So it is the business of the mahātmā to enlighten them to the real platform of life. Kṛṣṇa says personally,
- mām upetya punar janma
- duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
- nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
- saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
- (BG 8.15)
This is real life, to go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Mām upetya. If you go back to home, back to Godhead, that is saṁsiddhiṁ paramām. That is the highest perfection of life. But generally... Generally, almost... Why generally? Almost everyone. Ninety-nine point nine percent people, they want to become happy within this material world. Therefore they are poor, very, very poor. And the mahātmās, they give the knowledge that "This is not life. This is a temporary platform." Aśāśvatam, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). This is confidential knowledge. You are trying to be happy... Suppose Brahmā. He lives for many millions of years. Still, it is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). That life is also temporary. What is millions of years' duration of life in comparison to the eternal life? So beginning from Brahmā down to the small ant, whoever is within this material world, it is to be understood their understanding is very poor. And the mahātmā, being kind upon these poor souls, they deliver the same knowledge as Kṛṣṇa gives. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam.. (BG 18.66). This is guru's business. Do not manufacture anything. There is no question of... There is no need of manufacturing anything. Simply you speak to the suffering humanity the same thing which Kṛṣṇa says. Sākṣād bhagavatā uditam. This is the business of guru. It is clearly said.
Now he'll explain further, in the next verses, how he became advanced. This verse is very important, that jñānaṁ guhyatamaṁ yat tat. Actually, perfect knowledge you can get from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and in paramparā system you get that knowledge. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Paramparā means they do not change the word of Kṛṣṇa. That is paramparā. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), and the paramparā system says the same thing. No change. They never said that "I have now become Kṛṣṇa and you surrender unto me, think of me." There are many so-called incarnations who are preaching like that: "You think of me." Same, repeating the same words in his own favor, not in Kṛṣṇa's favor. That is not mahātmā. That is durātmā. Mahātmā means who always speaks in Kṛṣṇa's favor. That is mahātmā. This is the purport of this verse. Jñānaṁ guhyatamaṁ yat tat sākṣād bhagava... Bhagavān says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).
So our business should be to repeat the same thing, that "You give up all nonsense engagement. Simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Simply you think of Kṛṣṇa. Simply become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Simply offer obeisances to Kṛṣṇa. That will make your life successful." This is mahātmā's business. Sākṣād... Not indirectly. Directly. Directly... Here Kṛṣṇa says, guhyād guhyatamam. Read that verse again.
Nitāi:
- iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ
- guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā
- vimṛśyaitad aśeṣeṇa
- yathecchasi tathā kuru
- (BG 18.63)
Prabhupāda: Yathecchasi tathā... The word is used there, yathecchasi tathā kuru. We have got the little independence. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). But why people are not doing that? Because they have got little independence. Every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has got the quality of full independence. Naturally, the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, it has also independence. But that is not absolute independence. Just like independent country. America, independent country. We are also now independent country. But the citizens, they have independence dependent on the state independence. Not absolute independence. Similarly, we have got independence. We living entities, we have got independence—but dependent on the independence of Kṛṣṇa. Not absolute independence. So... Therefore we become entangled in our own karma. Kṛṣṇa does not give anyone a position or karma. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that He does not give anyone a better position or anyone an inferior position. Everyone creates his own position. Kṛṣṇa simply orders that "This is your position. Now you enjoy or suffer." We create our own position.