity. You can attract everyone's heart by Your beautiful form as Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṇa. Your knowledge is unlimited, and to teach all people how to execute devotional service You have sent Your incarnation Nara-Nārāyaṇa, who is engaged in severe austerities and penances at Badarīnārāyaṇa. Kindly, therefore, accept my humble obeisances at Your lotus feet. My dear Lord, I beg to request You and Your companions, the great sages and brāhmaṇas, to remain at my place at least for a few days so that this family of the famous King Nimi may be sanctified by the dust of Your lotus feet.” Lord Kṛṣṇa could not refuse the request of His devotee, and thus He remained there for a few days with the sages to sanctify the city of Mithilā and all its citizens.
Light of the Bhagavata
There are two kinds of living entities, namely the conditioned and the pure. It is for the conditioned living entities that the material nature is created, and the conditioned souls are put into it to become pure, unconditioned souls. Those who become unconditioned by devotional service enter into the eternal kingdom of God, and those who lose the chance rot in dormant material conditions, sometimes manifested and sometimes unmanifested. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa descends to reclaim the conditioned souls.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
The plan is already known to everyone how the management of the cosmic manifestation is going on. The cosmic manifestation is there. This material world. It is, although temporary, it has got a purpose. The purpose is to give chance to the living entities who are rotting in this material world to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or original consciousness, and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the plan. This material cosmic manifestation is there, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The nature is, it is sometimes manifested and sometimes it is dissolved, annihilated. Everything material, that is the way.
He sees every living entity as part and parcel of God: "Now, here is a part and parcel of God. He would have gone back to home, back to Godhead, and danced with Him, and lived very nicely, eternally, blissfully. Now he's rotting here as a hog, or as a human being, or as a king. The same thing. It is for few years only." So a devotee therefore tries to take him out of this illusion. Therefore, he's called para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. He's actually feeling others' distressed condition. Not these political leaders or social... What they can do? They make their own fortune. That's all. Or what is that fortune? That is also misfortune. If somebody thinks "I have got some money. I am very fortunate." It is, actually it is not fortune. Real fortunate is he who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is fortunate. Otherwise, all are unfortunate. All are unfortunate.
That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. One who does not follow the regulative principle mentioned in the śāstras, śāstra-vidhim..., vidhim means regulative principle. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, and lives whimsically, as he, whatever he likes, and that is sanctioned by some rascal swami, that, "Oh, yes, you can do whatever you like..." Yato mata tato patha. "You can manufacture your way of religious principle." These things are going on. But actually that will not help us. Śāstra-vidhim, śāstra-vidhim, that must be observed. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhim avāpnoti. If one violates the regulative principle mentioned in the śāstra, he'll never get success. Na sa siddhim avāpnoti na sukham, neither happiness. Na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim: Then what to speak of going back to home, back to...? He'll rot in this material world.
So we are at the present moment rotting in this material world. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ. That is also mentioned in the thirteenth chapter. It is said that puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ. Where is that verse? (aside:) I told you to...
Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ? Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi. Yes.
- puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi
- bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān
- kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya
- sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
- (BG 13.22)
Puruṣa. Puruṣa means the enjoyer. Everyone of us sitting in this hall, we have got different mentality to enjoy differently, different dress, different mentality, different opinion, because everyone of us we are individual. So this individuality is both in spiritual world and the material world. But in the material world our individuality is different on account of associating or infecting different qualities of the material nature. Just like there are different types of patients in the hospital.
Just like the example... We can give very tangible example. Just like in the prison house sometimes the head of the country goes to visit, to see, to inspect how the prison life is going on or to give them some instruction, some good lesson, that "Why you are rotting in prison? You become good citizen." Now, suppose the head of the state goes to the prison and to instruct the prisoners, and if the prisoners think, "Oh, he is also a prisoner. The head of the state who has come to instruct, he is also one of the prisoners, like us."
So the father is always affectionate to the sons. The sons may forget the father, but the father cannot forget. So Kṛṣṇa comes here out of His love for us to deliver us, to give us the right path. Sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "My dear sons, why you are rotting in this miserable world? You come to Me. I'll give you all protection. You are the son of the Supreme. So you can enjoy life very supremely, very magnificently, without any death. Why you are rotting?" That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa comes just like we are come here, being obliged, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27), forced by the laws of nature according to our karma. He does not come like that. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and myself.
Because I change my dress, that does not mean that I am finished. So I am eternal. If I have to finish the... If I have to get rid, out of the influence of material nature, then I have to seek: "Where is my place?" If we know or do not know, then we prefer: "All right, whatever it may be, inferior or superior, let us remain here and rot." So Bhagavad-gītā gives you information of the superior nature: yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candro na pāvakaḥ.
So we have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious by scrutinizing, studying, this authoritative book, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, without having fashionable interpretation, as it is. What Kṛṣṇa says, He says for all the time. It does not change.
Therefore knowledge, when one understands by the grace of spiritual master—"Oh, I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Why not go to Kṛṣṇa?" Therefore, "even if you are considered to be the most sinful, all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge..." This is transcendental knowledge, that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So why I am rotting here? Let me see where is Kṛṣṇa." "You will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries."
So we are sons of such a great personality. We have forgotten. Just as a rich man's son forgets his father and becomes mad and lying on the street and begging—oḥ, that is due to his forgetfulness. If somebody gives him information that "Why you are suffering in this way? You have got your father's riches. You go home and enjoy your father's property. Your father is very much anxious to have you. Why you are rotting in this condition?" And if he comes to his senses that "Oh, I have suffered so much.
So you have got doubt? Rest assured not everyone will do that. So you have no worries. It is not that everyone will do that. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). Unless one is bhāgyavān, very fortunate, he'll not go back to home, back to Godhead. He will rot here. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are trying to make people bhāgyavān. If he wants, he can become bhāgyavān. That is our attempt. We are creating so many centers. We are teaching how to become bhāgyavān, fortunate, how to go back to home, how he can be happy. Now, if one is fortunate, they will take this instruction and turn his life. Therefore this is mission.
By chance, we have come in a family or in a nation or in a community, but this will be... After some years, it will be broken, and everybody will be thrown in the laws of nature—we do not know where—according to his karma. Now I am father, he is son, but after death my son may become demigod; I may become a dog. Then where is my relationship? Everything is broken. And here I may keep the photo of my father, and father may be rotting somewhere as a dog.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
We are reminding people that "You are son of such great personality, or Kṛṣṇa. Why don't you go back to your home? Why you are rotting in this material world, suffering?" This is the mission.
So required, this education. When one understands that "I am rotting here in this nasty place..." This is a nasty place. Not only this material planet, anywhere within this material world... Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you go to the Brahmaloka, where the duration of life you cannot calculate and the standard of life is very, very good, but still, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartinaḥ, wherever you go, the janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9) is there. You cannot avoid it.
But this thing can be purely enjoyed not alone in this material world, but you have to go back to home, go back to Kṛṣṇa, and there is your real life. Kṛṣṇa comes therefore. He displays His rāsa dance in Vṛndāvana to attract these fallen souls, that "If you want enjoyment, why not come back to Me? Here is the enjoyment. Here is the enjoyment, eternal enjoyment. Why you are rotting in this material world and becoming implicated, sometimes as Brahmā and sometime as the worm in the stool? Enjoyment, varieties of enjoyment. Why? Why you are so become fool?" Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, He comes here, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You come to Me. Why you are bothering in this way and suffering?" But people will not hear. That is the difficulty. That is the difficulty. Kṛṣṇa displays what is the standard of happiness with Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Kṛṣṇa is the father of everyone. He canvasses, "My dear children, why you are rotting in this material world? Come back."
- sarva-dharmān parityajya
- mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
- ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
- mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
- (BG 18.66)
This is the message of Bhagavad-gītā. So dharma means to understand my relationship with God. That is dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like a good citizen means who knows the relationship with the state. That is good citizenship. Bad citizenship means who doesn't care for the state. That is criminal. They are put into the prison house. So similarly, the living entities, they are part and parcel of God. But when they are not ready or prepared to abide by the laws of God, they are put into this material world.
So Kṛṣṇa is father for all living entities. They are simply struggling here in this material world under different desires, and therefore they are getting transmigrating from one body to another, and in this way they are wandering within this material world. That is their real disadvantageous position. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says the real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). This is the real problem. Whole spiritual process should be executed to get out of this entanglement of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. That is real problem. So Kṛṣṇa therefore comes, that "Why you are rotting in this material world?" Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. "Why you are struggling so hard?" For ānanda. Everyone is struggling for ānanda, but he does not know whether ānanda is there. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Absolute Truth, He is the reservoir of ānanda Therefore you will see Kṛṣṇa's picture always in ānanda. Wherever you see Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is in the battlefield, still, He is smiling, ānanda. He is not morose. Arjuna is morose. But He is not morose. Because he is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt.
Kṛṣṇa is very anxious. We are suffering here, rotting here. We are sons of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not like to see that we shall rot here. He wants, "Come back home, dance with Me, eat with Me." But these rascals will not go. They will stick here. "No, sir. It is very good here. I shall become hog and eat stool. That is very pleasant."
One devotee, he requested Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "My Lord, You have come. Please liberate all the people of this universe. And if they are sinful, so all their sins, I may take, but they may be delivered." This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. "Others may be delivered by the grace of the Lord. I may rot in the hell. That doesn't matter." Not that, "First of all I go to the heaven, and others will rot." This is not Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava philosophy is, "I may rot in hell, but others may be delivered." Patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ.
Vaiṣṇava is meant for delivering all the fallen souls. Just like a very good example: Lord Jesus Christ. According to the Christian idea, he took all the sins of all people and he sacrificed his life. Very good example. Similarly, Haridāsa Ṭhākura also. There... Nityānanda Prabhu. The Vaiṣṇava is always eager how to deliver all these fallen souls rotting in the hell of māyā. Therefore here it is recommended, syān mahat-sevayā. You have to take shelter of a mahat. Mahat means mahātmā or Vaiṣṇava.
That is the best thing. One is rotting in this family life, which is just like a blind well, andha-kūpa, ātma-pātam. Just like a man falls in the blind well. He has no other alternative than to die, crying, crying. That's all. So he advises, hitvā, "Just give it up." Hitvātma-pātam andha-kūpam, gṛham andha-kūpam. Then where shall I go? Vanaṁ gataḥ. Vanaṁ gataḥ. Vanaṁ gataḥ, "Go to Vṛndāvana, or in the forest." Then how shall I live? No, harim āśrayeta: "Just take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, Hari. He'll give you protection." This is the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja.
If we give up these things..." Especially in the Western countries, they think it is denying the primary necessities of life. They say. Some of my students, they left our association because they could not follow these principles. They are complaining that "Prabhupāda is denying the primary necessities of life." Therefore it is said, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). It is very difficult to give up these four bad habits. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. But this is the path of perfection. But they are not interested in perfection. They want to rot as hogs and dogs in this world. That is their purpose. And therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. Nobody is interested to become brāhmaṇa. They are interested to become dogs and hogs. That is their interest.
So at the present moment, the whole civilization is a set of rascals only. That's all. There is no education. They do not know. And because they do not know, Kṛṣṇa comes. Just to make these rascals, to inform that "I am," Kṛṣṇa says, "I am," aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Canvassing. Canvassing, "My dear sons, why you are rotting in this material world? Please come. You are My beloved son. I do not tolerate, or I do not, I cannot see that you are suffering."
The attacking with his horns. Kṛṣṇa is just like playing with a toy. That is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is always anxious to give us enlightenment, that "This is not your life. Why you are rotting in this material world? Come back." In many ways... Deva-tiryaṅ-narādiṣu. He's coming not only in the human society, but in the animal society also. He's coming in all kinds of... There are so many societies, aquatics, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅk... There are so many living entities, 8,400,000, and they have got their own society. As we know, birds of the same feather flock together. So that is called society. That is there in the... You'll find all the ants are together. All the birds are together. All the beasts are together. So we form this animal society or the human society. That is not a new thing. That is a... You'll see all the crows, they will flock together. The crows will not mix with the pigeons. The pigeons will not mix with the crows. That is natural.
So Kṛṣṇa is sanātana, that world is sanātana, we are sanātana. Therefore we should meet together. And the process which helps us to go back to home, back to Godhead, and stay in that sanātana place with the sanātana Lord, that is called sanātana-dharma. Sanātana-dharma does not mean that a particular class of men having a particular type of dress or hair. No. Sanātana-dharma is meant for all living entities. They are rotting in this material world, repetition of birth and death. That is asanātana.
So every human being should be educated to accept this sanātana-dharma, how one can go back to home, back to Godhead. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So sanātana-dharma is not meant for a particular class of men. It is meant for all living entities. Unfortunately, the Hindu dharma, or sanātana-dharma, they have identified. And..., as if others have no right to enter into the sanātana-dharma. No. That's not a fact. The fact is every living entity is sanātana. And the process by which a living entity is transferred to the sanātana dhāma, sanātana place, that is called sanātana-dharma. It is... Sanātana-dharma is misunderstood. Just like in India there are classes of men who call: "We are sanātanists." Everyone should be sanātanist. Sanātana-dharma is not meant for a particular class of men or country or society.
So just imagine, through the inhaling and exhaling of Mahā-Viṣṇu in the Causal Ocean, so many universes are coming out. And each and every universe there are so many planets, and it requires to preach the glories of the Lord. So just imagine how many incarnations are required to enlighten the people in each and every universe. As we are trying to forget Kṛṣṇa, or God... We are all sons of God. But God cannot forget us, because we are sons. God is trying to reclaim us. He is coming. Kṛṣṇa is coming personally to canvass that "Why you are rotting here? Why don't you come? You just surrender and be happy." "No. I shall work here." "That's all right."
But the, there is opportunity of serving Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because the society is so fallen, therefore there is good opportunity to serve Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation is to reclaim these fallen souls. So you have got the opportunity to serve Śrī Caitan..., to please Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu because He wanted the fallen souls to be delivered. Kṛṣṇa also wanted. Yadā yadā hi glānir bhavati bhārata, dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata. Kṛṣṇa comes... This is... God's business is going on like that. He's very anxious to reclaim all these rascals, rotting in this material world. Kṛṣṇa is always anxious. He comes Himself. He comes as devotee. He comes..., sends His bona fide servant, bona fide son.
Therefore this is the best service, to inform him that "You are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. You are son of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is opulent, six kind of opulence. Why you are traveling, why you are rotting in this material world?" This is the greatest service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But māyā is very strong. Still, it is the duty of every kṛṣṇa-bhakta to try to enlighten everyone to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like Kuntīdevī is pointing out. First of all she said, alakṣyaṁ sarva-bhūtānām antar bahir avasthi... (SB 1.8.18). Although Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, is without and within, still, to the rascals and fools, He is invisible. Therefore she is pointing out: "Here is the Lord, kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya (SB 1.8.21)." He is the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He's very much pleased to become the son of Devakī. Devakī-nandanāya. Devakī-nandanāya is mentioned in Atharva-Veda also. Kṛṣṇa comes as Devakī-nandana, and His foster father is Nanda-gopa, Nanda Mahārāja.
Suppose you grow a nice mango tree, and there will be fruit, nice fruit. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, mā phaleṣu kadācana: "You don't take the fruits." "Oh? Such a nice mango tree I have nourished in so many years. Now the fruit is there, and Kṛṣṇa says, mā phaleṣu kadācana: 'Don't take the fruit.' Then who will take the fruit? It is will rot? It will fall down on the ground, and it will rot?" No. The idea is "You don't take, but you give it to Me." This is karma-yoga. It is not that it should be wasted. So that is karma-yoga. So those who are karmīs, very much attached to material activities, for them, this karma-yoga is recommended. Some way or other, be connected with Kṛṣṇa. It is not so meant... It is very great achievement that you work hard earn money and give it to Kṛṣṇa. That is a great sacrifice.
But Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not give you such prescription. He gives you very nice program: chant, dance and take prasādam. Still we are unwilling. We cannot accept this tapasya. You see. We are so fallen. Su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). This is a kind of tapasya which is very easy to do and it is very pleasant. Still, we are not agreeable. We shall rot in the street, lie down anywhere and everywhere and still, I shall drink and have sex and lie down. So what can be done? We are giving good facilities. Come here, chant, dance and live very peacefully and take kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Be happy. But people will not accept. That is called misfortune.
Kuntī devī is saying, tvām akiñcana-gocaram (SB 1.8.26). And Caitanya Mahāprabhu said also, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajana, devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, if one is interested, he should not desire anything material possession. Material... Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajano... And Bhagavad-bhajana, why required? Now, pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. We are rotting in this material world. We have to cross over the nescience ocean, and go to Vaikuṇṭha. That is bhagavad-bhajana. Bhagavad-bhajana does not mean to increase our material possessions. That is dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41). These are material things. People become religious to increase their economic condition better, dharma artha, generally. They want to... Just like there are so many so-called saintly persons. They advertise that "If you give me one, I shall give you ten." Magic, gold manufacturing, or some cloth and they get more... People are after them. But akiñcana. We have nothing to give. So they do not come to us.
So ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. A Vaiṣṇava feels for others. A Vaiṣṇava understands that "Those who are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, those who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, they are rotting under the spell of māyā. Let us do something for them." That is Vaiṣṇava. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja said, naivodvije para duratyaya, duratyaya-vaitaraṇyāḥ: "I am not afraid of the indefatigable vaitaraṇī." It is said in the śāstra that you have to cross the vaitaraṇī before going to the spiritual world. So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I am not afraid of this vaitaraṇī. It is very easy." Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ: (SB 7.9.43) "Because I know simply by glorifying Your Lordship, I am..., I can do that." Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). That is quite possible.
So these activities are going on not only in the human society. The animal society also. Animal society, aquatic, because everyone is Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, sons. So they are rotting in this material world. So Kṛṣṇa has a plan, a big plan to deliver them. Personally He comes. Sometimes He sends His very confidential devotee. Sometimes He comes Himself. Sometimes He leaves instructions like Bhagavad-gītā. The whole propaganda is going on. Therefore it is said here: tiryaṅ nṛ, tiryaṅ nṛ ṛṣiṣu. Everywhere Kṛṣṇa's incarnation is there. Yādaḥsu. Aquatics also.
Therefore intelligent men, they should inquire, "Where we shall enter in family life and we can eternally enjoy?" That is Kṛṣṇa's family. You enter into Kṛṣṇa's family, Vṛndāvana family, where Kṛṣṇa has got His father, mother, His friends, His lover, His beloved, His cows, His garden, His Yamunā. You enter that, that family. Then yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6). Then you will not have to return back again to this temporary family, which will not stay. But if you enter Kṛṣṇa's family... Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that—you are so much family, fond of family life—"Just here see. I have got My family. I am not impersonal. I have got My family. I have got My father. I have got My mother. I have got My friend. I have got My beloved, Rādhārāṇī, and the gopīs. Everything I have got. You can enter also. Come. Why you are rotting here?" That is Kṛṣṇa's mission.
So this inquiry should be there. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to enthuse people to make this inquiry. Just like political leaders: they were sleeping, and Gandhi and other political leaders, they made agitation that "Why you shall remain dependent on this British ruling?" Just like, similar... It is not like that. It is an example. Our movement is that, that "You are eternal. Why you should rot in this material world where there is no question of eternity? Everything is temporary." Everything is temporary. So how we can attain that eternity? Kṛṣṇa says,
- mām upetya punar janma
- duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
- nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
- saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
- (BG 8.15)
"If you come to Me..." Kṛṣṇa is saying to us, indicating Arjuna, that "If you come to, come back to home, back to Godhead... Why you are rotting in this material world, temporary world?" "No, I have got so many responsibilities, Sir. How can I join You?" So Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān pari...: "Give it up." "Then, I'll be in trouble?" "No, you'll not be troubled." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa is giving assurance.
That is the teaching of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu māṁ marma-hatāṁ karotu vā adarśanāt (CC Antya 20.47). Adarśana. "Without giving me audience, You kill me, You break my heart; still, You are my Lord, You are my worshipable Lord, nobody else." This is love. This is love. (Bengali:) Asan kṛṣṇa galai diba naiva beja tata(?). Not like that. "Kṛṣṇa may not come. I may not see Kṛṣṇa for thousands and thousands of lives. I may rot in the hellish condition of life for many, many births. That doesn't matter. Still, I cannot give up Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is required. I may be sent to hell, heaven; it doesn't matter. What qualification I have got that I want to see back to home, back to Godhead? It is not so easy thing. So why should I be sorry for that? I should be happy even in the hell simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted.
Vidura left his home for good. It is not that he has again come back to live with his family members. No. His only purpose was that his elder brother Dhṛtarāṣṭra was rotting there. He lost everything. He lost his kingdom, lost his sons, grandsons and everything. Still, he could not give up the so-called material happiness. He was... Of course, these Pāṇḍavas, they were treating Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his wife Gāndhārī very gorgeously as head of the family, but he was not ashamed that he intrigued so much difficulties and plot against the Pāṇḍavas. There was big fight, Kurukṣetra, in which he lost everything. Still, he was living under their care for some material comforts. So this was very shameful affair. So Vidura was very much attracted, attached to Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Therefore, bhrātur jyeṣṭhasya śreyas-kṛt. Bhrātuḥ means brother, and jyeṣṭha means elder. So actually, Vidura went there for the benefit of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Therefore, kañcit kālam atha avātsīt. He decided to live at home along with the family members for some time.
The birds, trees and the water, the land, the cows, the calves, the inhabitants, the cowherd boys—everyone is happy simply by loving Kṛṣṇa. Simply by loving Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa therefore manifests His līlā that "Why you are rotting in this material world? Come to Me and enjoy life eternally." That is Kṛṣṇa business. He is so kind. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). People, when they become debauch to enjoy life in this material world... What is the enjoyment? The last enjoyment is sex life. Is that very good enjoyment? But they have accepted. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Maithuna means sex intercourse. That is their life and soul. They do not know. They have no information. There is better pleasure, eternal pleasure. That they do not know.
We have seen it. You have also seen. Sometimes in season, there is so much mango supply that they rot on the ground. Nobody cares to take it. So supply is not in your hands. You cannot supply by factory. You can manufacture bolts and nuts, not rice or ḍāl or ghee or mango or fruits. So supply is... Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. What is the difference between God and ourself? We are also living entities, God is also living entity. Nityo nityānām. I have several times explained this. Just like Kṛṣṇa, what is the difference of Kṛṣṇa? You have got two hands; He has got two hands. He has got two legs; you have got two legs. So the appearance, Kṛṣṇa is equal or in quality.
That means you are misusing your advanced intelligence improperly. Therefore you must suffer. You are using your intelligence... Your intelligence was given to understand what is God, what is your relationship with God, why you are rotting in this material world under shadow illusion of so-called happiness. These things are to be known in human form of body. Not like working very hard like cats and dogs and asses and eat little food and do all sinful activities. This is not human intelligence.
So our senses are so strong. If you stop this sense, the other sense is prepared to kill you. Because they are called enemies, they are manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). We are struggling for existence with the mind and the senses. Otherwise it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, "These living entities, they are My part and parcel." That means "They are as good as I am." Why they are rotting in this material world? Because on account of the mind and the senses. So yoga practice you have to control first of all the mind, and then you have to control the senses. That is perfection of yoga. So Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, a great devotee, he controlled his mind, senses, in this way.
So if you think that he has gone to heaven, then he may go to hell also. Because if the soul is departed from the body, now according to his karma... That is right philosophy. That is Vedic philosophy. Kṛṣṇa says, dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change this body. As you have changed already several times, similarly, after death you will also get another body. So this is a fact, that soul is there, and soul is changing the body, and therefore the question of hell and heaven or something else may come. This is sane. Not that the body is going to the heaven. No, no. This is foolishness. Anyone can, any man with common sense can understand, "Where the body has gone? It is rotting here."
Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes, the puruṣottama, to take us back. "Why you are now covered, your shining is stopped? You are morose. You are suffering threefold miserable condition of material existence. Why you are rotting here?" Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Kṛṣṇa comes Himself. He is within everyone's heart. He's instructing. He is ready to instruct, but He'll only instruct to such persons who have engaged themselves in devotional service. Kṛṣṇa is there, just like the master is there and many workers are there also. The master speaks to the important persons, not to the ordinary person. Similarly, the master is there in everyone's heart.
Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I don't want my liberation alone. Unless I deliver all these fools who are rotting in this material world, I do not want my personal liberation." This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are going to Himalayas or some secluded place for personal benefit. But a Vaiṣṇava, he has no desire for personal benefit. The personal benefit is already there in Vaiṣṇava because he's in touch with the Supreme Lord by his service.
So similarly, some time before, some hundreds and thousands of years, Kapiladeva appeared, devahūti-putra Kapiladeva. His father's name is Kardama Muni. So after Kapiladeva's birth, when He was grown up... That is the system of Vedic civilization. When children are grown up, the father retires. He takes sannyāsa, or goes out of home simply for cultivating spiritual life, not that throughout the whole life, rot in this material world, no. Pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. That is the injunction of the śāstra. We have got eight kinds of āśrama, er, four kinds of āśrama and four kinds of varṇas. So the... Formerly they used to follow very strictly. So Kapiladeva's father, Kardama Muni, after the son was grown up, he left his home, giving in charge of his wife. The wife was given in charge of the grown-up boy, not that the boy was in charge of the..., no. So that incident, that narration, is stated in this part.
Everything is there. You can have eternal blissful life of knowledge, sac-cid-ānanda. It is not compulsory that you shall rot in this material world. But if you like, you can go there. The easiest process. Easiest process is janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. You try to understand Kṛṣṇa, why He comes, what are His activities, wherefrom He comes, why He comes in the form of a human being. You try to understand, study. And Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. So where is your difficulty? God is personally explaining what He is. If you accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then, after giving up this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), no more birth and death. You get your spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), and happily live in the family of Kṛṣṇa. Because He is also providing you here, and there also, He'll provide you with very nice preparation. As we have learned from this, what is that, Nava Bhārata Times, how our people are eating preparations from milk very nicely. So back to home, back to Godhead, and eat, drink and be merry in Kṛṣṇa's company. That is our process.
So Kṛṣṇa, being father, Kṛṣṇa, being friend of everyone, He comes, and He canvasses, and at last He says, "You rascal," sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam... (BG 18.66), ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyaḥ. "You are rotting here by repeatedly committing sinful life. Therefore you are changing from one body to another, and this is your material condition." Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). "You are thinking... When you are a human being or American, you are thinking, 'Now I am in very good position,' but next moment you can become a dog, you can become an insect." Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). But the rascals, they do not know. They, he's thinking, "I am secure." And although he is fearful, he is thinking secure. This is called māyā. He is always fearful. Still, he is thinking that he is secure. This is called māyā.
So He is giving chance, as we want. Actually, Kṛṣṇa wants that "You don't try to eat forbidden apple, the, this apple tree, but You give up this. You come to Me." That Kṛṣṇa wants. But because we want to eat, we want to enjoy this material world, He is so kind, He is sitting along with us and giving us... Just like you sometimes take your dog, and whatever the dog wants, you allow him to do, out of love; similarly, whatever we wanting to do, Kṛṣṇa is allowing, "All right." Kṛṣṇa's real desire is "You rascal. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66)," but I'll not do. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is giving me all chances: "Do whatever you like. But if... You reap the result. If you hear My word, then you give up this. You come again. Because your position is prakṛteḥ paraḥ. Your position, My position, is prakṛteḥ paraḥ. Your position is prakṛteḥ paraḥ. Why you are rotting in this, within this material world?" In this way, if we understand our position and God's position and our relationship with God, in this way, if we become enlightened, jñānam, then ātma-darśanam. Ātma-darśanam, that means self-realization.
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ mām: "I understand that I am Your eternal servant. My position is Your servant. But I prefer to become the servant of māyā. Therefore this is my fallen position. If You kindly take me again." And He is ready. Kṛṣṇa is ready. Therefore He comes personally to canvass, that "Why you are rotting in this material world?" Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Just like fathers, sane father, request the bewildered son, "Why, my dear son, you are suffering in this way? Why don't you come back to home, and live peacefully and blissfully?" But no, we are determined. We are determined. Although Kṛṣṇa is canvassing, His devotees are canvassing, "No. No, sir. We shall enjoy here." What is enjoyment? Birth and death, disease and old age—is that enjoyment? But they have no brain to understand. Dull, mūḍhāḥ, duṣkṛtina. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Kṛṣṇa says, "Surrender unto Me. I give you protection." But they will not do. Why? Because duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ. That is the position.
So this civilized nation should take advantage of this Vedic literature. The Kardama Muni is teaching Sāṅkhya philosophy, Kṛṣṇa is teaching Bhagavad-gītā, and if we do not take advantage of these thing, then again we are in the oblivion. Again this cosmic manifestation will be annihilated, and we will remain in slumbering state for many millions and millions of years. Again there will be creation: bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). This is the mode of creation. So we should take advantage of this Vedic literature. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One, everyone, should approach the bona fide spiritual master and take lessons from the Vedic literature. Then this life will be successful. We are rotting in this material world. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Getting one short type of body, live there for some time, again it is annihilated, again another body. And we do not know what kind of body. That will depend on our karma. So... But you have to accept. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13).
So that round, round seed, that each and every universe. So one devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Vāsudeva Datta, he prayed to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "Sir, You have come. You deliver all these fallen souls, conditioned souls within the universe. Your kindness can do that. And if You think they are so sinful they cannot be delivered, then I am prepared to take all their sins. I shall remain here alone to suffer. You kindly deliver them." This is Vaiṣṇava desire. Vaiṣṇava is not selfish. He is... Vaiṣṇava's real qualification is para-duḥkha-duḥkhī: he is unhappy by seeing others unhappy." Personally he has no unhappiness. Why he should be unhappy? He has got Kṛṣṇa. But as he has become happy by getting Kṛṣṇa, so he wants others also to become happy, and therefore he tries to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is called para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. He knows that all these conditioned souls, they are, I mean to say, rotting in this material world and suffering. And the only remedy is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact. Only remedy is. Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra mano-'bhirāmāt.
So anyone's heart is always clouded with ignorance and rubbish knowledge. If you want to drive away this knowledge... Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. This ignorance... This material world is tama. A Vedic injunction is tamasi mā: "Don't remain in this darkness." If there is light, why we shall remain in the darkness? That is intelligence. If there is light, why should we rot in the darkness? So there is light. Jyotir gamaḥ, brahma-jyotir. Jyotir gamaḥ, Brahman. That Brahman world go, not this material world. Yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40). What is that Brahman world? The Brahman world means where there is complete effulgence, bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa. That is Brahman world. Just like here the bodily rays of the sun makes it clear, so brilliant, what we can see. Then what is the sunshine? It is the bodily rays of the sun. Why don't you believe that? The example is there, you learn. If a material thing like the sun globe or the sun-god, he has got so much bodily effulgence that it is keeping lighted all over the universe, just imagine what is the bodily brilliance of Kṛṣṇa.
This is śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā. Beginning of spiritual life is śraddhā. Just like you have come here. It is based on śraddhā, a little faith. Otherwise, there are millions of people, why they are not coming? There is no śraddhā. But anyone who comes, it means there is ādau śraddhā. This śraddhā has been Śraddadhānāḥ. Kṛṣṇa said. So what is that verse? Aśraddadhānāḥ. Śraddhā, and the opposite word is aśraddhā. So what Kṛṣṇa said, if one has no faith, aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa (BG 9.3). What Kṛṣṇa said... Kṛṣṇa personally comes to enlighten us, that "This is your life. You should do like this. You should live like this. You should act like this. Why you are rotting in this material world?"
That means suffering will go on. You cannot stop it. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). So long we have got this body, we must suffer. This is the truth. Asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). We are getting different types of bodies, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Each body is for a short period. It will not last forever. But so long it will last, it will be cause of suffering. That we do not understand. This is the ignorance, mūḍha. And this suffering can be ended only by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). The suffering is inflicted by māyā. Bhuṇkte prakṛti-jān guṇān. But there is no education, the people are so dull, rascal, they cannot understand that they are suffering, and the suffering they are accepting as enjoyment. In this way they are rotting in this material world.
That is a good suggestion, but you rot for the time being. Suppose you are going somewhere, walking, and somebody gives you opportunity, "Come in my car," why don't you take advantage of it? You are... You will reach the destination by walking in six thousand years, (laughter) but if you get the opportunity... In your country there is good. There is staircase and there is elevator. So if you want to go, that "I shall go by the staircase and reach the upstair at the end of the day when office will be finished," (laughter) then you can do that. But if you are intelligent, you shall take the advantage of the elevator. Within a minute you go there. That is intelligence. "I am going. I shall reach at the end of the day when every office will be closed. Then I will come down again." If you see that, that you can do—not very good intelligence. That is not intelligence. We have to take the speediest process. That is intelligence.
So try to understand Kṛṣṇa in this way. And if you actually understand Kṛṣṇa, you are liberated immediately. Janma karma ca divyaṁ me yo jānāti tattvataḥ. How Kṛṣṇa eats, how Kṛṣṇa thinks, how Kṛṣṇa works, if you understand all these things, then immediately you become liberated. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). You immediately become. The only thing is we are rotting in this material world because we do not know Kṛṣṇa. That is the... You'll not be admitted in the spiritual kingdom unless you know Kṛṣṇa, what He is. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, you are fit—"Come on." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). And as soon as you go, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Everything is explained. And therefore Kṛṣṇa comes. We have got pravṛtti to enjoy this material world. Kṛṣṇa comes personally, that "This will not help you." He comes personally: "You give up this habit. You simply surrender to Me. I will take you back to home, back to Godhead." This is... Pravṛttir eṣāṁ bhūtānāṁ nivṛttes tu mahā-phalam. We are inclined to enjoy this material world, but if we stop this material enjoyment, we are fit for spiritual life. That is the philosophy.
So these things will be discussed, that "Such person is no meant for going to the hell." No. They are not meant. It is stated that such devotees, they will not in dream also see what is hellish condition of life. They are so, mean, guaranteed. So this hellish condition of life is meant for the persons who are rotting in these material modes of nature, and if you remain above the influence of material nature, always being engaged in devotional service... We have got varieties of service, and we have got such program. So if, some way or other, if we remain engaged always in devotional service, then there is no question of downfall or going to the hellish condition of life.
Thank you very much.
So narakāt naraḥ. We should always remember that if we commit some sinful activities there is punishment. That has been described in the previous chapter, Fifth Canto. Therefore Parīkṣit Mahārāja... That is Vaiṣṇava. Parīkṣit Mahārāja is Vaiṣṇava. He is very unhappy that so many living entities, they are rotting in this naraka, hellish condition of life. So he is asking,
- adhuneha mahā-bhāga
- yathaiva narakān naraḥ
- nānogra-yātanān neyāt
- tan me vyākhyātum arhasi
"I am very sorry that so many living entities are suffering. So if there is any way to give them relief?" That is Vaiṣṇava. And avaiṣṇava sees another person is suffering; he doesn't care: "Let him suffer." We have come to that state. I heard from one of my disciples that here, in New York, if somebody is killed on the road, nobody will care.
So here Parīkṣit Mahārāja, out of compassion, he inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, "These persons, they are rotting in the naraka. Is there any means to deliver them?" That he's saying. Nānā ugra-yātanā. Ugra-yātanā. These are described. We find also, there are many persons, they are suffering ugra-yāta. Ugra means severe, severe punishment. There are living entities, they are suffering so many ugra-yātanā. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to save people from the severe punishment of materialistic life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, Kṛṣṇa's movement, is to save.
So in this subject matter, topics between Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Mahārāja Parīkṣit, there is... Parīkṣit Mahārāja is anxious to know how these conditioned souls who are rotting in the hellish condition of life, they can be delivered. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is first of all prescribing that they have to make atonement. Just like I gave you the example: If one man has committed criminal activities, he has to atone for the sinful activity. He must be arrested. He must be put into the jail and given some trouble for a certain period of time. And then he may be given freedom. So this atonement is there, by nature's law. You cannot avoid it. If you think that "God cannot see. I am doing this nonsense without His vision," that is wrong. Anything we do, that is recorded just like the service record. And the judgment... Just like in other literatures, there is the day of judgment. That's fact. We have to accept the judgment of the superior superintendent of all our activities.
This is intelligence. Mahārāja Parīkṣit is Vaiṣṇava, and his inquiry was: "How these men who are rotting in this hellish condition can be relieved?" That was his question. So... (about music on loudspeakers:) What is that?
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja inquired from Sūta Gosvāmī, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, how the people in general, rotting in hellish life, could be saved. This is the desire of a Vaiṣṇava. Others, they do not care whether one is suffering or enjoying. But a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of the Lord, he always thinks of the fallen condition of general people. Just like in Christian philosophy they believe that Lord Jesus Christ suffered to be crucified by assimilating all the sinful activities of the people. Yes. A devotee of Lord thinks like that. Similar devotee was Vāsudeva Datta, Lord Caitanya's... He requested the Lord that "You have come.
So we are concerned with the laws of God. God may be dead or alive—it doesn't matter. Suppose by law we are prisoners, we are in the prison house, and all of a sudden the president or the king dies. Does it mean you shall be free? No. You have to rot. Just like Bengali proverb says (Bengali), that if the king dies, his government is not stopped. We should remember that, that that government is prakṛti, the material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. So this is all foolish things, that "God is dead," "I don't care for God." But God, actually, God is not dead. You are dead.
So we should be very, very careful. Do not think that "We are independent, and we can do whatever nonsense I like." That is very risky life. Do not think like that, foolishly. There is a regular... There is Yamarāja. Because we are sons of Kṛṣṇa, when Kṛṣṇa wants that "These My sons, rascals, are suffering in this material world. Let them come back home," therefore He comes personally. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmyaham (BG 4.7). He desires that, that "These rascals, they are rotting in this material world, birth after birth. Let them come back." Because He is more affectionate. So... And if he does not utilize this human form of life to take the advantage of going back to home, back to Godhead, that is sinful. Then he is punished.
So the conclusion is that everyone should take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement; otherwise, he is awaiting punishment by Yamarāja.
Thank you very much.
Our mind is always agitated for sense enjoyment. Mind is the master of the senses, or the chief man, just like superintendent. Mind is dictating, and the senses The mind is dictating, "You go there"; immediately the legs go. "You see here"; the eyes see. So mind is the center. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Bhagavad-gītā. This living entity, mamaivāṁśo Kṛṣṇa says, "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel." So question may be, "Then why they are rotting here? If the living entities are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God, so why does he not live with God?" The immediate answer is manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). These living entities, these conditioned souls who has come to this material world—the only reason is that they want to satisfy the senses, manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi. Therefore there is struggle for existence. He wants to enjoy. He wants to become the enjoyer. But he is not enjoyer. That is called illusion. He is enjoyed. He cannot enjoy. Enjoyer is only Kṛṣṇa, puruṣa. Puruṣaḥ śāśvatam.
That is special concession to these fallen souls of this age. Because Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He is always anxious to deliver us. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmyaham (BG 4.7). He is father. He is the seed-giving father of all living entities. We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, mamaivāṁśaḥ. So He is very unhappy. Of course, He cannot be unhappy. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). But at least, because we are His sons and we are rotting in this material world for sense gratification, in this way He is very sorry. Therefore He comes and teaches us, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām: (BG 18.66) "You rascal, why you are going here and there? Just surrender unto Me. I will give you..." But still, the rascals will not take.
A dog can be restrained: "Don't come here." Why God can be restrained? So there is no reason. He says freely that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). He wants. We are part and parcel of God, just like sons are part and parcel of father. If the father is rich man, all-powerful, he does not like to see that his sons are loitering in the street without any food, without any shelter. He doesn't like. Father entreats, "My dear son, why you are rotting in this way? Come home. You'll be comfortable. You'll be happy." But these rascal sons will not go. They are thinking, "We shall make plan here and live peacefully." That is going on. And God is coming, Kṛṣṇa is coming, canvassing, that "Come back to home, back to Godhead," and we are not interested. We are making plan here.
This is foolishness. Don't order Kṛṣṇa. Try to serve Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be successful. Sevānurūpam udayo na parāvaratvam. Kṛṣṇa has no discrimination that you are inferior; therefore His favor is not bestowed upon you. This is foolishness. Don't become envious of somebody who is getting Kṛṣṇa's favor. Kṛṣṇa is favoring him because he has served. You serve; you'll get favor. This is God. Kṛṣṇa has no discrimination that one is getting more opulence, more success; another is rotting. That is not Kṛṣṇa's; it is your discrimination. You wanted some rotten things; you get it. You wanted some stone and wood, you take it. But if somebody wanted to serve—"I have given Him service"—all right, you serve. This is parāvara... Not parāvaratvam, it is foolishness, that "Kṛṣṇa has favored him so much. I not favored." You become just eligible to be favored, then you'll be favored. This is the process. Na parāvaratvam. He has no such discrimination. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234).
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
We can go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore the śāstras are there. The Vedas are there. The Upaniṣads are there. Why? To give us information. To awaken us. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibhodata. The Vedas say, "Now you wake up, take advantage." Prāpya varān. "You have got this book. You fulfill your mission. Don't rot in this material world." Kṛṣṇa Himself comes, He..., to recall us. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). But still we cannot understand Him. We say Kṛṣṇa is dark, Kṛṣṇa is unknown. Why Kṛṣṇa is unknown? Kṛṣṇa, He is giving His own identification, and I am authority of explaining Bhagavad-gītā, I say Kṛṣṇa is unknown. Just see the fuss. I am writing comments on Bhagavad-gītā for misleading others, and personally when I'm asked, "What you know?" "That Kṛṣṇa is unknown to me." This is going on.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
The same thing happened to Brahmā. Because he had to create this whole universe—so many planets, so many demigods, so many human societies, so many, so many... There is no limit. He is the creator of everything. He's called, therefore, "great-grandfather," prapitāmaha (BG 11.39). No, pitāmaha. Prapitāmaha is Kṛṣṇa, great-grandfather, because He instructed Brahmā. So the same thing: He can instruct you also. What is that instruction? Yena mām upayānti te. The instruction means how you can go back to home, back to Godhead, that instruction, not this instruction, that "You rot in this material world in this hellish condition of life." That, no. That instruction you'll get in the colleges and universities. But Kṛṣṇa's instruction is different. He'll give you instruction so that you can get rid of this hellish condition of life and go back to home and back to Godhead.
This mission we are preaching all over the world because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted it. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to deliver the fallen souls from the clutches of māyā and take them back to home, back to Godhead. As Kṛṣṇa came, He also... His mission was this. Bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam ādigacchati. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma (BG 15.6). He is also giving information, "You come to Me. Live there eternally, with bliss and knowledge. Why you are rotting in this material world?" So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has come with the same mission. His mission is not different from Kṛṣṇa because He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. So His mission is to offer prema, bhakti. Prema-bhakti-vadānyatā. That is His magnanimity. Śrī Kṛṣṇa did not offer prema. That is also prema, the preliminary condition. He said surrender. Surrender means beginning of prema.
There are innumerable universes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). So in each universe, Kṛṣṇa-līlā is going on. And in rotation, after some lakhs of years, again Kṛṣṇa comes on this planet. This is... Therefore Kṛṣṇa's līlā is nitya-līlā. So just to attract us, that "You are fond of dancing. Why don't you come back to Me and dance with Me?" this is Kṛṣṇa's business. "Why you are rotting in this rotting dance? You want association. You want sporting. Why don't you come to Me and take part in My sporting with the cowherds boys?" This is invitation of Kṛṣṇa.
Festival Lectures
So before finishing this small span of life... We have got this human form of life. It will be finished, as the cats' and dogs' life also finished. But if we try through the guru and Vaiṣṇava, then, we can achieve in this life the full success, not failure like cats' and dogs' life. That is the opportunity. So as far as possible, we are trying to lead you in this line, and you kindly follow. Then your life will be successful. That is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He wanted to deliver these fallen souls, the conditioned souls rotting in this material world. So Kṛṣṇa Himself... Kṛṣṇa comes Himself, Kṛṣṇa sends His devotees, Kṛṣṇa comes as devotee—just to execute this mission to reclaim the fallen souls from the clutches of illusory energy, material world.
Thank you very much.
General Lectures
Because there is no place. He has no engagement and he wants association. He wants to render some service, but there is no service to Kṛṣṇa. He comes to give service to the nonsense māyā. So āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). After accepting sannyāsa and all this renunciation, because he has no shelter to render service to the Supreme Lord, he comes down to render service to this nonsense thing which he left. Mithyā, it is false. He again comes to the false. I have seen one sannyāsī in India, very learned, very good scholar. Now he's rotting in the jail. He has taken to political movement. He wants to make, nullify this Pakistan and so many things. Now he has become a politician.
No other desire. Not that "By worshiping Kṛṣṇa or acting devotional service I shall get this opportunity, this facility," material or spiritual. A real devotee, he does not aspire even for liberation. He doesn't want. He simply wants, "My Lord Kṛṣṇa, wherever I may be, it doesn't matter. Please keep me always engaged in Your consciousness." That's all. A devotee never aspires that he'll be elevated to the spiritual sky or Vaikuṇṭha or... Never mind. "For thousands and thousands of births I may rot into the hell, but simply I want my Lord, that wherever I may be situated, I may not forget You." Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). Lord Caitanya teaches this. Janmani janmani. Where there is janmani janmani, that means that is not liberation. As soon as you're liberated, you are not supposed to take birth again. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, janmani janmani. He doesn't aspire about liberation. "Birth after birth, please keep Me engaged in Your devotional service." That is pure devotion. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā (CC Madhya 19.167).
Just to remind us. Not only he has given us Vedas and Purāṇas to remind us that "Your position is different than you are thinking. You are thinking that you are a material product. That is illusion. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. You are brahma-vastu. You are part and parcel of Brahman..." Therefore there are so many literatures-vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15)—just to draw your attention to come to Kṛṣṇa. Just to draw your attention, that "You are My part and parcel. You are My eternal son. Why you are rotting in this miserable condition of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)?" Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Therefore Kṛṣṇa's advice is give up all nonsense engagement; simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Just try to understand Kṛṣṇa favorably, not like Kaṁsa or so-called scholars, but with natural affection for Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be happy. That is our program.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Yes. What is the demigods? They are also rotting in this material world. So devotees are not concerned how to become a demigod. They do not care. That is said by Prabodānanda Sarasvatī: vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. Vidhi means Lord Brahmā, and mahendra means the king of heaven, Indra. So he says, "I think this Brahmā and Indra, Candra, the demigods just like as good as the germs and small insects." He says that. Vidhi-mahendrādiś. You have to attain such a position that you think this Brahmā and Indra and demigods, they are as good as the insects. Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭa. Kīṭa means a small insect. So actually that is the position. Everyone has got a different type of body according to his karma, either Brahmā's body or ant's body, so he is under material laws. So that is not the position of freedom.
Prabhupāda: The law of gravity, why was it not applying..., why did it not fall before?
Śyāmasundara: Now the fruit has become ripe so the stem has rotted...
Prabhupāda: Therefore the law of gravity is not all. There is another condition. So that he does not know.
Śyāmasundara: Yes, many conditions must...
Prabhupāda: Yes. So these conditions are made by God. The same apple is hanging and not falling down. That means other conditions are not yet fulfilled. So therefore simply studying law of gravity is not perfect.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is one sense correct. Because we are fallen condition and we are sons of God, so we are suffering. God is very much compassionate; therefore He comes personally to teach us: "You rascal, why you are rotting in this material world? You surrender to Me and go back to home, back to Godhead, you will be happy." Therefore He is consulting. Otherwise why He comes from Vaikuṇṭha? Everyone, just like a son is rotting in his own way, but the father comes: "My dear son, why you are rotting in this way? You come home. You have got state. You will live there comfortably." But he does not come. That is his misfortune.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: These people are like frogs rotting in the well, and what they can understand of the Vedic knowledge?
David Lawrence: Yes. One of the themes, really, that interested me was this yearning, certainly it was true amongst the Jews, to return to a rural background, you know, to a rural sort of setting. I wondered if you felt much of the Vedas was in fact a firm belief an affirmation if you like, that the most true form of life, the most pure form of life is one that's lived alongside nature, not against nature as we seem to be doing in our urban setting.
Prabhupāda: What, I don't...
Śyāmasundara: In the Jewish tradition, they yearn for a life of living on farms, villages, small communities with cows and agriculture.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Oh. There are so many songs. So you have devotional tendency. Develop it. Make your life successful. That is my humble suggestion. Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā bi... Anyone who has got this human form of life, he does not engage himself in developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he's drinking poison knowingly. Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. Biṣa means poison. A great opportunity, this human life. That is our mission, that this modern civilization, they have created such entanglement that people are rotting and they are losing the opportunity of this human form of life. Only on the basis of this bodily concept of life.
Prabhupāda: Business or whatever nonsense it may be, but our first proposal is that you become sinless. But they will not agree. They will remain sinful, and still they will say, "In God we believe, we trust," these slogans. "We go to church, we pray," like that. This is the defect. A man has come for your... You are a physician for treatment. As soon as the physician says that "You don't do this," you say, "I cannot give up this." Then how he will be cured? Let him rot. This is the position.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Eh? (break) From any earth you'll find some percentage of salt. (break) ...for increasing population, but we rascals, we have made, "No, you cannot come here. You rot there." This is our civilization. India, China is overpopulated. So if people allow, just like Australia, Africa, and many islands.
Prabhupāda: Perfection means you are living entity, you are living entity you are rotting in this material world, get free from this material world, go back to home. That is saṁsiddhi. We are suffering so much on account of being in the material world. Tri-tāpa-yatana (?), threefold miseries. And everyone is trying to get out of the miseries, but that is not possible in the material world. Therefore you get your spiritual form, and go back to Kṛṣṇa and dance with him. That is saṁsiddhi. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). This is saṁsiddhi. "After giving up this body, no more accepting any more material body." Then, he's zero? No. Mām eti. "He comes to Me, to dance with Me, to play with Me." That is saṁsiddhi.
Prabhupāda: So that the Māyāvādīs do not know. "Why aṁśa? I am the same. I am the whole." Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Therefore they are rotting in this material world, hard struggle for existence.
Dr. Patel: Śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ...
Prabhupāda: Ah. And that is going on, transmigration.
Chandobhai: ...gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt. How the body goes away?
Prabhupāda: Yes. According, according to the quality or the modes of nature, he has to change his body. This Māyāvāda philosophy has made the whole world atheist. They don't believe in God.
Prabhupāda: "And I am ātmā, Guḍākeśa. I am ātmā. Therefore, because My part and parcel is spreading, so that part and parcel, particle, that is the basic principle of everything." Just like this body. This body is based on that part and particle, soul. Because the soul was there, the body has developed.
Dr. Patel: Otherwise body would perish. It does rot.
Prabhupāda: Yes. The body develops so long the ātmā is there. So similarly, because Kṛṣṇa is there, therefore whatever manifestation you see, that is due to Kṛṣṇa. Now here the latest theory of the rascals, that life has come from matter, is refuted.
O'Grady: But is there anything wrong with accepting the fact that you are mortal, you die, you rot and you become nothing? Prabhupāda: No. That is the polluted conception. Actually you are immortal; you do not die. That is your position.
Prabhupāda: There was a cartoon. When I... One leader is approached for food, that "We are in scarcity of food." The leader says, "Of course, it is very difficult to assure you for food grains. But from next week you will have television." (laughter) Next week you will have television. So these improvements are going on, television, but they are starving. This is going on. Advancement of knowledge and learning is going on in discovering television, but there is no food. This is the mismanagement of the leaders. Dishonest. There is enough food. Punjab still produces food grains. Bengal still produces rice, but they are stocked by government men, and they are mishandling. They are lying on the station for dispatch, but they will not be dispatched. They are rotting.
Prabhupāda: Big castle. And at a time they left. In the Roman, the... Formerly, the Romans, they also came. They also constructed big, big buildings. Now they are rotting, and another generation, they also are creating the same thing. But exactly like the children, after playing, they are going. Nobody knows where they have gone. Similarly, these rascals, they are coming. They have got the human intelligence. Simply spoiling that intelligence in amassing the external resources of material nature, and they leave the platform, and again go away and take the birth of some other form of life. Everything forgotten just like dream. This is going on. They cannot understand it has no value.
Prabhupāda: Pure nonsense. Same body, how can you? The body is here.
Madhudviṣa: The body is rotting in the tomb, and then they say that the body at the end of the creation is reconstructed and reunited with the soul.
Prabhupāda: That's all right, but not this body. Reconstruct.
Madhudviṣa: That they say, this body.
Prabhupāda: That is their foolishness. This body, you can say, this is material body; that is also material body. But not this body. Just like you change your cloth. The other cloth also made of cotton, and this is also made of cotton. In the same way, you can say, "the same body," cotton body or dress. But you cannot say that this cloth or this dhoti is going with you. How they can say? This body is lying here. This body means this material body.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Gurukṛpa: No, we are doing that anyway. We are doing that anyway. To pick these flowers daily, they are going so many places and being chased away. They would rather see them rot than to give them to us. They don't let us pick. (break)
Prabhupāda: All nonsense. They are professing I am Christian, I am Hindu, I am Muslim, but they are enemies, one another. So where is their religion? Just see, common sense. Even the animals, amongst themselves, they do not say "Keep out." Sit down together. They sit down actually. The birds, beasts of the same position, they keep together. Birds of the same feather flock... But human being, having, professing so many religions-enemies. This is their civilization. They discover better religion, but enemies to the animal, to the man, everyone. Therefore Bhāgavata religion is meant for persons who are not enemies. Paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). That is religion. We have come to here from India not as enemy but as friend, to give you Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is dharma. Although politically they are enemies-India is thinking "America is my enemy," or America is thinking "India is my enemy"—we do not think like that. We go everywhere, take Kṛṣṇa consciousness, be happy. This is our business. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām. "Private. Keep out."
Prabhupāda: That's it. It is your option. You rot in this material world or go back to home, back to Godhead. That is your option. It is open to you both ways. You go to hell or go to heaven. That is your option. So human life is meant for selecting—"What shall I do? I shall go to hell or heaven?" And that is purpose. If you want to go to hell, you can go.
Prabhupāda: That is another thing. That is another thing. They, "If you believe that Lord Śiva is the Supreme, why don't you go and establish? Why you are sitting here and declaring jagad-guru?" Their purpose was that "Either you worship Śiva or Kṛṣṇa, it doesn't matter, but if you would have done something that would have spread the Hindu conception of... But you are not doing there anything. Why do you call yourself jagad-guru?" (Hindi) "A jackal is the king in the forest." And they do not go outside. Even Gaṅgeśvarānanda went; he came back disappointed. What they will do? Cinmayananda goes so many times. What does he do? (Hindi) (break) He is so big. What does he have? What he has done? This thing going on. Phalena paricīyate. One has to be studied by the result, not by talking. It is not that Caitanya Mahāprabhu entrusted the subject of preaching only unto me. Why they do not go, the gosvāmīs, swamis, big, big sannyāsīs, and stalwart? Why they are rotting within this area?
Prabhupāda: Devotees or... Daily they were purchasing 125. But you said, "No, it must be more," and the banana is rotting. Why do you purchase more?
Dhanañjaya: No, I allotted five rupees per person.
Prabhupāda: Therefore it must be spent.
Dhanañjaya: No, not it must be spent.
Prabhupāda: Then? Because five rupees allotted, then it must be spent. Never mind the fruits are rotten. What is this intelligence? To save money or to squander it, that is your policy.
Prabhupāda: Avarana. He is in the most abominable condition, and he is thinking he is very happy. This is avaranatmika, covering him to see in the real position. Otherwise we are asking everyone that "You come here. I am giving you room. Take prasādam. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Read these books." "No. Why shall I come?" What is the difficulty here? But nobody will come. He will rot in the home-anxiety—how to maintain, how to... This is going on. This is called prakṣepatmika, avaranātmika. He will prefer rotting as hog and dog, but he will never prefer to live as Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is māyā. So many people are there on the beach. You invite them, "Please come to our place. Live nicely. We shall give you nice room, nice prasādam. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Nobody will come.
Prabhupāda: So who reads Raja Gopalācārya's Mahābhārata? (laughter) They are rotting at Bharatiya Vidyabhavan.
Akṣayānanda: They're rotting in the bookshelves and the insects are eating.
Indian man: But in Somanath... I went last year there when I was in Gujarat. The people, they don't believe, the people of Somanath, that he was killed by... like that. So these philosophers, simply for their name, they put some kind of theories so that people can, "Oh!" They can understand all this nonsense. (break)
Prabhupāda: These pastimes of Kṛṣṇa is to make the fools more fool. One who is thinking of Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man, Kṛṣṇa is playing this part to show them, "Yes, see. I am dying, this. You see."
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Dr. Patel: I mean Hegel did try to improve upon Karl Marx. Really material is important. When the person dies why the body should rot? They every day see.
Guru dāsa: Prabhupāda pointed out the other day that when someone dies, we have all the bodily fluids there, all the organs. Why can't we put it together and make life again?
Dr. Patel: That's right. So now they have started reading all these, our books. They will now make amendment on it. As you said, they will thesis, synthesis. The present practice of communism in Russia is much more diluted than what it was twenty, thirty years back.
Prabhupāda: It should be.
Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. You accept some brain. But if somebody comes who is accepted as the brain, they have no faith. That means rascal. Nārada says, "Here is the brain." Brahmā says, "Here is the brain." Śiva says, "Here is the brain." Then ācāryas, Vyāsadeva, says, "Here is the brain." Then modern ācāryas, they say, "Here is the brain." Then why don't you accept? You are so rascal? Just like a person is going to London. So if he says, "I have no faith that this Quantas will carry me to London," then how he will be convinced? How he'll be? If he says that "I have no faith in this Quantas company, that it will carry me to London," and if he does not purchase the ticket—he has no faith—then who will be loser? The Quantas company will be loser and he will be loser. The rascal who says.... You can say that, that Quantas will carry him to London. You can say that. But if on account of this wrong faith if he does not purchase the ticket, then who will be loser? The Quantas will be loser or he will be loser? If you have no faith, then you are loser. You remain. Rot in this place. Do not try to go to London.
Bharadvāja: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we don't have to learn the activities of our spiritual body?
Prabhupāda: Yes, when you are revived. Therefore the Vedic injunction is that now you have got this human form of body, you get up to your original position. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpta varan nibodhata. This is the Vedic injunction. Jīva jāgo jīva jāgo, Caitanya Mahāprabhu says. Jīva jāgo jīva jāgo gauracanda bole kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole. How long you'll sleep? Here is the opportunity. Try to understand yourself. That is self-realization. And go back to home, back to Godhead. Why you are struggling here? Kṛṣṇa is coming. He is also saying the same, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Why you are rotting in this material world? So for spiritual awakening there are so many attempts by God Himself, by His devotees, by books, so many ways. But we are not inclined. That is our fault.
rabhupāda: So why don't you go back to home, back to Godhead? (laughs) We are trying to save them. Why you are rotting in this problem? (out of car) That reporter?
Rāmeśvara: "No obstacle."
Hari-śauri: "Death is not a problem."
Prabhupāda: They are predicting so many problems, and still the rascals will say there is no problem. Padaṁ yad vipadām. The material world is so made that in every step there is problems. (break) ...na teṣām.
Rāmeśvara: They say that as the population increases in the cities, there must be rioting and fighting. There will be so many people without the minimum necessities of life, so much exploitation of the rich upper class.
Prabhupāda: Why not go to New Vrindaban? That they will not do.
Prabhupāda: No, no, just like lobsters, they are very fond of lobster. Lobster is never bought living. It is dead and rotten, decomposed, and they eat. They cannot say that by killing we get fresh. You are eating so many rotten things, decomposed. Actually, I have seen. It has become like puss, and still they are eating.
Hari-śauri: In England they had a system, the gentry, when it was pheasant shooting season, they used to kill the pheasants and they would hang them up in the outhouses. And then, after a few days, it would begin to rot. And when they were able to pull the skin off just in one piece, when it was just hanging off, they could just pull it off, then it was good for eating. That's when they would eat the flesh.
Prabhupāda: Just see. And another, they are digging the pig? You said?
Hari-śauri: Oh, Śukadeva was saying in Hawaii. They bury the pig, and when it becomes completely rotten they dig it up and eat it.
Prabhupāda: So similarly, when the cow is dead, you dig, or put it within the.... Or take it. No, nobody will object. In India, that is the system. When the cow is dead, there is a class, they are called cobblers, camar(?). They are informed and they'll come. They'll take it. And they'll eat the flesh and take the skin, and tan it in their own method, and then prepare shoes. They sell it in the market. So without any price, they get the skin, they eat the flesh. So nobody is harmed. But there is a class.... (break) ...they are not going to starve. From economic point of view, it is very good. So why you are killing and maintaining so big, big slaughterhouse? Let everyone maintain the cows for taking milk. And when it dies, you take it, you meat-eaters. Make that arrangement.
Jayādvaita: It's a little difficult to explain afterwards. Instead of explaining before, that "Can we take," they would take and then explain.
Prabhupāda: Yes, that you have to manage. That is preaching. What you'll do? I have seen that garden. There are lemons, apples; they are rotting and falling down. So while they can be used for Kṛṣṇa's purpose, why don't you give it? (break) ...too hot. At night, of course, it is not hot. They lie down in open place like this on a cot. Very pleasing sleeping.
Prabhupāda: Then you are unable. You have to accept it. But as far as possible we can give them help. That is not the question. Question is, those who are not handicapped, they are rotting without education, without enlightenment by keeping themselves as fourth-class, fifth-class men. Why not train them to become first-class men? That is the point. If one is blind, you cannot give him eyes. If one is lame, you cannot give him leg. That is beyond your ability. That is another thing; we shall deal with them later on. First of all, those who are born as human beings, why should you keep them as third-class, fourth-class men?
Kern: So this is a development. Saint Ignatius did the same, somewhat. When he began, he sought the leadership. And he sought the intelligent, so that they might do what.... Obviously, you do it also, seeking the leadership that can then teach. We call it sometimes elitism, and this is perhaps a good word for it.
Prabhupāda: So you find out the verse, satyaḥ śamo damas titikṣā, the qualification of brāhmaṇa. Here, it is meant, the first class, second class, third class, fourth class. Yes.
Prabhupāda: No, no. That is not play, that is real love. Just like father sometimes becomes a horse, and the child rides over, and father enjoys. There is a story about Prime Minister Gladstone. He was prime minister, so many people come to him. So one man came and the doorman said, "He is now busy. Wait." So he was waiting for one hour. Then he became impatient; he wanted to see what this gentleman is doing. So he saw that he has become a horse, and his grandchild is driving him. So why the prime minister had become a horse to take back his grandchild on the back and enjoy? Is it a horse? This is out of love, enjoying. He was not wasting time. The other visitors were waiting. This is love. So to revive that natural life is the opportunity in human life. We have distributed our love in so many material things. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes and directly speaks that "You withdraw all these nonsense activities." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). "Try to love Me. Then your life is successful." This is āśliṣya. Personally requested that "Why you are rotting in this material world of birth and death and manufacturing so many ways of life? You give up all this nonsense. Just surrender to Me, you'll be happy." This is natural.
Prabhupāda: But that is good for you, because you are harassed by overpopulation. You cannot feed them even. Why you object? Let them go and live somewhere else peacefully. Just like the Europeans came here. Originally, in America, Europeans came. Because it was overcongested and they got..., Columbus found this land, enough, and they migrated. So still there is so much land. The Indians are hard workers, they will develop very nicely. Just like this quarter; if Indians would be allowed, they'll come and make it very nice. In South America, they have done. Many Indian cultivators, they have come in remote villages. This cooperation should be. Everything belongs to God. Why a class or community should be congested? Just like China, Japan, India, so much congested. What is this nonsense United Nations doing? What they have done for the last thirty years? No liberal-minded. Let them propose that wherever there is enough land and wherever there is overpopulation, let them go and the government give them simply land and let them work and be happy. Why not arrange, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, arrange between these two, United Nations. Why a section of people is rotting in a place and devising some means how to fight with the others and get land? Why? There is no meaning. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). This is our philosophy, everything belongs to God, and everyone is a son of God; therefore the son of God has the right.
Prabhupāda: That is another misgiving. They will never be able to learn Sanskrit, and neither it is possible that by learning Sanskrit they will be elevated. There are many Sanskrit scholars. So how they are elevated? They are rotting. It is not a good suggestion, this. If the harijana actually becomes harijana, then it will benefit. That training we can give. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that we can make a harijana, a so-called, I mean to say, camaras, bhangis... Now they understand harijana means he must be a camara or bhangi. But that is not the actual... harijana means devotee, "The man of Hari." So in spite of their illiteracy in Sanskrit language, we can make him harijana, actually.
Harikeśa: You said on account of this toothpaste... Your teeth were so rotten they want to fall out, but the toothpaste won't allow them.
Prabhupāda: Yes, actually my teeth have gone all bad. It is useless. But on account of this toothpaste it is still working. (laughs) Otherwise, according to dental science, it has to be extracted. It is no other remedy. If you go to a dentist, immediately he will say, "Extract all this and have a new set, artificial." That is, I know that. But I don't want to extract. As far as possible, use them and let them fall out automatically, as they have already fallen out so many. Fifty percent already fallen out, and twenty-five percent are shaking, and still I am eating. Otherwise, according to the dental science, I should not eat any salt. In Bengal there is a word that when teeth is rot, then your eating is gone. You cannot digest, you cannot eat. It is not... If the foodstuff is not properly chewed, it causes digestive disturbance. And digestive disturbance means so many diseases. This coughing is due to digestive disturbance. I know that.
Prabhupāda: No, it was necessary for them to Anglicize the Indians to rule over them.
Dr. Patel: Our differential, or (Hindi) has created all this rot.
Prabhupāda: It is not our, it is human society's.
Dr. Patel: (Hindi) We allowed everyone to be here unawares. If public corporation, trading company, becomes the ruler of this country, I don't understand how it could be.
Prabhupāda: Because we have no, that cātur-varṇa system. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). You have given up Kṛṣṇa's instruction, now you have to suffer. You do not train brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So anyone who is in power, he is good. That is Kali-yuga. Kali-yuga means anyone gets vote, he's in power. They can misuse the power. There is no kṣatriya.
Gargamuni: But because of Māyāpur, I have not taken them very seriously, because we already have huge affair in Māyāpur. But if you like, we can see.
Prabhupāda: No, kāca dhun kāca kaphe (?): "If some property is offered, we should take it." That is the... And washed cloth. Kācā dhun kācā kapha (?). If somebody offers you very nicely washed cloth, you should use it. And some property, you must use it. They are... You can utilize this property by inhabiting the persons, if they are inclined to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are rotting outside Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They may come to live. We are for everyone. So he... Where does he reside, this gentleman?
Gargamuni: In Calcutta. His businesses are there. He's a wealthy man, very nice man.
Prabhupāda: Where does he live?
Gargamuni: He's lives in Bara Bazaar. His name is Mr. Buwalka.
Prabhupāda: Bara Bazara Marwaris are all businessmen.
Prabhupāda: This combination of rich men, poor men, for Kṛṣṇa. The same—andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Both of them are useless separately, and when they combine in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are all useful. It is very good example. And there is another example, that a piece of wire is falling, rotting, and a piece of bamboo, rotting, and a piece of squash skin is rotting. And one gentleman collected. He nicely trimmed the piece and dried the squash, the outer portion, and took the bamboo and nicely cut it and joined the string and this became a sitar: "Ting, ting, ting." So it is the intelligent person who joins all these things and makes it very useful. These are the examples. The bamboo alone is useless, and a small piece of wire, useless, and a thrown out squash skin, useless. But if you can join them together,...you can "Ting, ting." Similarly andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Here is a lame man; here is a blind man. All right, combine together and use them. That is wanted. Svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhi labhate. This wire does not change. It is wire. But when it is combined, it is useful. So our propaganda is, "They are separately planning useless. Let them combine together in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All this planning shall be successful.
Indian man: 24th, last weekend.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So our only request is that you read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. You'll be benefited. And if you interpret whimsically, then you'll rot, spoil. There is no benefit by eating spoiled foodstuff. Kṛṣṇa says... Jaya. Jaya. Prasāda, liye.
Indian lady: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Oh yes, you are welcome always. Whenever you find time. (Hindi) Janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra (CC Adi 9.41). This is Caitanya. First of all, make your life successful. That successful means yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128), to understand Kṛṣṇa thoroughly. Then you become guru. When you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you are janma sārthaka. And then you can speak para-upakāra. Otherwise, it is not possible. Without Kṛṣṇa tattva-jñāna, if we become leader, that will not take... yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya (CC Madhya 8.128). What is that?
Devotee: I got a different vase.
Prabhupāda: This is spoiled. Oh. Another.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That they will not. Why there? Here also. They are envious for this Hare Kṛṣṇa, but when you call, "You come and live here," that they will avoid. They're envious of my opulence, and when I say, invite, "You come also and join," "No. I'll rot as hog. That's all. I prefer this hoggish life."
Trivikrama: And the she-hog.
Dr. Patel: This will create a sort of a turmoil...
Prabhupāda: It has already created.
- ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva
- guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
- (CC Madhya 19.151)
All living entities are rotting in this way, but if some of them or one of them becomes very fortunate, then by the grace of guru and Kṛṣṇa he gets this line of devotional service. It is for the most fortunate person, not ordinary.
Prabhupāda: It is very easy. There is a superior element—life. On account of that superior element, the inferior element has got meaning. Otherwise it has no meaning.
Hari-śauri: No one serves a dead body. Push it in the ground and let it rot.
Prabhupāda: That superior element you cannot manufacture by combination of these inferior chemicals. That is also... If you take chemical, that is also chemical. But that chemical is superior. You cannot manufacture it by a combination of these inferior things. Therefore it is God.
Hari-śauri: It is actually such a clear and simple thing, but they become so complicated they can't understand.
Prabhupāda: They have made it complicated. Insufficient knowledge.
Prabhupāda: Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Become rājarṣi, try to understand what Kṛṣṇa says. Duṣkṛtinaḥ mūḍhāḥ. They will manufacture. Morarji Desai, he promised within ten years. Whether he will live ten years? He is already eighty. So this is the time for promising? This is the time for retiring for understanding Kṛṣṇa. You know. This man is rotting in the hospital, he's promising so many things.
Prabhupāda: But first of all we must know also what is the position. If we also become enamored by the so-called scientists, politicians, philosophers, then we cannot preach. We must definitely be convinced that they're all rascals. As a gentleman, I can give him some respect. That is another thing. But he's a rascal. You must know that "I am talking with a rascal number one." So I... He cannot deviate me from my position. But I can talk in a nice way, gentlemanly. That is another thing. That is courtesy. But I know that these rascals, number fools, number one fools, they have no idea. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore said, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). In this way they are rotting within this universe.
Prabhupāda: He was rotting here, typewriting. I said, "You go." I had ten servants. You feel.(?) They are heavy.(?) He thought that I am degrading him. No. Now you understand?
Harikeśa: Yes, I understand, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: So here is a intelligent boy. Why he should rot here, typewriting? (break) Whatever deficiency are there, that is excused by Guru Mahārāja. Go on printing, go on printing. Deficiency will be corrected, next, next, next. I printed Bhāgavata in that way, many defects. "All right. Whatever is printed, that's all." But these are first class. There is no defect. German printing is very pure. They have got the first-class machine. So we have got so many centers. Wherever cheaper and better printing can be gotten, we may take from there. That's all right. Thank you.
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
You can very easily understand as to how some of your political enemies in the garb of friends (both Indian and English) have deliberately cheated you and have broken your heart by doing the same mischief for which you have struggled so hard for so many years. You wanted chiefly Hindu-Moslem unity in India and they have tactfully managed to undo your work, by creation of the Pakistan and India separately. You wanted freedom for India but they have given permanent dependence of India. You wanted to do something for the upliftment of the position of the bhangis but they are still rotting as bhangis even though you are living in the bhangi colony. They are all therefore illusions and when these things will be presented to you as they are, you must consider them as God-sent. God has favored you by dissipating the illusion you were hovering in, and by the same illusion you were, nursing those ideas as Truth(?).
| Page Title: | Rotting |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Mayapur |
| Created: | 25 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=20, CC=4, OB=3, Lec=79, Con=40, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 147 |