So this is not the position of Arjuna only. The whole material civilization, the whole population of the whole world, they are like this aśocyān anvaśocas tvam (BG 2.11). When the body is living, when the body is moving, they are busy how to make the body comfort. And when the body is not moving they are lamenting. That is the business. Therefore brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). The..., our business is, the material civilization means, śocati kāṅkṣati, two business. Kāṅkṣati means desiring. While the body is moving we are desiring, making plan: "I want this. I want this. My son requires this. My nation requires this. My community requires this." This is, means, kāṅkṣati, desiring to possess this, possess... And when the body is lost, then śocati: "Oh, my father is lost. My brother is lost. My son is lost." Two business. So long there is no spiritual knowledge, we have got on the material conception of body two business—śocati, kāṅkṣati: desiring for things which we do not possess and lamenting for things which we have lost. This is our two business. But if you become self-realized, if you become aware actually what you are, then na śocati na kāṅkṣati.
Self-realized (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
When there is actually sat-sanga. Sat-sanga means this talking of Kṛṣṇa, hearing about Kṛṣṇa. When there is, there is no business. Not like a rented reciter or a paid reciter who is earning money by reciting. No, no. Not to hear from him. Actually, he's self-realized, who is working for the Lord, from satām. Satām means devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅga. Therefore is called satsaṅga. Satsaṅga means the association of the devotees. Sat means devotee. Sat means God. Oṁ tat sat. Or everything is asat. Asat means temporary. This material world is temporary. And sat means spiritual. So sat-saṅga means spiritual association. Sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥ-saṅgaḥ. The more you associate with sat, with devotees, then you become, more you become liberated. Sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥ-saṅgaḥ. Duḥ-saṅga. We are in the material world, we are simply in association, bad association, duḥ-saṅga. So if we want to get rid of this bad association, we must associate with the devotees. Sat-sangat mukta duhsanga.
When one understands fully this, I mean to say, fact, that spirit soul is different from this material world, then he's actually learned. In that stage he's called situated in brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. The symptom of brahma-bhūtaḥ is brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). As soon as one becomes self-realized, he becomes jubilant, jolly. So long one identifies with this body, he is unhappy, full of anxiety.
So Bhagavad-gītā begins with this point, that one should know that he is not this material body. That knowledge is lacking at the present moment throughout the whole world. Yes. Everyone is identifying with this body like the animals. Therefore Kṛṣṇa chastised Arjuna that "You have got animalistic concept of life and still speaking like a very learned scholar. No learned scholar laments on account of this body." It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra... Dhīra means one who is sober by education.
Yes, everyone sit down on the chair.
- dehino 'smin yathā dehe
- kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
- tathā dehāntara-prāptir
- dhīras tatra na muhyati
- (BG 2.13)
"As the embodied soul continually passes in this body from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change." This is the basic principle of spiritual understanding. Everyone is talking of spiritual knowledge, but very few of them may have what is actually the basic principle of spiritual knowledge. Here in this verse of Bhagavad-gītā... I think they understand English everyone?
Pradyumna (leads chanting, etc.):
- dehino 'smin yathā dehe
- kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
- tathā dehāntara-prāptir
- dhīras tatra na muhyati
- (BG 2.13)
Translation: "As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change."
Prabhupāda: This simple thing, they cannot understand. Therefore it is mentioned here, dhīras tatra na muhyati. Dhīra means sober, cool-headed man. And just the opposite is adhīra. Adhīra means third-class, fourth-class man. Or rascals, adhīra. Dhīra means sober. Just like... The exact translation is "gentleman," dhīra. Those who are not gentlemen, uncultured, uneducated, rascal, they cannot understand. Otherwise where is the difficulty?
Madhudviṣa: Thirteen. "As the embodied soul continually passes in this body from boyhood to youth and then to old age, similarly the soul also passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change." Purport: "Since every living entity is an individual soul, each is changing his body at every moment, manifesting sometimes as a child, sometimes as a youth, and sometimes as an old man, although the same spirit soul is there and does not undergo any change. The individual soul finally changes the body itself in transmigrating from one to another. And since it is sure to have another body in the next birth, either material or spiritual, there was no cause for lamentation by Arjuna on account of death, either over Bhīṣma or over Droṇa, for whom he was so concerned."
Prabhupāda: Now, this simple fact, as it is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13), the change of body is taking place every moment. Every moment. Just like this child, the child, if there is some measuring instrument, if you measure this child today, tomorrow you'll find the child has grown or changed the body.
Then you can understand what you are. Then every one of us, we can understand that "I am not this body. I am not American. I am not Indian. I am not Mexican. I am spirit soul." This stage is called brahma-bhūtaḥ, means self-realization. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), means as soon as you are self-realized, you become jubilant. In the bodily concept of life we are always full of anxiety and morose. Yes, that is the material condition. But as soon as you realize yourself that you are not this body, you are different from this body, you become jubilant. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). This means as soon as one is self-realized, immediately he becomes happy, jubilant. And what is the symptom of becoming jubilant? That is also stated, na śocati na kāṅkṣati: "He does not hanker after anything; neither he laments for any loss." In the material condition we are in the platform of lamentation and hankering. Everyone is trying to possess something which he does not possess, and everyone is lamenting after losing his possession.
And those who are little advanced, pious, they go to places of pilgrimages, take a bath in the Ganges, and come out. They think that water is tīrtha. No. Tīrtha is saintly persons. Tīrtha-padam. You have to meet saintly persons to take lesson from them. Yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣu abhijñeṣu. You have to meet self-realized persons, those persons who do not care for these things. And in the bodily concept of life, they have been described in the śāstra: go-kharaḥ, "cow and asses."
So the Bhagavad-gītā is the only book in the world which teaches to educate these cows and asses to human life. This mass of cows and asses are to be trained with these teachings of Bhagavad-gītā. It is the beginning, that vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṇāti naro 'parāṇi (BG 2.22). This vāsāṁsi, this body, can be changed. Suppose now you are very much a great enemy of Pakistan. Take, for example... I am not... Or Pakistan is thinking "Oh, India, Hindustan, is our great enemy."
So one who becomes realized, self-realized person, brahma-bhūta, (SB 4.30.20) brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), then what does it remain for him? That is the ultimate goal of life, to become ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Vedic literature teaches us that "Don't think that you belong to this matter. You are Brahman." Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman, and we are subordinate Brahman. Nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa. We are servant Brahman. He's master Brahman. So, so instead of, instead of understanding that I am servant Brahman, I am thinking I am master Brahman. That is another illusion. That is another illusion.
Kṛṣṇa says that man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). And if you have seen Dr. Radhakrishnan's translation of Bhagavad-gītā, he says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says directly that man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. He says, "Not to Kṛṣṇa." You'll see. So this defect will be there, unless one is sadācāra-sampanna-vaiṣṇava, self-realized. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī says, avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam. Our first guru is Kṛṣṇa. To understand Bhagavad-gītā... Arjuna is understanding that Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa directly. So after understanding Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ sāśvatam ādyam (BG 10.12). These are the words. And Arjuna also accepted "It is very, very difficult to understand Your personality."
Now people may say that Arjuna was Kṛṣṇa's friend. To satisfy his friend, he has accepted Him as paraṁ brahma. But that is not the fact.
Now, here is the injunction in Bhagavad-gītā that "Anything which you cannot do with God consciousness, stop doing." But the whole world is engaged, doing things in which there is no God consciousness. There is no God consciousness. And here it is enjoined that buddhau śaraṇam anviccha kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ: "Only those who are kṛpaṇa, those who are not self-realized, they are hankering after sense gratification. They want to enjoy the fruits of their labor. But you don't be. Arjuna, you don't be. If you want to be spiritually situated, if you want to work from the spiritual platform, then you don't do it. You work on the spiritual platform and don't do anything which you cannot do in God consciousness." This is clearly stated here. Now, it is, of course... It depends on us whether to accept it or not accept it, because God has given us independence. You'll find also in the Bhagavad-gītā at the end that after the instruction is given, the Lord inquires from Arjuna that "I have given you all instruction necessary.
If by performing all religious rituals very nicely and very perfectly, if we fail to dovetail ourself with the supreme consciousness, then all our labor for performing these rituals and religious performances, they become only labor of love. It has not produced anything substantial, anything substantial. Nanu niṣkarmāṇi karmāṇi kurvata me.(?) This is the question of Arjuna, that "When I shall be self-realized by doing work without any fruitive result, so what will be the position of my self-realization?" That, in that, in answer to that question, that "When you shall be callous to all religious rituals and scriptural injunction and simply you shall be engaged in the, in the dovetailing business of with the superconsciousness, then you are in transcendental position of all religious rituals and all conception of religious ceremonies and everything." That's it. But in the beginning you require all these things. Therefore Bhāgavata says that that sort of religion which elevates you to that consciousness, that is the supreme type of religion.
So here you'll see, in the Bhagavad-gītā, instead of mentioning that Kṛṣṇa said, when Arjuna speaking, it is clearly said that "Arjuna said," but when Kṛṣṇa is speaking, it is said śrī bhagavān uvāca: "The Personality of God is speaking."
Now Śrī Kṛṣṇa answering the symptoms of the self-realized personality. So what is that? First symptom is,
- prajahāti yadā kāmān
- sarvān pārtha mano-gatān
- ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ
- sthita-prajñas tadocyate
- (BG 2.55)
The first principle, or the first symptom of a self-realized soul is that he does not make any plan for his prosperity. Because we are always busy in making plan, "Now, after this, we shall do this. After this, we shall do this." But one who is self-realized, he has no plan. Because he has dovetailed himself with the supreme consciousness, so for himself he has nothing to do. He simply depends. He simply depends on the supreme consciousness. It is very elevated stage. You see.
Just now we are engaged in the Second Chapter. These are the contents, contents, the how a, I mean, a self-realized person, situated in pure consciousness, will be experienced by his practical behavior. Yes. Vāsudeve bhagavati. The whole thing is... It is called vairāgya. Vairāgya. Vairāgya means to detach, be detached. I am a spirit, and some way or other, I am in contact with the matter. That is my trouble. The whole trouble is due to my contact with matter. Now I have to detach from this matter and to be situated in my pure conscious, spiritual state. So this is called vairāgya. This vairāgya, or detachment from material attraction, is very easily done. As it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
That is called sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Ādau śraddhā. The basic principle is śraddhā, and the next step is sādhu-saṅga, association of spiritually realized persons. That is called sādhu... Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā. And if there is actually association of spiritually self-realized persons, then he will give you some process of spiritual activities. That is called bhajana-kriyā. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana-kriyā tataḥ anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. And as you are more and more engaged in spiritual activities, so, proportionately, your material activities and affection for material activities will diminish. Counteraction. When you engage in the spiritual activities, your material activities diminishes. But just mind that. Material activities and spiritual activities, difference is that... Suppose you are engaged as a medical man. You don't think that "If I become spiritually engaged, then I have to give up my profession." No, no. That is not.
So therefore the activities which we find in daytime of the materialistic person, actually that is night. For the spiritualistic person, they see that these people they got the facility of self-realization, this human form of life. How they are wasting by sleeping. And the materialistic persons, they are seeing, "Oh, these Kṛṣṇa conscious young boys, they have given up everything and they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. How nonsense. They are sleeping." So you see? So in the vision of the materialistic person, these activities are night, sleeping. And for the self-realized person, these activities are sleeping. You see? Just the opposite. They are seeing the Kṛṣṇa conscious person as wasting time and the Kṛṣṇa conscious person is seeing them as wasting time. This is the position.
Such a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is no longer interested in material activities and no longer takes pleasure in material arrangements like wine, women and similar infatuations."
Eighteen: "A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being (BG 3.18)."
Nineteen: "Therefore without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme (BG 3.19)."
Prabhupāda: Yes yes, go on. Go on reading.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Eighteen: "A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being (BG 3.18)."
Prabhupāda: This is very important. What is actually self-realization? All processes, religious process, yoga practice, philosophical speculation or anything for self-realization, any method, what is the purpose? And what is the ultimate goal of the self-realization? That ultimate goal is to understand that "I am eternal servant of God, Kṛṣṇa." That's all. This is self-realization. So long one is identifying oneself with this material world, with this body, with this mind, it is not self-realization. Self-realization means that I am spirit, and the Supreme Lord is also spirit, so I am part and parcel of the Supreme.
I am a spirit soul, part and parcel of the whole, Kṛṣṇa." This is self-realization. So long it is not completely realized, so long we have got doubt, we have to make progress. And as soon as we come to the point and firmly convinced, that is self-realization.
Therefore here it is stated, "A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties." Prescribed duties, either take for... Any scripture. Take your Bible, take Koran, take Vedas. There are some prescribed duties. Just like in your Bible, there are ten commandments. "Thou shall not kill." So for whom? One who is not self-realized, one who is self-realized that "I am part and parcel of the Supreme God, everyone is part and parcel of the Supreme God and human being, animal, ant, aquatic, beasts, birds, every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord,"... That is self-realization. Then how can you kill?
You'll not... You'll hesitate even to kill even an ant.
Just like we published that picture in our Back to Godhead, "The Hunter." The hunter was taking pleasure in killing animals half dead, and when he was self-realized, he was hesitating to kill even an ant. You see? Why? Self-realized. So he has no prescribed duties. To him you haven't got to say, "Thou shall not kill." He will automatically not kill because he is self-realized. Self-realized person does not do any harm to anyone because he knows everyone in relationship with the Supreme. His central point is Kṛṣṇa. Neither he'll misuse anything. He makes everything proper use. "This nice foodstuff, it is given by Kṛṣṇa, let it be offered to Kṛṣṇa." That is not misuse; that is the proper use. "Here is nice rose flower, it is manufactured by Kṛṣṇa's energy, let it be offered to Kṛṣṇa." This is self-realization.
So one who has got this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is self-realized.
So he practically has no duty, but to show example to the general mass of people, he has got so many duties. Even Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He was also going to a school to study. He accepted spiritual master. He was offering respect to His elderly brother in relationship. So he does not... A self-realized person is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but he does not deviate with the prescribed duties also, because others will follow. Others will also, "Oh, I am also self-realized." Therefore one has to do.
Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being. He is free because he knows that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so I'm dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is providing millions and trillions of living entities. Why not me? I am directly engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service." This is the position of self-realized. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28).
A serpent, a very thin tongue, if he touches the milk, oh, the whole milk is spoiled. So if we take such milk, "Oh, milk is very nice," no. Because it is touched by the serpent's lip, it should not be taken. Similarly, any transcendental message, any Vedic literature, unless it is presented by a self-realized devotee, it is poison. You simply misunderstand the whole thing, and you do not get the benefit. Rather, you become a victim of misunderstanding.
Therefore this paramparā system, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). "The Blessed Lord said that 'I said to Vivasvān. Vivasvān said to Ikṣvāku. Ikṣvāku said to Manu. Manu said to his son.' " In this way, rājarṣi. Rājarṣi. Formerly the kings were taken instructions, the head of the state, because they were responsible for the citizens' spiritual life, not only material prosperity but spiritual prosperity. That is the verdict of Vedic literature.
You can understand simply by hearing. The whole process is hearing. You don't require any education, you don't require any scientific qualification, this or that. Simply if you kindly come here and hear this Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you become completely learned and completely self-realized. Simply. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended this process.
We are trying to open so many branches just to give facility to the poor people who do not know what is the end of life, what is the objective of human life, how one can become perfect. These knowledges, these informations are there. We are trying to distribute. It is not dogmatic, it is all scientific.
Now there are so many things that it is not possible even to understand by the modern process of scientific experimental knowledge. It is not possible.
Just like you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that self-realization, as far Bhagavad-gītā, was taught to Arjuna. Now, how Arjuna understood it, that is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. Simply if you try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as Arjuna understood it, then you also become self-realized. So it is not a very difficult job. Unfortunately, people apply their own scholastic ideas in a different way and they murder the whole thing. You see? The simple thing is that if we understand it as it is, then it is as simple as anything. But if you want to...
Just like in our Bengal there is proverb, ghuriye nag nag naki.(?) Now, now, you are asking me... Just like sometimes we ask small child, "Where is your nose?" He says, "It is nose." "Where is your eye?" "It is eye." So that is a simple thing. But one child... Not child. One man is asked, "Where is your nose?" He says, "Oh, here is my nose." (laughter) "Here is my nose," this is simple thing.
If we can find out such a person who is experienced in the Absolute Truth, and if we follow the principles, as it is stated here, praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. Praṇipāta means to surrender, and paripraśna means to inquire, and sevayā means service. Three things. You should find out a person who is self-realized, who has experience in the Absolute Truth, and, on your part, you have to surrender there, and you have to inquire, and you have to render service. When these things are completed, there is no doubt about one's spiritual salvation.
If we have actually found out a person who is self-realized and we have surrendered there honestly, with inquiry and service, then we must know that our spiritual salvation is guaranteed. Guaranteed. There is no doubt about it.
Because it is said here, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena (BG 4.34).
Not that you have to submit yourself blindly. Although your spiritual master may be self-realized and experienced in the Absolute Truth, still, you have to question. You have to understand from him all critical points by your intelligent questions. That is allowed. So it doesn't matter. If anyone is able to answer about the science of Kṛṣṇa, he is spiritual master. He is spiritual master. It doesn't matter where he's born or what he is, whether he's a brāhmaṇa, or a śūdra, or an American or an Indian or whatever he is. Never mind.
Just like... It is practical. When you go to a doctor, medical practitioner, you do not ask, "Well, Doctor, are you American or Indian? Are you brāhmaṇa? Are you Jew? Are you Christian?" No.
Madhudviṣa: Verse thirty-four: "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth (BG 4.34)." Purport.
Prabhupāda: This is the process of understanding spiritual knowledge. "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master." So if you want to learn, this is a common sense affair. Whatever subject matter you want to learn, you have to find out an expert.
Suppose if you want to learn engineering, so you cannot go to a butcher. You must find out an engineer. You must admit yourself into the engineering college, learn how to practice engineering. Suppose if you want to become a medical practitioner, so you have to admit yourself in some medical college. Similarly, if you want to know about spiritual matter, then you must approach a spiritual master who knows the things. How you can learn it from anywhere and everywhere? One must be expert in spiritual knowledge. From him you have to learn. Therefore it is said here, "Just try to learn the truth by..."
And what is that submission? "Render service unto him." Try to please him by satisfying him, by service. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **, you singing. If he is pleased, then you know Kṛṣṇa is pleased. And if he is displeased, then there is no other way. This is the process, submissive. "The self-realized soul can impart knowledge." And because you have to select spiritual master, a self-realized soul... Just like if you want to study particular subject matter, you have to approach a realized person, a perfect person. Then you get. "The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." One who has not seen the truth, he cannot.
Now, one may question, "Whether you have seen Kṛṣṇa?" So how Kṛṣṇa can be seen? Yes. A spiritual master must have seen Kṛṣṇa. Without seeing, he cannot be spiritual master. But how Kṛṣṇa can be seen? Kṛṣṇa can be seen by love.
Prabhupāda: By seeing sun, you can see yourself, you can see the world. Similarly, when you see Kṛṣṇa, then you see everything.
Without seeing Kṛṣṇa, your eyes are blind, your senses are imperfect. Therefore it is said that "Self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." Go on. Purport.
Madhudviṣa: Purport. "The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. Nobody can be a bona fide spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original spiritual master, and the person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders.
Madhudviṣa: "Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries in submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission in service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master. And when the spiritual master sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Blind following and absurd inquiries. These things are condemned in this verse. Blind following means: "Oh, there is a swami. So many thousands of people are following. Let me become his disciple." This is called blind following. You do not know what is that swami, whether he is a swami or a rascal. You do not know. But because everyone is going, "Oh, let me become his disciple." This is blind following, without any knowledge, blind following. The swami says that "You give me money. I make you immediately God." So this is blind following. And another thing, what it says? What? What is that? Blind following?
Revatīnandana: "Purport: The symptoms of the self-realized person are given herein. The first symptom is that he is not illusioned by the false identification of the body with his true self."
Prabhupāda: Yes. So achieving something pleasant... Generally we accept a thing pleasant when it satisfies our senses. We accept it as pleasant. But actually, satisfaction of my sense is not real pleasure because my senses are at the present moment diseased. Therefore as it is stated in the Nārada Pañcarātra, that tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). One has to purify the senses in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not to become void of the senses. The other philosophers, they say that "You don't desire." We say that we don't desire nonsense but we desire Kṛṣṇa. Desire is there, but as soon as desire is purified, then I shall desire Kṛṣṇa. When one is desiring only Kṛṣṇa, that is his healthy state. And if somebody is desiring something else, something other than Kṛṣṇa, then he is to be understood in diseased condition.
Revatīnandana: "Verse 21: Such a liberated person is not attracted to material sense pleasure but is always in trance, enjoying the pleasure within. In this way the self-realized person enjoys unlimited happiness for he concentrates on the Supreme (BG 5.21)."
Prabhupāda: There is a word, ātmārāma, in Sanskrit. Ātmārāma means one who is satisfied with his self. He is called ātmārāma. Because self is the basic principle of this body, the soul. So one who is satisfied with his soul, he is called ātmārāma, or self-realized person. One who seeks pleasure externally, he is materialist, and one who seeks pleasure internally, he is spiritualist. That is the difference. Yes.
"Those who are free from anger and all material desires, who are self-realized, self-disciplined and constantly endeavoring for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme in the very near future (BG 5.26)." So first thing is that suppose somebody speaks of me very harshly. Naturally we become angry. Just like somebody calls me, "You are dog," or "you are hog." But if I am self-realized, if I know perfectly well that I am not this body so you call me hog, dog, or king, emperor, majesty, what is that? I am not this body. So either you call me, "Your majesty," or you call me a dog or a pig, what I have got to do? I am neither his majesty nor a dog nor a cat—nothing of the sort. I am servant of Kṛṣṇa.
So this requires little training. Actually this is the fact. Suppose I have got some dress, black dress. Somebody calls, "You black dress," is that cause of anger? Somebody calls you black dress. So this is simply my false identification with the dress that I become angry. Actually if I am self-realized, self-disciplined... Self-discipline means not to identify with this body. That is self-discipline. It requires training of course. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches therefore, tṛṇād api sunīcena. That a smaller than the smallest grass. Actually if I realized what is the spiritual dimension, actually my dimension, length and breadth you cannot measure because I am actually a very small spiritual particle. You cannot measure one ten-thousandth part of the tip of your hair. That is my measurement. So if I am smaller than the grass, that's a fact. I am still smaller, smaller, I do not know how smaller but I am thinking of this body.
What is that self-realization? Self-realization means I am not this body, I am spirit soul. That is self-realization. So if I am smaller than the grass then if somebody says that "You are lower than the grass," or "You are smaller than the grass," that's a fact. So sometimes this insulting words may come from others but if you are self-realized you know that I am not this body. So let him insult. Let me tolerate. Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches that taror api sahiṣṇunā. Toleration like the tree. Best example. You cannot find any tolerant living entity than a tree because it is standing day and night in scorching heat, in severe cold, there is wind, there is rainfall, it does not not make any protest—standing tolerant. People are taking leaves, flowers, fruits, cutting, and never protests. This is a symbol of toleration. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that you become tolerant than the tree and smaller than the small grass on the street and you give all honor to others and don't expect any honor.
And if I say, "Your majesty, your honor, your lordship," they are all false. Real honor is when I call you that you are servant of God or servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is real honor.
So self-discipline and constantly endeavoring for perfection. This is the perfection. Always be situated in self-realized condition that I am not this body. This is perfection. Actually it is. But due to my ignorance I am identifying with this body, therefore I am now self-realized. So constantly endeavoring. This cannot be attained all of a sudden. One has to practice. It is a fact. But one has to realize this fact by endeavoring. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice. All the yoga practice or philosophical speculation or anything—all practice targets to one point—that I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am Brahman. I am not this matter. This is perfection. A man who has made sufficient progress to this realization is more perfect. This is the way of perfection.
Viṣṇujana: "Purport: The nature of the mind is flickering and unsteady. But a self-realized yogi has to control the mind; the mind should not control him."
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the yoga success. At the present moment the mind is controlling me, go-dāsa. Mind is dictating me that, "Please, why not see that beautiful nice girl," and I go and... "Why not drink that nice liquor?" "Yes." "Why not smoke this nice cigarette?" "Yes." "Why not go to the restaurant, nice." "Why not do this." So many things is dictating, and we are following. So this present stage is I am controlled by the mind. The material life means one is controlled by the mind or by the senses. Mind is the center of all senses. So to be controlled by the mind means to be controlled by the senses. Senses are subordinate assistants to the master mind. Master mind dictates, "Go and see that." My eyes sees. Therefore my eyes, the sense eye is under the direction of the mind. My legs go.
Viṣṇujana: Verse twenty-nine: "A true yogi observes me in all beings and also sees every being in Me. Indeed the self-realized man sees Me everywhere (BG 6.29)."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, "A true yogi observes Me in all beings." How he can see? They interpret that all beings are Kṛṣṇa. So therefore there is no use of worshiping Kṛṣṇa separately. They take therefore to the humanitarian activities. They say this is better. Why Kṛṣṇa shall be worshiped. Kṛṣṇa says that one should see in every being Kṛṣṇa. So let us serve (?) but they do not know the techniques. That requires training under bona fide spiritual master. This, "A true yogi observes Me in all beings." A true yogi, devotee. Just like these devotees are going to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness outside. Why? They see Kṛṣṇa in all beings. How? Because they see that all beings are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. They are under forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. So let us awake them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Therefore in one sense the heat is also fire, the illumination is also fire. Similarly this material energy is also Kṛṣṇa. So we are thinking that we are sitting on this floor but actually we are sitting in Kṛṣṇa. This is philosophy.
So, "and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere." That is seeing everywhere. To see every being, everything in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that means you see Kṛṣṇa everywhere. As it is taught in the Bhagavad-gītā, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: (BG 7.8) "I am the taste of water." Why water is drunk by all living entities. The birds, the beasts, the man, human being, everyone drinks water. Therefore water is needed so much. And Kṛṣṇa has stocked water so much. You see? Water is needed so much. For agriculture, for washing, for drinking. So if one does not get a glass of water in due time he dies. That experience one has got in the war field. How much valuable is water they can understand.
You do not know what is the ultimate goal of life, what is siddhi, and you're working so hard. So Bhāgavata says, śrama eva hi kevalam: "He is working uselessly, laboriously." That's all. They do not know siddhi. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). Yatatām api siddha, siddhānāṁ kaścit. These siddhas, those who are self-realized, athāto brahma jijñāsā... Even if he thinks that "I am the supreme," that is partially in the... That is also light. Just like if you come to the sunlight, sunshine, that is also light, but that is not perfection. If you can go within the sun globe and see the origin of shining, brightening principle, the sun-god, that is siddhi. Similarly, to merge into the Brahman is not siddhi. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Actually, it is a fact. Bhāgavata, whatever it says, that is real fact. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. If one thinks that "Now I am merged in the brahma-jyotir, so I am now vimukta. I am now mukta.
"Although they got up to the platform, āruhya, after much penance and austerities, they fall down." Otherwise a common man, he is also opening hospital. And if a sannyāsī who has rejected this world as mithyā, and if he also wants to open hospital and school and college, then what is the difference between the common man and this learned scholar or learned self-realized brahma-jñānī? That means he has not realized what is actually siddhi, what is brahma-jñāna. Otherwise why he is coming? Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). You can cease yourself from all material activities when you actually realize the Supreme Brahman. Just like you see the Americans and European boys. They are no more interested with material activities. You bribe them that "Again come to material activities." They will refuse, because paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. They are actually liberated. Actually liberated. And simply talking big, big words and becoming engaged in material activities, what is this nonsense?
"We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," the knowledge is lacking; there is no perfection of knowledge.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births," jñānavān, "when one actually self-realized, in awareness, fully in knowledge, then he understands," vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), "Vāsudeva is the supreme everything. I am simply part and parcel of Vāsudeva, eternal servant of Vāsudeva." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That kind of perfect person, mahātmā, is very, very rare, to understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. My only business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is my constitutional position. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." This finger is part and parcel of my body. His business is to serve the whole body. I ask the finger, "Come here"; immediately... This is the normal, healthy condition of the part and parcel.
That is called kāṅkṣati. And another counterpart of this material life is whatever you have got, if it is lost, then you cry. One side is you are hankering after something which you do not possess, and if your possession is lost, then you cry for the loss. This is two business, kāṅkṣati, śocati. But if you become brahma-bhūtaḥ, self-realized, these two things will be absent immediately. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati.
Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Now there is racial animosity all over the world. You are American; you are Russian; you are Indian; you are Chinese; you are Pakistani. But their fighting is going on on this understanding. "We are Chinese," "We are Americans," "We are Russians..." So when you come to the platform of na śocati, not identifying with this body, then samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu—you see everyone on the same platform. You do not see "Here is a Chinese" or "American" or "Australian."
So therefore our attempt to understand the Absolute Truth by our faulty senses and experience is futile. We must hear. Śravaṇam. That is the Vedic process. The student used to go to the master and gurukula. It was known as gurukula. Every brāhmaṇa, every self-realized soul, every vipra, or expert in the knowledge of Vedic literature, he would be provided with some brahmacārīs, group of brahmacārīs. They will follow the rules and regulation of brahmacārī life and live with the spiritual master, and the spiritual master will teach them, from Vedic literature, real knowledge. That is the process. This is called śravaṇam. So one should not adopt the means of ascending process. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. Udapāsya means "Give it up." And namanta eva: "And be submissive." Namanta eva jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. In this way, if one lives and hears, san-mukharitām, from the realized soul.
That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). You have to understand that "I am not this body. I am neither Indian, nor American, nor Russian. I am part and parcel of God. Therefore my business is to serve God." This is called bhakti. When you are self-realized... That is definition of bhakti. Sarva upādhi-vinirmuktam. You have to get yourself cleansed from all these designations, that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am cat," "I am dog." These are all designations because I am pure soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. And these conceptions are designation. So you have to be educated how to become free from the designation. That is sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), that when we become free from the designation.
So when this was recommended by Rāmānanda Rāya to Caitanya, that "One should give up this false knowledge..." Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. "One should be very meek and humble," namanta eva jīvanti, "and in that way if he lives," san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām, "and tries to receive knowledge from really self-realized persons..." The motto of life. He is describing the motto of life, that "One should not be falsely proud, one should be very much meek and humble, and try to receive knowledge from self-realized persons. If one continues, follows these principles, then one day he will find that God, who is ajita, who cannot be conquered by anyone, who cannot be known by anyone, God realization..."
Because God realization is not an ordinary job. It is very difficult. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that "Out of many, many thousands of men, one may be interested how to make perfect this human form of life.
One who is actually devotee, parām, parā-bhakti, he is already brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), liberated, self-realized. Without being self-realized, nobody can attain unalloyed devotional platform. Bhakti means the platform where only liberated person can act. That is bhakti platform. Īhā yasya, those who are always working for Kṛṣṇa. Īhā, īhā means desire. Yasya, harer dāsye. Just to serve Kṛṣṇa. He has no other business.
Just like these boys and girls who have joined Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement from Europe and America, they have no other business. They are simply engaged in executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Īhā yasya harer dāsye. Karmaṇā, by working; manasā, thinking; vācā, by preaching. Karmaṇā manasā vācā. Because we have got three things to act. We can act with our senses, karma.
Kṛṣṇa, ultimately you will see Him. When, by hearing, hearing, you'll develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Hearing is possible by association with devotees, sādhu-saṅga. You cannot hear from the rascals. You have to hear from the superior person, one who is self-realized. Hearing. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. By association with superior devotees... (break)
...apavarga-vartmani, on the path of liberation, śraddhā bhaktir ratir anukramiṣyati. then śraddhā, bhaktiḥ, attachment, rati, anukrama, one right by another, one by after another. Yes. So this is the process. But the age is so, Kali-yuga is so fallen, that people have lost all interest to understand the problem of life, how to solve them, how to attain to the platform of knowledge. They are not interested. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be developed by the easiest method? tatra tatrāñjasāyuṣman bhavatā yad viniścitam. Now, this question is asked from a person who is self-realized, not from a shop-keeper. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Here is a guru because he has learned sufficiently from Vyāsadeva and other sages therefore they are asking from him, not from a... Āyuṣman. They are blessing, "Be blessed with long span of life." Although he was young, still he's asking, they're asking, great, great learned brāhmaṇas and sages, "What you have decided to be the easiest process to achieve the highest goal of life?" Puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas. Ekāntataḥ, absolute. Śreyas. Śreyas means benefit.
There are two kinds of benefit: one is called preyas and one is called śreyas. Preyas means immediately very pleasing, immediately. The senses, sense satisfaction, very pleasing immediately. But śreyas means ultimate goal, ultimately. Just like a child, for him preyas means he wants to play, he doesn't want to go to school and, but his śreyas means he must go to school, must be educated so that his future life may be secure. That is called śreyas. So our life, this human form of life, should be used for śreyas. It is said, puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas.
Not a professional Bhāgavata reciter. Just like in India now there are a class of men, especially in Vṛndāvana, the gosvāmīs. They make a business. Therefore there are many, many very artistic Bhāgavata reciters, but they could not turn even one man to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because they are not self-realized, svānubhāvam. Of course, we have tried our best; so in few years there are so many Kṛṣṇa conscious persons come out. This is the secret. Unless one is svānubhāvam, self-realized, life is bhāgavata, he cannot preach Bhāgavata. That is not... That will not be effective. A gramophone will not help. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, recommended, bhāgavata pora giyā bhāgavata-sthāne, that "If you want to read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you must approach a person who is life living Bhāgavata." Bhāgavata pora giyā bhāgavata-sthāne. Otherwise, there is no question of Bhāgavata realization.
That is perfection of knowledge. Simply to understand that "I am Brahman" is not perfection. You have to still go further. Simply to understand that "I am Brahman," "I have now realized myself as Brahman," that is not perfection of knowledge. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). One who becomes realized souls, self-realized, he becomes immediately perfectly joyful. Because our all lamentation is due to our material identification. Śocati kāṅkṣati. We are simply lamenting for our loss, and we are simply hankering for some gain. This is material activities. Everyone is struggling to gain something which he does not possess, and he's lamenting for something which he has lost. But when he realizes himself that "I have nothing to gain and nothing to lose; I have nothing to do with this material world," that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. That is Brahman realization. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54).
Baladeva, in the strength. Nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyaḥ. You cannot understand, realize yourself without the help of Baladeva. Therefore in the Vedic literatures: nāyam ātmā bala-hīnena labhyaḥ. You cannot become self-realized without the help of, without the mercy of Baladeva. Now, our Vivekananda Swami, he interpreted that "Unless you become stout and strong like the bulls and the buffalo, you cannot realize self." He interpreted like that. So he engaged people to make gymnastics, exercise. "You become very stout and strong, eat meat, and..." This is going on. This philosophy is going on. Bala-hīnena... "Unless you become as strong as a tiger, you cannot realize yourself." This interpretation is going on. Bala-hīnena labhyaḥ. Therefore they are... Always they put this argument, that "Our countrymen is suffering. There is no food. First of all we must give them food, make them strong, stout. Then we shall talk about Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Do they not say like that?
The guru must be mahātmā and muni. Muni means thoughtful, philosopher. Not foolish rascal, manufacturing some philosophy. And mahātmabhiḥ. Not only self-realized, but by his character, by his behavior, by his understanding, he must be a mahātmā. What is that mahātmā? There are so many mahātmās, simply by changing the dress. No. Not that kind of mahātmā. Our Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung a song, eita eka kalir celā: "Here is a disciple of Kali." What is that? Nāke tilaka galai mālā. "He has got tilaka..." Nata nara nāke tilaka galai mālā. He sings that, sahaja bhajana kache namu saṅge laiyā pare dala. (?) Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings that "He's dressed like a bābājī. He has shaven his head, and has got tilaka and kaṇṭhi. But he has got at least half a dozen women, and that is his bhajana." So not that... That is not mahātmā. That is durātmā, a cheating... Of course, in this Kali-yuga... Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, eita eka kalir celā. Kalir celā means the disciple of Kali. Dressed like a sādhu, or Vaiṣṇava, but within, all rubbish things. That will not help us. He must be mahātmā, real mahātmā. We want guru like that.
This is the sign. What is prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. The material disease is everyone is hankering after something which he hasn't got. And when he loses that thing, he's lamenting. These two business. Śocati kāṅkṣati. So brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), when one is actually self-realized, brahma-bhūtaḥ, na śocati na kāṅkṣati. This is the symptom. Then samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then it is possible to see equally everyone. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18).
So that is liberated stage. So when one has come to the liberated stage, from there he can begin mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). Bhakti means the activities of the liberated stage. That is not material things. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is little difficult to understand because these activities are for the persons who have already attained mokṣa. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate.
And His business was avani-dhrug-rājanya-vaṁśa, vaṁśa-dahana. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8).
So in this way Kṛṣṇa should be described in connection with different activities. But those who are impersonalists, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, and being impersonalists, they do not believe in the activities of the Supreme. They think that when the Supreme Absolute Truth comes in the material world, in the material form, then "There is activity?" They cannot understand. Athāpi te deva padām... Therefore nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa without being trained up by a self-realized devotee. If a... If one takes the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's representative, devotee, then it doesn't matter what he is. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ (SB 2.4.18). If he has taken shelter of a pure devotee—never mind he's a kirāta, hūṇa, āndhra, pulinda, pulkaśā—he is śudhyanti. He becomes purified, and gradually he understands Kṛṣṇa.
We are fighting one another without any knowledge. Why the Americans were fighting with Arabians and the Arabians are fighting? The fighting is going on. The United Nations means fighting settlement arena. That's all. But the fighting is going on. So unless we are self-realized, unless we know that "We are all sons of God; this outward dress is māyā. I am not American, I am not Indian." Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir na yatir vā. He said like that, that... He is taking the varṇāśrama-dharma: brāhmaṇa kṣatriya vaiśya śūdra brahmacārī gṛhastha vānaprastha... So Caitanya Mahāprabhu denied all these: "No, I am a not brāhmaṇa, nor I am a śūdra, nor am I gṛhastha, nor I am kṣatriya." "Then what You are?" Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: (CC Madhya 13.80) "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa, who provides the gopīs." This is our real identities.
And when you get money, then how to utilize it, how to, where to keep it, in the bank, or in the house, or who will take away? Somebody will take away. So where is anxiety-less? You possess or not possess, the real disease is anxiety. So when one becomes brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), self-realized, identified with the Absolute Truth, then he has no more anxiety. This is the best education, when you become anxiety-less. That is perfection of education.
So when Prahlāda Mahārāja was enquired by his father that "What nice thing you have studied, my dear boy, in your school?" so he replied, "My dear father, the best education I have received, how to become anxiety-less." That's all. Tat sādhu manye 'sura-varya dehinām. "Not only for me, but for everyone. But you will not understand, my dear father, because you are demon number one." (laughter) He is addressing his father, asura-varya, asura-varya.
That quality is one. There is no such distinction, "This is better," "This is lower," "This is black," "This is white," "This is civilized." In the spirit soul platform, everyone is one, one. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Samaḥ. Samatā. Samatā means equality. Where? Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). When one is self-realized, ahaṁ brahmāsmi... "I am not this body. I am not Christian, I am not Hindu, I am not black, I am not white, I am not fat, I am not thin. I am Brahman." Brahmāsmi. That is called Brahman. "I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God. My only business is to serve God, because I am part and parcel of God." Just like I have given several times: the part and parcel of my body is this finger. What is the duty? To serve the whole body. I ask the finger, "Come here immediately. Do this." "Yes." Natural. If I am part and parcel of God, then my only duty is to serve God. That's all. I have no other duty.
So by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī has reached Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Therefore at the verge of Mahārāja Parīkṣit's death, Śukadeva Gosvāmī was sent to help him in the process of self-realization. Without spiritual master's help, nobody can become self-realized. Our Vaiṣṇava philosophy does not allow that you shall become self-realized by your own endeavor. Just like other schools, they think, Buddha school, that by meditation... I do not know whether in Buddha school the spiritual master is accepted. But our Vaiṣṇava school, without acceptance of spiritual master, there is no possibility of self-realization. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Then, (reading) "Mahārāja Parīkṣit was a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa from his childhood, so he had natural affection for Kṛṣṇa, and Śukadeva Gosvāmī could understand his devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Ātmavit, self-realized person, transcendentalist, they are not interested with these material affairs. Ātmavit.
So there are three kinds of ātmavit or tattvavit. Some of them are brahmavit, some of them are paramātmavit, and some of them are bhagavadvit. Those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth through knowledge, by dint of their own knowledge, that is called brahmavit. They can approach up to the impersonal Brahman. And those who are yogis, trying to understand the Absolute Truth by meditation-dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1)—they are paramātmavit. And those who are devotees, they are bhagavadvit, or bhāgavata. They are called bhāgavata. So there are three classes of transcen..., vit, but everyone accepts this. ātmavit-sammataḥ. We should accept something which is agreed by the ātmavit, not ordinary person. Now it has become a fashion that you manufacture any way of thinking of self-realization, that is accepted. No. Whether it is accepted by ātmavit? Whether it is accepted by the Vedic culture?
That is not possible. If you manufacture some law that "I have manufactured this law," that "I will follow this law, my law," that will not help you. You must follow the law given by the government. Similarly, religion means the religion which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And the ātmavit, those who are actually self-realized, they accept that religion, not any manufactured religion.
Therefore from the Bhāgavata we can understand that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra: (SB 1.1.2) cheating type of religious system is kicked out from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Projjhita, swept off. We don't find that... Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstavaṁ vastu vedyam atra. This Bhāgavata system is meant for the paramo nirmatsarāṇām. Matsaratā. Matsaratā. It is explained by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Para utkarṣa asahanam.(?) When a man cannot tolerate his friend or other man is rising more than him, he becomes envious. This is the material world.
This is Vaikuṇṭha appreciation. Here in the material world, suppose there are competition. "Oh, this girl has got such a nice lover. Then let us break it." This is material. But Vaikuṇṭha, there is everything. Everything, varieties. But that variety is concentrated on Kṛṣṇa. That is called ātma-sammataḥ. Ātmavit-sammataḥ. Ātmavit, self-realized, those who are actually on the transcendental spiritual platform. That must be approved.
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is approved. It is not a manufactured thing, whimsical thing.
When the ṛṣis inquired... Now, here it is being inquired by King Parīkṣit, being answered by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. In another place, the ṛṣis, great saintly persons, they also inquired, and Sūta Gosvāmī replied. So this kind of question and answer is ātmavit-sammataḥ. Ātmavit. Ātmavit means one who knows, self-realized. Ātmavit means self-realized. Not these rascals, one who does not know what is self, what I am. He's an animal, one who does not know what he is. If I do not inquire, "What I am? I am this body? Or I am something extra than this body?" if this inquiry is not there, he's not human being. He's animal. Animal cannot inquire. Cats and dog cannot inquire, "What I am?" He's suffering. Everyone is suffering who has got this material body. That is the condition. If you have got material body, you must suffer. It is not the question of European, American or white, black. There is no such question. If you are animal or man, as soon as you have got this material body, you must suffer.
The animal does not know. The dog does not know. The dog will live for six years to ten years, but he is very proud: "I have got a very nice master. Gow! Gow!" You see? So this kind of intelligence is no good. Therefore it is said here, ātmavit-sammataḥ. This kind of question, approved by persons who are self-realized. Ātmavit, one who knows what he is. Sammataḥ. Sammataḥ means approved. Ātmavit sammataḥ puṁsāṁ śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Yaḥ paraḥ. Paraḥ means superior. We are accustomed to hear so many things, radio and dictaphone and so many things. We are hankering after hearing tape record or this gramophone album, and news from in the newspaper. We are always anxious, very anxious. Big, big news... In your country especially, millions of papers, newspaper, such big, just to hear what is going on in the world. But after seeing one or two pages, you throw it away.
Therefore here it is said, śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. This, it is not ordinary hearing. This kṛṣṇa-praśna, question about Kṛṣṇa and answer about Kṛṣṇa, this is not ordinary question and answer. It is ātmavit-sammataḥ. Those who are self-realized, they will understand, they will approve of it. Because it is transcendental. śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. So one can say that "There are many subject matter for hearing. It may be one of them." No. It says, he says, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, "No, it is paraḥ, transcendental, the most superior kind of question and answer hearing." So one may think, "There are different types of subject matter for hearing. It may be one of them."
Therefore in the next verse Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). "My dear King, Rājendra..." Rājendra means "the best of the kings." He's, Śukadeva, er, yes, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, the best of the kings.
And they are worshiping Napoleon very nicely. (laughter) Just see their intelligence. So therefore, because they do not know, because they are not ātmavit, therefore their opinion has no value. No value. We don't care for their opinion. Here it is ātmavit-sammataḥ. One should be taken... Approval should be from persons who is self-realized. Their, his opinion has value. Otherwise, a rascal says, "In my opinion..." What is the opinion of your..., value? We don't accept your opinion. We take the opinion of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee. One who is pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa directly, or His representative, we take their opinion. That is called ātmavit-sammataḥ.
So one may think this question and answer may be, as we do ordinarily, it may be like that. Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī mentions, says, śrotavyādīni rājendra: (SB 2.1.2) "My dear King," śrotavyādīni, "the subject matter for hearing," nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ, "of ordinary, common men, there are many thousands of questions and answers." That is life. Any businessman, as soon as he'll go to the association of business, there the only, the hearing, "What is the rate of this commodity?"
And the normal stage is I love Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we are trying to awaken Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As soon as one is fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and begins to love Kṛṣṇa, then he doesn't want to love anything more. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi: "Now I am fully satisfied." So otherwise, we'll have many questions, many answers so long we are not self-realized, and our time will be spoiled.
So this kṛṣṇa-praśna, inquiry about Kṛṣṇa, that should continually go on. And all the answers you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And simply by questions and answer, your life will be successful.
That will purify. Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, Kṛṣṇa's name is so powerful, simply if you hear "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa," you become purified. You become purified. Therefore it is said, varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa, ātmavit-sammataḥ (SB 2.1.1). Ātmavit. It is not that I am only eulogizing. Ātmavit-sammataḥ. All great personalities who is self-realized, ātmavit. Ātmavit means one who knows ātmā. General people, they do not know ātmā. But ātmavit means one who knows ātmā, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul, I am not this body," and one who is well-acquainted about this ātma-tattva. So unless one becomes aware of this ātma-tattva, whatever he is doing, he is being defeated. They are seeing... Generally people, they are thinking that "I am now constructing this big skyscraper building. I am successful. I have become Rothschild, I have become Paul(?)." That is not ātma-vit. Ātma-vit... Because he is materially opulent, that does not mean ātma-vit.
This is nice question.' " Ātmavit-sammataḥ. Sammata means approved. It is not bogus question. It is approved. This sort of question should be inquired, Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa. And if you speak about Kṛṣṇa... The whole world is full with questions and answers, so these questions and answers are approved by ātmavit, those who are self-realized, not bodily realized, ātmavit. There are two classes of men. Ninety-nine point nine percent, they are bodily realized men, always thinking of the body. And just there is another class; they are called ātmavit, self-realized, Kṛṣṇa conscious persons. Ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Śrotavya means worth hearing. There are many kinds of subject matter for hearing, but this is the sublime subject matter of hearing, kṛṣṇa-praśna.
One thousand five hundred years. (laughter) It is such an important book, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Each verse is a new verse, not repetition of the same subject. And it is deeply thoughtful. And every verse is, as it is stated here, ātmavit-sammataḥ, approved by persons who are self-realized. Ātmavit. Ātmavit. Ātmā means self, and vit means one who knows, well aware of self-realization. They are called ātmavit.
Generally people are ātmavit, bodily conscious, mass of people or class of people also. Hardly you will find a person at the present moment ātmavit, self-realized. Everyone is: "I am this body." "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Canadian," "I am Australian," "I am white," "I am black," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra," this way—"I am this body." Ātmavit means "I am the self; I am the soul." Bhāgavata... This is the Vedic word.
And after few years, by the waves of time, everything is separated. You go somewhere, you go, you go somewhere, you go somewhere, this way... Therefore here it is said that dehāpatya-kalatra, those who are blind to understand the self, those who are not realized, self-realized, such person, apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2), those who are... Because human being, human life is meant for understanding ātma-tattva. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This life is meant for understanding "What I am." But they have lost their all intelligence. They are thinking like cats and dogs: "I am this body," "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am śūdra." And they are busy with that business. Just like cats and dogs, they are busy: "I am dog," "I am cat," "I am tiger," "I am bull," "I am this," "I am that," so human society has also become like cats and dogs, the same conception, bodily conception of life. Because apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2).
Not that whimsically I do something or you question something. No. It must be... The question must be approved by ātmavit, self-realized person, and the answer should be given by the self-realized person, ātmavit-sammataḥ. This is wanted.
So we have no independence. As in materially also, we have no independence. In... There is no independence, either materially or spiritually. But we're falsely thinking to become independent. That is called illusion, māyā. The rascals do not know that there is no independence at all, either materially or spiritually. Just like the outlaws, they have no independence, either criminally or civilly. When he's a civil citizen, good citizen, there is no independence, and when he's criminal, there is no independence.
Pradyumna: "Out of these twenty-six prominent features of a devotee, as described by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja in his Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the qualification of being poetic is especially mentioned herein in relation to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. The presentation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by his recitation is the highest poetic contribution. He was a self-realized learned sage. In other words, he was a poet amongst the sages. "
Prabhupāda: So? Next verse?
Pradyumna: (leads chanting)
- etac chuśrūṣatāṁ vidvan
- sūta no 'rhasi bhāṣitum
- kathā hari-kathodarkāḥ
- satāṁ syuḥ sadasi dhruvam
- (SB 2.3.14)
Prabhupāda: That's all. Have kīrtana. ( devotees offer obeisances) Begin... (end)
Now we can interpret in this way and that way." This is all nonsense. All nonsense. You cannot change a single alphabet. They are all unmistakable. They cannot be changed. So that is niścayam ātmanaḥ.
If you want to know positively, what is God, then we should take lesson from a self-realized soul who has understood, who has seen. Jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ (BG 4.34). Just like here it is tattva-niścayam ātmanaḥ. So tattvam, the truth, so one must have seen the truth, realized the truth. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That is guru. Means one who has seen the truth. How he has seen the truth? Through the paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa said this, and then Brahmā said the same thing, then Nārada said the same thing, Vyāsadeva said the same thing, and then disciplic succession, Madhvācārya, Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī, Lord Caitanya, Ṣaḍ-gosvāmī, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura.
Pradyumna: "...Personality of Godhead, being thus very much satisfied with the penance of Lord Brahmā, was pleased to manifest His personal abode, Vaikuṇṭha, the supreme planet above all others. This transcendental abode of the Lord is adored by all self-realized persons freed from all kinds of miseries and fearfulness of illusory existence."
Prabhupāda: These five kinds of... Is it explained there? Five kinds of?
Śyāmasundara: Five kinds of material miseries?
Pradyumna: "The material body is overcast with five kinds of miserable conditions, namely ignorance, material conception, attachment, hatred, and absorption. As long as one is overwhelmed with these five kinds of material miseries, there is no question of entering into the Vaikuṇṭhalokas."
Kṛṣṇa understanding is not so easy. It is said by Kṛṣṇa, "Out of millions of people, one become siddha." Siddha means self-realized. And yatatām api siddhānām: (BG 7.3) and after becoming siddha, out of many millions of siddhas, one can understand what is Kṛṣṇa.
But it is our great fortune that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He appeared. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, and He has given us a very, I mean to say, easy process to understand Kṛṣṇa. What is that? This is the easiest process, that you come here and hear about Kṛṣṇa. That's all. You haven't got to do anything. Simply come here. We are opening all these centers just to invite you, "Please come here and hear about Kṛṣṇa."
He became very happy, and therefore abhinandya, thanked her, "Yes, thank you, mother." Why? Now, ātmavatāṁ satāṁ gatiḥ: "You are asking the subject matter to know from Me which is approved by the ātmavatām."
Ātmavatām means self-realized persons. Self-realized... Without self-realized person, nobody can inquire about uttamam, śreya uttamam. Everyone is interested the immediate pleasing things. Immediate pleasing things. "I want to taste something which is very tasteful to my tongue. Never mind whether it is not eatable or eatable..." Just like hogs and pigs. They have got a taste to eat stool, and they like it. They like it, immediately. Everyone have, I think, in India, they have got experience. When they go to pass stool in the field, the hog is waiting to taste. They are so much addicted. Similarly, we have become to taste anything and everything, like hog. There is no discrimination.
He learns automatically. He comes exactly in time to the school, he takes his seat, he studies nicely.
Therefore abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). We have to practice abhyāsa-yoga. You must chant sixteen rounds. That must be done. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma... You must rise early in the morning, perform maṅgala-ārātrika. Sādhu-śāstra. By the order of spiritual master, by the order of the śāstras, you have to execute this function of bhakti-yoga, and as soon as you become attached to it, you become practiced to it, immediately you become self-realized.
Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta. You should inquire for something which you never did before. That is brahma-jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. "What I am?" I am thinking, "I am this body," and I am engaged, but actually I do not get any pleasure, any happiness. But when I get information that "When you'll be realized, self-realized, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā... (BG 18.54). When you'll be self-realized, Brahman realized, then you'll be prasannātmā..." Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. These are the shastric injunctions.
So this life is meant for brahma-jijñāsā. This life, this human life, is meant for brahma-jijñāsā. Other jijñāsā, inquiries, that is in the cats and dogs and hogs and crows and everywhere. So don't be bothering. "If I don't bother, then how shall I eat?" No, that people generally says, that "Everyone becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, how we shall eat? How things will go on?"
Nitāi: "Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation."
Prabhupāda:
- prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam
- ātmanaḥ kavayo viduḥ
- sa eva sādhuṣu kṛto
- mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam
- (SB 3.25.20)
This is the definition of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Consciousness is there. Living being means there must be consciousness. The consciousness... (sound of baby in background) (pause)
Devotee: Take away the girl.
Prabhupāda: Consciousness, when it is muddy or contaminated on account of intermingling with these modes of nature, we become more and more entangled. There is a verse in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta spoken by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
- sādhu-saṅga sādhu-saṅga sarva-śāstre kaya
- lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya
- (CC Madhya 22.54)
Sādhu-saṅga. Here it is also recommended: sa eva sādhuṣu kṛtaḥ. Association, prasaṅga... Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. In the... (pause, sound of baby continuing) No... Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. As you associate with... Man is social animal, it is said. So according to your association, you can mold your character.
That is human life. So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. Siddhi. Siddhi means self-realization. And yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). And even though one is siddha, or self-realized, he also does not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Even one is siddha. That siddha has still to be progressed. Then he will come to jñānavān. Jñānavān means one who is siddha, one who has understood himself. That siddhi means to understand oneself that "I am not this body." That is siddhi.
Everyone is misguided, everyone is acting in this world under the bodily concept of life. And they are very very much unhappy on account of this. Because as soon as one understands that "I am not this body," he immediately becomes Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. Prasannātmā means, what do you mean by prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). No more material desire. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ.
Tattvataḥ means one has to understand in truth what is Kṛṣṇa and what is my relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Simply siddha is not perfection. Siddha means "I am not this body." That is all right, that is perfection. But you have to make further progress. Brahma-bhūtaḥ, you have become now self-realized, that's all right. Na śocati na..., samaḥ sarveṣu. But you have to enter into the parā-bhakti. Then your self-realization will stand. Otherwise again you will fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32).
I have given this example that you have got a very nice sputnik, airplane, you can go many thousands and millions miles up. But if you don't get any shelter either in the moon planet or any other planet then you come back again. The same example. Similarly, you may become brahma-bhūtaḥ, Brahman realized, but if you simply remain in the impersonal or void.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says also. What Kṛṣṇa says and what Kapiladeva says, they are the same thing. Therefore here it is also said, bhagavān uvāca. And in the Bhagavad-gītā also, you will find, bhagavān uvāca. Never said, kṛṣṇa uvāca or kapila uvāca, because They are Bhagavān. So those who are self-realized soul, who know what is Bhagavān, so instead of speaking kapiladeva uvāca, he says, Vyāsadeva says... Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is compiled by Śrīmad Vyāsadeva. So as Bhagavad-gītā also, it was heard by Arjuna, it was released to Sañjaya, and then, from Sañjaya heard Vyāsadeva, and he made it recorded in writing in Mahābhārata... So he says, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca means that is the perfect version. There is no mistake. If some ordinary says, there will be so many defects and cheating, because ordinary person has no perfect knowledge. He may be very, very advanced scholar, but that does not mean he is perfect. Perfection is different thing.
I am within this body. This is knowledge. This is called siddhi. So long I am thinking, "I am this body," then I am cats and dogs. They are thinking like that. But when I know that "I am not this body. I am the spirit spark, spirit soul. I am encaged within this body," that is knowledge. That is knowledge. So those who are self-realized spirit soul, they can see.
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
That bhakti means they can see God, Kṛṣṇa, and they can serve Him. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti means to engage your senses, hṛṣīka, in the service of the Hṛṣīkeśa. That is bhakti.
"Out of many persons, they are trying for self-realization, siddhi." That is called siddhi. "And out of many thousands and millions of siddhas"—siddhas means one who is self-realized; they are called siddhas—"out of them, one may know what is Kṛṣṇa." So Kṛṣṇa cannot be known by ordinary human being. One must be first of all siddha; then, out of the siddhas, the most topmost siddha, he can understand what is Kṛṣṇa.
But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He comes personally and manifests Himself. Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham.
- yadā yadā hi dharmasya
- glānir bhavati bhārata
- abhyutthānam adharmasya
- tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
- (BG 4.7)
"When I appear..." There is time. In one day of Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa appears. Everything is there in the śāstra. That means some millions of years after, once Kṛṣṇa comes within this universe. And when He comes, He comes on this planet and in Vṛndāvana. Therefore Vṛndāvana is so important. This Vṛndāvana is replica of the original Vṛndāvana. There is Kṛṣṇa's place.
Ceto-darpaṇa. Darpaṇa means mirror. Just like in the mirror there are dust covering. You cannot see your face clearly. But if it is very nicely cleansed, then you can see how beautiful is your face. So similarly, as soon as you begin chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, you gradually become self-realized, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, simply by chanting. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, you can understand. Then, gradually, what is the duty... Simply to understand ahaṁ brahma, so 'ham, "I am spirit soul..." So 'ham means "I am the same spirit soul as Kṛṣṇa is, as God is," not that "I become Kṛṣṇa." That is mistake. That means it is not cleansed. You can become qualitatively one with Kṛṣṇa, but if you think that you have become Kṛṣṇa, Māyāvāda philosophy, that means your heart is not yet cleansed. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Those who are thinking that... It is called ahaṅgrahopāsanā, ekatvena, to become one.
So ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12) means you will be freed from this ignorance, that "I am something of this material world." This is wanted. So long we are not realized, self-realized, then we are no better than these cats and dogs, because they do not know that he is not the body. So if we think that "I am this body," then we are no better than the cats and dogs. So if you want to become happy, first of all we must get this knowledge, that "I am not this body." Now we are busy with the bodily demands of life. We are not busy for spiritual demand of life. That is the business of the human being, that "I am not this material body. I am spirit soul. So my business is different from the business at the present moment we are engaged in." Everyone is engaged for satisfying the bodily necessities of life, everyone.
So unless one will come to the platform of self-realization, we are in the trouble, so long we are not self-realized. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Without self-realization, whatever we are acting, we are piling up the stones and woods and iron in such skyscraper building. So we may do that, but it is our defeat. It is not conquering; it is defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. If we don't inquire about ourself, "What I am? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life, birth, death, old age, and there are so many other things...?" Unless you come to question why, your human life is not perfect.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is universal. It is meant for everyone, and the process is very simple. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. But if you think that "I am not satisfied by..., for accepting this simple process. I must go through science, philosophy, logic," yes, we have got dozens of books, four hundred pages each, at least. We have got twelve books. You can read them. Go through science, philosophy, logic, sociology, politics, anything. You will understand what is Kṛṣṇa.
Yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed yasmāt... If you purify your existence, then yasmād brahma-saukhyam (SB 5.5.1), you'll relish unlimited pleasure. You are after now temporary pleasure by sense gratification, but in this life, in this human form of life, if you control your sense gratification and utilize the time for self-realization, so as soon as you are self-realized man or Brahman realized man then your happiness is unlimited. You are after happiness. Your sense gratification means you are after happiness, but this happiness is temporary. Any material happiness, it has no continuity. It has got limit. But if you want... But my desire is to have unlimited happiness, unlimited life, unlimited knowledge. If you want that, so try this life, this human form of life. Don't waste it simply after sense gratification, but practice austerity. Minimize your sense gratification. Be satisfied whatever is offered by nature or by God. We don't... Not complete abstinence, but regulate it, and the balance time utilized for self-realization.
Bhagavad-gītā, the same thing. Wherever you find the Vedic literature, the same thing. Therefore it is authority. There is no contradiction. In the material platform you write one book, I write one book, then I disagree with you, and you disagree with me. That is material platform. But in the spiritual platform, there is self-realized platform. There is no mistake, there is no illusion, there is no imperfect senses and there is no cheating. That is spiritual platform. So the Bhagavad-gītā says, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54).
Why should we not understand Kṛṣṇa? Why? Why we are spoiling our life? Of course, Bhagavad-gītā is very popular book. Practically everyone reads. But unfortunately they do not... Most of them, they do not take Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That is the difficulty. If you take Bhagavad-gītā as it is, you become self-realized liberated soul. But the misfortune is that we become more than Kṛṣṇa, and we want to comment Bhagavad-gītā in our own way. That is our misfortune. (applause) That is our misfortune.
So don't be misfortunate. Be fortunate. Everything is there. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā. And here, in the Fifth Chapter, Fifth Canto, of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the same thing is recommended by Ṛṣabhadeva to his sons. The first paragraph we have discussed last night. The second paragraph, the Ṛṣabhadeva says, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2).
That you do. That will help you. Sthāne sthitāḥ. There is no need of changing your position. You remain wherever you are. Śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhiḥ. Just lend your, this aural reception and try to hear about God from the self-realized person, from mahātmā. Then one day it will become so, that although God is unconquerable, you will conquer Him. Prāyena ajita jito 'py asi. You'll conquer over God. You cannot conquer God, but God agrees to be conquered by His devotee. This is the indirect meaning, to become devotee. This is the way.
And what is the devotional way? śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Just try to hear about Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord. śravanam. The first is that you have kindly come here; you are trying to hear. This is very good. This is the beginning of process. Then kīrtanam, śravanaṁ kīrtanam. Whatever you hear, you discuss amongst yourselves.
They say it is kalpana(?), so many things. But here Kṛṣṇa as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa as Ṛṣabhadeva, Kṛṣṇa as Kṛṣṇa Himself, They are teaching us how to become pure devotee, because sva kalevaraṁ jihāsur ātmanaḥ. Before leaving your, this body, you must be self-realized. That is the aim of life. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). We have got this life, human form of life, and how to utilize this human form of life? How to achieve the vairāgya-vidyā? This is vairāgya-vidyā, no more interest in material things. That is vairāgya-vidyā. Even to the body. That is... Ṛṣabhadeva is teaching us. This is vairāgya-vidyā. Bhakti-yoga means vairāgya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also has spoken the same thing, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad bhajanonmukhasya. Niṣkiñcanasya. If you actually want to become a pure devotee, then you have to make this material way of life completely zero.
Guest (3): But one who is self-realized, he interprets them out, the ślokas or...
Prabhupāda: There is no interpretation. Kṛṣṇa says. In the Bhāgavata it is said that He lifted the mountain just like a child snatch one flower or the..., what is called? Yes. Mushroom. Yes. So easily. They do not believe.
Guest (3): No, but in Bhāgavata there are many ślokas interpreted by many teachers and...
Prabhupāda: Those who believe in Bhāgavata, they do not interpret. Those who do not believe in Bhāgavata, they interpret.
Guest (3): But its meaning has to be understood.
Prabhupāda: Meaning is clear. There is nothing to be understood. But the rascals, they draw their own meaning. Just like Bhagavad-gītā.
San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. You just try to hear from the saintly person, devotee. San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. Then what will be the result? Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir. This hearing, becoming humble and meek... And if we hear from the devotee who is actually self-realized, one who has seen God through the śāstra, if you hear from him... And never mind what you are. You may be a brāhmaṇa, you may be kṣatriya, you may be śūdra, you may be sannyāsī, you may be so on, so on, you may be American, you may be Indian, whatever you may be, that doesn't matter. Remain in your place. Sthāne sthitāḥ. Simply hear. Śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ. Then one day, what will be the result? That God is unconquerable, nobody can conquer, you'll be conquered. Simply by hearing, He'll be... This is the process. Therefore he says śuśruma, humble and meek and hear. Then you'll understand God. Then you'll understand what is religion, then you'll understand everything. Not only religion and God, but everything.
Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī recommended that a brāhmaṇa... He wrote something about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and there were so many discrepancies. So Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī was not at all satisfied with such writings. He chastised the brāhmaṇa that "You cannot write." So unless one is self-realized, there is practically no use writing about Kṛṣṇa. This transcendental writing does not depend on material education. It depends on the spiritual realization. You'll find, therefore, in the comments of Bhāgavatam by different ācāryas, even there are some discrepancies, they are accepted as ārṣa-prayoga. It should remain as it is.
So Sanātana Gosvāmī therefore said, avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtaṁ, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam: "One who is not Vaiṣṇava, from him one should not hear hari-kathāmṛtaṁ." Hari-kathā Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is hari-kathā, and it is amṛta, nectarine.
Therefore Vedas says, Kaṭhopaniṣad, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham samit-pāṇiḥ (MU 1.2.12). Like that. In every śāstra the injunction is if you want to understand the essence of Veda, then you must approach a realized, self-realized person. In the Bhagavad-gītā also the same thing is said. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34).
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he was born of a father who was atheist number one, godless, by the grace of Nārada Muni he became a great devotee. So his father was very careful that nobody comes and instructs his son about Vedic way of lfe or God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He was very careful not to allow anyone. He appointed teachers for his son, strictly prohibiting about... Just like nowadays it has become, what is called? Secular state. Don't talk of God. This is the present situation of the world, atheist class.
There are so many yoga systems simply to come to the platform of this knowledge that "I am not this body." And as soon as one comes to this platform that "I am not this body," then what happens to him? Brahma-bhūtaḥ, self-realization. And what is that self-realization? What is the symptom? How I can understand that one is self-realized? Prasannātmā. He's jolly. (laughter) The... So long we do not come to that platform of knowledge, we are full of anxieties. And as soon as we come to the platform of knowledge that "I am not this body," the immediate symptom is joyfulness, prasannātmā.
How that prasannātmā is manifested? Everything is there. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Śocati means lamentation, and kāṅkṣati means hankering. These two things will disappear. Śocati, if we lose something, then we lament, "Oh, I have lost so much money. I have lost my son. I have lost my service," and so many things. And kāṅkṣati, kāṅkṣati means, "I haven't got this; I want this; I haven't got this."
When one is self-realized that he is not this body, he is the spirit soul, brahma-bhūtaḥ, then what are the symptoms? Now, prasannātmā: he becomes immediately very jolly. So long we are materially engrossed, bodily concept of life, there will be always anxiety. This is the test. Anyone who is in anxiety, means he is materially situated. And anyone who is elevated to the spiritual platform, he is prasannātmā. He is jolly. What is the meaning of prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He does not want anything, and if anything he has got, if he has lost, he does not cry for it. That's all. Here in the material world we are hankering after something which we do not possess. And if we possess something, if it is lost, then we cry. Two business: Śocana and ākāṅkṣa. Everyone is trying to be very big man. That is called ākāṅkṣa. And if he is lost of his possession, then he cries. So these two things will be finished if you become spiritually situated.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Then when he becomes joyful, he understands that "I am not this material body, I am spirit soul. I am not American, I am not Indian, I'm not brāhmaṇa, I am not this, this, this, so many things... No, I am spirit soul. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." This is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Evaṁ prasanna-manaso. When one becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ, self-realized, at that time, he becomes prasanna-manaso, joyful. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati: he has no more lamentation or hankering. Evaṁ prasanna. In this state of life, prasanna-manaso, evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20), by practicing bhagavad-bhakti yoga, bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ mukta-saṅgasya jāyate. At that time, one can understand what is the science of God, bhagavat-tattva. It is not a sentiment; it is a vijñāna, science. Bhagavad-tattva-vijñāna. So who can understand this bhagavad-tattva-vijñāna, science? Mukta-saṅga. One who is liberated from this material contamination, he can understand.
He's brahma-bhūtaḥ. He's self-realized. Self-realized. That is mukti. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svārupeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Mukti does not mean stopping activities. That is not mukti. That is suicidal. You are living entity. How you can stop? That is not possible. They say that, Māyāvādī philosophers, they say to become desireless. That..., you cannot be desireless because you are living entity. How you can stop your desires? But you have to rectify, you have to purify your desires. Now we are desiring simply for sense gratification, to lord it over the material nature. That is your desires. And, and when this desire is purified, then you'll desire that how everything should be engaged in the service of God. Now I am trying to become God, lord it over the material nature, but when my desires are purified, then I shall understand that everything belongs to God; therefore everything should be dovetailed in the service of God.
As is if that man has become thela. And he has become motor. So actually, this is the fact. Piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya. Neither he's thela, nor he's motorcar. He's living entity, pure living entity. Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā it is said, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). When one actually is self-realized, that "I am not American, not Indian, not Hindu, not Muslim, not man, not woman. I am spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi," at that time, he does not lament. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. We are fighting with one another, lamenting and hankering due to this misidentification of the self with this body.
This body is made of three dhātus, kapha pitta vāyu, and if we identify that "I, I am kapha pitta vāyu," then certainly he's a go-kharaḥ. He's nothing more than a cow and an ass. So bhakti, devotional service begins when one is actually self-realized. Before that, sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. Anyone who has got the identification of this body, he is engaged in Deity worship, but he does not actually realize his self, he does not know who is a devotee, and he does not know his duty to other persons, he remains a prākṛta-bhakta. Prākṛta-bhakta means he's situated on the material platform, but under the direction of spiritual master, under the direction of the śāstras, he's trying to improve his condition of material existence. That is called prākṛta-bhakta, sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ.
When one has (become) self-realized. Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. So long we are identifying with this body, identifying with this material existence, bodily, bodily existence, that is animal life. That is not human life. A human being, if he exists in this bodily concept of life, he remains animal. But when he is advanced in knowledge, he understands that he is not this body; he's different from this body.
That we are discussing in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā: idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram iti abhidhīyate. Idaṁ śarīram. This śarīra is field of activities. One should not identify with this body. So when one actually understands his spiritual position, that he's not this body, he's spirit soul, he's brahma-vatsu... It is not we become Brahman by meditation or by somebody. We are Brahman, but we have now forgotten. Jīva-bhūta. At the present moment, because I'm identifying with this body, I'm thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian, " "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am Vaiṣṇava," "I am this or that." No. When we are actually brahma-bhūtaḥ, as explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109).
I went to western countries. Not to sit down there silently. So bhakti, the path is not inactivity. Actual activity begins when one is situated on devotional service. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. When one is brahma-bhūtaḥ, self-realized, he's prasannātmā, joyful, ānandamaya. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). He has no desire to fulfill, neither he has lamentation. Here, in the material world, we hanker after things which we do not possess. "I want this. I want that." And we cry when the thing is lost. Na śocati. But a brahma-bhūtaḥ, when one is self-realized, when one knows that he's not this body, he's spirit soul, he's part and parcel of Brahman, at that time, he becomes joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. And he sees everyone on the equal footing. Because Brahman-realized. He knows everyone is not this body. He's spirit soul, part and parcel of Supreme Brahman.
He's spirit soul, part and parcel of Supreme Brahman. This position, when one comes to this platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. That is the stage to be promoted to the Brahman activity.
The nirviśeṣa, impersonalists, they want to stop activity, but actually Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says that real activity begins when one is self-realized, one is situated in Brahman realization. Brahman realization does not mean to stop. Brahman realization means to act for Kṛṣṇa, not for sense gratification. That is Brahman realization. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). And in that bhakti stage, bhaktyā māṁ abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Actually, simply by executing devotional service, being freed from all material contamination, when one is engaged in devotional service, bhakti, that process, bhakti process can help one to understand what is God. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. It is not said that by karma, "karmaṇā mām abhijānāti." No.
As Caitanya Mahāprabhu directed, bhāgavata paro diya bhāgavata sthane. One should hear about Bhāgavata from the devotee. There are two kinds of Bhāgavata, the book Bhāgavata and the person Bhāgavata. So we have to relish the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the contents of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, from a devotee who is self-realized. Then it will be very nice. Satāṁ prasaṅgād mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. When you hear about Kṛṣṇa from a Kṛṣṇa devotee, it becomes very pleasing to the ear and the heart. Hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. Therefore to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa... Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Tad vidhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. This is the process. So this Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu is the science of devotional service. If one wants to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
All Vedic conclusions should be ultimately to realize Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). This realization is achieved after many, many births of philosophical speculation, mystic yogic exercise or fruitive activities. Koṭi-karmī-madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha. To become karmī is the third-class stage of life. One has to make progress further, so that one may become self-realized, brahma-bhūtaḥ. So out of many, many karmīs, one jñānī, or one who has realized his identification, he's better. And out of many millions of jñānīs who are trying to realize his self by philosophical speculation, brahma-jñāna, so one mukta, or liberated soul, is better. And out of many thousands of liberated souls, it is said by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, it is very rare to find out a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Our manipulation of the senses is not possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.
The Vedic mantra also it is said, nayam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ: "You cannot realize the ātmā, you cannot be self-realized, simply by talking. You may be very big speaker, nice speaker, but that is not the process—simply by speaking very nicely you can understand the Absolute Truth." Nayam ātmā pravacanena labhya na medhayā: "Neither you can understand the Absolute Truth because you have got a very nice brain, a great scientist." Then Sir Isaac Newton would have discovered what is God, or Professor Einstein or Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, they could have understand. No, they cannot. Because they have very nice, finer tissues of the brain, it does not mean. It is a different process. It is a... To understand God or Kṛṣṇa, it is not material process. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Only through devotional service He can be known. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25).
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
Either you go through this process to come to the platform of your spiritual understanding, or kecid, those who are fortunate, kecid kevalayā bhaktyā, the same result is open. Sometimes other people, the so-called yogis, jñānīs, karmīs, or followers of religious, ritualistic ceremonies, they think, "How it is possible that these Hare Kṛṣṇa people have become so quickly self-realized simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, without undergoing so many processes?" That is the gift of Lord Caitanya. Caitanya, Lord Caitanya seeing, or Lord Kṛṣṇa... Lord Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa—the same person. Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Person; Lord Caitanya is the same Supreme Person, but He's teaching us how to approach the Supreme Person. Just like sometimes my disciple is massaging my body, I take his hand and show him: "Do like this." Actually I am not massaging, but I am teaching him. It is not that I am massaging him. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa comes as a devotee, Lord Caitanya, He shows the way how to approach Kṛṣṇa.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
I am spirit soul," in the animal stage of life it is not possible to understand. But in the human form of life it is possible because human being is advanced in consciousness and knowledge, and if he is educated, he can understand. And if he actually understands, then his position becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ, self-realized, prasannātmā. Immediately he becomes jubilant. There is no more any cause of moroseness. That is the symptom. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). Then there is no more hankering or lamentation. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. At that stage, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, we can see everyone, spirit soul. I don't see an American or a Swiss gentleman or a French gentleman or a cat or dog or tree, but I see the spirit soul. That, in that spiritual state, brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, one can see that within this body there is the spirit soul, and he wants to work for benefit of the spirit soul, not for the temporary body.
To understand Kṛṣṇa is very, very difficult, even for the siddhas, those who have attained perfection of life. Kṛṣṇa said, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). First of all, out of many, many millions of person, one endeavors to become siddha, perfect. That is also not very easy, siddha. Siddha means perfectly self-realized. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is siddhi. That is the siddhi of human life. The dogs', cats' life, they cannot understand that "I am Brahman," ahaṁ brahmāsmi. They think, "I am dog." So if you think like that—"I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim"—then you are no better than the dogs and cats because they are also thinking like that. But when you think yourself that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul," that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). After that, after being brahma-bhūtaḥ-samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām—then bhakti life begins.
After that, after being brahma-bhūtaḥ-samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām—then bhakti life begins. After being liberated, after being self-realized, then bhakti begins. And as soon as bhakti begins, then you understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by any other process—by jñāna, by yoga, by tapasya, by karma, by sacrifice, by charity. You cannot understand. Simply, Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa as He is, then you have to take to this process, very simple process. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your respectful obeisances unto Me." Four things. That is here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That will be thinking of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā.
We are advancing education in civilization and so many big, big words, but we are so dull that we cannot understand this simple thing. And to understand this simple thing is the beginning of life. Otherwise, without understanding this simple thing, to exist is just like the cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they have no such thing as nationalism, this ism, that ism. They simply eat, sleep, have sex, and defend.
So this understanding is the first understanding for spiritual life, that "I am not this body." That is the beginning of spiritual life. And when we nicely understand this fact, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ, or self-realization stage. So what is the difference between self-realized stage and doggish stage means bodily concept of life. The difference is that as soon as you become self-realized, you become jolly.
This is the instruction we get from Bhagavad-gītā, how Arjuna in the beginning was declining to serve Kṛṣṇa on consideration of his bodily attachment, but at the end he decided, "No, it is my duty to serve Kṛṣṇa, not to serve my senses." And that is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. Similarly, when we actually become self-realized and agree to serve the Supreme Lord... The another point is that Lord is perfect. He doesn't require our service, but if we are engaged in His service, that is our healthy condition. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. Now I am asking this finger, "Keep like this. Move like this." This is healthy condition of the finger. But if I want to take service from the finger in some way but if the finger cannot serve me, this means unhealthy condition. Similarly, when we do not serve God, that is our unhealthy condition. That is material condition. Therefore... There was a big meeting in Naimiṣāraṇya.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Does the self-realized soul experience the actions...?
Prabhupāda: Anyone can experience. The body is active so long the soul is there. It doesn't require much intelligence. Simply one can understand what is the difference between the dead body and the living body. Living body means there is the soul, and dead body means there is no more soul. Father dies; the son is crying, "Oh, my father has gone." "Oh, where your father has gone? He is lying on the bed. Don't you see?" "No, no, he is gone. He is now..." So that means I never saw my father, I saw his body only. Now I realize, "My father has gone." That is my ignorance. I do not know who is my father; I do not know who is my son. But on this false understanding we are going on. When the father dies or the son dies, we cry, "Oh, my son is gone," "My father is gone." "And where is your father gone? He is lying on the bed." "No, no, he is gone." And then we realize. It is very difficult to understand? Simple thing.
So if you want to be happy, then this is the opportunity. This human form of body is the opportunity. Don't waste this human form of body like cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they cannot understand that he is not this body, he is spirit soul, but a human being can understand. There is so, so many books of knowledge, and so many self-realized persons. So if anyone wants to understand what he is, he can understand in the human form of body. So if we take this opportunity, then we make the solution: no more accepting body.
- janma karma me divyaṁ
- yo jānāti tattvataḥ
- tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
- naiti mām eti kaunteya
- (BG 4.9)
The solution is there. You try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then you will have not to accept any more material body. Simple thing. What is your question? Is it answered? Yes. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to enlighten people. It doesn't matter what is his nationality, what is his religion. Simply you try to understand God, or Kṛṣṇa; then your life is successful. Don't waste time. Don't waste your life, valuable life. Try to understand God.
Initiation Lectures
If you have hankering, then you are not joyful. If you have lamentation, there is no hankering. If you have hankering, then you are not joyful. If you have lamentation, then you are not joyful. These are the signs. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. And if you are actually self-realized soul, in the light of God, then your treatment will be equal to all living entities. Not that "He is animal, he is man, he is black, he is white, he's this, he's Indian, he's American, he's Chinese." No. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Everyone is spirit soul, son of God, part and parcel of God. This realization. Prasannātmā. He has no enemy. He becomes enemyless immediately, because he sees everyone part and parcel of God, everything energy of God, everything belongs to God, everything enjoyable by God, by Kṛṣṇa. In this way he sees in everything Kṛṣṇa, and nothing else. Prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu... (BG 18.54). That is the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. Parām.
We have to give up this mental speculation. Jñāne prayāsam means endeavor in mental speculation should be given up. One should submissively approach the spiritual master. Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Namanta eva means submissively offering respect, obeisances. And after that, if you hear from the self-realized soul, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva san-mukharitām. San-mukharitām means self-realized soul. From his mouth one has to hear. Bhavadīya-vārtām. In this way, although God is never conquered by anyone else, still, this man, who has adopted this process, he will conquer God someday. And who can conquer God? Only the devotees. Just like in Vṛndāvana, the gopīs, the cowherd boys, Mother Yaśodā, father Nanda and all of them, even the cows and calves, they conquered God, Kṛṣṇa. So this is the science of God, and we have got all these books translated into English, and other things are being translated in other languages. So we shall request you to understand, to hear about God.
General Lectures
I am part of this land or that land." "I am Indian because I am born in India." "I am American because I am born in America." Everyone is thinking like that. That means "I am part and parcel of this material world." But by this transcendental elevation to the platform of Brahman, when one becomes self-realized or understands himself as part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7), "All these living entities are My part and parcels," similarly, when the living entities in highest perfection understand that he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Brahman, his life is on the transcendental platform.
So that transcendental platform is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54).
That is your superexcellent proposal." Varīyān eṣa te praśnaḥ kṛto loka-hitaṁ nṛpa (SB 2.1.1). "And because you have inquired and I'll have to say something about Kṛṣṇa, so it is the most beautiful and superexcellent welfare activities for the all people of the world." Loka-hitam. And ātmavit-sammataḥ. And this sort of question and answer is confirmed by persons who are self-realized, ātmavit. Ātmavit. Ātmā means soul, or self, and vit means one who knows. So "Your, this proposal, this inquiry, is approved by persons who are self-realized." Ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Paraḥ means transcendental. There are many things, many subject matter for hearing, but this subject matter, Kṛṣṇa, is transcendental.
If you analyze your beyond mind, your intelligence, then you will find that you are not intelligence. Beyond that intelligence, you are sitting. These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. And when you find out your self, that is self-realization. And as you become self-realized, the symptoms become that you become jolly and free of all anxieties. So long you are not self-realized, you are full of anxieties. That is the nature, material nature. Not only we, human beings, even birds, beasts, they are also full of anxiety. You give some eatables to the pigeons, to the birds, he will eat and look like this: "Oh, somebody may not come, kill me." Yes. This is the nature. Now, you are American people, supposed to be the richest country. Oh, you have also many anxieties. You are (not) free from anxieties. You are also afraid of China or Russia or somebody else. So how you can be free from anxiety? That is yoga system. If you actually practice yoga system...
These are practical.
So from jīva-bhūta stage, completely dependent on the laws of nature, you gradually become free from the laws of nature. And when you are perfectly free from the laws of nature, that is called brahma-bhūta stage. Brahma-bhūta stage means self-realized stage. And, and the symptom is prasannātmā, always joyful. An ordinary man, habituated to smoke, oh, if I ask him to don't smoke, oh, he'll feel inconvenience after half an hour. There is many chain-smoker. They feel... They ask permission, "Swamijī, can I smoke?" Feeling disturbances. But these boys and girls who were habituated to smoking and everything, they have given for years but they don't feel any inconvenience. This is liberation from one point. Two points. Second point. When he's cent percent liberated from these material demands, then he's perfect, as good as God. But I've seen that so many, I mean to..., students of yoga class, they cannot give up their these habits. I have seen.
That, I mean to say, procedure of spiritual realization will be the first installment, your profit. You'll understand that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am not matter, I am spirit soul." And as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, as soon as one is self-realized, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am not this body, I am spirit soul. I am part and parcel of the Absolute Truth." This realization is called Brahman realization. And as soon as you come to the platform of Brahman realization, then the result will be brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). You'll be joyful. You'll be free of all anxieties. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. That is the sign. It is not that simply... I may advertise that I am self-realized, but my behavior will show whether I am self-realized or not. Everything is stated in the Vedic literature, that a brahma-bhūtaḥ person, a self-realized person, the symptom of the self-realized person is that he is joyful. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Without any anxieties. This materialistic life means full of anxiety always. And spiritual life means without this anxiety. Just the opposite. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā.
Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). If you engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then you realize God realization. So what is that tongue engagement? The tongue engagement is you chant the holy name of the Lord, and you take the prasādam, remnants of foodstuff given to the Lord. Then you become self-realized, God realized. By these two methods. You don't require to be very highly educated philosopher, scientist, and a rich man and..., to realize God. If you sincerely engage your tongue only in the service of the Lord, you realize Him. It is so simple thing. It is not very difficult. Therefore, this prasādam program is there, introduced by the guru, spiritual master. Śrī-vigra... Catur-vidha-śrī-bhagavat-prasāda-svādv-anna-tṛptān hari-bhakta-saṅghān. Hari-bhakta-saṅga means association of the devotees. These things are done... Outside we cannot do it. But if there are some devotees, we can order, "Please do it. Distribute like this. Do like this."
And samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu: equally seeing all living entities. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Brahma-bhūta means he is learned scholar, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, self-realized; therefore he has no such distinction that "Give protection to the human being and send the poor animals to the slaughterhouse. Equality." What equality? What the poor animals have done that you are sending them to the slaughterhouse? Is that civilization, this rubbish civilization, maintaining hundreds and thousands of slaughterhouse? So simply speaking "love," "fraternity..." Where is your fraternity? Where is your love? This cannot be possible. This may be big talks only—but to be understood by the nonsense. Unless you become brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), self-realized, Kṛṣṇa conscious, God conscious, these things are only stories. It is not possible.
Only the learned scholars can worship Kṛṣṇa. Only the learned scholar, self-realized soul, can understand Bhagavad-gītā. Not by the politicians and the so-called scholar. No. It is not possible.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement. We appeal to the sober class, dhīra, not the adhīra. We also accepting dhīra and adhīra by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by the mercy of the Gosvāmīs. Dhīradhīra. Dhīra and adhīra. Just like these boys and girls, they were adhīra. Now they are dhīra. Adhīra. Adhīra means without any responsibility, doing all nonsense. Actually they are rich nation's sons and daughters. They are doing ev..., but now they have become dhīra. "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. Yes, sir." This is dhīra. You are already intoxicated. You are already illusioned in this material world. If you still go on drinking, where is the possibility of knowledge? You must have sober brain to understand. So this is going on.
Brahmā-bhūtaḥ means self-realized, that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." This is the first realization, self-realization. So long we are not on this platform of spiritual understanding, we are equal to the animals. Animals, they do not know what is the difference between body and the soul. A dog is always thinking that "I am this body." Similarly, if a man thinks that "I am this body," he is no better than the dog because he has no realization of the self. Therefore the Vedic literature says, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. Actually we are standing on a false platform, understanding this body as the self, and in relationship with the body we are considering, "This country is my country. This man is my family man" or "my national man." So all these bodily concepts of life is based on ignorance, because we do not know soul. Actually the human life is meant for being educated that he is not this body; he is soul. That is the Vedānta-sūtra philosophy, to inquire about the spirit soul. That is our main business.
Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Out of many millions of persons, one tries to become siddha, perfect. What is that siddha? Brahma-jña. Yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). And out of the siddhas, those who are actually self-realized, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, out of many of them maybe one is able to understand Kṛṣṇa.
So Kṛṣṇa can be understood only by devotion. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). So we have to take this process, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇu. So our only request is that to understand Kṛṣṇa is not very difficult if we read Bhagavad-gītā perfectly, seriously. Then Kṛṣṇa is understood. And as soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa... Because Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, what is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa? Hm? If you, Mr. Birla, you explain that "I am like this. I have got so much money, I have got so many business, I have got so many factories," if you explain, then where is my difficulty?
So bhagavān uvāca, this word, means whatever He says, there is no defect or deficiencies. For ordinary person like us there are four defects: bhrama pramāda vipralipsā kara-ṇāpāṭava. Vipralipsā, cheating. Vipralipsā, cheating. So in the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa or self-realized person, servants of Kṛṣṇa, those who have understood Kṛṣṇa, for them there are no deficiencies. They are perfect.
And similarly, on the Eighteenth Chapter, the Kṛṣṇa directly says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). The brahma-bhūtaḥ stage is liberated stage from material contamination. But you have to develop further. In the liberated stage, if you shall be satisfied simply being brahma-bhūtaḥ, self-realized, understanding yourself as Brahman, that is not sufficient. You have to make further progress. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). When one has acquired these qualities, that he is no more, I mean to say, faltering in the matter of hankering and lamentation, and he is now on the transcendental stage of seeing every living entity on the equal level—samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu—at that stage one can enter into the devotional service. Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). So bhakti is above the liberated stage of life.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Yes. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ (BG 18.66). This material selfishness is māyā. Actually that is not selfishness. Real selfishness is to know the relationship with God. But persons who are engrossed with the spell of māyā, illusory energy, they do not know that. Mostly, 99.9%, they have vague idea of God, and how they will know the relationship? So, so that our actual business, first business is to have complete idea, complete sense of God and our relationship. That is the business of human life. Therefore in the Vedic process, the real business is realize God. Either you take yoga system or jñāna system, and bhakti is cent percent simply realization of God. That is the business of human life. He hasn't got to do any other thing. That is practical understanding of God. A perfect human being knows that "My necessities of life is supplied by God, so I have no business to improve the economic condition." That cannot be done also. Nobody is going to be very rich, all of them. According to the destiny he gets his position. So one who is self-realized, he does not want to improve the material condition of life, but he wants to improve the spiritual conception of life. That is human life.
Śyāmasundara: Well, going on now, he says that these life stages or these three levels that we talked about are the levels of attaining selfhood. That is, that selfhood is an achievement, not that it is a given human nature, but that it is an achievement. Not that a self-realized soul is simply that way because that is his nature, but because he has achieved that stage through... He's developed to that stage through consciously...
Prabhupāda: Without any endeavor he'll achieve?
Śyāmasundara: No, no. That he has, with great endeavor, intelligently and consciously achieved that stage. Not that he has without any endeavor got that stage. It is not natural stage, even...
Prabhupāda: So when that endeavor is made?
Prabhupāda: Transparently before God means to be engaged in His service. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching that way. They are always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, twenty-four hours; therefore they are self-realized. They are standing on their self. That is mukti. That is liberated. And those who are, these karmīs, the jñānīs, the yogis, they are not engaged in the self. They are trying to realize self. Therefore all these students, or the disciples of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are liberated persons, because they are acting as such. So everyone should join this movement and become liberated, immediately. You preach like that. Try to understand and preach.
Śyāmasundara: They say that this is an authentic position, that it...
Śyāmasundara: So just like when there are decisions to be made, because a self-realized soul automatically...
Prabhupāda: The decision is that I shall serve Kṛṣṇa as soon as ordered. But the order comes from the superior. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is ordered by Kṛṣṇa to fight, so he has to fight. That is all. Arjuna's decision was wrong, but when he takes decision from Kṛṣṇa, that is right. So we have to take decision from Kṛṣṇa's representative. That is right. We cannot make our own decisions. That is wrong.
Śyāmasundara: So full will means to follow...
Prabhupāda: Full will means full will to surrender, full will to follow the orders of the superior. That is full will.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). This is the symptom of self-realized person. If one is self-realized, he is immediately happy, prasannātmā, jolly, because immediately he is on the right. Just like one is going on under some mistaken ideas, and when he comes to the real idea, he becomes very happy: "Oh, so long I was going on such a mistaken idea." So immediately the result will be happiness: "How foolish I was. I was doing like this, doing like that." So right..., as soon as one comes to the right position, he, the symptom is he is prasannātmā. What is that prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). Prasannātmā, happiness, means he has no more anything to hanker. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varam: "I don't want any material benediction." Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My Lord, don't tell You want me for any material benefit. I have seen so much afflict. My father was so big materialistic that even the demigods, they were afraid of him. You have finished it within a second. So I am not after these things." So this is real knowledge, that na śocati na kāṅkṣati, he has no more hankering. The karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they have got hankering.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). This is the symptom of self-realized person. If one is self-realized, he is immediately happy, prasannātmā, jolly, because immediately he is on the right. Just like one is going on under some mistaken ideas, and when he comes to the real idea, he becomes very happy: "Oh, so long I was going on such a mistaken idea." So immediately the result will be happiness: "How foolish I was. I was doing like this, doing like that." So right..., as soon as one comes to the right position, he, the symptom is he is prasannātmā. What is that prasannātmā? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). Prasannātmā, happiness, means he has no more anything to hanker. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varam: "I don't want any material benediction." Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My Lord, don't tell You want me for any material benefit. I have seen so much afflict. My father was so big materialistic that even the demigods, they were afraid of him. You have finished it within a second. So I am not after these things." So this is real knowledge, that na śocati na kāṅkṣati, he has no more hankering. The karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they have got hankering. The karmīs, they are hankering after how to get material wealth, how to get material position, how to get nice woman, how to get nice position. That is karmī. Their business—simply hankering, hankering. bankruptcy (?). And if they have lost, they cry, "Oh, I have lost it, I have lost it, I have lost." Two business. So when one becomes self-realized, these two things are conspicuous by absence: no more hankering, no more lamenting.
Prabhupāda: Darkness, you are saying, "Prabhupāda, I am here," and I am looking here: "Where you are?" So that is the position of darkness. Everything you see, it is not clear. That is darkness. Therefore Vedic version is, "Don't remain in darkness. Come to the light." That light is guru. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. This is guru's description. When we are in darkness of ignorance the guru, spiritual master, ignites the torch of knowledge. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalakā. Śalākayā means torch. Then he sees, "Oh, things are like this." In this way, when he becomes self-realized, brahma-bhū, then he becomes happy, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati (BG 18.54). That is civilization, to get the light. And to remain in the darkness and struggle for existence, that is not civilization; that is animal life. It has no value. That is going on. Therefore we are trying to give Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the greatest contribution to the human society.
Prabhupāda: Ah. But actually he can be revived at any moment in good association, sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83), by this method of hearing and chanting, śravaṇam. Therefore this devotional service, beginning with hearing, is very important. If he consciously hears from the self-realized soul, then he becomes awakened to his spiritual life, and keeping himself always in the devotional service, he remains spiritually alive.
Hayagrīva: (aside:) That's the end of that tape. Augustine speaks of two cities in his... He wrote a famous book called The City of God, and one city is divine. In one city, love of God unites all men, and the other city, men are united by love of the world. One society loves the flesh, and the other society loves the spirit.
Prabhupāda: So this figurative description is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The body is considered as like city, and the soul is described as the king of the city, and he goes out from different gates. The body has got nine gates. In this way a figurative description in the..., is in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But that city is figuratively taken as this body, and the king of the city is the soul.
| Page Title: | Self-realized (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 11 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=139, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 139 |