Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung one song, jaḍa-vidyā sa, māyāra vaibhava. This material education without God consciousness is expansion of the influence of māyā. Jaḍa-vidyā sa, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. They are simply impediments in the matter of advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tomāra bhajane bādhā. Anitya saṁsāre. And why? The result of godless material education means that anitya saṁsāre moha janamiyā. We are already illusioned. Anyone who has come to this material world, he is illusioned. But advancement of so-called material education means the increasing of the same illusory propaganda. Jaḍa-vidyā sa, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā, anitya saṁsāre moha janamiyā. They are trying to become happy in this temporary material life. He has forgotten that he is eternal. Even if we become very happy, temporary life in this life, that is also illusion, because we will not be allowed to stay and enjoy the status. But they do not understand.
So these things are to be understood in the association of devotees. A devotee knows everything. Tattva-darśinaḥ.
- tad viddhi praṇipātena
- paripraśnena sevayā
- upadekṣyanti tad jñānaṁ
- jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
- (BG 4.34)
Tattva-darśī means who has actually seen the truth, oṁ tat sat. One who has seen the Supreme Truth. That Supreme Truth is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You are searching after the truth. You are studying the Vedic literature, Vedānta-darśana. That is very good. But what is the goal of Vedānta-darśana?" Veda means knowledge, and anta means the end, Vedānta, the ultimate knowledge. What is that? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa says that, "If you are actually studying Vedānta, then ultimately you have to understand Me." Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedānta-kṛd vedānta-vid cāham: "I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I understand . . . I am the knower of Vedānta." So if you hear from Kṛṣṇa what is Kṛṣṇa, that is actually understanding Vedānta. If you do not understand Kṛṣṇa and if you simply advertise yourself vedāntī, or vedantī, that will not help you.
Therefore, without this knowledge, there is . . . they have been called in the Bhagavad-gītā as mūḍhāḥ. Mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti, mohitam (BG 7.25).
- tribhir guṇamayair bhāvair
- mohitaṁ . . . mūḍhāḥ nābhijānāti
- mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam
- (BG 7.13)
The mūḍhas, they do not know it. So anyone who is in this material world, more or less, we are all mūḍhas. This morning I was talking while walking on the beach: more or less, we are all mūḍhas. Without being mūḍhaḥ, nobody comes here in this material world. Beginning from Brahmā down to the small ant, we are all mūḍhas of different degrees. So in order to become really learned, not to remain mūḍha, we have to associate with devotee. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. Then it will be relishable. Relishable. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. When it is relishable . . . actually, when you take some foodstuff, if it is relishable, it gives you contentment, "Oh, very nice food." So bhavanti hṛt: "It is pleasing to the heart." "Oh, such a nice food." And pleasing to the tongue. Similarly, when kṛṣṇa-kathā is discussed amongst the devotees, it is pleasing to the heart and pleasing to the ear. Unless you taste, relish something through the ear and through the heart, how you can steadily follow kṛṣṇa-kathā? So that requires little training. And that training is given by the devotees, by their practical life, by their daily behavior, their routine work. If we follow, taj-joṣaṇāt . . . joṣaṇāt means to practice, is it not? (aside) What is given, joṣaṇāt? Cultivation, yes. Cultivation means practice. Practice.