There is another example. Kṛṣṇa says... Because the soul is immortal, eternal, so if somebody kills somebody, the body is destroyed, but the soul is not destroyed. So if one thinks that "I have killed him, he's finished," he's also foolish. And one who thinks that "If I have died in the fight, then I will be finished." No. Ubhau tau na vijānītaḥ. Both of them are ignorant. Ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṁ hanti na hanyate. The living soul is never killed, neither he can kill others. For duty's sake... Of course, when there is fight... That is called dharma-yuddha. Dharma-yuddha, by the order of the Supreme. Just like Arjuna was fighting by the order of the Supreme. That is dharma-yuddha. If there is no sanction by the dharma, there is śāstra injunction, "In this case fighting should be there, in case, in this case, there should be no fighting..." So one who follows the principles of regulation in the Vedas, that is called dharma-yuddha. Even there is fight, there is religion, there is piety. Even by killing and being killed. Two kṣatriyas are fighting. Either he kills or he is being killed, in both ways they are profited. That will be explained. Just like Arjuna was advised that "My dear Arjuna, why you are hesitating to fight? Both ways you'll be benefited. If you can kill your enemies, then you get the kingdom, you enjoy. And if you are killed, then you are promoted to the heavenly planets. So where is your loss? Where is your loss?" This is the instruction given. A kṣatriya who is fighting for the real cause, as sanctioned by the dharma-śāstras, when both ways he's profited. If he becomes victorious, he's profited, but if he's killed in the battle, he's also profited. Both ways.
There should be no (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
They wanted to fight. They selected a nice place, dharma-kṣetra, Kurukṣetra, and there they fought. So it is, meaning is clear. Why there should be interpretation that "The Pāṇḍava means the five senses and the Kurukṣetra means this body"? Why? Why? Where is the necessity of such interpretation? Interpretation is required where things are not clear. Actually, we do interpret. Just like in the law court, if some clause is not very clear, the lawyers interpret: "It may be like this, it may be like that." But when the things are clear, there is no question of interpretation. That is the system. Amongst the scholars, if things are clear, there should be no interpretation.
So Bhagavad-gītā, in each and every verse, the things are very, very clear, as clear as the sunshine. So there is no question of interpretation. Our, this publication of Bhagavad-gītā, we have therefore mentioned: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Because there are six hundred and forty different editions of Bhagavad-gītā, and almost every one of them has got a different interpretation. That is the system going on now. Therefore, before me, many persons, many swamis, went to Western countries and they presented Bhagavad-gītā in their own way, but not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Throughout the whole history. Now Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, and thousands of them are becoming devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Practical. Thousands of them. The simple thing. I presented Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they accepted it, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by following the principles, within the four years, so many devotees of Kṛṣṇa have come out. Because there was no adulteration. So our request is try to understand Bhagavad-gītā without adulteration. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is presented. Then you will get knowledge. Otherwise, you will remain in the same ignorance, before reading Bhagavad-gītā and after reading Bhagavad-gītā. This is our proposal.
The first principle is one must be very enthusiastic. He must believe that Kṛṣṇa has said that, na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati, "My devotee will never be vanquished." So "Let me becomes Kṛṣṇa's devotee sincerely. I must become Kṛṣṇa's devotee sincerely." This is called enthusiasm. Then dhairyāt. "I have become Kṛṣṇa's devotee, but still I'm not feeling happy. How is that?" So therefore you have to become patient. The enthusiasm must be there, you must be patient also. And niścayāt. Niścayāt means you must be confident. "Oh, Kṛṣṇa has said that His devotee will never be vanquished, so surely I shall not be vanquished, even though I don't feel now. Let me do my duty." Utsāhād dhairyān niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. But you have to do your duties as they are prescribed. Sato vṛtteḥ. You should not... There should be no duplicity. Sato vṛtteḥ means plain dealing, straight dealing. Sato vṛtteḥ, and sādhu-saṅge, and in the company of devotees. So one must be enthusiastic, one must be patient, one must be confident, one must execute the duties, one must associate with devotees, and one must be very honest in dealing. Six things. If these six things are there, sure success.
Similarly there are six things which should be avoided. What are those? Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ, laulyaṁ jana-saṅgaś ca ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati (NOI 2). Atyāhāra, too much eating or too much, I mean to say, keeping bank balance or money, or collecting more than the necessities. Atyāhāra. Generally, too much eating is prohibited. We have to eat simply just to keep the body and soul nicely to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca. Prayāsa means taking some risky work which will require too much endeavor. We should avoid that. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ, prajalpa, nonsense talking which has no connection with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ. Following the rules, but actually I'm not very much careful in executing the work. So niyamāgraha. Niyamāgraha means not to accept the rules and regulation, and another meaning is simply to accept the rules and regulation without good effect.
Apahṛta-cetasām means those who are illusioned. Because bodily pleasure is not my pleasure. My pleasure is different because I am not this body. Just like a man in a feverish condition or in feverish delirium, speaking something. That is not his normal speaking. That is due to the delirious condition. So to bring him to the normal condition, the physician treats him to get out of that delirious condition. So similarly, our position is: because we have got..., some way or other, we have been entangled with this material body; therefore our conception of happiness is just like a man in the delirious condition.
So we have to cure. Some philosopher says that this delirious condition should be cured, and there should be no activity. They are afraid of any activity. Because our, these material activities have become source of distress for us, therefore there are certain philosophers, they say that we should stop all sorts of activities. Their highest culmination of perfection according to their idea is that stopping all sorts of activities. Just like Buddha philosophy, nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa means stopping, stopping all activities. Buddha philosophy is... According to Lord Buddha, his theory is that due to the combination of material elements, this body has come into existence. Now, some way or other, if these material elements are separated or dismantled, then the cause of distress is removed. That is his... Just like you have got a big house and the tenants or the government or tax collector, they give us too much trouble. So if you think that better to dismantle this house so that to get rid of these all troubles...
That cultural program, that program to beget nice children, the whole program is, we must know, the whole Vedic system is to give the human life the greatest chance of self-realization and get free from these material miseries. That is the whole program. It is not... The Vedic culture does not mean that we shall be like cats and dogs, simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending. No. The human society is a systematic program to give everyone the chance of getting free from this material miseries.
Just like every state is supposed to be welfare state. Every citizen of that state should be happy, should be prosperous. There should be no anxiety. I do not know if every state is taking care of the citizens in that way. People are always full of anxieties. They are creating situation that everyone is full of anxiety. This material world is made so that it is full of anxiety. Whoever is in the material world... Even the bird, you will see, when it is taking some grains, he is also full of anxiety. He is looking like this and that, "Oh, somebody is coming or killing me." So this is the nature.
So human society, human society is so arranged that the people, the members of the human society, should be free from all anxiety. Therefore we require good citizens, good father and mother, good system of government, and pious, virtuous, cooperation between God and nature. Everything will be helpful for my spiritual realization, for my self-realization. If I am full of anxiety, how can I make progress in spiritual realization? It is not possible. Therefore it is the duty of the state, duty of the father, duty of the teacher, duty of the spiritual master to give chance to the small children to develop in such a way that he becomes fully realized spiritual soul at the end and so that his miserable life in the material existence is over. That is the responsibility.
"Oh, these are nonsense, just like garbage." Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. And loṣṭra means that rubbles. Just like stone rubbles. There are so many rubbles and, er, strewn over the street. Nobody cares for that. Similarly, if others' money is thrown over the street, nobody... He should not care. He should not collect. "Oh, here is some money. Let me take." So mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. And he should see everyone...
This ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu was preached by Lord Buddha, this philosophy. This one philosophy was, I mean to say, taught throughout the whole world by Lord Buddha, that there should be no animal killing. Ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu. No living entity should be given suffering, even by words. That is real life. Ātmavat... yaḥ paśyati. One who has such vision of life, he is called learned. He is called learned, not by educational qualifications. One who has acquired... phalena paricīyate. Education is understood, how far a man is educated, by his behavior. By his vision of life, it will be estimated, not by the degree. Ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ. Similarly, here also, here also the word paṇḍita, paṇḍita has been used.
So I have just given you some explanation of paṇḍita from different angle of vision. And budha also. Budha. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find the definition of budha. Budha means well-versed. Well-versed. Well-versed means who has got, studied lots of books of knowledge. He is called budha. Now, how one becomes budha? By studying, one should have concluded this. What is that conclusion? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā by Lord Kṛṣṇa, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ.
Prabhupāda: That is due to your ignorance. We are in suffering. We don't want to die. The death is there. We don't want to be diseased. The disease is there. We don't want to become old. The old age is there. So we don't..., so many things we don't want, but they are forced upon us. And any sane man will admit that these are sufferings. But if you are accustomed to these sufferings so you say, "It is all right," that is a different thing. But naturally, any sane man, he won't like to be diseased. He won't like to be old. He won't like to die. You see. Why this movement? Because if there is war, there will be death. So people are afraid. They're making agitation, "There should be no war." So don't you... Do you think that death is very pleasurable thing?
Student: I have never experienced...
Prabhupāda: You have experienced, forgotten. You have exper... Several times you have died, you have experienced, but you have forgotten. Forgetfulness... Forgetfulness is no excuse. Forgetfulness is no excuse. Suppose a child forgot some suffering. That does not mean that he did not suffer.
Student: No, I agree. I agree. But...
Prabhupāda: Yes. So suffering's there. You have to take version from realized souls, from, I mean to say, authorities that this... Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam: (BG 8.15) "This place is full of miseries." So one has to realize it. Unless we understand that this place is miserable, there is no question how to get out of it.
Student: So we have to...
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
This has been proved divertedly edited. Actually, devotional service rendered to the Supreme Lord not for my satisfaction, but rendering devotional service to the Lord, the self is automatically satisfied. If I make a motive that "I shall render service to the Lord so that I will be very much satisfied..." No. No. That, that becomes motivated. That "I will be satisfied," that is the first consideration. There should be no motive at all. I may be satisfied, not sati..., that is not my business. But still, I'll have to serve the Lord.
That is the teachings of Lord Caitanya. Āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām adarśanān marma-hatāṁ karotu vā (CC Antya 20.47). "Either You embrace or You trample me down or" marma-hatāṁ karotu vā, "make me broken-hearted," adarśanāt... Every devotee aspires to see the Lord. That is natural. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "It doesn't matter. Whether I see Kṛṣṇa or not, it doesn't matter. He may not be present before me for millions of years and make me broken-hearted." If I aspire to see Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa does not come, naturally I become sorry, broken-hearted. But even one is broken-hearted, still, he should not stop devotional service. Not that "I have served Kṛṣṇa for so many days, or so many years, and Kṛṣṇa did not come. Oh, what is the use of it?" No, not like that. One should be confident that...
If you go for begging something for Kṛṣṇa, "No, we are not interested in religious affairs. No. We are secular." Nobody will pay. Now, if you go to somebody that "We are going to open a lunatic asylum and hospital for the drunkards," then they'll pay money. Yes. In USA, there is a big hospital for curing, curing drunkards priests. (laughter) Yes. Drunkard priests. Because they have to execute priesthood, but they are drunkard. So they want to be cured. This is a fact. They'll give money. If you want money for Kṛṣṇa, they'll not give money. They will... More hospitals. More hospitals. The report is "This year, we have increased so many hospital beds." That means that is advancement. So what is this advancement? People have become sick. You just stop people becoming sick, there should be no disease. That is advancement. No. Their advancement of civilization means you open more hospitals and more beds. That is advancement.
So this is all sense gratification, kāma, for sense gratification. You give medicine to a diseased man to cure him just to make him able to enjoy senses. That's all. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that you give him medicine so that he can get out of the clutches of this material entanglement and go back to home, back to Godhead, and live eternal, blissful life of knowledge. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So,
- dharmasya hy āpavargyasya
- nārtho 'rthāyopakalpate
- nārthasya dharmaikāntasya...
- (SB 1.2.9)
Actually who is religious, his money is not meant for sense gratification. Formerly anyone who had money, he used to spend for Kṛṣṇa. Just like you see here in Vṛndāvana big, big temples. They were constructed by very, very rich men. They knew that "Now I have got extra money. I can spend it for Kṛṣṇa."
Prabhupāda: The atheist class of men, they do not agree to accept that this material world is created by God. They give some reason of their own way of thinking, and most of the arguments are "perhaps like this, perhaps like this, perhaps like this." What is this nonsense, "perhaps"? Is that science? "Perhaps"? So they have no sufficient reason that there is no creator. In everything, we find there is a creator. Anything you take. Take for example this table. There is a creator. Somebody has manufactured it. Or this microphone, somebody has created it. Anything you take, you have to find out some creator. And such a vast, gigantic thing, going on so nicely and punctually... The sun is rising punctually, the moon is rising punctually, the fortnight is going on, the season is coming punctually—everything. Why there should be no creator or no superintendent? That answer is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). "Under My superintendence." So if you accept this, then the whole problem is solved. But if we don't accept it, then we have to speculate. But we never to come to the right conclusion, how this creation began. That is not possible to understand by such way. Go on.
Upendra: "Material nature has no power to create without the power of the puruṣa as much as a prakṛti or woman cannot produce any child without the connection of a puruṣa. The puruṣa impregnates and the prakṛti delivers. We should not expect milk from the fleshy bags in the neck of the goat although they look like breastly nipples. Similarly we should not expect any creative power from the material ingredients. We must believe in the power of the puruṣa who impregnates the prakṛti or nature. And because the Lord wished for lying down in meditation the material energy created innumerable universes also at once and in each of them the Lord lay Himself down, and thus all the planets and the different paraphernalia was created at once by the will of the Lord. The Lord has unlimited potencies and as such He can perform as He likes in perfect planning although personally He has nothing to do and no body is greater or equal to Him."
Just like Kṛṣṇa sometimes became sick. So, in Dvārakā... You have seen that play in Bombay. And so many physicians came; nobody could cure Him. Then Kṛṣṇa suggested His own medicine, that "If some of my devotees will give the dust of his feet on My head, then I'll be cured." So the first devotee, Nārada and others, everywhere, it was approached that "Give your dust of feet. Kṛṣṇa is suffering." "No, no, no. How can I give my dust of feet? Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead." But when the gopīs were approached, when they heard that Kṛṣṇa is sick, and He's in urgently necessity of the dust of His devotees' feet, so immediately they began to give: "Take it, take it immediately. Immediately." They did not consider that "Giving the dust of my feet to Kṛṣṇa, I shall go to hell." "Never mind, I shall go to hell; it doesn't matter, but let Kṛṣṇa be cured." That is first consideration.
So this is the topmost devotee, prepared to do anything without any consideration. That is pure devotee. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (Brs. 1.1.11). There should be no personal desire. That should be zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anā... Simply one should try to please Kṛṣṇa. There is no other consideration. Only to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is pure bhakti. That is explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura,
- vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
- ekeha kuru-nandana
- bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
- buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām
- (BG 2.41)
This is perfect conclusion, that "I shall execute the desire of Kṛṣṇa." "But Kṛṣṇa is not physically present before me. Then how I shall know what Kṛṣṇa desires?" That is not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa's representative is there, the spiritual master. If you fulfill the desire of the spiritual master, then you fulfill the desire of Kṛṣṇa.
So just compare the present governmental situation and the time... A king is supposed to be responsible for the citizen's peaceful life, no anxiety, no disease. Ādhayo vyādhayaḥ. That is king. Just like one brāhmaṇa approached Lord Rāmacandra that "In the presence of father the son has died. You are responsible. There must be something wrong in Your kingdom." His son died. That is natural, that son lives, father dies. This is natural death. "And what is this? The father is living and son is dying?" So king was so much responsible, even the death must be systematic. There should be no anxiety. There should be no disease. There should be no scarcity, no famine, no natural disturbance. This is government. This is government. Just try to understand the ideal government during Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's time. Not only Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, all the kings. Rājarṣayaḥ. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. They were all great ṛṣis, although they were kṣatriyas. Brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya, they used to guide the general people. The high caste means who would guide the people nicely. The brāhmaṇa by their Vedic knowledge, perfect knowledge, paṭhana-pāṭhana yajana-yājana dāna-pratigraha. By high learning, they would... They were not interested for capturing the government. No. They had no time. But there was consulting body. Even Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja's time, there was consulting body, all the kings. The brāhmaṇas and the ṛṣis, they would form a consulting body and give advice to the king: "My dear king, do like this.' And they will abide. Just like head. Head. Head gives the instruction to the arms. Not the arm gives instruction to the head. Head. Brain. Mukha-bāhūru-pādebhyaḥ.
Then you will get higher-class birth. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). You will get chance of taking your birth in higher planetary system where the standard of living is many, many thousands better than this planet. Just like Svargaloka, Janaloka. From our śāstra we understand that the inhabitants of Candraloka, moon planet, they live for ten thousands of years, but these rascals are going there. They do not find any living entity. So that is the contradiction. But we believe that in the moon planet... And why we shall not believe? If the living entities are found everywhere, so why, what moon planet has done that there should be no living entity? From our experience we can see living entity is there on the land, in the air, in the water, even in the fire. So every planet is made of these five elements: earth, water, fire, air, sky. So we find by practical experience that in the water there is living entity, on the land there is living entity, within the land there is living entity. So why in the moon planet or other planet there should be no living entities? That's a wrong theory.
Long, long ago, sometimes in 1930, I had a talk in Allahabad with a great scientist Dr. Shah. He said that there is no reason to disbelieve that in other planets there is no living entity. And recently one Russian scientist also said that there are many planets where very, very intelligent class of men are there. So that is our theory, that the... if you go to the higher planetary system, you will find more comfortable standard of life, the duration of life is very long, and the people are very, very intelligent. They are called demigods. So whatever it may be, we have to follow our own principles, and there is no reason to disbelieve that in other planets there are no living entities. We cannot accept it.
Abhayam. Bhaya means fear, and abhayam means fearlessness. If one is actually expecting that he should be protected, abhayam, there should be no more anything of fearfulness. Then Śukadeva Gosvāmī is instructing that tasmāt... Because these things, if you simply divert your attention to the varieties of newspaper or any other information of this world which is full of this gṛhamedhī, whose business is to sleep at night and work hard at daytime, that will not give you protection. Then? What I have to do? "You have to hear about Bhagavān, Hari, Īśvara." Tasmād bhārata sarvātmā. "Bhārata" because Parīkṣit Mahārāja happened to be a descendant of the Kuru dynasty. The Kuru dynasty was begun from King Bharata, Bharata. There are two, three Bharatas in the history of Vedic literature. One Bharata is Lord Rāmacandra's brother, younger brother. His mother, Bharata's mother, wanted to make Bharata king. Therefore, by palace diplomacy, Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. But His brother Bharata declined, "No." His mother wanted that "My son should be king." There were three wives of Mahārāja Daśaratha. So this is one Bharata. He was faithful to His brother, but by His mother's diplomacy Lord Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. So this is one celebrated Bharata. Another Bharata is the forefather of the Kuru dynasty. His name is also Bharata. And another Bharata was the son of King Ṛṣabhadeva, by whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. This whole planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. So he is addressing Parīkṣit Mahārāja as the descendant of King Bharata, Bhārata." He bhārata. You have to talk and hear about sarvātmā, the Supersoul who is sitting in everyone's heart, Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences." Bhagavān, this word, every word, suggests volumes of meaning. And Hari: "who can take away all your sufferings." Īśvara: "and He is the controller, supreme controller."
So Rāvaṇa utilized these gold mines for constructing his city. Svarṇa-laṅkā, "Golden Ceylon," it was known at that time. He was so advanced even in material science, even at that time. And he was also a good scholar in Vedic literature. He was a great devotee of Lord Śiva. And by the blessings of Lord Śiva, he got so much opulences. And he became so powerful that he dared to kidnap the wife of Rāmacandra. So such a powerful demon was killed by Rāmacandra. And He approached his kingdom on a stone bridge. And the stones were floating on the water. Where is the law of gravitation? The law of gravitation, the so-called scientists' imagination, does not act when Urukrama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acts. He wanted, "There should be no law of gravitation. Let the stones float on the water." This is called urukrama.
So we accept Lord Rāmacandra as God, Lord Kṛṣṇa as God, not these petty dogs and cats. We have no business with these petty dogs and cats. All rascals, they are declaring, "I am God." No. Therefore, these rascals, who do not know what is God, you have to inject within their earholes the message of God. That is your business. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means... These rascals, dogs, hogs, camels and asses, who have no information of God, and therefore their earholes are compared like the snake holes, bile... So you have got very responsible task, to inject within their ear the chivalrous activities of God. Otherwise, their earholes remain as snake holes. As I explained yesterday, in the snake holes, nobody goes there. Nobody puts their hands or legs. Similarly, if these earholes remains empty, without aural reception of the great activities of the Lord, it is as good as the snake holes.
When Dr. Ghosh, who is my friend, he came to see me in Allahabad? One doctor? So he is friend. He told me that when he was student, Colonel (indistinct), one big professor, medicine, he was lecturing. He was Englishman. He said that "In our country, seventy to eighty percent of the student community, they are suffering from syphilitic attack." So in our country, in India, if one is attacked with syphilis, then he is taken as very abominable. His character is not good, it is understood. So he said, "Horrible," Dr. Ghosh, because he was Indian student. So Colonel (indistinct) replied, "Why you are saying horrible? In your country ninety percent people are attacked malaria. So there, syphilis. So as a medical practitioner why you take this disease as bad or that disease as good? Your business is to see that there should be no disease. Don't consider in that way, that 'This disease is good, this disease is bad.' " That's nice explanation. But fifty years ago or hundred years ago syphilitic poison was very much prevalent. Still it is in Europe and America. And now it is spreading all over. And in Āyur Veda it is said, phiraṅga, phiraṅga. Phiraṅgī. The Europeans are described in Vedic literatures as phiraṅgī, their name is phiraṅgī. So this syphilitic disease is mentioned in the Āyur Veda, the disease brought by the phiraṅgīs. And the doctor says that originally it was spread through dog. The unmarried girls, they keep dog for sex. You do not know? He knows. You will find very beautiful girl is keeping very big dog. They are trained to have sex life. And that is cause of syphilis. The dog is full of syphilitic germs. It is called phiraṅga in the Āyur Veda. And one who has got syphilitic germs, his life is doomed. Unless it is properly treated and cured, so many disease will follow. So many. This craziness is also due to syphilitic poison, parents.
So actually if there is no thief, where is the cause of anxiety? If there is no burglar, thieves, rogues. It is the duty actually. It is the duty of the king to see that there should be no thieves. People should be anxiety-free. That is nice government. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, when he was ruling, there was not even scorching heat. People were so anxiety-free. You see? Due to pious activities of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, there was no severe cold or scorching heat, no dangerous disease, infection. They were all free from all this. It can be possible if there is good government. So here is the idea. Pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ. Kāla-vikramaḥ. Here we are governed by the stringent laws of time. I am getting old. Kāla-vikramaḥ. The body is getting seventy-six years. This means time has eaten up my duration of life seventy-six years, influence of time. You cannot avoid it. Kāla-vikramaḥ. Na yatra māyā. Māyā, illusion. Either fixed-up idea. Everyone knows Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality, and they are all happy by serving the Lord. Everyone is engaged. Surāsurārcitāḥ anuvratāḥ. They are not..., they have no revolutionary spirit: "Oh, why shall I serve You? I am also God." This is revolutionary. These things are not there. The so-called rascal declaring oneself that "I am God," no. Anuvrata. Everyone is following: "Oh, here is Lord." In the Vaikuṇṭha planets there is very great respectful consciousness, "Here is Lord." But in Vṛndāvana, there is no such respectful consciousness, Kṛṣṇa, and the cowherds boys, gopīs, but their love is very, very intense. Out of love, they cannot disobey Kṛṣṇa. Here in the Vaikuṇṭha, out of respect, they cannot disobey. In the Vṛndāvana, Goloka Vṛndāvana, they cannot think of denying anything to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so much lovable. They can give anything. There is no so respectful because they do not know whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not. They know, "Kṛṣṇa is like us, one of us." But their respect and love is so intense that without Kṛṣṇa they become lifeless. There is no life.
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. Perfection means there should be no mistake, no illusion, no cheating, and no imperfections of the senses. That is perfection. And therefore it is said here, bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān is all-perfect. Therefore we should take knowledge from Bhagavān or one who speaks according to the version of Bhagavān. We should not hear anybody else. That is imperfect.
This prescription is there. If one develops Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is to be understood that he has surpassed sattva-guṇa, the brahminical qualification. Why we offer sacred thread to a person who is coming from very, very low family? Because it is to be understood by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, by following the regulative principle, he has already come to the platform of sattva-guṇa. But if it is a false thing, there is no need of second initiation. There must be. One must come. This, our process, is "Don't do this. Do this: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra sixteen rounds, and don't do this—no illicit sex, no meat-eating." That means he's becoming purified. He's becoming purified from the rotten condition of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. But if he does not, then there should be no second initiation. This should be the rule.
So, so Prahlāda Mahārāja is claiming. He's not neither in rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, sattva-guṇa. He's Vaiṣṇava; he's transcendental. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). He's on the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, on the spiritual platform. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa touching? Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ-pavitraḥ. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). He cannot touch a rajas-tamas-bhava. No. That is not possible. When Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva touched his head, either by His touching he's already purified, or because he's purified, therefore Lord touched his head. This is the conclusion. So he is purified, but as a Vaiṣṇava, he is placing himself in the platform of rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). The whole world, at least in this age, Kali-yuga, these two qualities, mostly tamo-guṇa, and little rajo-guṇa, that's all, but no sattva-guṇa. No sattva-guṇa. Therefore people cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They cannot understand. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, ceta etair anāviddha. Therefore we have to purify ourself. The prescription is there, very simple thing, to become purified, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). If we simply recite all these mantras... The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, all these ślokas, they're all mantras, just like as good as Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. There is no difference.
Therefore we have to become very, very careful. Or Kṛṣṇa will help. If you want to remain in sattva-guṇa, in purity, then Kṛṣṇa will help. Just like here, as soon as Brahmā was disturbed by the demons full of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, immediately the Lord came in Hayagrīva-mūrti incarnation. That is... Kṛṣṇa is also very much anxious to give us... Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ pranaśyati (BG 9.31). If you remain a pure devotee, always surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, you should know it very well that Kṛṣṇa will give you protection in any calamity. Don't be worried. Simply we must have the faith. That is surrender. Surrender means avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṇa, viśvāsa pālana. You must be faithful that "I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. I may go to hell or heaven. It doesn't matter. I am going to serve Him. It is sure that Kṛṣṇa will give me protection." So there should be no hesitation. If somebody is ordered, "Go to hell and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness," he should remain faithful to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa will give all protection. This is the principle. Kṛṣṇa's business is yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmi (BG 4.7), paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca... (BG 4.8). The sādhu... Sādhu means Kṛṣṇa-bhakta, sādhu, not this dress. If you are always keeping Kṛṣṇa within yourself, then you are sādhu. And you are yogi also.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
"Now I... My successful... I have earned so much money." This is the nature of material life, that he will work very hard and he will think, "That is my life." This is material life. But actually, if you are actually happy, then why you have to work so hard? But that is nonsense. He is nonsense. He does not know. Therefore the karmīs are called mūḍhas, asses. The ass works hard for the washerman, and the washerman gives him a morsel of grass and he thinks, "I am happy." This is ass mentality. He has worked very hard, but getting that little bunch of grass. He can get it anywhere, but he thinks that "This washerman gives it. Therefore I have to work..." Or he does not know that "I'm working for it." This is ass mentality.
So actual life is that there should be no work. Why? Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). Just like Kṛṣṇa is displaying how He's happy with His cowherds boys, with the gopīs, with His father, with His mother. And those who are dependent on Kṛṣṇa, they are so confident. Just like the cowherds boys. Kṛṣṇa goes every day to the forest, and there is some demon comes, and simply the cowherds boys, "No, there is Kṛṣṇa. We don't care for this demon." You see? And the demon is killed, and they come home and they narrate the story to their mother: "O my dear mother, Kṛṣṇa did this wonderful thing." The mother is also very appreciative: "Oh, our Kṛṣṇa is so nice. He can do wonderful. He must be some demigod," like that, gossiping. So actually this is life. This Vṛndāvana life is actual life.
Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ.
So we should take care of everyone. That is the verdict of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, verdict of Kṛṣṇa. Now we are doing that in our Māyāpur. All the Muhammadans and Hindus, they are taking prasādam together. This has been a unique thing. People are very much appreciating. But some of them, some envious persons are there. They are taking it otherwise. Why? In Jagannātha Purī, still the regulation is that anyone can come and take together jagannātha-prasādam. It doesn't matter whether he's a baṅghi, camara or brāhmaṇa. They take actually. Prasāda. Prasāda is transcendental, nirguṇa. So prasāda should be taken together. If you have got really sense of prasāda... If we think it is dahl, capati, then it is another thing. Otherwise, if you have got the sense of prasāda, then there should be no distinction. It should, it can be... "Prasādam, I am taking prasādam, which is nirguṇa." So these are the conclusions. So unless we come to the conclusion of Vaiṣṇava cult, it is very difficult. The Vaiṣṇava cult conclusion should be taken. Otherwise we cannot preach. Without becoming Vaiṣṇava, one cannot become guru. Without becoming guru, how one can preach? These are the formulas. And anxiety-less, when one takes to the shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he must be anxiety-less. Because Kṛṣṇa says, gives assurance, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). Then where is anxiety? Kṛṣṇa says, "I take charge of giving you relief from all sinful reactions." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. So as soon as, mokṣayiṣya, as soon as you surrender to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa immediately takes charge of you and makes you immune from all sinful reaction. Then where is anxiety? That is also recommended by Prahlāda Mahārāja: vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
There is a system. In the process of this material world there is a system. Just like for maintenance of your state, United States, there is system of government, and there is an aim. Just like your government does not like that..., there should be no Communistic persons, and you write that "We trust in God." It is better to trust in God. You have got a system. Similarly, the maintenance of the whole material world, there is a system. It is not blind. Foolish creatures, they think that everything has come out of nothing, and it is being managed by nature. No. Behind nature there is God. In the Bhagavad-gītā you have learned, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My superintendence the material nature is working." Material nature is not blind. Just like foolish person, because he cannot see President Johnson and the governmental personalities, they think, "It is going on. Nobody is there behind this government, and it is going on." So similarly, persons who have no knowledge in the affairs of this material world, they think that "This material nature is working, and automatically, by magic, the sun is coming out, the moon is coming out, and the season is changing, and everything is going on just like magic, and we are the master of everything." Never think..., these foolish persons never think that they are not masters, they are servant, servant of the material nature.
General Lectures
So we, we should make this our goal of life, how to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. This is the real purport. We chant this, that we are trying to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro. There are so many verses of this govindam ādi-puruṣam, the Brahma-saṁhitā. And Bhagavad-gītā also, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also. So there is immense knowledge of understanding. It is a great science, science of God. So if anyone is interested about understanding the science of God, then he should take seriously this movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Now one may question, "Why should I be interested to understand the science of God? Why not to understand the science of so many material things? Why one should be..." No. This is the necessity. That is the Vedānta's injunction. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity to understand the science of the Absolute. Either you say God or Absolute Truth or the Supersoul, the same thing. But this life is meant for understanding. If we miss this opportunity, we do not know where we are going. The defect of the modern civilization is they don't care. Hedonism, Cārvāka's theory. There was, long, long before, there was an atheist philosopher. As there are many atheist philosophers nowadays, in former days also. He was known as Cārvāka Muni. According to his opinion, he says that don't care for next life. Don't care. Bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kuto punar āgamano bhavet. He says... Because according to Vedic system, the body is burned after death. As you bury underground... There are three processes everywhere. Somebody throws away for being eaten up by birds, or somebody puts within the ground, or somebody burns it. So Cārvāka Muni says that "After burning this body, who is coming and who is responsible? You see. You live merrily as far as possible. Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet. If you have no money, then borrow or steal, but live very nicely for sense pleasure." That is Cārvāka Muni's theory, and mostly, at the present moment, that theory is being followed. But the question is that Cārvāka Muni says there is no next life. What is the proof? Does it mean that his word is proof that there is no next life? Then everyone will say something. Of course, that is being accepted. Anyone discovers or says something nonsense, it is accepted.
Prabhupāda: This is Hinduism.
Indian man: ...probably this is a meeting of hippies going on here.
Prabhupāda: Hippies who are coming in our touch, they are giving up all these things even. Because they are not guided—misguided—they are seeking after something better, but there is no leader. But this movement will give them relief, to everyone. We are... Anyone who comes to us for initiation, our first condition is that there should be no illicit sex life, no boyfriend-girlfriend. No. Just get yourself married. Although I am sannyāsī, I have no connection with this marriage, but I do it for the sake of my disciples, just to settle them nicely. So all the boys or girls, they are being married. In Boston, while I was coming, there was three couples married. So they are living peacefully. There is no intoxication. They do not smoke even, do not take even tea or coffee. And they are taking nice prasādam every day. They are happy, they are healthy, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Indian man: Could I ask a question?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
There is no need of unnecessarily commenting on certain things. There is no necessity. Commentary or interpretation required when things are not very clear. Then you can suggest, "The meaning may be like this." But when the things are clear, why should you comment? There is no necessity of comment. Just like, for example—this is also from Sanskrit scholar's example—that gaṅgāyaṁ ghoṣapalli. Gaṅgāyam: "On the Ganges there is a neighborhood which is known as Ghoṣapalli." Now, this statement is in your front. So one may question that "The river Ganges is water. How there can be a neighborhood which is known as Ghoṣapalli? On the water how there can be a quarter or neighborhood of human habitation?" You can question that. Gaṅgāyaṁ ghoṣapalli. Then the interpretation should be, "No, not on the Ganges. 'On the Ganges' means 'on the bank of the Ganges.' " This interpretation is nice. When one cannot understand clearly, there is interpretation. But when the matter is clear... Just like sunlight. The sunlight, sunshine, does it require your lamp to show the sunlight? The sunlight is itself so illuminous that everyone can understand, "This is sunlight." If somebody brings some lamp, "I will show you the sun," sun is already visible. Why your lamp is required? So these unauthorized commentators, they bring some lamp to show the sunlight of Bhagavad-gītā. That is their business.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: But they cannot prove that there was no human being wherefrom they are starting their study. They cannot prove.
Śyāmasundara: It appears from the evidence that there are apelike men in certain layers of...
Prabhupāda: The apelike man or manlike ape is already existing. If you say development, just like from this, it has developed this, then there should be no existence of this. Kārya-kāraṇam. That's all. Now when I see still both are existing...
Śyāmasundara: The former doesn't exist any more.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. If from monkey, man is coming, so then when monkey develops into man, the monkey should not exist. Kārya-kāraṇam, kārya-kāraṇam, cause and effect. When the effect is there, the cause is finished now.
Śyāmasundara: The monkey didn't cause the man; they came from the same common ancestor. That is their explanation. They had the same common ancestor.
Prabhupāda: That is, we say that all we come from God, the same ancestors, the same father. What is the difference?
Karandhara: Everyone has the same ancestor.
Prabhupāda: The same ancestor. What is the new thing?
Śyāmasundara: But if I am a Darwinist, your explanations are still not satisfactory to me. I'm not convinced because I see...
Prabhupāda: My explanation is that the original father is Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya: (BG 14.4) "As many forms are there, I am the bīja pradaḥ pitā, I am the seed-giving father." So what is your objection to this?
Śyāmasundara: Well, if I examine the layers of earth, I find no evidence in any of the layers below of any...
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is called brahma-jijñāsā. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is called brahma-jijñāsā, inquiring about brahma. That is the prerogative of human life. In the human life one can make inquiries what is the ultimate source, cause. And in animal life it is not sought. So if such inquisitive is not there, then it is animal. Just like at the present moment the newspaper is full of fighting news. But these things are animal news. Such kind of fighting was there also in the animal life—dogs and dogs fighting. They are not very important. Real important thing is what I am. That is real important. Just like Sanātana Goswami inquired from Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "So what I am? I do not want to suffer, but I have to suffer." These (indistinct), they are busy with the suffering, how they, this party or that party, but we are busy, "Why you are suffering?" That is human life, athāto brahma jijñāsā, why you are suffering. Not that superficially you see people are suffering and giving some relief, and then again suffering, again relief. (Sanskrit) But they don't inquire, "Why suffering?" That is intelligent. That is human life. These rascals, they have established this United Nations for the last twenty-five years, and they never inquire that "We have tried so much, but still, why you could not stop war?" The establishment of U.N. was that there should be no war, because they had very bitter experience of the World..., Second World War. So they established this United Nations, but the (indistinct), just like the Americans, they thought that "We are very rich. We have got..., we are very powerful, so under the girth of this United Nations, we shall control over all the world." That was the policy. So this superficial phenomenon, as just might have seen, will not help us. We must go deep to the root, why people are suffering. That is intelligence.
Śyāmasundara: Well, their idea is to reduce everything to the level of pure consciousness.
Prabhupāda: Why I shall develop an ideological perfection by conflict, by struggle, by talking in the parliament, and talking to the leaders, and... Make this simple method that whatever you produce, you give me one-fourth. That's all.
Śyāmasundara: He believes that whatever is produced, all should be given. Everything.
Prabhupāda: Why all should be given? That means he's killed my independence.
Śyāmasundara: There should be no proprietorship. There should be no private property.
Prabhupāda: No. Proprietor should be allotted proprietor, that I belong... You give me... The king or the government gives me this land. So that is my proprietorship. Just like I have taken this house. So it is higher proprietorship. I do not allow anybody to come here. That is trespassing.
Śyāmasundara: Even the farms in China are collective. The people work together, cooperate to produce such and such products. They give the whole product to the state. In return, they receive their lodging, their cloths.
Prabhupāda: But that will never give them satisfaction. That is artificial.
Śyāmasundara: So they need constant ideological brainwashing to maintain this state of activity.
Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. If I know that "This land belongs to me, government has allotted me," so I can develop in my own way. I have got freedom. Wholesale dependence, what is the value of this?
Śyāmasundara: He believes that that's a false idea, this idea of freedom or proprietorship. That it only leads to exploitation and misery for others.
Prabhupāda: Misery for others?
| Page Title: | There should be no (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 17 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=29, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 29 |