So pāpam eva. Pāpam means sinful activities, and puṇyam is pious. So people should consider in every activity, whether it is pāpam or puṇyam, whether it is virtuous or sinful activities. But the asuras, they do not know. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca na vidur asurā janāḥ (BG 16.7). Those who are asuras, they do not care what is sinful or what is right. "I like it; I must do it." This is asura. There is no reference to the authorities, whether the action which I am going to do, whether it is pious or impious. Because by impious activities I will be degraded. Adho gacchanti tamasaḥ (BG 14.18). Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ. If we become addicted to sinful activities, the result will be we shall be degraded. But they do not know. Even so-called religious priests, they support killing, condone it. Killing is impious, sinful activity, but in the name of religion, killing is also going on. If someone says, "It is my religion to cut throat," will it be accepted very nice thing? Sometimes... Just like here is the war. This is also religious war. But still, discrimination. Arjuna, because he is a Vaiṣṇava, a Vaiṣṇava means devatā, demigod. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad viparyayaḥ. What is the difference between deva and asura? Who is called a devata, and who is called an asura? There are two kinds of men. One class is called deva, devata. The other class is called asura. Devāsura.
Should consider... (Lectures)
Expressions researched:
"should also consider"
|"should always consider"
|"should better consider"
|"should calmly consider"
|"should carefully consider"
|"should consider"
|"should kindly consider"
|"should seriously consider"
|"should then consider"
|"should, rather, consider"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ mitra-drohe ca pātakam (BG 1.37). "These rascals, they have become lost of their intelligence on account of greediness for acquiring the empire. But so far I am concerned," Arjuna said, kathaṁ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ (BG 1.38). Plural number: "By us." "Us" means including Kṛṣṇa. He is saying not "I" or "by me." He is including Kṛṣṇa: "You are in this side; so because You are on my side, You are my charioteer, if I do not consider all these things, what people will say? That 'Arjuna is such a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is there. He is committing such sinful activities.' " Therefore he says, kathaṁ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ. He is dragging Kṛṣṇa also. That is right, yes. A saintly person, a devotee, should consider all these things, before acting, "Whether I am doing it property or improperly?" This is Arjuna. The other party, lobha-upahata-cetasaḥ. Upahata-cetasaḥ. They have lost their sense. But we cannot. A devotee must be very responsible. He must act in such a way that nobody can blame him. Otherwise everyone say, "What kind of devotee he is?" So this is the duty. They should be very cautious. A sannyāsī, they should be very cautious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, sannyāsīra alpa-chidre bahu kari' mane. An ordinary gṛhastha, or... Gṛhastha only, If he talks with woman nobody will blame. He is gṛhastha. But if a sannyāsī talks with woman very intimately, oh, immediately people will take note of it. Sannyāsīra alpa-chidre bahu kari' mane. That is the practice. He should be very cautious. So a devotee, a sannyāsī, they have got very, very great responsibility. People will very easily criticize them. So Arjuna is considering all these points. Kathaṁ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ pāpād asmān nivartitum (BG 1.38).
These are the qualifications of brāhmaṇa. Similarly, there are qualification of kṣatriyas, vaiśyas. We should follow that. And it is the duty of the government to see that "This man is claiming as a brāhmaṇa, whether he is actually executing the duties of brāhmaṇa?" That is government's duty. Not that they should simply fight that "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." No. The government's duty is to see that actually whether he is as he claims to be.
So Arjuna says that "I do not like to kill my grandfather or my guru." Not only ordinary guru. Guru is never ordinary. Guru... That I have explained. Never we should consider guru as ordinary human being. Guru means as king is the representative for giving protection to the people, similarly, a guru or brāhmaṇa is also meant for giving protection to the people from spiritual side. The king, kṣatriya, is meant for giving protection to the people from material side. The vaiśya is to produce from the material side. Everything is systematically arranged. So brāhmaṇa means the intelligent class of men, kṣatriya means the administrative class of men, and vaiśya means the productive class of men, and the śūdra means ordinary worker. These divisions are everywhere. You cannot say that only the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas and vaiśyas are in India. No. When it is a creation of Kṛṣṇa, or God, it must be everywhere—in every planet, in every country, every city. Because anywhere you go, either in Europe or America, you will find some classes of men, very intelligent class. They are interested in philosophy, science. Similarly, there is a class of men who are interested in politics.
It is up to you. Make your selection where you want to be. You have, somehow or other, you have come here. That's all right. But Kṛṣṇa gives you chance to be elevated to any planetary system you like. Ultimately, if you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, that is also given, everything. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. So if you want to go to the moon planet, there is no need of the sputnik. There is a process so that after this body you become elevated to the moon planet. Why should you make research for, and futile research, going to the moon? You just prepare yourself. There are different processes. If you want to go to the moon planet, you can go. If you want to go to the heavenly planet, you can go. Similarly, if you want to go to the planet where Kṛṣṇa is, you can go. So sane man, intelligent man, should consider that "If I have to prepare myself for going, for being elevated to the higher planetary system, but we have to come back again, kṣīṇe puṇye martya-loka, why not endeavor for going back to Kṛṣṇaloka?" That is intelligence. But there are big, big yogis, they elevate themselves to the higher planetary system. They... Before going to the spiritual world, they want to see how the higher planetary system are working. Just like the visitors, tourists. They are going somewhere, and drop, by journey, somewhere to see. But you should not make such ambition. You should endeavor directly going back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That should be your endeavor. Yes. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mam (BG 9.25).
So you are indebted to the demigods, indebted to the sages. Just like Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva, he has given us so many Vedic literatures. So we are taking advantage. So deva, ṛṣi, bhūta, ordinary living entities, even cats and dogs. But we, instead of being indebted, we do something else. Just like we are drinking milk. So we are indebted to the cows. So instead of repaying the indebtedness, we are killing them. So in this way we are complicated in so many ways. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇām (SB 11.5.41). Pitṟṇām means in the family in which you are born. You are indebted because you are inheriting property, you are inheriting the mother's affection, father's affection. So you are indebted. People should consider. That is civilization. So... But anyone who has taken shelter of Mukunda—Mukunda is Kṛṣṇa—he has no more any indebtedness. He becomes free. All indebtedness, charge is taken by Kṛṣṇa, and He will square up the account. There is no doubt about it. He says that, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Yes. All right. So any question? Yes?
Now, iṣṭān bhogān, whatever you have got for your subsistence, you should know it is given by God. Now, say for example these grains. The grains, they are given to you by God for eating. You cannot manufacture grain in your factory. You have manufactured or set up so many factories for manufacturing tools, machinery, motor cars, and so many other things for your comfort. But there is not a single factory in the whole world which can manufacture wheats, rice, grains, or vegetables, or something like that. So we should consider it that these foodstuff which we eat daily, they are produced by God's mercy, or they are given by God, iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devāḥ, God or God's agent, whatever it may be.
Tair dattān. And if you take from... Even you produce, even you produce from your land, that is also God's mercy, because for agriculture, for example, if there is no rain, you cannot produce anything. Now, rain, you have no control over rain. We shall come to that point in the next śloka. But if you perform yajñas rightly, you'll have got, you will have sufficient rains to produce everything. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's reign, his kingdom, his government was conducted in that way. Profusely, the nature was producing profusely. How profusely he was benefited by nature's gift, that is stated in the Bhāgavata. I shall recite that, I mean to say, verse before you and explain to you next. So iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ. If you perform this sacrifice, then your necessities will be supplied profusely by the agents of the Supreme Lord. So mind that always, that we are not going to be idle. We shall go on with our work, as we are doing. But at the same time, we must perform yajñas, or sacrifice for the Supreme. Then we'll have sufficient for our necessities. And now, after having sufficient of our necessities, if we don't acknowledge or don't give the taxes of obligation, feel our obligation, then, He said, tair dattān apradāyaibhyaḥ.
Prabhupāda: You were asking what is the duty of the master and teacher.
Guest (2): Yes.
Prabhupāda: The teacher's duty is to make right the rascals, that's all.
Guest (2): When is the perfect mast...
Prabhupāda: So, first of all this is the duty of the teacher. So, therefore, a disciple should consider himself, that he's a rascal, and then he goes to a teacher. If he thinks himself, that he is quite all right, he does not require a teacher.
Guest (2): But when we are going to the teacher, teacher is showing from the 1, 2, 3, 4, teacher is showing, but not to what you can tell him to just you. Teacher is telling, teacher is showing us. So the perfect master, when the Lord Kṛṣṇa...
Prabhupāda: But how do you know the perfect master, if you are a student?
Guest (2): When the Lord Kṛṣṇa was on the Earth...
Prabhupāda: First of all you answer me, that if you are a student, how you can know who is perfect teacher? (laughter) So you do not know what is your position. If you are teacher, if you are a student, then you should go to the teacher submissively, not that strong attitude.
Guest (2): If I am the student, excuse me, your honor sir.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
He says, "Arjuna, a person who is cent-percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he might be externally, ephemerally seen to be addicted to some bad habits. Still, you should consider him to be a saint. You should consider him to be saint."
What is that? Now, suppose we have contaminated so many things in our material life. There are, in the material calculation, there are so many things which are the list. One list is for morality, and another list is for immorality. I do not wish to discuss this list because in, for a person which is immorality, for another person, it is not immorality; it is morality. Just like according to our conception, Hindu conception, drinking of wine is immoral, whereas in your country drinking of wine is not immoral. It is common thing. Of course, so according to time, class, place, the conception of morality and immorality are different. But there is a, a sense of immorality and morality in everywhere. That is a fact.
So Kṛṣṇa says that "Even if you see a person immoral, but he is completely engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it should be concluded that he is a saint." He's a saintly person. That is the description given by Kṛṣṇa of sādhu. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). So in other words, He says, "Any person who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Never mind, he might have something externally immoral habits due to his past association. It doesn't matter." So some way or other, one should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. And then, gradually, he will become a saintly person; as he goes on executing this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, with his advancement, he becomes a perfect saint. That you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā. And how Kṛṣṇa says that even if he's externally a little immoral... Of course, a devotee or a person who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's never immoral. But it may be that due to his past association he may appear to be immoral or he may fall down, fall down. Due to habits, we may sometimes fall down.
So whole process is, sacrifice means that we have to reach to that point. The whole process of sacrifice, either by yoga system or by jñāna system or by observing the rules and regulation of the social system, everything is meant for reaching to that point. What is that? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān mām (BG 7.19). To surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So we, if we are intelligent enough, then we should consider that "If I have to do this job after many, many births—I am getting myself to very much experience—and Lord Kṛṣṇa says that this is the last point of knowledge, why not accept it immediately? Why not accept immediately? If I have to come to Kṛṣṇa at the last stage of mature knowledge and I surrender unto Him, then why should I wait for many births? Why should I wait for many births? Let me surrender unto me (Him)."
Just yesterday night one of our friends inquired that "How long it takes time to have complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" So I replied that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness can take place in a second, and it may not take in thousands of years. Because the point is here, that after all, we have to come to this point, that surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19)—Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa—"Kṛṣṇa is everything, and therefore I surrender unto Him." Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That person, great soul, is very rare to be found. Therefore why not become that great soul immediately by surrender unto Kṛṣṇa? This is the point. By sacrifice. Sacrifice means we have to come to that point.
Now, if that is the point to be achieved at the end, why not become immediately jñānavān and surrender unto Kṛṣṇa? That is my suggestion.
It is said, according to Bhagavad-gītā, tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ labhate paurva-dehikam (BG 6.43). Because that asset is there. Suppose I make my bank balance ten thousand millions, or something big, very big balance. Now, as soon as my body is finished, oh, the bank balance is also finished because the bank balance is not going with me. That remains in the bank to be enjoyed by somebody else. But the spiritual culture... Suppose if you have got ten thousand or... Even ten percent you have done, that goes with you. So there is no loss. Then again you begin from 11%. From the eleven point, you begin. So we should consider that when you get such chance of spiritual cultivation—may be 10%, 5%, 50%—we should know that "Now we should finish the balance percentage of cultivation. We must finish this life. I shall not take chance of another birth." That should be our determination. Paurva-dehikam. "When I have come to this point, it must be understood that I had some asset in my previous life. So Kṛṣṇa is giving me chance to make further progress. Now, in my past life I could not finish the job some way or other, but that doesn't matter. Now this life I shall not allow to miss this opportunity." That should be our determination as soon as we begin some spiritual culture. Tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ labhate paurva-dehikam (BG 6.43). Paurva-dehikam means according to the past life, he begins, he tries.
So unless one has got faith. Why one should consider himself that "I must be completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa," unless one has got faith? Therefore faith is the beginning. And to create faith, Kṛṣṇa has explained about Himself in the whole Bhagavad-gītā. So one who is fortunate, after reading Bhagavad-gītā thoroughly, he'll have a strong faith in Kṛṣṇa. If you have failed to achieve this status of faith, then there is no question of progress. That is explained by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī: śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya (Cc. Madhya 22.62). Śraddhā means firm faith, with conviction, "Yes, if I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then all my business will be perfect, all my spiritual life will be perfect." Therefore Kṛṣṇa says: śraddhāvān bhajate. With śraddhā, with full faith. Ādau śraddhā. Beginning is śraddhā. If one has developed a little śraddhā. Just like we are giving chance throughout the whole world by this propaganda, opening centers to create little śraddhā. And if the śraddhā is there, then next stage is sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83), if one wants to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if he has developed a little faith in it, the next stage is to associate with sādhu. And who is sādhu? Sādhu, sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ. Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-bhūtānām. So sādhu means very tolerant. In another place, sādhu is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva...
This body is changing. Now, when it is changed to another body, that means transmigration of the soul from one body to another. This is a fact, and it is not very difficult to understand. We are changing our body every moment. Bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ viddhi pārtha sanātanam (BG 7.10), buddhir buddhimatām asmi. One who is very intelligent, that intelligence, extraordinary intelligence, must be considered, "Oh, he is Kṛṣṇa." Without being especially favored by Kṛṣṇa, nobody can become extraordinarily intelligent. Anyone... Everyone is trying that "I shall be more intelligent than my friend, my others," but without Kṛṣṇa's, I mean to say, special favor, nobody can become extraordinarily intelligent. Therefore, wherever you find extraordinary intelligence, you should consider, "Oh, there is Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Buddhir buddhimatām asmi tejas tejasvinām aham. One who is very influential, that influence is Kṛṣṇa. That influence, that particular influence of a particular man, that is also Kṛṣṇa. Balaṁ balavatāṁ cāham. And one is very strong, stout and strong, that particular strength is also Kṛṣṇa. Just like an elephant is very strong. And more than elephant, the gorilla is still more strong. That strength, wherefrom..., wherefrom he gets strength? Now, suppose I am a human being. I cannot get such strength by my own endeavor, but I can get strength ten thousand times more than the elephant if Kṛṣṇa favors. Therefore strength. Just like Bhīma. Bhīma had strength ten thousand times than an elephant. He was so strong. There is no question of not believing. Because as I find that you are stronger than me and he is stronger than you, oh, similarly, there are many degrees of strength. Now, these degrees of strength is Kṛṣṇa. So you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Without Kṛṣṇa's favor, nobody can be stronger than the others. So balaṁ balavatām asmi.
Their brain does not provide provision to think of all these things, a dull brain.
But if you take the advice of great ācāryas, just like Rāmānujācārya, Śaṅkarācārya and Lord Jesus Christ, everything, every man will say, "Oh, there is God. There is God." So we have to take instruction from them if we want to know the science of God. And here Lord Kṛṣṇa, He personally is saying. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). The Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has come before you. This Bhagavad-gītā is also His representation. Now, we are speaking of Bhagavad-gītā after five thousand years of Kṛṣṇa's disappearance, but because God is absolute, therefore these words left by God is also God. Whatever we are hearing just now, you should consider that we are hearing directly from Kṛṣṇa. Whatever I am speaking, I am not speaking something manufactured by me. I am speaking the simple words that is left by the merciful Lord in this Bhagavad-gītā. I am speaking to that. He says, mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10). Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram. Adhyakṣa means superintendence. "Under My superintendence..." Prakṛti means this material nature. Sūyate, sūyate means producing. What she is producing. She is producing carācara. Cara acara. Cara means which is moving, just like we are moving. We have got life. And acara, there are many things acara, that does not move. So two things are there, cara and acara, moving and not moving. And above this, there is God, who is controlling both this cara and acara.
Therefore, give up doggish mentality. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Train up your mind, God, godly mentality. Then you'll be transferred next life, back to home, back to Godhead. That is required. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is training the people for being promoted to the highest standard of life. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. We are giving chance to the people not to become next life cats and dogs and vultures. But associate of Kṛṣṇa. To become a cowherd boy, to play with Kṛṣṇa, or gopī, to dance with Kṛṣṇa. This much facilities we are going to giving.
So everyone should consider how much welfare movement is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and they should follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and the ācāryas and make their life successful. Thank you very much. (end)
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
That is not Vedic system. Vedic system is a man is fully instructed, and woman, girl, must be married to a man. Even the man may have many wives, polygamy, still, every woman should be married. And she would get instruction from the husband. This is Vedic system. Woman is not allowed to go to school, college, or to the spiritual master. But husband and wife, they can be initiated. That is Vedic system.
So dhīrāṇāṁ vartma. Because people must be first of all gentle. Then talk of Kṛṣṇa and God consciousness. If he is animal, what he can understand? This is Vedic system. Dhīrāṇām. Dhīra means must be gentle, perfectly gentle. Must address all woman as "mother." Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat. This is the training, that one should consider other's wife as mother, and others' money as like garbage in the street. Nobody cares for it. Similarly, one's other's money should not be touched. Even it is somebody has forgotten his purse, moneybag on the street, nobody will touch it. Let the man come back and take it. That is civilization. Para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. And treating all other living entities as oneself. If somebody pinches me, I feel pain. Why shall I pinch other? If somebody cuts my throat, I become so sorry or so aggrieved. Why shall I cut the throat of other animals? This is civilization. This is Vedic civilization. And not that go on killing animals like anything and hunt upon the woman, topless woman, make business. This is not civilization. This is not human civilization.
Prabhupāda: By the grace of guru you learn something. Then when you learn something, then you become greater than him, don't care for guru. This is demonic. Even if you have learned something, you must feel always obliged, ataḥ padarśayat(?).
So this is Vedic civilization. Draupadī advising Arjuna that "You have learned. Feel always obliged," ataḥ padarśayat. So this is Vedic... "This military art, by his grace, by guru's grace, now you are expert in the science of military art. And suppose his son has committed some sinful activity. You cannot punish him, retaliate, so that guru's family will be aggrieved." This is Vedic culture. Not only he is personally, but in his absence, his wife, his family, you should consider them. So there is nothing about... What is the purport? Read.
Pradyumna: "Dhanur-veda or military science, was taught by Droṇācārya with all its confidential secrets of throwing and controlling by Vedic hymns. Gross military science is dependent on material weapons, but finer than that is the art of throwing arrows saturated with Vedic hymns, which act more effectively than gross material weapons like machine guns or atomic bombs. The control is by Vedic mantras, or the transcendental science of sound. It is said in the Rāmāyaṇa that Mahārāja Daśaratha, the father of Lord Śrī Rāma, used to control arrows by sound only. He could pierce his target with his arrow by hearing the sound only, without seeing the object. So this is a finer military science than that of the gross material military weapons..."
He became a great Vaiṣṇava. And Kālidāsa, one of the relative, uncle, of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was also very great Vaiṣṇava, mahā-bhāgavata. His business was to eat the remnants of foodstuff left by Vaiṣṇava. He did not care whether he's a brāhmaṇa-vaiṣṇava or śūdra-vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava is not śūdra. But a Vaiṣṇava coming from śūdra family, sometimes they are called śūdra-vaiṣṇava. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He's sometimes called, Yavana-Haridāsa. He's not yavana. He is hundred times, thousand, million times better than brāhmaṇa. But because he is born in a Muhammadan family, he was, another name... The Vaiṣṇava never says, "Yavana-Haridāsa." He is "Nāmācārya Haridāsa." Vaiṣṇava... Why he should be yavana? Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. Nobody should consider a Vaiṣṇava belonging to this caste, that caste, no. Just like here. The Deity is there. Everyone knows that Deity is made of brass metal. But that is not metal. Because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa in any other way at present, therefore Kṛṣṇa has appeared as made of metal. But He is not metal. Or even if He is metal, still He's Kṛṣṇa because everything is Kṛṣṇa. So arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhiḥ. We should not consider like that.
Therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that every moment of life is so valuable that you cannot get back it even offering hundreds and thousands and millions of dollars. That is not possible.
So if that moment is wasted for nothing, just imagine what is your loss. A thing which you cannot get back by paying millions of dollars, if that is lost unnecessarily, so how much loss you are suffering just imagine. This is material calculation. Why we keep some valuable things, some jewel, very carefully? Because we know, "If I lose this jewel, I will lose so much money." Similarly, we should always consider that. The modern civilization, rascal civilization, they do not know how to utilize life. So many days, so many hours, they are simply wasting, simply wasting. It is said that the sunrise and sunset, during this period, the sun's business is to take away the duration of our life, sunrise and sunset. That means twelve hours or thirteen hours which is gone between the sunrise and sunset...This sun's business is to take away the portion, the fixed up duration of life which I have been given. That is, some of it, is taken away. The same example. Just like you have got a fixed balance in the bank. If you draw even ten pence, ten shillings, that means it is taken away. You have to replace it. But replacing is not possible. Bank balance you can replace. But the balance... Suppose you have passed... I have passed... Suppose if I live for eighty years or ninety years or hundred years. So this seventy-eight years is already taken away. It cannot be replaced. You cannot make the bank balance or the duration of..., again complete. That is not possible. This is plain fact.
That purificatory process is called devotional service, or bhakti. That is described in Nārada Pañcarātra: sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170).
Now, how we have become the servant of our senses? On account of so many designation: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am this," "I am that"—so many designation. So if you... Designation means to become servant of the senses. Designation means to become the servant. So we have to forget our designation. From this initiation point of view, everyone should consider that "I am no more American," "I am no more Indian," "I am no more this or that"—"No, I am Hindu; he is Christian"—"I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." Then you become designationless—"I am servant of Kṛṣṇa, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya Kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109)." Then you become designationless, and immediately purified. Sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ tat paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means spotless. When the spotless, you become spotless, then hṛṣīkena... You have got your senses, then your senses are engaged in the servant of the master of the senses. That is called bhakti. Hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170).
So these things are all very elaborately, nicely explained in our books. So those who are going to be initiated, they should take it as a vow, not to fall down again. Catch Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet very tightly and you'll not fall down. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). So be determined. Don't make it a farce, that "Today I am initiated and tomorrow I again I give up everything and again grow my hair and then go to hell." No. Don't do that. If you want to be serious, then the path is clear for going back to home.
The pious activities means you get your birth in a very good, aristocratic family, rich family or brāhmaṇa family. That is the result of pious activities. You become very beautiful. You become very learned. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrī (SB 1.8.26). Four things. Janma means birth. Aiśvarya means riches, wealth. Aiśvarya. Janma aiśvarya and śruta. Śruta means education. To become learned man, to become very educated, that is also a result of pious activities. To take birth in rich family, that is also result of pious activities. To become very beautiful, that is also result of pious activities. Janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān. Unfortunately... When we get these opportunities, very nice family or nice nation, beautiful body, education, we should consider that it is due to our past pious activities. Therefore they should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. Because pious activities means to approach Kṛṣṇa. Those who are impious, sinful, they cannot approach Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are narādhamāḥ, lowest of the mankind, always engaged in sinful activities, and rascals, may be very educated-māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ, their educational value has been taken away by māyā... As, just like nowadays it has become. The more one is educated, the more one is atheist. We have received one report just now, Bombay. They are... That singing, Hare Kṛṣṇa singing, nuisance, they say. You see. How degraded human being has become: "Hare Kṛṣṇa singing is nuisance. And cinema singing is very good." Just see. They have become simply rascals, dogs and hogs. Simply.
Therefore gosvāmī means twenty-four hours engaged in kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, in this way or that way. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. How? Premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī. Because they were merged into the ocean of kṛṣṇa-prema. Unless we have got kṛṣṇa-prema, love for Kṛṣṇa, how we can remain satisfied simply in the business of Kṛṣṇa? That is not possible. Those who have not developed love for Kṛṣṇa, they cannot be engaged twenty-four hours in the business of Kṛṣṇa. We should consider that... We should save time always to be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa business. The period we sleep, that is wasted. That is wasted. So we shall try to save time. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Hari is another name of Kṛṣṇa. Sadā, twenty-four hours. Actually, the Gosvāmīs used to do. They are our examples. They were sleeping not more that two hours or utmost, three hours. So nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. They conquered over. This is gosvāmī. They conquered over these things. What is that? Nidrāhāra, nidrā, āhāra, vihāra. Vihāra means sense enjoyment, and āhāra means eating or collecting. Generally, eating. And nidrā. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. Conquered. That is Vaiṣṇava. Not that out of twenty-four hours, thirty-six hours sleeping. (laughter) And at the same time, passing on as gosvāmī. What is this go...? Go-dāsa. They are go-dāsa. Go means senses, and dāsa means servant.
So you cannot compete. Simply by competing with these things, animal life, that is not excellence of your life. Real excellence is that these animals, they cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the difference only. You can excel with all these lower animals, trees, birds, beasts and others, so many, only by awakening your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only business. And if you lack in that matter Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the other animals, lower animals, they are far, far advanced. They are far, far advanced. So as human being, we should consider all these points. The Bhāgavata is pointing out each and every step of our life and helping us how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. When Nārada Muni advised Vyāsadeva that "You have written so many books, but actually they are not very much beneficial to the human society. You write such a book that they will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is especially written to bring these rascals and animals to come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
For meals the birds, bees, they are not going to office. There are 8,400,000 forms of life. Only the civilized form of, the so-called civilized men, they are undergoing so much trouble for their meals. But others, they are not going fifty miles. They have got ready food. They sit down on any tree. Oh, there are enough fruits. Little eating, finish their business. Or take the elephants also. They are eating so much. They have got also food. Therefore śāstra says that "Food is already there." So many people say, "Oh, so many people are dying, starving." And where is the man? Show me who is dying for starvation. These are all pleas. They won't take any tapasya for understanding, but they will work hard like asses, like hogs and dogs, for two meals. But we should consider that we are taking so much penances for simply filling our this hungry belly, appetite. Why not little tapasya for Kṛṣṇa, chanting sixteen rounds? But will... That is also very difficult. Then? Tapasya, penance in pure bhakti-yoga.
They are simply waiting for the order. So master is self-sufficient. He hasn't got to order anybody. This is the there.(?) And here, just the opposite. Kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśāḥ. So we are serving most abominably. Sometimes we do things which I should not have done. But still, because I want money, because I want to gratify my senses, I give service. Even very sinful service I give. But still, neither I am satisfied, neither the master is satisfied. This is the position. Everyone is trying to give, the politicians or any. Just I have given the example: Gandhi throughout the whole life gave service, but there were some persons who were not satisfied. It is not possible. Therefore the sensible man should consider that "What is the use of this service?" Just like this Vivekananda society, their daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. The daridras are lying on the street, but they collect money in the name of serving the poor, and they live very comfortably—big, big belly. You see. All the sannyāsīs are eating and sleeping and doing everything, all nonsense. But they are collecting money. They have no other source. We don't say that we are collecting money for daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā, no. We collect money directly for serving Kṛṣṇa. We give directly, that "We have got our Kṛṣṇa. We have to serve. We have to do this. Kindly give us some contribution, and you take this book." We never say that we are going to serve the daridra-nārāyaṇa. Our Nārāyaṇa is not daridra. Daridra means poor. Here our Nārāyaṇa is described. Our Nārāyaṇa is not... Here it is... He is... Tatrākhila-sātvatāṁ patiṁ śriyaḥ patiṁ yajña-patiṁ jagat-patim. He is not daridra. How He can be poor? He is jagat-pati. He is the master, He's the Lord. He is the proprietor of all universes, jagat-pati.
Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). And that... We do not know. Kṛṣṇa does not say what kind of body, but there are so many, 8,400,000. Any one of them can happen. But a devotee who has fallen down, he is guaranteed again human life. And what kind of human life? Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). He'll get a life, human being, in a very rich family or in a very pious family. Those who are more advanced, they will get their next birth in a pious brāhmaṇa family, very pure brāhmaṇa family or Vaiṣṇava family. That is called śucīnām. And śrīmatām. Śrī means wealth or beauty. Very rich family, beautiful body he will get. So those who have got their birth in high-class brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava family and those who have got their birth in rich very aristocratic family, they should consider that "This advantage is given to me by Kṛṣṇa. Because in my last life I could not finish my business of bhakti-yoga, now I have got it." Therefore I said to the Americans that "You have got wealth; you have got education; you have got beauty. This is the asset of your pious life. Now you utilize it for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is perfect." So not only in America, everywhere, it is not easy that one man is born immediately very rich and one man is born in very poor family or very ugly family. There is distinction. There is some superior authority. It is not accident. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). A living entity gets his body by superior administration, by nature's quality. There is big science.
He has brought it. It was hundreds of, at least thousand miles. So they accepted: "Yes, Deity has come." And the marriage was performed. Then a temple was constructed by the king of that country. So again the mahārāja, king of Jagannātha Purī, conquered that country, and he was a devotee. He took away the Deity. The Deity is still there near Jagannātha Purī. He is know as Sākṣi-gopāla, the witness Gopāla. Still people go and see.
So the atheist class man will always think that Deity is a doll: "These people, crazy fellow, they are worshiping doll." But not for a devotee. For a devotee, the Deity is prepared to talk, and offer His blessings. So therefore, we should consider either the picture or the Deity not as such, but... This is very reasonable, because in the Bhagavad-gītā we see Kṛṣṇa says that,
- bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ
- khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
- ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
- bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
- (BG 7.4)
"It is My energy, it is My energy. The earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence, they are My separated energy." So it is emanation from Kṛṣṇa. Either you take the earth, water, fire, air, anything. It has come from Kṛṣṇa. So they are not different. The energy and energetic are not different: identical. And Kṛṣṇa, being omnipotent, He can do anything by His energy. That is the meaning of omnipotent. Even in ordinary things also. Just like a man has got enough money. That money is energy of the man, we can understand. So with that money he can do so many things.
This is knowledge. And if I again become victimized... The laws of nature is there. If you want, you can enjoy. Nature will give you. "All right, you want so much sex. All right, come on. Become a hog. Yes." So nature is ready. It is not very difficult. Therefore the śāstra says, "No, no, no. This life is not for becoming a hog and dog." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1).
The whole world is working so hard. They are going to the office. They are going to the..., working hours to earn livelihood, but what is the pleasure? The pleasure is sex. That's all. Their ultimate goal is sex. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). So, one should consider, "The sex indulgence is given to the hogs and dogs, and for the same enjoyment I'll have to work so hard?" This is knowledge. "For same enjoyment? I have got this human form of life for understanding Kṛṣṇa, for understanding God, my position, what I am. I am not this body. I am spirit soul. I have been put into this body, and because I have been put into this body—the body is material—it must finished. It must be finished." Anything, it has got six changes. Anything material, it has got birth, it has got growth, it has got aftereffect, then dwindles, and then finished, everything, anything you take, the material. This is called ṣaḍ-vikāra, six kinds of changes. So I am eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). I do not die after this body is finished, and again I will have to... Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So this is knowledge. One has to always think of this. That is called tapasya.
So long we are in this material world, this happiness and distress will come and go. Just like seasonal changes: it does not stay. It comes and again goes away. So we should not be disturbed. (aside:) If you want to stand, you can stand. It comes and goes. We should not be disturbed. Our real business is to realize ourself, self-realization, That must go on. It must not stop. That is human life. Suffering and so-called suffering, distress, that will go on so long we have got this body. But we must come to the knowledge that "I am, I have got this body due to my past activities." That is knowledge. Karmaṇā daivā-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1).
So a sensible man should consider: "Is it not possible to stop this material body? Because I am spirit soul, it is simply covering." Here, that is human life: how to stop this contamination of this material body. So, so long we shall work irresponsibly,
- nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma
- yad indriya-prītaya āpṛnoti
- na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam
- asann api kleśada asa dehaḥ
- (SB 5.5.4)
We do not understand that this deha, this body, is always kleśada. Kleśada means giving pains. For the time being, we may feel some pleasure, but actually it is a reservoir of pain, not pleasure. The example is given in this connection... Formerly, this was done by the government servants to criminal, to take a man in the middle of the river and drown him, and catching his hair, and when he's almost suffocating, then they again draw from the water and he takes little rest and again put him into the water. So that was the system of punishment.
Now harṣa, jubilant. Then śoka. And you take birth in some other place, lamentation, scarcity: "This is not. This is not." And bhaya. So there are 8,400,000 species of forms of life, and by this process we are entering into different types of atmosphere and subjected to sometimes harṣa, jubilation, sometimes lamentation, sometimes fear. Even in this life we are undergoing such changes.
So if one is actually intelligent, then he should consider that "I don't want this lamentation. Why it is forced upon me?" It is forced upon me—on my desire, on my desire. It is not forced by any external thing. It is my desire. I wanted this position, and I got it by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, but when I got it, then again... Because the nature is like that, material nature... Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). You can place yourself in any position—the whole thing is duḥkhālayam; it is miserable. We are simply changing, that "If I am posted in this position, then I will be happy. If I am posted in this position, then I will..." And we are changing different positions. Harṣa-śoka-bhayāpaha. But if we want to stop this, if we want to come to our original position... Original position means we are part and parcel of God. So qualitatively the same position... It may be small, but the position is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), eternal life of bliss and knowledge. If we want to come to that, then the process is that we should not any more desire or manufacture some ideas for becoming happy in this material world. This is intelligence.
And from his statements any sane man will understand also his position. Don't claim that "I am God. I am Supreme." Just try to understand what is your position. Most insignificant position. How do you claim that you are God?
So Yamarāja says, (reads Sanskrit commentary) ko 'sau yatra yasmin vittam otam protam urdham urdhva tiryak tanti tu tatavat yasya tu amsabhyo brahma-visnu-rudrebhyasya trtiyadaya bhagavān tu yasya ca bhase loka vartase nasi nasikayam prota bali madhyam iva vastu.(?) So, before claiming oneself as the Supreme, one should consider how he is the Supreme. There are different controllers. And the supreme controller, as is explained by Yamarāja, is one who creates this cosmic manifestation, maintains, and again annihilates. He is the supreme cont... And this is confirmed by Bhagavad-gītā, that this prakṛti, or the nature, is not working independently. The scientists take it, a platform, that the nature is doing out of its own accord. That is not a very scientific proposal. Anyone knows that nothing takes place automatically unless one living force adjusts the materials. The house does not come automatically, although the ingredients are there. It has to be handled by a living entity, and then the house is appearing as one of the product of this material world. Similarly, we have to consider that this big cosmic manifestation is not creation of blunt material energy. No. That is not possible. There must be. How one can deny God? There is no possibility of denying God.
Woman: You say that Kṛṣṇa consciousness people should start at an early age, but does that mean we should consider ourselves at age of a very small child towards beginning Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like we send small children to nursery school, or preliminary, primary schools. Similarly, because that is the age, receptive age. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be taught from that childhood age. Therefore I wanted that on Sunday, let people send their children here and we shall teach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You'll be surprised that in India I approached so many gentlemen, "My dear sir, you have got four boys. Give me one boy. Let me teach Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So they'll say, "Swamijī, what they'll do learning Kṛṣṇa consciousness? How they will struggle for existence?" So nobody wants it. Nobody wants. They think that by sending boys to Kṛṣṇa consciousness school, the boy will be spoiled. That is their idea. Yes.
Guest: Swamiji, you mentioned that death is actually sleeping for seven months?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Guest: Is this provided you take on a human form of life?
Prabhupāda: Not necessarily.
Gold particles. Many poor men they whole day work and strain the water in different way and get some little gold, still. So, by the symptoms, by the symptoms the expert gold miner finds out that here is gold, gold mine. Because within the soil, or with the soil you find some gold particles. That is the way, here it is said. Similarly, one can find out Kṛṣṇa by the symptoms, the characteristics, of this world. That is common sense. Just in everything there is a controller. There is a life. Just like in my body, I am controlling this body, and there is living force, living symptoms. Similarly, this whole world which is going on, there are so many things that is, that requires nice brain. This planetary system is moving nicely, exactly to the order. So, one should consider that there must be some brain behind this—how things are going so nicely. That is common sense. Just like the gold mine expert, as soon as he finds some gold particles either in the vicinity, water or land, they consider there is gold mine. Similarly, when you find that things are going on so nicely, there is a big brain behind this. That is the statement of Professor Einstein. He also says that as we make progress and we see wonderful things, we are bound to believe that there is a big brain. There is a big brain. (reads Sanskrit commentary) So, as the poor man goes to the river side and by straining the water by—they have a specific process, they find out some gold—similarly, a person kṣetreṣu deheṣu ātma adhyātma-vid brahma-gatiṁ labheta (?). This meditation means thinking very deeply what I am, what I am. And the process of the yoga system is the same system as you strain water and find out gold. Similarly, if you follow the yoga system, dhyāna, dhāraṇa, āsana, prāṇāyāma—that is mechanical—then you will find that "I am the spirit soul and there is Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa." That is possible. That is really perfection of yoga practice. Not that simply pressing the nose, no. Actually perfection of yogic meditation is to understand the self; the soul is there and the Supersoul is there. The process is there.
Uttama. Uttama-śloka means choicest words, "one who is worshiped by the choicest words." So they presented the choicest words, very learned scholars. I mean to say, grammatical, metaphorical, everything very nice. Sattvaikatāna-gatayo vacasāṁ pravāhaiḥ. And they presented their prayers just like flow of the water. They were very learned. So there was no impediment. They could say fluently, pravāhaiḥ.
Nārādhituṁ puru-guṇair adhunāpi pipruḥ. Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "These demigods and sages, they could not satisfy. Still, now..." Kiṁ toṣṭum arhati sa me harir ugra-jāteḥ. "How it is possible that the Lord will be satisfied by my prayers?" This is the humbleness. A devotee should always consider himself that he has no value. "How I can satisfy Kṛṣṇa or the Supreme Lord? I have no possession." That is the devotee's position. A devotee should never think that "I am well equipped. I have got very nice education. I have got great riches. I am wealthy. I am beautiful. I am wise. Therefore as soon as I pray, 'Kṛṣṇa, please come here,' He will come and dance." No. that is not the attitude of devotee. Devotee always thinks very humble, meek. This is the presentation of Prahlāda Mahārāja, that "I am born of a father..." Because they belonged to the atheistic family, demonic family, ugra-jāteḥ. Ugra-jāteḥ means they are not very sober; always passionate. Ugra-jāteḥ, always passionate. Passionate means always hankering after sense gratification. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says that "I am born of a father so greatly passionate. How I can satisfy the Lord, where great personalities and sages and demigods have failed?" He is presenting himself so humbly. But he's intelligent. Without becoming intelligent, nobody can worship God. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura. Catur means very intelligent. Unless one is first-class intelligent, he cannot worship God. It is not possible. Foolish person cannot worship God.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
This is our position. "Don't be after Kṛṣṇa. Just try to satisfy the senses of your body to the best capacity. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy life. And next life? Oh, next life... That... Don't care." The atheist philosopher, Cārvāka Muni says, bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kuto punar āgamano bhavet: "Don't care for next life." This is going on now: atheism. Big, big professors, educationists, they're also in this opinion. I have traveled all over the world. One Russian professor said, "Swamijī, after this life, there is no... Everything is finished." But that's not the fact. That is the defect of modern education. There is life. There is life. Otherwise why there are so many varieties of life? We should consider that.
So bhakti, bhakti means to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is bhakti. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). To understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, that is bhakti. Or by bhakti, by devotional service, you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa cannot be understand, understood by karma, jñāna, yoga. Partially, they can understand, but not fully. Karma, jñāna... Therefore Kṛṣṇa especially mentions, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Na karmaṇā na jñānena na yogena. Nāhaṁ tiṣṭhāmi vaikuṇṭhe yoginaṁ hṛdayeṣu. Yoga process or jñāna process can elevate... Of course, we become... The Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that out of millions of karmīs, one jñānī is first class, because he understands things as they are, that "I am not this body. I am Brahman. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi." So therefore he's better than millions of karmīs who are simply working like an ass and dogs. They do not know what is the ultimate goal of life. They do not know what is the next life, what is the aim of life. They do not know. They are simply working for sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). And doing all kinds of sinful activities. Yad indriya-prītaya. The only aim is how to satisfy senses. That is karmī.
Pradyumna: "The author of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, very humbly submits that he is just trying to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, although he humbly thinks himself unfit for this work. That should be the attitude of all preachers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. We should never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should always consider that we are simply instrumental to the previous ācāryas, and simply by following in their footsteps, we may be able to do something for the benefit of suffering humanity."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi-bhakta-sane vāsa. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi. Our main business is..., (uproar in background, sounds like monkey attacked audience) (pause) Hut! Hut! (laughter, applause) So our main business is to serve the ācāryas. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means why..., we are trying to serve the ācāryas. Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His direct disciples, the Ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs, and their disciples. Rūpa-raghunātha-pade haibe ākuti. That is required.
Pradyumna: "That should be the attitude of all preachers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. We should never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should always consider that we are simply instrumental to the previous ācāryas."
Prabhupāda: Yes, we should not be very much proud that "I have created wonderful." Why? What wonderful? What? I am not a magician that I can create wonderful. Sometimes people, they give me so much honor. "Swamijī, you have created wonderful." I do not feel that I have created wonderful. What I have done? I say that I, I do, I'm not a magician. I do not know how to create wonderful. I have simply Bhagavad-gītā, presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that's all. If there is any credit, this is only credit. Anyone can do it. The Bhagavad-gītā is there, and anyone can present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. So it will act wonderful. I am not a magician. I do not know the tricks of magics and the yoga-siddhi, I am creating (visual expression) like this. (laughter) I have no such power. Neither I do it. So I, my only credit is, I do not want to mix with this pure Bhagavad-gītā teaching, any rascaldom, that's all. That is my credit. And whatever little miracle has been done, only on this principle. That's all. Go on.
Pradyumna: "...and simply by following in their footsteps we may be able to do something for the benefit..."
Prabhupāda: Yes, the same thing. Our purpose should be to satisfy our predecessors.
Yes. Regulative principles are meant for everyone, all varṇas and āśramas. Not that "I am now sannyāsī. I have got the highest platform. Therefore regulative principles is not meant for me. It is for the kaniṣṭha..." This is rascaldom. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā na tyājyam. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ. Tapasya. Following the regulative principles means tapasya. So "I have renounced the world. Renounced. I have become a sannyāsī, renounced the world..." That doesn't mean I have renounced all these things, yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā. No. These things are not to be renounced. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā na tyajyam. They are not to be renounced. Yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā pāvanāni manīṣiṇām. Even if you are, have become a great saintly person, still you should consider, continue yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyā. This is the injunction of the śāstra. It should not be given up at any stage. Pāvanāni manīṣiṇām.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So Kṛṣṇa says, the ācārya... Here it is said that advaitaṁ hariṇā advaitād. So of course Advaita Ācārya is expansion of Viṣṇu-tattva, but any ācārya, he is to be considered identical with the Lord. The Lord says that, that ācāryam māṁ vijānīyāt (SB 11.17.27): "One should understand the ācārya..." Ācārya bhakti-śaṁsanāt. Ācārya means who is spreading pure bhakti cult. "That ācārya," Kṛṣṇa says, "you should consider such ācārya as Myself." Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt nāvamanyeta karhicit, that... You cannot consider, "Yes, he's ācārya, but not as good as Kṛṣṇa." No. Na avamanyeta. Don't deride in that way. Then there will be falldown. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt nāvamanyeta karhicit. And in the Vedas also it is said, yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau: (ŚU 6.23) "Anyone who has got unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality and the similar faith in guru..." Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau, tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ: "All the Vedic literature," prakāśante, "becomes revealed simply by these two principle." Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. We should not jump over Kṛṣṇa without the help of guru. That is not possible. You must go through. Because Kṛṣṇa says, ācāryam māṁ vijānī... Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam: (SB 11.3.21) "Actually one who is serious to understand higher transcendental subject matter, he must approach guru." Tasmād gurum, prapadyeta. These are Vedic injunctions. Cakṣudāna dilo yei, janme janme pitā sei. So anyone who opens... Guru means who opens the eyes of the ignorant person. Ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā. Opening the eyes by giving real knowledge... Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja.
One who does not serve according to his position, then sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ patanty adhaḥ, he falls down from that position, and this falldown is this material body. It is very nice example. We have got a particular position in the body of the Supreme Lord. Just consider the viśva-mūrti, the gigantic universal form of the Lord. And we are situated in different parts of the body of the Supreme Lord. So as parts and parcels of the body, we have got particular duty. If we do not accept that... Just like the hand. If it does not work, then it is in diseased condition. So patanty adhaḥ. Diseased condition means the falldown. So, so long we are not situated in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord, we should consider that we are in diseased condition, paralyzed position. Just the hand, when it is paralyzed, it cannot work, it cannot serve the body, similarly, when we are detached from the service of the Supreme Lord, that is our diseased condition, and to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or to be in devotional service is our positive position. So one should try to be situated in his positive position, and being freed from this diseased condition of sense enjoyment. Just like the paralyzed hand. It is simply... It is called a hand, but it has no function to act as hand. Similarly, without transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord, a so-called intelligent class is simply in name intelligent class. But it is not... He's actually not intelligent, because there is no function. So this is the instruction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Initiation Lectures
At the same time, voluntarily, if you do not commit all these nonsenses, then it will be very nice. And if you continue this water pouring, then... Just like a man is taking medicine at the same time doing all nonsense. Then his disease will not be cured, or may take very, very long time. So we should not be irresponsible in that way because life is very short. We do not know when death is coming, especially in these days. We are moving in the street, we are moving by plane, we are moving... Every step, there is danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). It is a place of danger. So our life... We should consider this human form of life, especially Kṛṣṇa conscious life, is very important life. We should not be inattentive. So we should be very careful. Kṛṣṇa will, of course, protect you, but at the same time, we have got consciousness. We should also take care that before the next death comes, we must be fully prepared for being transferred to Kṛṣṇaloka. And it is very simple thing. If you keep yourself constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that's the only thing. Then you are sure to be going, transferred next life. As I was explaining last night, simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa...
Kṛṣṇa is not like us. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How He is Supreme Personality of Godhead? That He proved when, while He was present. The history is there. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's activities, Kṛṣṇa's wisdom, lecture, Bhagavad-gītā—everything is there. They are the proofs. There is a very nice verse by Yamunācārya that there are authentic literatures, there are authentic personalities, and they accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Authentic literatures, they give proof that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
General Lectures
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your participating in this meeting, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very much authorized. It is nothing like concocted mental speculation. It is authorized on the basis of Vedic knowledge, specifically, directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, five thousand years ago when there was no history of other religion. In the modern age, any religion you can take into consideration, they are not older than 2,600 years. But so far this Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, it was spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra five thousand years ago.
We should consider what are the religion of the world 2,600 years ago because modern history cannot place before you any chronological list of religious evolution within 2,600 years. There was human society before 2,600 years. And what was their religion? We think, from Vedic evidences, the whole world was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There was one God, Kṛṣṇa; one scripture, Bhagavad-gītā; one consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and one work, service of the Lord. From Mahābhārata, the great history of India, we can understand that up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole world was ruled by one flag, this Vedic culture. Gradually it deteriorated, as we have practical experience. Twenty years ago there was no Pakistan, but now Pakistan is existing. Similarly, the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. This Bhārata-varṣa name was after the king Mahārāja Bhārata, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after the king Mahārāja Bhārata—he was a great king—he also left his kingdom at the age of twenty-four years, very young boy, for searching after spiritual realization, self-realization. That is the way of Vedic culture or Indian culture. Not that up to the last point of our death we shall stick to the worldly affairs. The Vedic culture divides the whole society into four social orders and four spiritual orders. The four social orders is division of intelligence.
Actually the whole planet is full of water—Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean. Full of water. And these are islands only—Asia, Europe, America. There are seven islands, sapta-dvīpa. The planet is sapta-dvīpa, seven full, comprising of seven islands. That is Bhārata-varṣa.
So nana-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipunau. So we have to study the Vedic literature very carefully, following the footsteps of Gosvāmīs. Not only chanting. This is also required, kṛṣṇot-kīrtana-gāna. But this is meant, if you simply go on chanting without reading books, that is also good. Especially in this age, because nobody has got power to study books. Education is very less, so still, one who is able, they should consider all this. We have given in English translation. So many important books, you study, and chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra like this, and that is the following the footsteps of Gosvāmīs. Ācāryopāsanā. We have to worship the ācāryas. That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, for making advancement in spiritual life, ācāryopāsanā. So this is ācāryopāsanā, by reading their books, nana-śāstra-vicaraṇaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau. Why studying so many books? For the sake of establishing real religious life. Sad-dharma. There are two kinds of dharmas, religious, religions: pravṛtti-mārga, nivṛtti-mārga. Pravṛtti-mārga means materialism, and nivṛtti-mārga means spiritualism. Pravṛtti means because we had intention to enjoy this material world, therefore we have given this material body by the energy of Kṛṣṇa, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27), by the..., for associating with this material world. We are spirit soul. We have been given this chance to associate with the material world, this material, which is called... So there is still the rules and regulation. You associate, you enjoy this material world under this instruction, then you'll not be fallen. You'll not be implicated. That's śāstra. Śāstra gives you codes. Just like when I immigrated in this land, they gave me one paper, welcome, and some immigration rules. That is śāstra. Similarly, the Vedas means the rules and regulation which following they'll very happily live in this material world. Material world is not required by me or you.
Let me surrender to so many demigods." Kṛṣṇa says those who are thinking like that, they are hrta-jnanah. Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ yajante anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23).
So our request is that the guardians who are present here in this meeting, they should organize a special school to give lesson to their students, to their boys, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhāgavata-dharma. There is vast knowledge behind this. They will be enlightened. Their life will be successful. So in this city of Delhi, it is a great city and very important city. There are very important men here. They should kindly consider this proposal that there must be a very organized school to understand this bhāgavata-dharma, just to teach their boys, and their life will be successful. It is the duty of the father and mother to see that "My son, this is the last attempt of coming into this material world." Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. It is the duty of the father and the mother to stop the repetition of birth and death of his son. The mother should consider that "My son came to my womb, and he has suffered so much while he was remaining within the womb. Now I shall teach my son in such a way that no more he is going in the womb of a material mother." That is the duty of father, that is the duty of mother, that is the duty of friend, that is the duty of guru. Gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. So save your children from the danger of repetition of birth and death, that is the real discharge of father and mother's duty.
So we are spreading this sanātana-dharma, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, throughout the whole world, not on the superficial platform of this bodily concept of life. We are teaching everyone that "You are not this body." Actually we are not, but it is because we are, at the present moment, we are educated as first-class rascals and fools, we are thinking that "I am this body." This is the defect of the modern civilization. But actually what Kṛṣṇa is trying to instruct Arjuna... Arjuna means everyone. He's not simply talking with Arjuna. Arjuna is simply via media. He's talking to the whole human society, intelligent class of men, that "We existed, we are existing now, and we shall exist also in the future." This is called sanātana, eternity. So na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ: "In the future we also shall exist." Now we should consider what is the problem now: I was present in the past, I am now present in the present, and I shall exist in the future. Then what is my problem? The problem is why I am changing this position of eternity? I am sanātana. I am eternal. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is the real existence, that I am Brahman. Brahman means eternal. But Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman. Param means the supreme, the chief. Therefore there are two terms in the Vedic language: ātmā, paramātmā; brahman, parabrahman; īśvara, parameśvara. There are two terms. We are not parameśvara, not paramātmā, not parabrahman. We are ātmā, īśvara... We can say, "I am īśvara." What does it mean, īśvara? Īśvara means controller. So, although we are servant, at the same time we are controller. That we can experience. I am now working in the office. I am servant of the establishment, but I'm given some power to control over certain departments. So simultaneously, I am servant and controller. As controller, I can be called īśvara, īśvara, god, as controller. But I am not controller, Supreme Controller. That I cannot say. Nobody can say that "I am the Supreme Controller." That you cannot say. You can control, say, a dozen of men. Another can control a hundred men. Another can control a thousand, or millions. But nobody can say that "I am the controller of the whole universe." That is not possible. That controller is Kṛṣṇa.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: So this depends upon one's education. If one is educated, in one way he may become tender, and another man, if he is educated in a different way, he may be hard. But our proposition is that originally the soul is good. This tenderness and hardness, they are developed later on. But they are not standard. When you come to the platform of soul, there everything is good. In that platform, either tenderness or hardness, both of them are in the absolute. So our philosophy is that, as we understand from Bhagavad-gītā, that every living entity is part and parcel of God. So God is good, pavitra. Just like Arjuna accepts, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram (BG 10.12). Pavitra means pure. But because we are part and parcel of God, therefore we are pure. The impurities are acquired by our contamination with this material world. So either you become tender or hard—that is impurity of this material world. So we don't give any credit to any person, either he is tender or hard. These are all material qualifications. When he is spiritually placed, then we give him, that he is now liberated, either from tenderness or from hardness. These are all material qualifications. One is hard, one is tender. So that is our material quality. Just like a disease. One is suffering from headache, one is suffering from indigestion, or one is suffering from fever. So one who is suffering from headache, he is thinking, "Instead of having a headache, if I would have suffered from indigestion it was better." You see? And the man who is suffering from indigestion, passing stool every three minutes, he is thinking that "If I would have suffered from headache instead of this nasty disease, I would have been all right." So these rascaldom, either tenderness or something, it is the same thing. It is our mental concoction that he thinks this is a better disease. It is not better. It is bad. Therefore it is explained by Caitanya-caritāmṛta, 'dvaite bhadrābhadra sakali saman, ei bhalo ei manda sab more ghara. 'Dvaite: when you are contaminated, diseased... I will give you one... I heard from one of my medical practitioners friend. So he told me that when he was a student in Calcutta there was a big professor, Colonel Megha, English professor. He was lecturing, and with in talking he said that in our country that seventy-eight percent of the students are infected with syphilis. Yes. So the doctor said as soon as he heard from Professor Megha, he said, "Horrible." And the doctor said, "Why you are saying horrible? In your country ninety-nine percent are suffering from malaria. So as a doctor you should take the disease. Why do you think that this is a horrible and this is not horrible? You are thinking that malaria is not horrible; syphilis is horrible. But in our country we think syphilis is not horrible and malaria is horrible. So as a medical practitioner you should consider the disease, not the aftereffects.
Prabhupāda: Yes. No theory. This is practical. Now, as a big machine, the screw is a part, so if every part works nicely, the machine goes nicely. So if we understand... Just like I think last night I was explaining mukha baho rūpa divya: the gigantic body, the brāhmaṇa class, they are the mouth. So one must do the duty of the mouth. The mouth speaks, vibrates and eats. So our proposition is to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and eat Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Then the mouth duty, the brāhmaṇa's duty, is performed. Similarly, the kṣatriya's duty—again we come to that varṇāśrama-dharma. So everyone is factually part and parcel of God and executes his prescribed duty, then it is perfect.
- varṇāśramācāravatā
- puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
- viṣṇur ārādhyate puṁsāṁ
- nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
- (CC Madhya 8.58)
If you want to satisfy the Supreme Lord, then you must execute the functions as they are prescribed in the varṇāśrama system. Then everything is all right. The same example: If all the parts of a machine is in order, working, it will make no trouble. If one of the screws, I mean, is slack, or it has fallen down, then another part is dislocated, that whole work is stopped. So we should consider in that way, that we are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So according to part and parcel, you must execute your duty—as brāhmaṇa, as kṣatriya, as vaiśya, as śūdra. And the brāhmaṇa being head, he should give the direction. Therefore he is considered the guru of other varṇas. But he... Because if there is no head, no brāhmaṇa, then the whole thing is disturbed. And that is the position at the present moment. Actually there is no brāhmaṇa, or scarcity of brāhmaṇa. So others are not guided properly. Therefore there is chaos in the whole society. So we require to create some brāhmaṇas, and others should understand to abide by the direction of the brāhmaṇas. Then the whole society will be in order.
Śyāmasundara: So these governments, meaning American government or Chinese government, they live on slogans, on ideas, mental concoctions.
Prabhupāda: That's all. Mental concoction. They are not perfect. Perfection is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If they are intelligent, they should consider this movement very seriously and apply it for practical life all over the world. That will make people happy.
Śyāmasundara: So that's all.
Prabhupāda: That's all.
Devotee: Is it not a fallacy to think that by adding sense gratification we will decrease the demands, desires for more?
Prabhupāda: That is not possible. Adding sense gratification means adding ghee, pouring ghee on the fire.
Devotee: Yes. But some has to be there as the senses, which they're denying. The basis of their ideology is that conflict brings about growth or progress. If they want a peaceful society, they're still trying to get rid of their conflicts.
Prabhupāda: That we have discussed in the beginning. Conflict must be decided by higher intelligence. Just like I have given yesterday, there is conflict between two litigants and the high-court judge decides. So conflict there must be, but it must be decided by higher authorities. That's all. Otherwise it will go on. If you don't go to the higher authorities, then it will go on. It will never end, conflict.
Prabhupāda: So we have seen it practically, this big swan is moving and the, they are also moving behind. The big one is jumping with water, and they are also jumping. They do not know where we are jumping, but they are jumping. The mother is swimming and they are swimming. This is natural.
Hayagrīva: But in Kṛṣṇa consciousness isn't knowledge rather than faith the basis for action?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). They are giving up everything: "Yes, I give up everything." So it's faith, full faith. "Now I shall have to consider whether I shall give up everything and take to Kṛṣṇa"—that is not faith; that is speculations. Why he should consider? That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The faith is described, śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya. Faith means believing firmly. And what is that believing firmly? That kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If you have got faith, then you believe firmly that "Simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa I become perfect." That is faith. If you have still reservation, that is not faith, that is not faith. Here is faith. That faith, how it comes?
| Page Title: | Should consider... (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 18 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=48, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 48 |