So God's name... Actually, there is no God's name. There is name, but He has got so many names. His name is given according to His pastimes. Just like according to... It has got meaning. You cannot give any name to God without bearing any meaning. That is the Vedic significance. When we say "Kṛṣṇa" name of God, that means He's all-attractive. All-attractive means He's not only attractive to the devotees but to the nondevotees. It's not that Kṛṣṇa is one-sided, He's attractive to the devotees. No. To the nondevotees also. Just like Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was also attracted by Kṛṣṇa. He was attracted to Kṛṣṇa as enemy. There are two kinds of attraction. We can become attracted to somebody as friend as well as enemy. That is also attraction. If you think of some person that "This man is my enemy. I want to kill him, or I want to do some harm to him. How I shall do? How shall I capture him? He goes on the office, on the road. So I can capture him in that way..." So many. Just like in America the President Kennedy was killed. So the man who killed him, he made it a plan, thinking of President Kennedy always. That is attraction.
Two kinds and types of... (Lectures, SB cantos 1 - 2)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Now, formerly... Now also. Those who are not atheists, when there are problems, they turn to God, who are theists. Those who are atheists, they will not. That is, two classes of men there are: atheists and theists. The theist, who believes in God, whenever he is distressed, whenever he is facing some problem, he turns towards God: "God save us." That is nice, very nice. They are called pious. When there are problems, when they look towards God, such person is called pious. It is described in Bhagavad-gītā, catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ arjuna. Sukṛtina means pious. Su means good, and kṛtina means activities. And similarly, the opposite number, that is called duṣkṛtina. Du means... Duṣ means bad, and kṛtina means activities.
So there are two classes of men. One class of men who are pious... Pious means those who are regularly following the religious principles. It does not matter what religion you follow. If you follow the religious principles in whichever religion you accept, then you are pious. If you do not follow the religious principles, then you are impious, duṣkṛtina. So at the present moment, practically all over the world they are no longer interested with God and religion. Just like in your city, London, there are so many churches for sale. Why? Because people have become duṣkṛtina. They are no more interested in religion and God. Just see. Otherwise, why the churches should be sold? People are not interested. In India also, the temples, many temples, they are uncared for. They are not for sale. So maybe some of them are also for sale. But I have seen many temples uncared for. At night, one dog is entering and living within the temple. So people have become disinterested in religion and God at the present moment.
So how this Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be developed by the easiest method? tatra tatrāñjasāyuṣman bhavatā yad viniścitam. Now, this question is asked from a person who is self-realized, not from a shop-keeper. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Here is a guru because he has learned sufficiently from Vyāsadeva and other sages therefore they are asking from him, not from a... Āyuṣman. They are blessing, "Be blessed with long span of life." Although he was young, still he's asking, they're asking, great, great learned brāhmaṇas and sages, "What you have decided to be the easiest process to achieve the highest goal of life?" Puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas. Ekāntataḥ, absolute. Śreyas. Śreyas means benefit.
There are two kinds of benefit: one is called preyas and one is called śreyas. Preyas means immediately very pleasing, immediately. The senses, sense satisfaction, very pleasing immediately. But śreyas means ultimate goal, ultimately. Just like a child, for him preyas means he wants to play, he doesn't want to go to school and, but his śreyas means he must go to school, must be educated so that his future life may be secure. That is called śreyas. So our life, this human form of life, should be used for śreyas. It is said, puṁsām ekāntataḥ śreyas. We should not be attracted by the preyas. Preyas. But modern education is so nasty that they encourage preyas. Especially in the, not in this country, everywhere. That boys and girls are not checked, rather encouraged, encouraged in the matter of immature sex life. Preyas.
Those who are demons, those who have developed this asuric bhāva... Asuric bhāva means denying the existence of God. That is asuric bhāva. There are two kinds of men: asura and devatā. Those who are accepting the authority of the Supreme Lord, they are called devatā. And those who are denying the existence of God... Now such demons are prevalent everywhere, especially the Communists. And others, they write, of course, on the note, "We Trust In God," but practically does not do anything. That is also another edition of demons: under the garb of believing in God, doing all nonsense. You see?
So na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Human life is meant for understanding what is God, what is my relationship with Him. And when he understands the relationship is there, "God is great, I am very small..." No. The rascal says, "No, I am God." And what, in which way you become God? God is great. Are you great? If I give you any slap, you immediately cry, and you're claiming God? You see. But these rascals are doing nicely, and fools are following, "Here is a God, incarnation of God." You see? So God is not so cheap. God..., our conception of God... Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so powerful. It is stated in the Vedic literature: Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Simply by the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu, innumerable... Just like we exhale and inhale and so many small microbes, germs, are coming out and going. This is a fact, medical science. Similarly, as microbes are coming and going, similarly, with the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu so many universes are coming and going. That is God. God, who can create unlimited number of universes simply by breathing. That is God. (aside:) Don't sleep. You can... So here, na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15).
Another is thinking, "I must render service to my family." So either you take family-wise or bodily-wise or society-wise or community-wise or national-wise or humanity-wise, they are all imperfect unless it is extended up to the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa. Then it is perfect. Any service you do... Service you have to render, either to your personal body or to your family or to your society or to your community, or to the human nation, or to the whole humanity. Service everyone is... Or in the office. That is our characteristic. We render some service. Therefore the Bhāgavata says that "That is complete service." Our dharma means the characteristic duty. That duty is to render service.
So Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ: "That type of service is first class, transcendental." There are two kinds of services, para and apara. In Sanskrit para means transcendental, and apara means material. Spiritual or material. Because we have two understandings, matter and spirit. Everything is material or spiritual, mundane or transcendental. So here Bhāgavata says, paro dharmaḥ. Paro dharmaḥ means spiritually. Material dharma—temporary. Just like if you feel yourself as part and parcel of the American nation, if I feel myself as part and parcel of Indian nation, this is not para. This is apara, because your relations with America, or an Indian's association with India, is temporary. You may remain as American, say, for hundred years. Not so much. Generally, fifty, sixty, seventy, utmost hundred years. Then, after hundred years, as soon as your body is changed, even as human form of body, you may not be American—you may be Chinaman. Or if not human form of body, then we may become something else, god's or dog's also. There is no guarantee because after you give up this body you are completely under the grip of material nature. The material nature will award you a particular type of body according to your work. So as soon as the body is changed, the whole atmosphere is changed. You are no longer American. You are no longer Indian. You are something else. Therefore your characteristic of rendering service to the nation, that is not permanent. That is temporary, apara. Apara means temporary, inferior.
He attracts everyone. Kṛṣṇa attracts both the nondevotees and devotees. Devotees are very much attracted to Kṛṣṇa to render service, and nondevotees are attracted to Kṛṣṇa to kill Him, but everyone is attracted. Somebody is attracted to vanquish God. That is also another attraction, indirect attraction. If I always think of my enemy, "How shall I vanquish him?" that is an attraction. And if I think of somebody, of my friend or somebody, "How shall I make him happy?" that is also attraction.
So there are two classes of men in this world. One class is trying to serve God, another class is trying to kill God. There is no third division. So those who are trying to kill God, that is an attraction. And those who are trying to serve God, that is also attraction. Therefore God is all-attractive. Just try to understand whether this definition is complete, that Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Therefore Bhāgavata says, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There may be many Gods, according to our conception. God means all-powerful, or full of... Our definition, in the Vedic śāstra: God means full of all opulences. There are six kinds of opulences: to become rich, to become very powerful, influential, very much famous, very beautiful, very wise, and very much renounced, unattached. The six kinds of opulences, when they are found in fullness somewhere, that is God. This is the definition of God, these six kinds of opulences.
So I am reciting one or two verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Second Chapter, wherein Sūta Gosvāmī describes to the great sages assembled in Naimiṣāraṇya in respect of the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Naimiṣāraṇya, perhaps you have heard the name. At present there is a railway station near..., between Hardoi and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. The station is called Nimsar, and still the Naimiṣāraṇya atmosphere is maintained there. It is a very nice, sacred place. If you go there, you will feel immediately Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, in that meeting, the great sages and saintly persons assembled there inquired from Sūta Gosvāmī that "After departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa, wherein the principles of religions are kept?" Kṛṣṇa appeared for re-establishing the religious principle, dharma saṁsthāpanārthāya. When Kṛṣṇa, or any incarnation of the Lord descends, there are two kinds of missions. One mission is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). The sādhus, or the devotees, they are very much anxious to meet God, Kṛṣṇa, so He fulfills the desires of the sādhu, and by the way He also vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam. Duṣkṛtaḥ means sinful, impious, to kill them.
If you want actual peace, ātmā, suprasīdati, then you have to accept paro dharma. Para means supreme or superior. There are two kinds of dharmas, parā and aparā. Aparā means this material world. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). There are two natures, one spiritual nature and one material nature. People do not understand what is spiritual nature. But Kṛṣṇa explains very nicely, and one can understand very easily what is spiritual nature and what is material nature. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the matter, five elements, earth, water, air, fire, sky, mind, intelligence, ego, these are material nature. Prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. Apareyam. Then Kṛṣṇa says this is aparā. Aparā means inferior. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ. The modern scientist or philosophers, they are engaged in studying this inferior nature. They have no information of the superior nature. But Kṛṣṇa says that these five elements, eight elements. Five gross and three subtle. The mind is also material. Khaṁ mano buddhir. These are material. People think this mental speculation, poetry, philosophy, that is spiritual. No. So long the subject matter is material, the concoction of the mind, speculation of the mind, the so-called philosophy, is also material.
Prabhupāda:
- sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
- yato bhaktir adhokṣaje...
- (SB 1.2.6)
(Hindi) Somehow or other we have to turn to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the aim of life. This human form of life is meant for this purpose. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje and... (break) ...religion you may profess, it does not matter. It must teach you how to render loving service to the Lord. That is required. (break) ...pravṛtti and nivṛtti, so there are two kinds of dharma. Dharma means occupational duties. (Hindi) (break)
Devotee: It doesn't work.
Prabhupāda: In this material world, we come here to enjoy. Not enjoy, but to satisfy our senses. This is material life. But that is not the right process, to develop the sense enjoyment process. The modern civilization, they are increasing the sense enjoyment process, making life more and more complicated, because the real motive of human life is to develop devotional service to the Lord. Or in other words, instead of gratifying our senses we should gratify the senses of the Lord. That is required. We cannot independently gratify our senses. The Īśopaniṣad therefore says, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). Directly you cannot. The best example is you give me nice a foodstuff, rasagullā. The fingers catches it, but it cannot enjoy directly. That is not possible. It must give to the stomach, and when it is given to the stomach, the energy produced by eating that foodstuff is distributed not only in this finger but in other fingers and other parts of the body.
Religion, I have already said, it is a kind of faith. Faith can be changed, but our constitutional position, occupational duty, that cannot be changed. We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, but without serving Kṛṣṇa we are serving māyā. We have accepted a false occupational duty, therefore it is called māyā. Māyā means false. Just like if I have got a body of America, American body, then my occupational duty is different from the body of an Indian, or from the body of a dog or a cat. So according to the body, our occupational duties change. But real occupational duty is of the soul. When you come to that platform—the occupational duty of the soul—that is the highest class of religion. That is explained here, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ.
Dharma, occupational duty, there are two kinds of occupational duties according to Vedic system, pravṛtti and nivṛtti. Pravṛtti means propensities, material propensities. We have come here within this material world to enjoy material resources. That is called pravṛtti. And when we come to the platform of understanding that I am not this body, I am soul, then my occupational duty changes. At the present moment we are all working on the platform of bodily concept of life but when you come to the platform of understanding that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am not this matter, I am spirit soul, then my occupational duty changes. Not... That is my real occupational duty, because I am really spirit soul.
Without religion he is animal. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ.
So now, at the present moment, they are rejecting religion. Everywhere, all over the world. We have to... Travelling all over the world, the only scarcity is sense of God, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. They have practically rejected God consciousness. So that will not make him happy because he cannot become happy imitating the animals. Now they are imitating animals, becoming naked. That is they, that is their advancement of civilization, to become naked, nudist. So actually decline, from human life they are decline to animal life. Because two kinds of life, animal life and human life but if they do not take to the proper position of human life, cultivation of knowledge and religion, then they are animals so gradually they will decline to animal life. So we should not decline, we should make progress, that is human life.
So progress means to make progress in religious concept of life. That is progress. Not, that is not progress, material comforts, that is not progress. Material comforts according to the body, that is already settled up, deha-yogena dehinām. As we have got body, a particular type of body given by nature, the machine... Just like your comfort of driving car is estimated according to the car you have got. If you have got a very nice costly car, then it drives very comfortably, but if you have got a less costly, cheap car, then you are not so comfortable. Similarly our comforts and discomforts are already settled as soon as you have got a particular type of body. There is no necessity to improve it. We cannot improve it. For example, just like a hog, he has got a particular type of body, he can eat stool. You cannot improve his eating process by giving him halavā, that is not possible. Therefore śāstra says, deha-yogena dehinām. Our material comforts, standard of material comforts, are already settled up by the body which you have got. Therefore our business is: if you are not in the bodily concept of life, then our business is how to make spiritually advanced. Bodily comforts of life, we cannot improve. That is not possible. We can improve our spiritual advancement of life. That is given to us.
Everyone is hankering after peace of mind. Ātmā suprasan. Ātma, ātma means this body, ātma means the mind, and ātma means the soul. We are in three status of life. Actually, we are the spirit soul covered by two kinds of dresses. Just like you gentlemen, you are also covered by two kinds of dresses-underwear and coat, shirt and coat. Similarly... Actually "I am" means I am not this shirt and coat. I am within the shirt and coat. Similarly, I, the soul, I am covered by two kinds of layers—mind, intelligence, and false ego. False ego means I am considering, "I am this American dress," "I am this Indian dress." Because I am identifying with this body. If I ask somebody, "What you are, sir?" "I am American." "What you are, sir?" "I am Indian." "I am brāhmaṇa." "I am kṣatriya." But these are the designations. This is not my real identification. The Vedic information is, when I understand I am ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am Brahman, or the spirit soul. That is my beginning of identification. Therefore in the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about the spirit. This human form of life is meant for advancing knowledge of brahma, brahma-jñāna. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. One who is advanced in knowledge of Brahman, he is called brāhmaṇa. So, if we actually want peace... Everyone is hankering, that is our prerogative. Every living entity must hanker after happiness. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Because by nature we are happy. By nature we are happy. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. So as spirit soul we are naturally happy, blissful. But because we have been covered by the eight material elements—earth, water, fire, air, ether. These are gross elements. And within the gross elements—mind, intelligence and ego. So somebody is satisfied with the comfort of the outward gross elements, this body. They are called materialists. Simply sense gratification. Indriyāni parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). First of all our conception is happiness means happiness of my body.
When we become devotee of the Supreme Lord, that is our real characteristic. Devotion is already there, service is already there. Nobody can say that, "I do not serve anyone." No, that is not possible. You must serve. Because that is your characteristic, that is your dharma. Everyone is serving. If a person has nobody to serve, he keeps a cat, he keeps a dog and serves him. So to give service, to love somebody else, that is my real characteristic. But I am missing the point. I am loving cats and dogs and so many things, but I am missing to love God. That is the missing point. Love is there, object of love is there, but it is misplaced. Therefore, we are not getting happiness. When it will be properly placed, love and the object of love, then we'll be happy. This is explanation of this verse. Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6). Para. Para means superior. And apara means inferior. There are two kinds of nature—para and apara. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo.... Bhūmir āpo 'nalo...
This material nature—earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego—Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "They are My nature, but separated." Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā (BG 7.5). They are inferior nature, this material nature, inferior, but there is another superior nature. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Para means superior. What is that? Jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5)—the living entity. Just like the whole material world is important because the living entity is utilizing it for his purpose. This New Delhi city is important because the living entity is utilizing it for purpose. Otherwise it was a jungle. Anything you take material, material thing has no value, it is inferior, but by the touch of the superior energy, the living entity, it becomes important. Therefore there are two nature—inferior nature and superior nature. Similarly, there are two kinds of dharmas. Hindu, Muslim, Christian, this, that or white, black, so many ways, according to the designation of the body you have created dharma or characteristics. That is inferior quality. But when you come to the superior quality of characteristics, of dharma, then you become happy. Anywhere there are two qualities always-inferior and superior. When you are attached to the inferior quality you don't get very much satisfaction, but when you come to the superior quality then you get satisfaction, happiness. So here it is said, dharma, religion, or the characteristics of human beings, there are so many, but sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo (SB 1.2.6), that is superior quality of religion or characteristic. What is that? Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). "Following which you become a devotee of the Adhokṣaja." Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Lord, God. God has got many names. Actually God has no name, but according to different calculation or different situation, He has got a name. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the characteristic of the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. If God is not all-attractive... Not everyone is all-attractive, but God is all-attractive. Therefore, He is called Kṛṣṇa. God appeared as the son of Vasudeva or Nanda Mahārāja, therefore He is called Yaśodānanda, Nandananda, Vasudevanandana. His relationship.
Upādhi, now we are covered by designation. The same example-vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). We are dressed in two kinds of subtle and gross dresses, this material body and mind, intelligence, ego. So when we become free from these designations, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam. And you become purified, nirmala. Mal means dirt and nirmala means without any dirt, without any dirty things, simply spiritual.
- sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam
- tat-paratvena nirmalam
- hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa-
- sevanaṁ (bhaktir ucyate)
- (CC Madhya 19.170)
Hṛṣīka means senses, upādhi. Just like my hand is now covered by this shirt. So when there is no more shirt, that is naked. So when you come without any designation, without any understanding, false understanding, that "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya." In that stage the senses, the senses remain. Suppose if I take my dress out of my body, my real senses are there. So similarly, when we become free from the designation of this material body and we come to the pure stage of original, spiritual senses, that senses when applied to the service of the supreme master of senses, God, that is called bhakti. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. So, if we actually want peace or happiness, yayātmā suprasīdati, without any designation, then that peace and happiness can be achieved. Otherwise it is not possible. So long we remain designated, it is not possible to come to that stage of pure, unalloyed devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Any question?
"Always think of Me." It is not difficult. You think of Kṛṣṇa. You have got Kṛṣṇa's form. That is first-class meditation. Kṛṣṇa says, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). Thinking of Kṛṣṇa, antar-ātmanā, within the core of heart. Sa me yuktatamo mataḥ. He is first-class yogi. So we are teaching that, how to become first-class yogi. "Chant Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and hear." Immediately... All Kṛṣṇa's—Kṛṣṇa's form, Kṛṣṇa's qualities, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes, Kṛṣṇa's paraphernalia, Kṛṣṇa's opulence—everything will be subject of your thinking. This is called first-class yoga.
So here also, what is spoken by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā, that is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Here it is said, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para and apara. Para means superior or transcendental. There are two kinds of prakṛtis: parā-prakṛti, aparā-prakṛti. That is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Material, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Material things, earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, ego. Prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā, bhinnā prakṛtir me aṣṭadhā. Kṛṣṇa says, "They are My prakṛti. My nature, My energy." Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says, next verse, apareyam: "This material prakṛti is inferior. But beyond this material prakṛti, there is a superior prakṛti." What is that? Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat: (BG 7.5) "That is living entity." So living entity is also prakṛti, another energy of Kṛṣṇa. Just like this material world is one creation, material creation. Similarly, there is spiritual energy also. Kṛṣṇa has multi-energies. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Na tasya kāryam... This is Vedic injunction. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. God has nothing to do with His hands and legs. He is so powerful that He has got so many energies... Just like big man here, he does not do anything with his hands, but he has got so many assistants. As soon as he wants to do something, immediately it is done. If it is possible for ordinary human being, how much energy is in stock of Kṛṣṇa, and how He can perform everything perfectly. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Everything comes out nicely. So much energy is there. Inconceivable energy. That is God.
Although He is aja, nobody has to die, aja. Aja means birth. Nobody takes birth. Either the living entity or God, na jāyate na mriyate. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that the living entities, we are all living entities, na jāyate, they do not take birth, neither they do die. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit, at any time. Then what is this death and birth? The death and birth is simply change of the body. The subtle body and the gross body.
Just like every night we die. The gross body remains inactive on the bed, and the subtle body takes me away. I dream, I go in the dreamland. I have gone to some friend, I am talking with somebody, I am working in a different way. That is our daily experience. This means that we have got two kinds of body. One body is this gross body, and the other body is subtle body, made of mind, intelligence, and ego. So foolish person, they do not see the subtle body, but the subtle body is there. Everyone will accept. I am working with my mind, intelligence and ego. Everyone knows. So although we cannot see the subtle body, it is there. So death means this gross body, this overcoat is left, and I am carried away by the subtle body, and I enter into another overcoat, or gross body. So practically this is called death. Because we have no vision of the subtle body, how the soul is being transferred or transmigrating from one gross body to another gross body, keeping the subtle body intact. And the subtle body is given up when one is liberated. And at that time he goes, when he is liberated, freed from this subtle body also, at that time he is promoted to the spiritual kingdom in spiritual body. Therefore while living in this gross body, we have to educate our subtle body in such a way that it becomes spiritualized completely.
To give up this subtle body, one has to develop love for God, prema. And the process is, how to give up the subtle body.
Ādau śraddhā, first of all śraddhā. Śraddhā means a faith or some respect. Actually it means respect. Just like you have come here out of faith and respect. So here they're talking about God. There is temple of God, let us go there. This is faith and respect. Ādau śraddhā. This is the beginning. Now, after coming here, when you hear about God, because we, our only business is, we don't talk here politics or sociology or anything. That comes automatically as subordinate things, but our business is to talk about God. So those who talks about God, they are called saintly person. There are two kinds of men within this world. Materialistic person and transcendentalist, or man interested in spiritualism. So those who are interested in spiritual life, they talk of self-realization. And those who are materialistic person, they also talk. They talk about this body, how to keep this body nicely. There are politics, sociology, welfare activities, so many things, all concerning to the body. So there are many talks, just like in the newspaper. In your country especially, bunch of newspaper. So many talks, advertisement, fashion, this news, that news, full up. So the materialistic person, they read the newspaper, but we read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is the difference. We are also reading. They are also reading. So nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ, śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Parīkṣit Mahārāja, "My dear king, there are many hundreds and thousands of topics for the materialistic person." Sahasraśaḥ. Sahasraśaḥ means thousands, and that is a fact. So many novels, so many fiction, so many so-called philosophy, newspaper, cinema paper, this paper, that paper, so many. Sahasraśaḥ.
Lots of literature. All nonsense, because it is mental speculation. I speculate in one way, you speculate in another way. You refute me, I refute you. So therefore, these talks of the body and talks of the mind, there are varieties. Nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). Why they are engaged in so many talks? Because they do not know, apaśyatām. They have no vision of the soul, ātma-tattva. Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Gṛhamedhī, those interested simply to maintain this body, they are called gṛhamedhī.
Generally, atheist class, they have no interest in God. The atheist class long, long ago, thousands of years ago, there was atheist also. Because there are two classes of men always within this world, atheist and theist, asura and deva, devatā. So not that atheist class men have developed at the present moment. It may be the number has increased, but atheist class of men were long, long ago also. There was Carvaka Muni, he was also called muni. Muni means mental speculator, or thoughtful. So this Carvaka Muni, he also presented his philosophy, atheism, that ṛṇāṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. So long you live, you live very joyfully by enjoying your senses. This is atheistic principle. And in India the sense enjoyment principle is based on ghee, clarified butter, because if they get butter, they prepare so many nice preparations. You have also learned how to do it. (laughter) In India there are varieties. If you sometimes go to India... In Delhi there are shops, many varieties of foodstuffs, all from grains and fruits, that's all. Grain, fruits, ghee, sugar, and salt. Varieties, hundreds. So eating, sleeping, the basic principle is eating, sleeping, mating. So Carvaka Muni says that "Live very joyfully, and eat very nicely, enjoy your senses, finish your life. That is atheism. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). They have no vision that there is soul.
So faith may be changed. But actually, what is meant by dharma, that is constitutional position, activities in one's constitutional position. This has been explained by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Real dharma, constitutional position of the living entity, is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is real dharma. Kṛṣṇa also confirms in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, simply unto Kṛṣṇa, surrender, that is real dharma. Otherwise it is pseudo-religious principles, pretension, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ.
There are two kinds of dharma: kaitava, cheating religious system, and real religious system. That is the subject matter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to teach people the real religious system. In this chapter also, Sūta Gosvāmī has explained, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). You can execute your occupational duties or religious system very nicely, but if you do not develop your love for God, Kṛṣṇa, then it is simply useless labor. It has no meaning. The test is how much you have developed your dormant consciousness for loving Kṛṣṇa. That is the test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). If actually one is making progress in devotional service, he must be detestful to any other system. They are not interested. Actual interest is Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. That is our actual interest. Especially when one comes to the form of a human being, his special interest should be how to approach Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31).
Dharma (is) generally translated into English as "religion." I have already explained several times. The dictionary meaning of religion is "a kind of faith." But actually, dharma means occupational duty, or the characteristic. Just like a snake. The snake, its religion is to bite, and fatal bite. That is his dharma, occupational duty. Everything has got... Just like this microphone, it must work, it must expand the sound. That is its dharma. If it does not expand the sound, it is useless. So everything you take, there are characteristics. That is the meaning of dharma. Dharma is not an artificial faith. Faith you can change, but your occupational duty, you cannot change.
So what is the occupational duty of the living entity? The living entity is now encaged in two kinds of gross and subtle body. Therefore, when he is situated in the bodily concept of life, his dharma is fruitive activities or sense gratification. When he is situated on the mental platform, then his occupational duties become speculation, imagination. And when he is situated in his original, spiritual platform, then his occupational duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa. These are the three positions: karma, jñāna, yoga, bhakti—gradual evolution. Because spiritual knowledge also gradually evolves. Nirviśeṣa-brahman, antaryāmī paramātmā, and ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa-bhagavān—these are the different stages of self-realization or spiritual advancement. Karma, jñāna, yoga and bhakti. Yoga means bhakti-yoga, or the preliminary, primary stage of bhakti-yoga.
What are they? First of all duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means simply engaged in sinful activities. Kṛti. Kṛti means meritorious. But duṣkṛti, badly meritorious. They are using their brain for something atrocious, simply planning how to do harm to others. That is called duṣkṛtina. For his own sense satisfaction he is plan... That is called asura. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Asuras, they are simply planning for his own sense gratification. And devotees, they are simply planning how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses. That is the difference. How Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. Both of them are planning, but one is planning for his own sense satisfaction and the other is planning how to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. This is the difference between asura and deva. There are two classes of men: deva and asura. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin daiva āsura eva ca (BG 16.6). Āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Those who are devotees of the Lord, servants of the Lord, they are called deva, or demigods. Āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. And the asuras are just opposite. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu, Prahlāda, the father and son. Prahlāda is deva because he is devotee of Kṛṣṇa. And Hiraṇyakaśipu, because Prahlāda is devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he's trying to always tease him. Although he is a five-years-old-boy, his son, his beloved son, but since he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, he became the enemy of the asura, Hiraṇyakaśipu. This process is existing from very, very time immemorial, two classes.
We commit mistakes; we are illusioned; we cheat; and at the same time, our senses are imperfect. So how we can give by speculation perfect knowledge? That is not possible. Therefore, our principle, Vedic principle, is to receive knowledge from the perfect. So-called scientists, so-called philosophers... Because basically they're imperfect, how they can give you perfect? They can speak something, "Perhaps it it like that," "Maybe like that," "Perhaps it was like that." All their theories are like that. But actual fact is different. Actual fact we get from the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, that dehāntara-prāptiḥ, tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13).
Dhīraḥ, one who is sober. There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means sober, and adhīra means mad after sense gratification. That is called adhīra. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice, dhīrādhīra. What is that? Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. It is pleasing both to the dhīra and the adhīra. Those who are sober, they will understand how great this movement is. And even those who are adhīra, they will also appreciate because our program is very nice. "Come here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, dance and take prasādam." Who will not accept this? And actually, everyone is liking, "All right, let us go to this society, chant for some time, dance, and take prasādam." And gradually, he becomes spiritualized, then appreciates, then he becomes a member.
So civilized human being must have religion. But religion does not mean to develop or improve economic condition. Generally people go to church, to temple, to express some awful condition, ārtaḥ jijñāsuḥ. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. What is the next life? Ārto arthārthī jijñāsur jñānī ca bharatarṣabha (BG 7.16). Four classes of men in the beginning take to God consciousness if they are pious, sukṛtinaḥ. Sukṛti means pious. One who does not act sinfully, he is called sukṛti. And one who acts sinfully, he is called duṣkṛtina. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that four classes of men, namely ārto arthārthī, if he is pious and if he is distressed, then he goes to church or temple—"My Lord, I am distressed. Please give me some help"—prays to the Lord. And arthārthī, one who is poor, he also goes to pray to God to give him some money. He is in distressed condition. These two classes, and another two classes, jijñāsu, one who is inquisitive to understand what is God, and jñānī... Jñānī means one who understands his constitutional position. He is jñānī. Most people, they do not understand what he is and what is the goal of life. They are called ajñānī, in ignorance. Just like animal. Animal does not know what is the aim of life. Similarly, if a human being does not know what is the aim of life, he is also animal. So catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna, arthārthī jñānī, jijñāsur jñānī ca bharatarṣabha (BG 7.16).
And vān is vatup, asty arthe vatup(?). If somebody possesses something, this affix vat or mat is used. So bhagavān means one who has opulences. So Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, when He was present on this planet, nobody could excel His opulences. That's a fact. Everyone knows. People want to enjoy. That is natural tendency, the association of woman. Here also we see that very, very rich men, they want to associate with nice, beautiful woman. In the Western countries I have seen. In Paris there are many clubs. So the club business is to go and enjoy the association of nice beautiful woman. So everyone knows it. So tendency is there. That is also richness. So that richness I have already explained. Here in the material world the same thing is represented pervertedly, not in actual position. Therefore we are frustrated.
So there are two kinds of philosophers. The mental speculators, empiric philosophers, they therefore reject that this should be zero. Here the association of woman is so abominable that it should be rejected. But they have no information that this association of woman and man is so, I mean to say, opulent in the spiritual world. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa is associating with the gopīs? Gopī-bhāva-rasāmṛtābdhi-laharī. Gosvāmīs, the six Gosvāmīs, about their life, they are described by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī were ministers in the government of Nawab Hussein Shah, most opulent. So naturally the minister must have association with big, big zamindars, lords, aristocratic family. But about them it is said, when they joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, resigning from their ministership, so that is described by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ.
And we are taking of this stool, ash and earth so much without caring for the real vital force which moving the body. We are very much careful for ash, stool, and earth, not careful of the living force which is moving this body, beautiful body. This body is beautiful, very attractive, very important, so long that spiritual spark is there. Otherwise it is stool, ash and earth. They do not know this.
So this requires intelligence. That intelligence is divided into this varṇāśrama-dharma. There must be intelligent class of men, brāhmaṇa. They are called intelligent class of men. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). The society must be divided into four classes for cooperation—I have explained yesterday. So at the present moment, two classes are wanting: the brāhmaṇa class and the kṣatriya class. The vaiśya class and the śūdra class and less than śūdra class are there. Because in the Kali-yuga, it is stated, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kalau, in this age, most, major portion of the population will be śūdras. Śūdras means fourth-class men. Fourth-class men means śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam. What is that? Paricaryātmakaṁ karma (BG 18.44). Just like dog. A dog, unless it has got a nice master, it is street dog. A street dog. It has no value. Anyone can kill, and it has no shelter, loitering in the street. So śūdra means dog's position. If he does not get a nice master, then he's street dog. In spite of high education, M.A., Ph.D, D.A.C, and this and that, if he does not get any employment, he's street dog. What is his value? Eh? "Oh, I have studied high technical education." But if you do not get a service for using your education, then you are a street dog. Is it not?
Thinking like ordinary worldly man. But he was not a coward. Not that he was hesitating to fight, but when he understood that "Kṛṣṇa wants this fighting. Oh, that's all right." Then Kṛṣṇa asked him, "My dear Arjuna, what is your decision?" "Yes." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). "Yes, I shall fight." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Kṛṣṇa wants this fighting. I do not want. I have nothing to... What is my value? Kṛṣṇa wants it. That is value." This is kṣatriya. So finished—the whole grandfather and grandchildren and everything, finished. The other party, Kauravas, not a single person lived.
So this is kṣatriya. And brāhmaṇa, giving direction. All the kṣatriya kings were taking direction from highly learned sages and brāhmaṇas... Just like Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. So these two classes are now wanted. Here is stated, cātur-varṇyam..., eh, varṇāśrama, varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Otherwise, this present human civilization is dead. There must be these two classes of men: brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya. Śūdras and vaiśyas are there. There are so many shopkeepers and workers and laborers. There is sufficient number. Now there is no brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give some benediction to the whole human society. It is not a sectarian so-called religion, sentiment. No. It is a scientific movement. Scientific movement... If you say, "Why you are interested to save the human society?" That is Kṛṣṇa's business. Kṛṣṇa wants, God wants, that "All these living entities, they should come back home, back to Godhead. Why they are suffering?" Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes personally.
Kṛṣṇa is very anxious. We are suffering here, rotting here. We are sons of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa does not like to see that we shall rot here. He wants, "Come back home, dance with Me, eat with Me." But these rascals will not go. They will stick here. "No, sir. It is very good here. I shall become hog and eat stool. That is very pleasant."
So this is position. Therefore, because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, we are servants of God, therefore it is our duty to save this human civilization. You see. Kṛṣṇa wants it. And to save this human civilization, these two classes are required very urgently. So you American boys and girls, you are intelligent, you have got all facilities. At least in your country, create these two classes, brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya. The world will be saved, and you will be saved, and Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. Brāhmaṇa's business means that people should know what is God, what is our relationship with Him. That is brāhmaṇa's... And kṣatriya's business is to give protection to the people so that may all know what is God. That is kṣatriya's... And vaiśyas business is to provide food for them, production. And śūdras is to help all these three classes by their labor. This is social organization. It is not that everyone will become brāhmaṇa or everyone will become kṣat... No. At the present moment, the Communists are trying: "Everyone should be Communist." That is not possible. You cannot make everyone of the same class. No. That is not possible. You have to use your intelligence in such a way that these four divisions can work cooperatively and become perfect.
So this is a very good qualification. One who becomes inquisitive to hear, so śuśrūṣoḥ. Śuśrūṣoḥ means one who is very inquisitive to hear; at the same time, to render service. These two qualifications. Śuśrūṣoḥ. Śraddadhānasya (SB 1.2.16), with faith. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. For him the taste for hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā is very easy. And syān mahat-sevayā. And this is also can be possible if we are fortunate enough to come in contact of a great soul, mahat-sevā. Mahat means great. And if we serve him, if we want to please him, mahat-sevayā viprāḥ: "My dear brāhmaṇas," he was addressing, puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt. And puṇya-tīrtha. There are many sacred places. They are called puṇya-tīrtha. There are two kinds of sacred places. Just like if you go to a place... Just like in Vṛndāvana or Kankhara(?). In India there are... In the Christian also you have got your sacred place. The Muhammadans they have got their sacred place, Medina, Mecca. You have got your Jerusalem. Similarly, these, those who are followers of Vedic principles, they have got their several places, sacred places. One... Some of you who have visited India might have seen Hardwar, Kankhar(?), Lakshmanjhula, Prayāga, Vṛndāvana, and Rāmeśvaram. There are many places.
So by serving these sacred places... To serve these sacred places means to... There are many good souls, great souls. So if you can find out such great souls, they are making their performances there. So if you find out some good, I mean to say, transcendentalist, and if you hear from him, then your process of life may be changed. So puṇya-tīrtha-niṣe... Or sometimes such persons, they travel all over the world also. So if you come in contact with such person and if you hear, then the vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ is developed. Then your tendency for hearing about Kṛṣṇa and Vāsudeva will develop. This is the true thing, that you must be very much eager. And when you are eager, Kṛṣṇa will send you. Kṛṣṇa is within you. As soon as He understands that "Here is a person who actually wants transcendental elevation," He makes you contact with such person. Such persons are all over. They are in the world. It is not rare. Of course, in this age it is very rare. But if we are sincere, if we are eager...
He has forgotten that he has got a body of hog so that he is bound to eat stool and live in a filthy place, but because he has got the facility of sense gratification with other female hogs—never mind whether sister, mother or daughter—he is happy. This hog's life. The hog is satisfied. It doesn't matter. We are seeing that what is the abominable condition, in a filthy place, he is eating stool. We are conscious that what is the condition of his life, but he is very happy. "Oh," you see, "what a very nice, happy, very life. I am eating very nicely the first-class food and having sex without any restriction. This is life."
So this is called māyā. Prakṣepātmikā-śakti, covering. Āvaraṇātmikā-śakti, prakṣepātmikā-śakti. There are two kinds of energy of material, māyā. One is āvaraṇātmi..., ignorance. One is living very condemned life; still, he's thinking, "I am very happy." Or "We are all right." So that is called āvaraṇātmikā, covered. Real knowledge is covered. And another śakti is prakṣepātmikā. Prakṣepātmikā means if anyone tries to get out of this... Suppose our students are coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, somebody is coming to us, māyā will dictate, "Oh, why you are coming here? There are so many restrictions and so rules and regulations. Better give it up." "Why, yes, what is this nonsense? Give it up." This is called prakṣepātmikā. Māyā is dragging. Because the more one is sinful, the more one is miscreant, the more one is the lowest of the mankind, he, māyā will not allow: "Oh, why this rascal is here? He must suffer under me for more..., sometimes more; then he may be allowed." That is māyā's business. Thankless business. Just like police. Police is nobody's enemy, but when criminal, they punish like that, put him in the jail and beats him with a rod. That is the business of māyā, thankless. Nobody will thank police. When police beats, nobody will, "Thank you very much." No. Nobody is happy. Similarly, māyā's business is very thankless task, but she is engaged by the supreme authority to punish.
This entanglement is karma-granthi-nibandhanam, by our karma. By different kind of karma, we are becoming entangled. So to unknot this, I mean to say, binding of entanglement, (it) is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yajñārthe karma, "You work simply for Yajña, for satisfaction of Yajña." Yajña-pati, Viṣṇu, or God, or Kṛṣṇa. Yajñārthe karma, anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ. "If you do not act for Kṛṣṇa, do not act for Viṣṇu, for Yajña, then karma-bandhana." Yajñārthe karmaṇaḥ anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ.
So this is karma-bandhana. This karma-bandhana begins from our attachment to this material world. How our material attachment increases? That is also explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). Mithunī-bhāvam. There is sex impulse between man and woman. There are two classes of living entities, man and woman, or male or female. So the male is attracted by the female, and the female is attracted by the male. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam. But what is that attraction, central point? Sex life. So this mentality, this propensity, is there not only in human body, but in the animal body also, that same propensity, sex life. So... But everyone is searching after, "Where is a male? Where is a female?" And when they are united, the karma-granthi becomes tighter. That's all. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etaṁ tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ (SB 5.5.8). They are searching after, and as soon as they are united, they become tightly knot. Hṛdaya-granthi.
This is the mahātmā. They are under the daivī-prakṛti. Daivī-prakṛti. There are two kinds of prakṛtis. We have studied in Bhagavad-gītā: aparā-prakṛti, parā-prakṛti. So parā-prakṛti, or nature, transcendental nature, that is called daivī-prakṛti. Just like we are trying to be under the guidance of Rādhārāṇī, daivī-prakṛti. Prakṛti means woman, and daivī, transcendental woman. And those who are materialists, they are under the mahā-māyā, material energy, Goddess Kālī, Durgā. They are the symbolic representation of material energy.
So those who are materialists, they take shelter of the material energy, and those who are transcendentalists, they take shelter of the transcendental nature. So those who are mahātmā, they take shelter of the transcendental prakṛti. So we have to render service to such person who is under the protection of the transcendental nature. That is called mahātmā. A mahātmā, this word you have heard. A mahātmā's description is mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Mahātmā has nothing to do with this material world; he is simply under the care of the transcendental prakṛti.
And eighty, eighty million, eight million, there are other species of life. But Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, claims that all of them, never mind, either he is bird or beast or man or a snake or whatever he may..., god, or semi-god, demigod, anything, whatever... "There are different forms, but apart from the forms, real identity is that all of them, they are My sons. I am actually bīja-pradaḥ pitā, seed-giving father." Just like the father gives the seed, and the mother receives the seed, and the body is formed according to the mother's body. And when the body is completely formed, it comes out, either from cats, either from dog, either from man, or anything. That is the process of generation. The father gives the seed, and it takes, emulsified, two kinds of secretion within the womb of the mother, and in the first night the body is formed like a pea. Then gradually it develops. There are certain holes, the nine holes. They first of all come out, nine holes. We have got nine holes, two eyes, one mouth, two ears, and penis, and so many things. So when they are fully developed, they come out. And according to their last karma, or action, they get this body and enjoy, or suffer. That is the process of birth and death which is going on. And after finishing this life, again dies, again enters into the moth..., womb of the mother, again gets another type of body, again comes out. This is going on. This is going on.
That is the whole process. So we should not miss this. And the whole thing begins just what we have begun now, now, this chanting and hearing. I wanted to point out that this chanting and hearing is as good as actual association of Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the Bhāgavata, that śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). This, this process is called kīrtana. Even one does not understand the language, still, by hearing only, he acquires some piety. His, his assets become pious life, even he does not understand. It is such powerful. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ... kṛṣṇa-kathā means topics in, in the matter of Kṛṣṇa. The topics in the matter of Kṛṣṇa, there are two, two kinds of topics. One topic is this, Bhagavad-gītā. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. And another kṛṣṇa-kathā, I mean to..., topics about Kṛṣṇa, is this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. That is spoken about Kṛṣṇa. So there are two types of kṛṣṇa-kathā, and both of them are equally potent because it is connected with Kṛṣṇa.
Now, in the Bhagavad-gītā... We find that the Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Now, what we have to do with the battlefield? We have nothing to do with battlefield. We are here to have some knowledge in the spiritual atmosphere, and why should we bother about the battlefield? No. Because in the battlefield there... (break) The whole battlefield has become Kṛṣṇized. Kṛṣṇized. Just like if there electric charges, electric current, is in some metal, the whole thing becomes surcharged with electricity, similarly, when Kṛṣṇa is interested in some matter, then the whole thing becomes Kṛṣṇized. Otherwise, there was no need of discussing the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra.
So here it is said bhāgavata-sevayā, not bhagavān-sevayā. Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and bhāgavata means in relation with Bhagavān, who has got relationship with Bhagavān. So here it is recommended bhāgavata-sevayā, not bhagavān-sevayā. The idea is that you cannot approach Bhagavān, God, directly. That is not possible. First of all, you have to serve bhāgavata, the devotee bhāgavata.
There are two kinds of bhāgavata: book bhāgavata and devotee bhāgavata. So in the Śiva Purāṇa, there was a question by Pārvatī to Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva and Pārvatī, husband and wife. Pārvatī means the material nature. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā (Bs. 5.44). Durgā-devī. Durgā-devī is in charge of this material world. It is called durgā, durgā, just like fort. And the superintendent of this fort is Durgā. You cannot go out of this fort; you are imprisoned. So such Durgā-devī, who is so powerful energy—she can create, annihilate, maintain, sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana—she is always sitting by the side of her husband, Lord Śiva, and questioning about spiritual enquiries. Just see. Such powerful deity is also ignorant about spiritual life. So the husband, Lord Śiva, is Vaiṣṇava, and she's always asking, and sitting down underneath a bael tree. She can create so many universes, but for her, no building; only underneath a tree.
Pradyumna: "Here is the remedy for eliminating all inauspicious things within the heart which are considered to be obstacles in the path of self-realization. The remedy is the association of the Bhāgavatas. There are two types of Bhāgavatas, namely the book Bhāgavata and the devotee Bhāgavata. Both the Bhāgavatas are competent remedies, and both of them or either of them can be good enough to eliminate the obstacles. A devotee Bhāgavata is as good as the book Bhāgavata because the devotee Bhāgavata leads his life in terms of the book Bhāgavata and the book Bhāgavata is full of information about the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees, who are also Bhāgavatas. Bhāgavata book and person are identical. The devotee Bhāgavata is a direct representative of Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, so by pleasing the devotee Bhāgavata one can receive the benefit of the book Bhāgavata. Human reason fails to understand how by serving the devotee Bhāgavata or the book Bhāgavata one gets gradual promotion on the path of devotion. But actually these are the facts explained by Śrīla Nāradadeva, who happened to be a maidservant's son in his previous life. The maidservant..."
Prabhupāda: There is another Vedic evidence:
- yasya deve parā bhaktir
- yathā deve tathā gurau
- tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
- prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
- (ŚU 6.23)
To... Vedic literature, the meaning becomes revealed to a person who has got unflinching faith in God and the spiritual master. Just like Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, he was illiterate, but he became the spiritual master of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. So the purport of the Vedic literature becomes revealed to a person who has got unflinching faith in God and the spiritual master. Go on.
So rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. There are three stages, you know: sattva, rajas, tamas. The material world is conducted by three modes—the modes of goodness, modes of passion, and modes of ignorance. Therefore we find varieties of men. So one has to come to the platform of the modes of goodness. Just like illiterate, uncultured, animal-like man is trained up to come, to become civilized. By training, it is possible. Just like, by training, even cats and dogs and tigers, they are also become obedient. That is our practical experience. The tiger in the circus, they play obediently to the orders of the master. So by training, it can be possible. But there are two kinds of training process. One process is scheduled: tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca (SB 6.1.13). Undergoing tapasya, austerity, brahmacaryeṇa... Brahmacaryeṇa means controlling sex indulgence or sex impulse. Brahmacarya means practically no sex life. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena, damena (SB 6.1.13), by controlling the senses, by controlling the mind. Tyāgena, by giving up in charity. So there are gradual process, but there is another process. Another process means this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Either you practice in this way... Just like if you want to go up, there are two vehicles or process. You go step by step, one step after another. Suppose you have to go one hundred steps. So you have to go step by step. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena (SB 6.1.13), practicing. The another process is... (someone making tapping sound) (aside:) Why you are making this sound? Stop it. Another process is the lift. You go by step by step or take the process of lift. Within a second, you come up.
So everyone, even in this age, the advanced materialistic persons, they seek after peace, peacefulness of ātmā, or self. Take for example that in Western countries the younger generation, coming from very rich family, rich nation, but they have given up the standard of living as it is observed by their fathers or grandfathers. They do not like it. Because they do not like it. Because they are not satisfied. Yayātmā suprasīdati. There is no satisfaction of ātmā. Therefore they have given up.
Bhoga and tyāga. Bhoga means enjoyment, and tyāga means renunciation. So actually, in this world, some people are very much busy in the matter of bhoga, enjoying, the karmīs. And some people are very much engaged in the business of tyāga, renouncement. These two kinds of activities are going on. One is very, very busy for acquiring things for enjoy, sense enjoyment, and when he's dissatisfied, he cannot fully enjoy, neither he's satisfied, he says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "This world is false. There is no need of this world. The grapes are sour." The same story. The jackal and the grapes. A jackal wanted to eat the grapes, and it jumped many times, but could not approach the grapes. So at last he satisfied himself that "There is no need of the grapes. It is sour." So this brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā is like that. When one is fed up or tired of this world, he cannot enjoy it due to age or other circumstances, at that time, he says, jagan mithyā. Why jagan mithyā? If God is truth, then creation of God is also truth. Why it should be mithyā? But because he has no knowledge, sufficient knowledge of the Vedic instruction, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam, pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (ISO 1), he does not know that creation of God is complete.
He appears as soon as there is discrepancies in the methodical way. Another place, indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokam (SB 1.3.28). Indra. Indra means the heavenly god, and ari means enemy. So indrāri, the enemy of the king of heaven. That means demons. There are two classes of beings, human being, in the human state: the devatā and asura. So devatā means God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Anyone who is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is devatā, demigod. And anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's demon. This is the difference. So that demon may be very big or small, it doesn't matter, but... Asuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Viparyayaḥ means "just the opposite." The devotees, they are demigods, and asura means just the opposite number of devotee; that means nondevotees. Those who are nondevotees, those who are not devotees of the Lord, they are all demons.
So demons are always disturbing. They'll create disturbance. That is... Their business is to create disturbance in the creation of the Supreme Lord. So this Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu, two brothers, they were creating so much disturbances. The whole world is disturbed only for the existence of the demons, asuri. At the present moment also, the world is full of demons. The devotees, their number is very, very small. Just like our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We can count within the finger how many we have got, Kṛṣṇa conscious; but demons, non-Kṛṣṇa conscious, nondevotees, there is no limit. Innumerable. So when demons are too much prominent, then Kṛṣṇa comes. So in the Kali-yuga He has appeared... Just like previously He appeared in the form of hog, similarly, Kṛṣṇa has appeared in this Kali-yuga in the form of His name. There is no difference between the form and name of God. God is absolute. Nāma-rūpe, in the form of name. So those who are disturbed by the demons may take shelter of this form of God, Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be saved. Otherwise, the demon will put you within the Pacific Ocean water. Just like this demon. But Kṛṣṇa will save you. As Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into the water by his father.
So there are some important words in this verse. The first thing is dhīrāṇām. Dhīrāṇām mean sober, gentle. There are two ways, because there are two kinds of people in this world. One is called dhīra, and the other is called adhīra. Adhīra means almost animal. They cannot control their senses. The dhīra, one who can control sense. He is called dhīra. In the Rūpa Gosvāmī's obeisances we find, kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is appreciable by the both classes, dhīra and adhīra. Those who are advanced by austerities, controlling the senses, and those who are not so, very fallen, both of them, Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau.
Another example of dhīra is there in Kumāra Sambhava. Kumāra Sambhava is a Sanskrit book, which I think we read in our college I.A. class, by Kālidāsa, poet Kālidāsa. So this theme of that book is that the demigods, they wanted to fight with the demons, and it was necessary that a son should be begotten by Lord Śiva. So Lord Śiva at that time lost his wife in the dakṣa-yajña. She gave up his (her) life. There was some misunderstanding between Mahārāja Dakṣa, father of Pārvatī, or Durgā. So she gave up her life because her father was against Lord Śiva. He was repudiating Lord Śiva, and she could not tolerate that "My father, you are so proud that you are blaspheming Lord Śiva because you think I am your daughter and your son-in-law is subordinate. So I am returning this body to you."
So this Vaivasvata Manu means at the present moment the president of the sun planet is called Vivasvān. His name is Vivasvān. And because his son Manu... Vivasvān manave prāha... The Bhagavad-gītā was spoken long, long ago by Kṛṣṇa to the sun-god, Vivasvān. Vivasvān. They are trying to understand the historical dates. So how you can understand the historical date? It is beyond your calculation. You cannot calculate even one Brahmā's day. And in Brahmā's one day there are fourteen manus. So it is beyond your brain substance. You can have some idea.
Now here it is said Vaivasvata Manu. Vaivasvata Manu. There are different manus. Just like first of all it is said Cākṣuṣa Manu. Similarly, next it is said Vaivasvata Manu. So this Vaivasvata Manu is the son of sun-god. There are two kinds of kṣatriya families within this planet: one coming from the moon and the other is coming from the sun. The first person, I mean to say, first father of this kṣatriya family from sun, his first son is manu. And his name is Vaivasvata Manu. Because he is the son of Vivasvān, therefore his father's name is also added. In India the system is still that when a man will give you name, the first name is his own name, the second name is his father's name, and the third name is his village name. So that by three names he will understand that "This man is the son of such and such gentleman and coming from such and such village." Complete name. Just like when we give our identification, we give our own name, our father's name and address. That is complete identification. So still, not in everywhere, in almost all provinces of India, the system is still current. State..., especially in Maharastra province. Maharastra province, they exactly will give you his own name his father's name, and his village name.
So everything is there. God is there. His name is there. His address is there. His law is there. Everything is there. But the rascals will not accept it. That is the position. Therefore we have to follow the mahājana. So Bali Mahārāja is one of the mahājana. How he became mahājana? Because he's surrendering fully unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Vāmanadeva, incarnation of... Keśava dhṛta-vāmana-rūpa. So the incident is that Bali Mahārāja was very powerful, and he conquered the whole universe, even the demigods all. So Viṣṇu is always in favor of the demigods because demigods, they are also devotees. The difference between sura and asura... Asura means envious of the demigods. That is called asura. Sura-dviṣa. The another name of the asura, "those who are envious of devotees." That is the only business. There, two classes of men are always there. Sometimes one class in more in number, and other class is more in number. But two classes. Dvau bhūta-sargau loke (BG 16.6). "There are two classes of men, living entities." Daiva āsura eva ca. "One is called daiva, demigods, and the other is called āsura." So who is daiva? Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva. "Those who are devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, they are called demigods, or Vaiṣṇava." All Vaiṣṇavas are demigods. And those who are not... Āsuras tad viparyayaḥ. "Anyone opposite number, against Viṣṇu, they are all called asuras."
So four classes of men comes to God. If they are pious, if the background is piety; then out of that class of men, inquisitive, jijñāsu; jñānī..., jñānī means those who are wise; and ārta, distressed: arthārthī, those who are in need of money. Generally people, ordinarily, if he is pious, then when he is in distress, he prays to God, "My dear Lord, I am in distress. Kindly save me." Or if somebody is in want of money, he also approaches God, "My dear Lord, for want of money I am suffering. Kindly give me some money." These are two classes. And the other two classes, jñānī, simply for knowledge, what is the actual constitutional position of God. He is called jñānī. And inquisitive, and inquiring what is God. So these four classes of men try to understand God or approaches God.
So out of these four, two classes, those who are in distress, or those who are in want of money, as soon as they get money, they forget God. Or as soon as their distress is over, they forget God. But these two classes, inquisitive and wise, they continue to search out what is God. So out of these two classes, when one understands what is God, he is perfect. Bahūnām. That becomes possible after many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). What kind of knowledge? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Kṛṣṇa is everything, Vāsudeva. "Kṛṣṇa's another name is Vāsudeva." Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That type of great soul is very rare. So in other words, those who have taken Kṛṣṇa as everything, they are the greatest soul, the topmost soul within the world. They cannot be misled by imitation Ramakrishna. They are interested with the real Rāma-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva.
During the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the Kali-yuga could not enter. He was so strong king. Kali-yuga means these four principles: illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and meat-eating. This is Kali-yuga. Before the beginning of Kali-yuga, there was no such thing in the world, all over the world. With the beginning of the Kali-yuga, these things have begun: illicit sex, intoxication... Now it is so spread that every home, every house, every country, is full of these four principles of sinful life.
So tataḥ sampravṛtte kalau sammohāya sura-dviṣām (SB 1.3.24). Sura-dviṣām. Dviṣa means, "I don't like to see you." That is called dviṣa. Dveṣa. Icchā-dveṣa. We have got two kinds of likings. We want to see somebody, and we want to, we do not want to see somebody. Icchā-dveṣa. These are our activities. Icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). Our creation within this material world, icchā-dveṣa... We wanted to enjoy this material world, and we did not like Kṛṣṇa. Dveṣa. Dveṣa means, "I don't like you." There are so many things, we say, "I don't like." So as soon as we don't like Kṛṣṇa, God, and want to enjoy this material world, then we fall down, immediately. Icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarge means... This is the cause of our creation of this material body. Just like when you enter into the water, just like so many swimmers now entering within the..., you have to take a particular type of dress. As you are going to the moon planet, you have to fortify yourself with a particular type of dress. It costs about forty millions dollars? Something like that. You see? Similarly, the spirit soul... We are all spirit soul. When we want to enter this material world, we get this material body. This is the process. Now... Just like they take pleasure diving within the water, swimming like the fish. That natural tendency is there. You cannot say, "Why I have come to this material world?" Why you are swimming within the water? Why? Who has induced you? There is no such question. But the fact is as soon as you want to enter this material world, you have to accept this dress. Otherwise you cannot work here. This is the fact.
So Devarṣi, when he was comfortably seated, with his hand, in his hand that vīṇā, vīṇā-pāṇiḥ. Vīṇā-pāṇiḥ is called Sarasvatī. Vīṇā means that stringed instrument which is carried by Nārada and also Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning. Sarasvatī. Students, they worship Sarasvatī for getting learning, material knowledge. And we Vaiṣṇavas, we also... He is also Sarasvatī. Nārada is also Sarasvatī. My spiritual master was known as Sarasvatī, Siddhānta Sarasvatī. Sarasvatī is the knowledge.
So there are two kinds of knowledge, avidyā and vidyā. Real vidyā means brahma-vidyā. This brahma-jijñāsā, athāto brahma..., that is vidyā. That is real knowledge. And avidyā, karma-saṁjña. Another vidyā is how to learn technology, avidyā. Avidyā. That is avidyā. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. So now, at the present moment, the education is being given to the people how to work hard, karma-saṁjña. That is not now. That is the system everywhere, because everyone wants to enjoy senses as far as possible, so he has to work very hard. But in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you will find the instruction is by Ṛṣabhadeva, that this life is not meant for that simply hard labor for sense gratification. If you work hard, you try to work hard for attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life will be successful. You have to work hard. If you want to enjoy senses, they are not very easily available. It is said that udyogināṁ praharṣaṁ praheti lakṣyam.(?) Unless you become industrious, laborious, you cannot enjoy even this material world.
Otherwise, it is not possible. We have to disinfect us, counteract all result of sinful activities. Asat. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa, te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa. If we give up sat-saṅga, association of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, and if we simply take pleasure in the materialistic way of life, then we shall be entangled, simply entangled. Sat-saṅga chāḍi kainu asate vilāsa.
So people, generally, even though they have some kind of religion, all over the world, religion has become a secondary thing. Understanding of God, it is something like recreation, weekly recreation. That sort of life will not help. Of course, that is the beginning. That's nice. That is not bad. In the Bhagavad-gītā, two classes of men have been described. One class of men:
- na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
- prapadyante narādhamāḥ
- māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
- āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
- (BG 7.15)
There are two classes of men all over the world. One class of men is called deva, devatā, or demigods, and one class of men are called demons. And what is the difference between demons and the demigods? The difference is, viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ: "Those who are devotees of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu, they are demigods." Demigod does not mean that you have got a bigger head or so many legs or so... No. Simply this is the qualification: viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva. Only viṣṇu-bhakta, not other, demigod's devotee. No. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. Just like Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa is designated as asura. Hiraṇyakaśipu is designated as asura.
Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the ādi-puruṣam. Govindam ādi-puruṣam, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). Just like in the tree there are trunk, branches, twigs, sub-branches, leaves, flowers, so many things. But the cause is the root.
So here it is said that hari-toṣaṇam. Bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. The root must be satisfied. If you want to maintain the tree, then the root or the original cause of the tree should be satisfied. Then everything is satisfied. So here in this material world they are trying to be happy, but they do not know how to become happy. They are put into the ocean of nescience. May be very expert swimmer, but simply swimming will not save you. You must know how to save. So here it is said, yad atra kriyate karma. Everyone is doing something. Vaidikī laukikī vā. There are two kinds of karmas. Vaidikī means according to the Vedic rituals. Performance of big, big sacrifices and so many other, that is called vaidikī. And laukikī... Just like we have got good experience nowadays. There are so many activities, factories, mills, and scientific research work, so many. This is laukikī. So Kṛṣṇa does not say... Yes. The Sūta Gosvāmī does not say that simply by vaidikī activities, big, big ritualistic ceremonies, you can be happy. You can be happy even by laukikī. Laukikī mean these material activities. Generally, people understand, big, big factories nowadays, or agriculture or anything, there are laukikī. Laukikī means for maintenance of the body. So Nārada Muni recommends that yad atra, anything you are doing, kriyate. Atra means in this material world, atra. Yad atra kriyate karma bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. It doesn't matter that you do not understand these Vedic rituals, but you want to develop the economic position of your country by industrial enterprises. Yes, that is also good. That is also good. How? Bhagavat-paritoṣaṇam. If it is conducted for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, then it is good.
If we keep the title gosvāmī and become servant of the senses, it is cheating. You must be gosvāmī, means you must be master of the senses. Self-control. So what the Gosvāmīs did? Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau cātyanta-dīnau ca yau. Very humble and... Nidrā means sleeping, āhāra means eating, and vihāra means sense enjoyment, vijitau, they conquered over.
So our process is to follow the Gosvāmīs. Ei chay gosāi yāṅr tāṅr mui dās. So we should try to follow the Gosvāmīs. We should keep in view what they did. They used to, I mean to say, pass their time in kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Dhīrādhīra. There are two classes of men in the world, dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means saintly persons, sober, those who have controlled their senses, gosvāmīs. And adhīra: just the opposite. So these Gosvāmīs, six Gosvāmīs, they were popular to the both classes of men, dhīra and adhīra. Their character was so sublime, nice, that even in this Vṛndāvana when Sanātana Gosvāmī was there, the village men, they would accept Sanātana Gosvāmī as the leader of the village. Actually, they were leader. But to pose himself as leader, but cannot control others, (Bengali) gaya mane mora āpni moro(?). Not like that. He must able be to lead them. So although Sanātana Gosvāmī was interested kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau, he was not disinterested with others who were not devotees. They were also interested. Not interested, but sympathetic. They were not interested with the materialists, but the ordinary householders, they would fight, husband and wife, and come to Sanātana Gosvāmī for settlement. And whatever Sanātana Gosvāmī would give judgment, they will accept. They will accept. He was, they were very popular, (the) Gosvāmīs. And they were staying sometimes here, sometimes there, sometimes Rādhā-kuṇḍa, sometimes... They were not staying in one place.
So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it's only aim is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Method, that is intelligence: What method we should accept so that our, this process of, or the propaganda of Kṛṣṇa consciousness may go on very nicely. The process should be only to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, hari-toṣaṇam. That is the recommended Vedic process.
Sātvata means eternal, and saṁhitā means Vedic literature. Vedic literature... Veda means knowledge. There are two kinds of knowledge: material knowledge and spiritual knowledge. Material knowledge means regarding these necessities of this body. So our educational system, the university, everything, that is simply imparting material knowledge. But material knowledge is superfluous because this body is also superfluous. Every one of us, we know that this body is nonpermanent. It is temporary. We create a certain type of situation, and we get a particular type of body, and we enjoy or suffer. There is no question of enjoyment; it is suffering. Just like we are running on this fan because the body is suffering. Otherwise, there is no necessity of this fan. And we require this light because without light the eyes will suffer.
So actually our material knowledge, we have discovered this electricity just to counteract these sufferings of this material body. Kaṣṭān kāmān. This body is therefore anartha. Anartha means things which are not required. That is called anartha. Artha means things which we require, positive. And anartha means things which we do not require but unnecessarily imposed upon us. So that is suffering. We are thinking that we are enjoying this electric fan, but actually we are suffering; therefore the electric fan is required. So why this electric fan is required? Because the body is anartha; it has created the situation. The same electric fan will be a trouble, a misery in winter season. The same body, the same electric fan—sometimes it is pleasing, and sometimes it is not pleasing. Therefore the conclusion is this body is anartha, not required. But people do not know that without this material body we can exist. Actually we are existing in spiritual body, and this material body is a covering of the spiritual body. Just like your shirt and coat are covering of your real body, similarly, this material body is covering of the spiritual body.
So compulsory, the government is trying to make compulsory, but that cannot. You cannot make a person honest simply by legislation. He must be vimarśanam. Prāyaścittaṁ vimarśanam. One must be fully conscious, "Now what I am doing, it is wrong." Then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Just like a person who is a thief, he knows that "I am stealing, and if I am arrested, I'll be punished." He knows that. And he has seen that one thief is arrested. So we get two kinds of experiences. One kind of experience by hearing: "If you do this, then the result will be this." That is hearing. And one kind of experience by directly seeing. So the thief has both. He has seen that a thief has been punished, and he knows by hearing from the lawbooks or from religious books that stealing is not good. But still he commits repeatedly, again and again stealing. Why? Because he has no knowledge. Therefore knowledge is essential. That knowledge can be revived. This is kṛṣṇa-kīrtana. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam (CC Antya 20.12). You want ānanda, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Everyone is seeking after ānanda. So pūrṇānanda. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's recommendation.
So bhakti-yoga means chanting. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). This is the beginning. Hear about Viṣṇu, chant about Viṣṇu. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. No, not any other. Śāstra says Viṣṇu. But there are many rascals, they say you can chant any name. Why? Why the śāstra says śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, chanting and hearing about Viṣṇu, not for any other god? That is not recommended. But they make. Because they are impersonalists, they have no God, they have made "God means imagination." But God is not imagination. God—here is Kṛṣṇa. He's not imagination. He says aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2), "I am the origin of everyone."
So because you do not know what is God, so our life is void. But here Kṛṣṇa is personally coming, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). What is that glāni? Dharmasya glāniḥ. That you are very dharmika, so-called dharmika, but you have no understanding what is God—that is nonsense. That is not dharma. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Dharma means the order of God. That if you do not know God, if you manufacture your God, "God has no head, no mouth, no nose, no nothing, no, no, no, ultimately zero..." Ultimately zero. So there are two kinds of dangerous person. One person is atheist, agnostic. And another person is Māyāvādī, impersonalist. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādī. Therefore these two things are mentioned: Māyāvādī, "God means has no head, no leg," and śūnyavādī, "There is no God." So the person who says "There is no God," he's gentleman, because he does not believe. But the person who takes the shelter of Vedas and professes that "I am vaidika, I am vedāntī," and refuses the form of God, he's more dangerous.
Sometimes it so happens as family members, they do not take care. Otherwise Vyāsadeva's son is expected to become Śukadeva Gosvāmī. If not, such family connection should be given up. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam. Family life, if it is favorable for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it should be accepted; otherwise it should be rejected. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam.
So what was the qualification of Śukadeva Gosvāmī which induced Vyāsadeva to teach him this saṁhitām? Śukam adhyāpayām āsa nivṛtti-niratam: he has no more attraction for material world. That is the qualification. Nirvṛtti. There are two kinds of life: nirvṛtti and pravṛtti. Pravṛtti means materialistic, karmīs. Generally karmīs, they have got tendency to enjoy this material world. That is called pravṛtti. Pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛttes tu... Pravṛtti is natural inclination. Anyone who has come to this material world... Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānām. Everyone is in the pravṛtti-mārga. What is that pravṛtti-mārga? The pravṛtti-mārga is these things: sex, meat-eating, intoxication, like that. This is pravṛtti-mārga. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttes tu mahā-phalām. So the whole Vedic literature is there how to make him stop this pravṛtti-mārga. That is the whole plan. Otherwise there are many instances, loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityas tu jantuḥ. Nitya. A jantuḥ, he's called jantuḥ. Jantuḥ means animal or no intelligence. Those who are jantuḥ, they have got this tendency. Pravṛttir eṣā. What is that?
So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is amalaṁ purāṇam. Amalam. Mala means dirty things and amalam means without any dirty things. What is that dirty things? The dirty things means the material modes of nature—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Because it is material it is called mala, dirty. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: amalam, without any material contamination, because simply narration of Bhagavān and Bhagavān's devotees. Bhāgavata, bhakta. Therefore it is named Bhāgavatam: dealings between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His devotees. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
So who will be interested in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? That is mentioned here: harer guṇākṣipta-matiḥ. Kṣipta means madness. Here is a man, kṣipta, means he's mad. So there are two kinds of madness. One madness is for material enjoyment. They are also mad, pramatta. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). The material madness entangles people more and more in the process of birth and death. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, anādi karama-phale paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale taribāre nā dekhi upāya. Anādi karama-phale paḍi' bhavārṇava-jale. Somehow or other, we have fallen in this material world, the ocean of nescience, bhavārṇava. Arṇava means ocean, and bhava means repetition of birth. In this ocean we have fallen. Therefore our prayer should be not for any material opulence, as we generally do. Dhanaṁ dehi rūpaṁ dehi: "Give me money or mitigate my distress." This is very lower stage of devotion, to ask something from the Supreme Lord.
It is said in the Brahma-saṁhitā, goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43). Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni. That is Kṛṣṇa's personal planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu (Bs. 5.43). There are other planetary system, Hari-dhāma, Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma. Then, this is, this material world is called Devī-dhāma, and between the Goloka, between the spiritual world and material world there is...Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu (Bs. 5.43). So there are so many status (?) of planetary system. Each planet is full with living entities. The spiritual planet, they are full of living entities: they are all liberated, nitya-mukta. And those who are within this material world, planets, they are nitya-baddha. Nitya-baddha, nitya-mukta. There are two kinds of living entities. The nitya-baddhas are only few, but the nitya-muktas are many, many. This material world is only one fourth energy of the creation. The three-fourths energy is in the spiritual world. And here in the one-fourth energy there are innumerable universes, and each universe is full with different types of planets, and each planet is full of living entities. But these rascals, they say it is..., there is no living entity; it is sand and rocks. So this is not the fact. You have to understand from the Vedic literature about the planets, where which planet is existing, where is spiritual world, where is material world. All informations are there. Don't speculate and simply think that this planet is full of living entities, all other planets are vacant. This is most unusual argument. There is no meaning. But we are not concerned with that. We have got our own information from the Vedas.
Just like sometimes out of disappointment, too much suffering, one commits suicide—death. So death means very, very painful, as much as birth is also very, very painful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa presents, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyadhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One who is intelligent enough, he should always keep before him the sufferings of birth, death, old age, and disease in front. (aside:) You can, side. Birth, death, old age and..., they are very suffering condition, but if one is advanced devotee, he's not afraid of. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (SB 6.17.28). Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ, he's never afraid of. Death is coming, that's all right. What is the wrong there? Provided he knows that "After giving up this body, I am going to Kṛṣṇa"? Dhīras tatra na muhyati. He's dhīra. One who is dhīra, he's not afraid of.
So we have to become dhīra. Then we shall not be afraid of death. Unless we are dhīra... There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means one who is not disturbed even though there is cause of disturbances. One may not be disturbed when there is no cause of disturbances. Just like we are not, now at the present moment, we are not afraid of death. But as soon as we find there is earthquake, and we are afraid of this building may fall down, the cause of disturbances, then we become very much disturbed—sometimes screaming. So one who is not disturbed, even there is cause of disturbance, he is called dhīra. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. This is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā. We have to become dhīra from adhīra. But this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice that adhīra can be dhīra. This is the profit of this movement. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pleasing to both the classes of men, namely the dhīra and the adhīra. It is so nice. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau. This was introduced by Caitanya Mahāprabhu and followed by the six Gosvāmīs. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.
That is going on nowadays. One becomes very great philanthropist, rejecting... They say, "What is the use of this temple worship?" The daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. Nārāyaṇa has now become daridra. Formerly Nārāyaṇa was husband of the goddess of fortune. And now he has become daridra. So serve this Nārāyaṇa. This, they're manufacturing, concoction. This is not... That means sinful activities. Because he has manufactured something, that is sinful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says plainly that "You rascal, you give up any other engagement, even if you think it is very pious activity, very philanthropic. You give up." Sarva-dharmān. Sarva means whatever you think pious and whatever you think impious, both of them should be given up. Because there are two kinds of activities: pious or impious. And sarva includes pious and impious.
So you have to give up everything. Simply you have to become ready. "My Lord, I am now fully surrendered. Whatever You ask me, I shall do it." Then you are liberated person. Īhā yasya harer dāsye. That is Rūpa Gosvāmī's instruction. Anyone who has determined like this that "I shall simply serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all." Īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṇā manasā girā: by work, by mind, by body, or by words. One has decided like that, nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate: in any condition of life, he's liberated. Any condition of life. Because that īhā yasya harer dāsye. Simply he's thinking of how to serve Kṛṣṇa, how to serve Kṛṣṇa. He is liberated. So what is there wrong or what is there difficulty? If you simply think of man-manāḥ, always think of Kṛṣṇa: "What shall I do?" "Oh, yes. My representative is there. You take permission from him and do it." Where is the difficulty? There's no difficulty. But because we are mūḍha, narādhamas, we are manufacturing and suffering.
Otherwise, simply by working hard, anyone could become a big man? No. That is not possible. Without Kṛṣṇa's desire, without sanction, it cannot be done. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everyone is under the obligation of nature and karma. One cannot surpass. There are many instances in the śāstras.
So we are discussing the point, "Who requires a guru?" If you are actually serious about understanding the spiritual subject matter, brahma-jijñāsā... Not this market value. If you are interested about brahma-jijñāsā... Just like the merchant association, they inquire, "What is the value of this share? What is the value of this commodity? What is the val...?" No. Not that kind of inquiries. But śreya-uttamam. Jijñāsuḥ śreya-uttamam. There are two kinds of objective: śreya and preya. Preya means immediately sense gratification. Just like a child. Child wants to play because it gives him immediately some sense gratification, satisfaction. He does not like to go to a school or to study or to take lesson. He does not like. That is actually preya (śreya). Preya... That is śreya, future benefit. So the parents, the guardians, engage him for future benefit. "You must take education. Otherwise, in future you'll suffer without education." So this is called śreya. Similarly, our human life is meant for śreya, not for preya. The modern civilization, they are interested in preya: immediate some sense gratification. That is not wanted. Therefore śāstra said śreya, not preya. The modern civilization is that "Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. Do not care for what is future life." That is condemned civilization. We should know that there is future life, there is birth after death, and we must be prepared.
The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. Their poor fund of knowledge... If God has created this material world, then He must not be anything of this material world. Because before creation He was existing, and after creation, after annihilation, He will remain, then how He can be anything of this material world? Material world, anything has got a beginning and end. But God is beyond this material world. He was existing... He said, "Let there be creation." Just like in your Bible it is said. So there was creation. So how He can be one of the created beings? By His wish there was creation. And another thing is then His desires, His wish, they are nothing of this material world. They are spiritual. Prakṛteḥ param means "superior to this material world."
In the Bhagavad-gītā, you understand, there are two kinds of nature: parā and aparā. So this material nature is aparā, apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām. Apareyam. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). The land, water, fire, air, sky, these five elements, they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā: "They are separated energy, inferior quality energy. But beyond this inferior quality energy, I have got another superior quality of energy." What is that? Jīva-bhūta. You can understand that jīva-bhūta, the living entities. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Because jīva-bhūta, we living entities, we are superior than the matter because we are controlling the matter. Just like we have been in the riverside, so many things, material things, we saw. But who has made it? The living entities. The matter has not come into so many forms without the touch of the living entity. Everyone can understand. The big, big ship, how it has come into existence? Because a living entity planned, engineered how to do it, and he brought material things, and he manufactured it. Therefore this inferior energy, the material things, they are subordinate to the spiritual energy.
Māyā-javanikācchannam ajñā... These materialistic persons, they are ajñā, means they have no sufficient knowledge. Unless one develops the light of knowledge, sattva-guṇa... Sattva-guṇa is the light of knowledge. Rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa is darkness. Ignorance and passion. In this stage one cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is God. Ajñā. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). As we have discussed in Bhagavad, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ, those who are infected with the two kinds of material modes, means rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, they are simply busy, kāma and lobha. They are busy only... Those who are passionate, they are simply busy for sense gratification, and those who are in ignorance, in darkness, they have no eyes to see.
So these two classes of men... Mostly people are infected with these two kinds of modes of material nature. Rajas-tamas. The whole world. At the present moment, especially, mostly ignorance, and some of them are passionate. That passionate tendency is engaging them for so many industries and very, very strong work, ugra-karma. Ugra-karma. Ugra-karma means very strong...? What is, should be the English word? Ugra... Ugra, just like chili, pungent. There are many things. They are very strong in taste. So ugra-karma, these... Just like they are building hundred-and-fifty-story building. People can live comfortably in a small cottage or one-storied house or little more. But no, they're increasing. Their passionate activities are increasing. Just like in your country, in New York, now there is hundred-and-four-storied building, or more than that. Some building?
I have got no attachment for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is My misfortune." Kṛṣṇa has given so much facilities, that He is present before you by transcendental vibration in His name, and the name has got all the potencies of Kṛṣṇa. So if you remain in contact with the name, you get all the benefit of Kṛṣṇa's benediction, but still, I am not inclined to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. this is misfortune.
So a devotee never takes dangerous position as very reverse position or very calamitous position. He welcomes. Because a surrendered soul, he knows either danger or festival, they are all different demonstration of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. In the śāstra it is said that just like there are two kinds, two sides, religiosity and irreligiosity, just the opposite. But in the śāstra it is said the religiosity is just the front portion of God, and irreligiosity is the back portion of God. So God's front portion or back portion, is there any difference? God is absolute. Therefore a devotee, either in opulence or in danger, he is not disturbed. He knows both these things are Kṛṣṇa. Either in dangerous position... "Now Kṛṣṇa has appeared before me as danger."
Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu and Prahlāda Mahārāja and Nṛsiṁha-deva. Nṛsiṁha-deva is dangerous to Hiraṇyakaśipu, and He is the Supreme Friend to Prahlāda Mahārāja, the same Personality. Similarly God is never dangerous to the devotee. Devotee is never afraid of dangers. He's confident that the danger, that is another feature of God. "So why shall I be afraid? I am surrendered to Him." So Kuntīdevī says that: vipadaḥ santu. Vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat. Because he, she knows how to remember Kṛṣṇa at times of danger. So he is, she is welcoming danger. "My dear Lord, I welcome such dangers when I can remember You." Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa when his father was putting him in dangerous position. So if you are put into the dangerous position and if that dangerous position gives an impetus to remember Kṛṣṇa, that is welcome. That is welcome. "Oh, I am getting this opportunity of remembering Kṛṣṇa."
Anyone can realize. This is practical. You take to spiritual life, we are inviting! "Please come, join us. Chant, dance with us. Take prasādam, be happy." "No, no, we shall work." (laughter) Just see. What is our business? We are canvassing simply, "Please come." "No." "Why?" "I shall work like cats and dogs," that's all. So, just try to understand. This is the difference between spiritual life and material lie. Material life means you have to work. You will be forced. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate. When analyzing the energy of Kṛṣṇa in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is said, viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā. Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu's energy is parā, superior energy or spiritual energy. Parā. Parā and aparā, you have read in the Bhagavad-gītā. Apareyam itas tu vidhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. When Kṛṣṇa is analyzing, two kinds of nature, parā and aparā, inferior and superior. This is also nature, bhūmih, āpaḥ, analo, vāyuḥ, land, water, fire, air. This is also Kṛṣṇa's nature. Kṛṣṇa says vidhi me prakṛtiḥ aṣṭadhā. "These eight kinds of material nature, they are My nature, they are My energy. But they apareyam. But this is inferior energy. And there is another, superior nature." "What is that, Sir?" Jīva-bhūta, this living energy. And these rascals, they do not know that there are two natures working—material nature and spiritual nature. The spiritual nature is within the material nature; therefore it is working. Otherwise material nature hs no power to work independently. This simple thing the so-called scientists cannot understand.
You'll not die by eating less. But you may die eating more. People die for overeating, not for undereating. This should be the principle. Here... Medical science always forbids not to eat more than you require. Voracious eating is the cause of diabetes, and undernourishment is the cause of tuberculosis. This is the medical science. So we should not take under, neither more. In children case, they can commit the mistake of taking more, but adults, they cannot commit. This mistake, taking more. Children, they can digest. All day they are playing.
So anyway, we should take care of our health also. Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was suffering from itches, very much, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was embracing him. So the, the itches were wet itches. There are two kinds of itches, wet and dry. Sometimes itching spot is dry, and sometimes it is wet. After itching, it becomes wet. So Sanātana Gosvāmī's body was all covered with wet itches, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was embracing him. So the wetness, the moisture, was sticking to the body of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So he felt it very much ashamed, that "I am suffering from itches, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu's embracing, and the wet thing is smearing over the body. How much unfortunate." So he decided that "Tomorrow I shall commit suicide instead of allowing me to be embraced by Caitanya Mahāprabhu." So next day Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired that "You have decided to commit suicide. So do you think this body is yours?" So he was silent. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that "You have already dedicated this body to Me. How you can kill it?" Similarly... Of course, from that day, his itches were all cured and... But this is the decision, that our body, those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, those who are working for Kṛṣṇa, they should not think that the body belongs to him. It is already dedicated to Kṛṣṇa. So it must be kept very carefully, without any neglect. Just like you are taking care of the temple because it is Kṛṣṇa's place. Similarly... We should not take overcare, but some care we should take so that we may not fall diseased.
"Oh, why shall I touch it? Somebody's... Let it remain there. I have no, nothing to do." This is called tyāga, giving up. So the hundred dollar note is the same. One is trying to enjoy it, and one is trying to give it up: "I don't care for it." So both of them are fools, bhogī and tyāgī. Bhogī means the karmīs. The karmīs, those who are working very hard, utilizing... The scientists are utilizing the resources, material resources. That means all are making policy how to steal that note. That is their policy, the karmīs. And another, while he was unable to steal, he says, "Oh, grapes are sour. There is no need of..." That is tyāgī.
So both the bhogīs and tyāgīs, two classes of men, you'll find. Mostly they're bhogīs. They're trying to enjoy anything for his sense gratification utility. And another, when he's baffled, he says, "No, no, we don't require it." Similarly the same example: If one takes that note and says, "Somebody has lost his hundred dollar note, sir." So one who has really hundred doll..., he says, "Yes, yes. I had..." And if you deliver to him, that is real service. To give up that note or to take that note, both is useless. So similarly karmī and tyāgī, bhogī and tyāgī, they're all useless. And bhakta, devotees, they know that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa; now it should be offered to Kṛṣṇa. That is real service. The same example. You take the hundred note and you ask, "To whom this hundred dollar note belongs?" If you give him, that's a great service. That man becomes very much pleased upon you: "Oh, you are so nice."
Kṛṣṇa, by seeing, can make others pregnant. That is Kṛṣṇa. There is no need, use of sex life. There is no... Simply by Kṛṣṇa's glancing... Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Adhyakṣeṇa, adhi-akṣeṇa. Akṣa means eyes. "By My glancing," mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ, "the material nature..." These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. You study. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate: "gives birth." What kind of birth? Carācaram: "moving and nonmoving."
There are two living entities: moving and nonmoving. The nonmoving are the trees and the plants. They cannot move. They stand in one place. And we, human beings, animals, insects, flies, we move. So there are two kinds of living entities. Stāvara-jaṅgama. In Sanskrit it is called sthāvara-jaṅgama. So the sthāvara-jaṅgama, they're coming out of this material nature. Not the life is coming, but the body. When we say coming, coming means birth. So if you say, now, matter, from matter—no. The living entities, they are accepting a type of body from material nature. Not that actually coming. Just like a child is coming... A child is coming, taking the body from the mother. It takes ten months to prepare the body from the blood and secretion of the mother. But the child is not matter. The child is a living entity. That living entity takes shelter into the womb of the mother, and the mother supplies from the body. By nature's way, it is going on. The mother does not know how she's supplying, but from her body, another body is created, and when it is fit, it comes out to work. This is birth. Not that the living entity is taking birth. Because that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: na jāyate na mriyate vā. The living entity does not take birth, neither he dies. Anything which does not take birth does not die also. Death is for such thing which is created. Which is not created, it has no death. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. Kadācit, at any time. Kṛṣṇa says kadācit. It is not that now it is not taking birth; formerly it took birth. No. Na kadācit. "Oh, I see this is, this is child is now born." No, it is not born. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇaḥ: that living entity is eternal; śāśvataḥ, always existing; purāṇaḥ, very, very old. Very, very old. Then? Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Don't think that when this body will be destroyed that living entity will be destroyed. No, it will continue.
So Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa has got two businesses, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Two business. He is giving protection to the sādhus, to the devotees. Just like Kṛṣṇa is giving protection to the Pāṇḍavas, to the Vṛṣṇis, because they are devotees. And similarly He's killing Kaṁsa, Aghāsura, Bakāsura. I think His killing business was a major business than protection. From the life of Kṛṣṇa we see in the Kṛṣṇa book... So if you take statistics how much time He devoted for killing and how much time He devoted for protecting, we shall see He devoted more time for killing. You see. So that is also Kṛṣṇa's business. So those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious... Killing, we don't mean that you take weapon. That is not possible in this age. Neither you have got the strength. If you kill, then you will be killed also. Not that. But there are two kinds of victory. By logic, by reason, by education you can kill their demonic propensities. That is also killing. If one is demon, and if you can turn into a devotee by your logic, by your arguments, then that is also, he's killed, his demonic principle is killed—now he's a saintly person. That is also killing. Not that... Kali-yuga, they're already very poverty-stricken, poor. So this physical killing is too much for them. They should be killed by argument, reason, scientific proposition.
This should be one of the propaganda of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Because these people, the so-called scientists and philosophers, is misleading-misleading in this sense that they have no information that everything is coming out from life. They are proposing that everything is coming from matter. Their basic principle, the original cause, original cause, they are find out some material adjustment. The other day our, in the California University, one big man came. He's proposing same thing. So our Svarūpa Dāmodara proposed that "If we supply you all the ingredients, can you produce life?" He said, "I do not know." You see. He's in the category of "I do not know," and he's still a professor, he's a scientist. How he can be scientist if he do not know? If he's in the list of "I do not know," how he can be teacher. This is cheating.
Therefore... There is no such injunction that "You don't eat the flesh of the tiger." You can eat. Because those who are meat eaters, those who are meat eaters, they have been recommended to eat the flesh of goats or other lower animals—sometimes dogs also, they eat, or the hogs—you can eat. But never the flesh of cows. So, innocent animal, the most important animal, giving service even after death... While living, giving service, so important service, giving you milk, even after death she is giving service by supplying the skin, the hoof, the horn. You utilize in so many ways. But still, the present human society is so ungrateful and rascal that they are killing cows. So Kṛṣṇa comes to punish them, these rascals. Therefore it is said that go-dvija-surārti-hara. Kṛṣṇa comes to... Therefore we worship Kṛṣṇa, namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Brāhmaṇa.
So to make a perfect human society, there must be protection of the go-dvija. Dvija means brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa means one who knows Brahman, God. These two classes must be given first protection. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is worshiped with this word,
- namo brahmaṇya-devāya
- go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
- jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya
- govindāya namo namaḥ
See, the same thing is there. Govindāya, go-dvija arti-hara, dvija. Dvija, when the brāhmaṇa class, when the cows, they are too much troubled by this rascal, demon, and Kṛṣṇa comes, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, abhyutthānam adharmasya (BG 4.7). These are all adharmas.
So here Kuntīdevī says that "Please help me in cutting my affection with my family." Sneha-pāśam imaṁ chindhi: "Please cut off. Please help me cutting this family connection." Then Kuntī says that tvayi me ananya-viṣayā matir madhu-pate asakṛt. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to cut off family connection and enter into Kṛṣṇa's family, not void. We are not impersonalists or voidists. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they are impersonalists. They think, "Kṛṣṇa is person. Kṛṣṇa's activities are all personal. So this is also māyā." Because they are Nirviśeṣavādī, their ultimate goal is nirviśeṣa-brahman. So anything personal, they cannot accept it. And the Buddhist philosophy is to zero, śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. The whole world is now corrupted with these two kinds of philosophies: nirviśeṣa-śūnyavāda, impersonalism and voidism. But Vaiṣṇava philosophy is not voidism, not impersonalism. Vaiṣṇava philosophy means to know the Absolute Truth as person. Impersonal realization of the Absolute Truth is partial knowledge. It is not complete, because the Absolute Truth is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Vigraha means form. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Absolute Truth is described, tattva:
Still among the villagers the system is current in India: when there is some fighting, they go to a saintly person or in a temple to settle up. Just like when Sanātana Gosvāmī was there in Vṛndāvana, so in that area, whenever there was some fighting between two parties, they would come to Sanātana Gosvāmī: bābā, ap isko phars lakharji.(?) Bābā means saintly person. So they would come to Sanātana Gosvāmī, and they would ask him to become mediator, arbitrator, to settle up. And whatever verdict or judgment he will give, they will accept that "Bābā has said. That's all right." Therefore Śrīnivāsa Ācārya has prayed the Gosvāmīs, dhīrādhīra. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau, dhīradhīra-priyau.
Dhīrādhīra-priyau. There are two kinds of men. One is dhīra—very learned, sober, everything in knowledge, wise. They are called dhīra. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says dhīras tatra na muhyati.
- dehino 'smin yathā dehe
- kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
- tathā dehāntara-prāptir
- dhīras tatra na muhyati
- (BG 2.13)
He has specifically mentioned the word dhīra. Dhīra means the sober, learned... Generally we call in English language "gentleman." Gentleman means he must be sober, learned, and thoughtful. That is gentleman. But nowadays, gentleman is different—simply by dress. Dhīra and adhīra. So there are two classes of men, and the Gosvāmīs were very dear to both classes of men, dhīrādhīra. That is the sign of a saintly person, samatītya. Samatītya: they have no enemy. Ajāta-śatravaḥ. Even the adhīra, the saintly person considers as friend, and even a dhīra, he considers friend. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). This is the dhīra.
"Why you are so much anxious about your grandfather? He will get another body, new body. What is the use of this old body?" So actually that is the fact. But still, why a man becomes aggrieved when the body is lost? That is explained here, that sneha-moha, illusion of affection. Actually, there is nothing to be aggrieved. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Dhīra, those who are sober, they are not bewildered. Sober man knows that "My, this relative, my father or my brother, my grandfather, his death means he is changing this body. He is going to another body. He is not dead."
So dhīra... Dhīra means one who is not disturbed. That requires training. In great dangerous position, one is not disturbed, that is not ordinary thing. Therefore the word has been used: dhīra. Dhīra and adhīra. There are two classes of men. Dhīra means, acts very conscientiously, without being disturbed by the external factors. I have explained several times the dhīra. The example of dhīra is given in the Kumāra-sambhava poetry, by Kālidāsa. We had our syllabus studying Kumāra-sambhava in our I.A. class in college. So there the example, Kālidāsa is giving example: the dhīra is Lord Śiva. Just see. The story is when Lord Śiva lost his wife in the dakṣa-yajña... Dākṣāyaṇī, daughter of Mahārāja Dakṣa, became the wife of Lord Śiva. And because Lord Śiva sometimes by chance did not show any good respect to Dakṣa, so there was misunderstanding between the son-in-law and father-in-law, and the episode ended that Dākṣāyaṇī, the wife of Lord Śiva, gave her life. His (her) father was very much angry upon the son-in-law. So she wanted to mitigate the misunderstanding, but her father was very stubborn. So at last she said, "My dear father, you are thinking of Lord Śiva, my husband, as ordinary man, and you have become so angry. So this is due... You are thinking that I am your daughter. So all right, I have got this body from you. I am returning you." So she immediately died.
Willingly, we are not going to kill anybody, but unwillingly... Therefore there is pañca-sūnā-yajña. You have to perform yajña every day to counteract the sinful reaction of your imperceptible killings of animals. That's it. This is Vedic life.
So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja says that "It is not possible to counteract." But indirectly, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja says, that if you... He says simply the negative side, but the positive side is, in this age, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, you become purified. That is the recommendation by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). There are two kinds of, what is called, atonement. One atonement, by the prescribed method. You have done... Just like I'll give you common example. Just like you have committed theft. One atonement is that you go to the jail and live there for some time. This is atonement. If you have committed a murder, then you also be hanged. These are the laws. When the king orders somebody to be hanged on account of his committing murder, the king is not sinful. King is helpful. King is helping that rascal to atone his murdering activities. Otherwise, if he is not hanged, then next life, next time, he will be put into difficulty. Next time he will have to become animal. He will be slaughtered. These laws they do not know. Why these animals are being slaughtered? There is some nature's law. They were murderer or slaughterer in their past life as human being. Now they have assumed, they have accepted a body to be slaughtered by the laws of nature. When an animal is slaughtered in sacrifice, there is mantra. The mantra is that... The animal slaughter in sacrifice is recommended for the animal-eaters, not for all. Those who are... To restrict.
That was not their business. "Kṛṣṇa, we have done so much for You, You cannot give me this benediction?" No, they never asked like that. That is the first-class worship. "Kṛṣṇa, You take whatever you like from us, but we do not ask anything, neither we have any need." This is gopīs' worship. We have got everything to give You and we have no need to ask You. This is gopīs' worship.
Generally, they worship God, needy ārtaḥ arthārthī. Ārtaḥ means diseased, arthārthī means in need of money. People generally go to church (or) temple when they are suffering from some ailments or need of money, these two classes. Another two classes, jijñāsuḥ jñānī. Jñānī means who is after pure knowledge and jijñāsuḥ means inquisitive—what is the nature of God. These are, they are higher section but they are not bhaktas. Just like there are many philosophers, they also talk of God, but they are not bhaktas. But because they are talking of God, they are getting some benefit. Just like if you handle with fire, you perceive some warmth automatically. So these four classes of man they are not bhaktas, devotees, ārtaḥ, arthārthī, jñānī, and jijñāsuḥ. But because they come to Kṛṣṇa for some benefit, somehow or other they offer their service, because praying is also another service. There are nine kinds of services: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam, arcanaṁ vandanam (SB 7.5.23). Vandanam, this is also service. But because this service is rendered for some motive to mitigate the sufferings, ārtaḥ arthārthi, or to satisfy some inquires, they are not pure devotion.
So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, when he was firmly convinced of his position, then he took charge, took charge of ruling over the whole world. Not... Just like at the present moment, India is a small tract of land, and that is also being divided now. Bangladesh has gone out. Pakistan has gone out. Some day some other province will... Not that. The whole world. He took charge of ruling over the whole world. śaśāsa gām indra iva. Indra. Indra is the king of heaven, heavenly planets. So as Indra is powerful... Nobody can even... Indra is never defeated. Sometimes there is fight between the devāsura, asura and deva. But when there is fight between the deva and asura... Deva means the demigod, and asura means the atheist class. They are always existing, the atheist class, two classes of men, atheist class and theist class. Viṣṇu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad viparyayaḥ. Those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu, Vaiṣṇava, they are demigods, and anyone else—all demons. Except Vaiṣṇava, everyone is a demon. You can say, "Now I am devotee of Lord Śiva. How can I be demon?" Yes, you are demon. Because Rāvaṇa was a great devotee of Lord Śiva, but he is described as a demon, rākṣasa. Rākṣasa. Hiraṇyakaśipu was a great devotee of Lord Brahmā. Still, he is described as rākṣasa, demon.
Some way or other, other living entities causing some painful condition. This is called adhibhautika. And adhidaivika. Daivika, painful condition created by the demigods. Just like there is hurricane all of a sudden. So many trees falls down, sometimes cottages devastated, overflood, excessive rain, overflood, famine, pestilence. You have no control. You cannot control. You can simply say, "In future." That's all. But there is no control.
So we are always in this painful condition. That is material life. But those who have got eyes, sense, they can see. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, he could see. He was prime minister, well situated materially. Learned scholar, very intelligent. Otherwise how they could become Caitanya Mahāprabhu's personal associates? Very qualified. Caitanya Mahāprabhu... When Sanātana Gosvāmī consulted Jagadānanda, that "I want to do this. What is your advice?"... Sanātana Gosvāmī became infected with itches all over the body. And it was, what is called, bleeding itches. Itches are two kinds: dry and sometimes oozing water. What is called?
So vaidha. Vaidha means what is sanctioned by the śāstra. That is vaidha strī-saṅga. Yes. One may have association with the women... There must be association with women. By God's creation, there is man, woman. They're meant for being united. So therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that dharmāviruddho kāmaḥ aham. "When sex intercourse is there according to the śāstra, that is I am. That is I am." Dharmāviruddhaḥ. So there are rules and regulations, how to have sex life. So... There are two kinds of association with women, vaidha and avaidha. Vaidha means according to śāstra, and avaidha means without any restriction, without any restriction of the śāstra. So asat, eka strī-saṅgī. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said. And the sahajiyās, rascals, they interpret: asat eka strī-saṅgī. One who has got only one wife, he's asat. One must have many wives. The sahajiyās, you know. They keep so many women, like monkeys, in their company. You see, they have interpreted in this way. Asat eka strī-saṅgī.
So we, we, śāstra restricts, but rascals, they interpret in a different way, and they enjoy. The real purpose comes... Just like what is that sannyāsī in Australia who wrote against... What is the name?
That's a fact. Therefore athāto brahma jijñāsā. And what knowledge? Knowledge does not mean how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, and how to defend. That is not knowledge. These things are there in the animals. The animals also know very well how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life and how to defend. No. That is not... Human life is meant for different business, and that is brahma-jijñāsā. So brahma-jijñāsā, if one begins the life of brahma-jijñāsā, brahma-jñāna, and when it ends in understanding Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection of life. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). The, the one who is actually jñānavān, in knowledge, such person... Not so-called. There are two classes of men. One class of men is called jñānavān, and another class of men is called māyayā apahṛta-jñāna. All these words you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is not my manufacture. So māyayā apahṛta-jñāna means he's rascal number one, but he's thinking that he's vastly learned. He has advanced his knowledge so much. Simply he is puffed up falsely. That is called māyayā apahṛta-jñāna. Or jñānavān means one who has actually knowledge. So what is the difference between the two, one how has got actually the knowledge, and one who's simply falsely puffed up that he has got knowledge? What is the...? How you'll find difference, that here is a man who has got real knowledge, and here is a man, rascal, but he's very much puffed up?
So it is very easy to find out. At least for us. That is a fact. This is our criterion. Just like you can find out the currency note, which one is genuine and which one is not genuine. There are some signs. This is an example. Similarly our criterion is, from the Bhagavad-gītā, from śāstra, that we find these two verses in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is this?
The holy place becomes unclean due to the common men's coming there and leaving their sinful reaction. So holy place becomes overburdened with the sinful results of other people. But in that holy place, when a devotee goes, then again the holy place becomes cleansed. This is the idea. Bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatāḥ.
So bhāgavatāḥ. Bhāgavata means one who has his relation with Bhagavān. From Bhagavān... Bhagavān comes from the word bhāgavata, and anything in relationship with Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, is called bhāgavata. Just like this book is called bhāgavata because it has nothing to do with any other thing except the activities of the Supreme Personality of... So Bhāgavata. So there are two kinds of bhāgavata: the book Bhāgavata and the person bhāgavata. So both of them are so pure that wherever Bhāgavata reading is going on... And Bhāgavata reading should be performed by the bhāgavata, person bhāgavata. Then it is very nice. Bhāgavatās tīrtha-bhūtaḥ. They are already purified, holy place of pilgrimage. Mahad-vicalanaṁ nṟṇāṁ gṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasām. Therefore, the bhāgavatas, they travel all over the world to purify the ordinary human being because they are dīna-cetasa. Dīna-cetasa. Dīna means poor. They are thinking... Materialistic persons, they think, "It is my duty to live comfortably, to give all facilities to the family or to the society or to the nation, earn your livelihood and spend for sense gratification." This is their philosophy. They do not know anything more than that. Especially in the Western countries, they are very expert how to adjust materially for sense gratification. Just like we had been immediately to the park, very nice park. They know how to live comfortably in the material world, but there is no spiritual information. Missing point. That is the defect of the Western civilization. They have got some vague idea of God, practically no idea. But human life is not meant for that purpose, simply living very comfortably in material life. The other necessity is that they should know Bhagavān, become bhāgavata. That is another necessity.
So Kṛṣṇa has got two kinds of existence: prakaṭa and aprakaṭa. Prakaṭa means when you see Kṛṣṇa personally. When Kṛṣṇa is present on this planet, everyone can see Kṛṣṇa. And actually, everyone saw. But only the devotees could understand that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So that is called prakaṭa, "physically present." And there is another phase, which is called aprakaṭa, "not physically present." But that does not mean Kṛṣṇa is dead or God is dead. That does not mean. Prakaṭa or aprakaṭa, physically present or not present, it doesn't matter.
So after all, He is adhokṣaja. This word is used, adhaḥ. Adhaḥ means subdued. And Akṣa, akṣa means eyes or senses. Akṣaja. Ja means generated. So our senses are there—eyes, ears, hands, legs, nose, so many. Ten senses are there. So we are acquiring knowledge, generated. Knowledge is generated from the senses. But so long our senses are materially contaminated, we do not get real knowledge. We have to acquire knowledge through the senses, but unless our senses are purified, we do not have real knowledge. So we cannot appreciate or understand God, His form, His name, His quality, His pastime, His entourage, nothing of them we can understand by our these present material senses. That is not possible. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Adhaḥ. Adhaḥ means cut (curbed) down. You cannot approach the Supreme by your these blunt material senses. That is not possible. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Adhah-kṛta akṣaja-jñānaṁ yatra. The adhokṣaja means... Jñāna means experimental knowledge. Just like these modern scientists, they believe in experimental knowledge. But they are so rascal, in their own case, they will say, "Yes, we are trying. In future it will be successful."
We are sure that "The water cannot come here." By whose order? By whose law? But these rascals they cannot understand. They are saying, "Nature." They give the explanation, "Nature." But nature is dull. Nature, material nature is dull. We do not find anything... Material nature... Just like this is a material thing. But it is being manipulated by a living being. This has... This iron or other metallic preparation, they have been turned into microphone by a living entity, not that the matter has come automatically and combined together and it has become microphone. Where is that instance? Nature, material nature, does not combine together. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). He is defining very nice. You read book. Kṛṣṇa says, "There are two kinds of nature: inferior nature and spiritual nature. The inferior nature is matter." Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), and superior nature is the living entity. So why superior, living entity? Because the living entity can manipulate the material nature.
So matter, matter is manipulated by a living entity and it has become useful. A microphone. It is common sense affair. So a living entity is not matter. He is superior nature. We should understand that. So everything... Now this superior nature, living entity. He has got mind, intelligence. That is also material. But under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, the mind, intelligence, ego is working. And how it is working? As you wanted. He is giving simply permission. I want to... Just like I want to manufacture something in chemical laboratory. My intense desire is how to make it successful. Then when Kṛṣṇa sees that you are so much, mean, burst to do this, so Kṛṣṇa gives you intelligence that "You do like this." Then He becomes a scientist, discoverer. He cannot do it independently. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). One man is committing mistake and one man is doing right. Why? Because within the heart, there is Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is giving direction as he wanted.
So as my body is formed, similarly, this whole universal body is formed. That is creation. They do not understand. They are so rascal that they do not understand that creation is a fact, and the original creator is God. So in the scriptures, "God created this world," that is fact, but unfortunately, they do not know how it is created. Lack of knowledge. So that is explained here, tritve hutvā ca pañcatvam, how things are developing. From the spirit soul there is total material energy. Energy is coming. The conservation of energy is the spirit soul. Where is the difficulty to understand? That is permanent, avyaya.
So therefore there are two kinds of energy from the Supreme Soul, God. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ
- khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
- ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
- bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
- (BG 7.4)
Aṣṭadhā. Aṣṭadhā means eight. So tritve, three, and pañcatvam, five, that means eight, the eight kinds of material energy. Earth, water, fire, air, sky—these are gross. The gross, amongst the gross also, the finer material energy, the sky, we cannot see. This is also gross. Then mind. Everyone knows I am thinking, I have got mind. You know, I know. But where is the mind? Have you seen? Somebody suggests mind is in the brain, somebody suggests in the stomach, somebody... Suggesting. But there is mind. Everyone knows. Then next finer, the sky.
Otherwise, deathlessness begins from the day of initiation. Ādau gurvāśrayam. As soon as you take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, your point of deathlessness begins immediately. Immediately. And if you continue the advice and instruction of the spiritual master, or the śāstra, then you become deathless. No more death. And Yamarāja wants to see that actually you are continuing your deathlessness process. This is... Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. Therefore it is advised.
Now if somebody argues that "Here is... A devotee is also dying." A devotee is also dying. How can I say that it is deathlessness? No, he does not know. Devotee is not dying. There is very good example. Just like a cat. He catches the rat and he catches his cub also. But these two kinds of catching is different. When the cat catches a rat, that rat means his, "Chi chi chi," means dying, actually dying. And the cab (cub), he is feeling very comfortable: "Meow, meow, meow." Because the same cat, catching, process is the same, but the feeling is different. So a devotee seemingly dying, he is not dying. He is going back to Kṛṣṇa. He is very pleased, "Now my labor is finished. I am going to Kṛṣṇa." That is his feeling. And others, they are crying, "Oh, this is my estate. This is my family. This is my, this is my, this is my... I am leaving. I do not want to leave it. What will happen to that?" He is crying. That is death. And this is not death.
So it appears like death, but it is actually not death. Just like the electric fan, if you make the switch off, it has stopped running, but if you say, "Still running," that is not running. That is a show of running. Actually, the running is stopped. Similarly, as soon as you surrender to God, through His representative, your death is stopped unless you make it nullified by accepting anything which is against the bhakti principle. Otherwise your deathlessness is guaranteed. That is stated here. Na kaścin mriyate tāvad yāvad āsta ihāntakaḥ. If you simply know that "Yamarāja is there; he is supervising that I may not fall down," then you will not die. You will not die. It is not impractical. It is practical. Try to perceive the truth that since you have begun Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, your death has been stopped. But don't fall down and again capture death. That is the instruction.
So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). And another feature is sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Astra-pārṣadam. Astra means weapon. So in the Kali-yuga, Kṛṣṇa does not come with weapon. In other yugas, the Lord comes with weapon. Just like Lord Rāmacandra. He came with bows and arrows to fight with Rāvaṇa. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa also appeared with His sudarśana-cakra. Because in those days, the demons were killed by weapons. Kṛṣṇa killed many demons, because Kṛṣṇa has got two kinds of activities, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: (BG 4.8) for sādhu, simply to deliver them, and for the demons, to kill them. But the result is the same. That is called Absolute. Whether Kṛṣṇa pats somebody and kills somebody, the result is the same. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. It is not ordinary fortune to be killed by God. It is a great fortune. Just like Rāvaṇa and Hiraṇyakaśipu. They were Kṛṣṇa's personal guards, Jaya-Vijaya. Some way or other, they became offender to the Kumāras. So they cursed him that "You are not well-behaved." They stopped him going in the house of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa. So they became very angry. They cursed him that "You do not deserve this place. You must go to the material world. In the material world there is enviousness, jealousy. In the spiritual world you have become envious. So you are not fit. You must go down to the material world." So they became very much disturbed. Lord Nārāyaṇa personally came out to settle up. "So this you have been cursed; it cannot be withdrawn. You have to go. But after going in the material world, if you treat Me as your enemy, then in three births you will be liberated and you will come back. But if you treat Me as my friend, then it will take seven, seven births." So decided, "We shall become Your enemy, Sir." So therefore this Rāvaṇa, Hiraṇyakaśipu, they are Jaya-Vijaya, and they appeared to be very strong enemy.
So Mahārāja Parīkṣit is on his tour, and what did he meet in every place? Tatra tatra upaśṛṇvānaḥ. Everyone was speaking very highly, Sva-pūrveṣām, about his forefathers, especially the grandfathers, Pañca-Pāṇḍava, mahātmanām. They are not ordinary persons. Mahātmanām. Mahātmā and durātmā, two words. Mahātmā, a great mind or great personalities. And durātmā means mischievous person. There are two kinds: mischievous and magnanimous. Everywhere.
So the forefathers of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, sva-pūrveṣām, they were not ordinary person. They were mahātmās. So how one can become mahātmā? It is not very difficult, provided one wants to become mahātmā. Nothing is difficult in this world, provided one wants to have it, or to become. So how to become mahātmā? That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ (BG 9.13). This is mahātmā. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. First of all Kṛṣṇa says, sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: "To get a mahātmā, broadly-minded great personality, it is very difficult to find out." But still, one may try to find out what are the symptoms of mahātmā. That is discussed in Bhagavad-gītā. When one understands, "Kṛṣṇa is the origin or original source of everything," janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), as it is indicated in the Vedānta-sūtra that "The Absolute Truth is that from whom everything emanates." That is Absolute Truth.
So what is the nature of that Absolute Truth, animate or inanimate? That is also discussed: abhijña, animate. The origin, source of everything, must be animate. In this way, when one comes to the conclusion, as it is stated by Kṛṣṇa Himself personally, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, there is no more superior," I mean to say, "objective than Myself." So people will not accept this. If I say that "There is no more superior person than me," so people will laugh. It may be true or not true, that is also... But if anyone is very much proud of his personality and he says that "There is no more superior person than me," then at least in the beginning people will laugh.
It is not Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's version; it is the Vedic version. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This will clarify your heart. Then you can understand who is guru, where to surrender, where to take lesson. In this way we can make... Haphazardly, if we accept, then there will be failure.
So satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā. To accept guru, there is also service. And to give service to an inferior person who is suffering, that is also service. The one service is called dayā, and the other service is called sevā. So if you want to realize God, then the other service, sevā, not dayā. You cannot show your mercy to God. God is full. There is no need of your showing mercy. That sevā. Two kinds of service. One is called dayā, and another is called sevā. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. If you want to know what is God, then the other service, sevā. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. And that service begins from the tongue. Now, generally, when we think of service, we think of our hand and legs, that "By..., I can render service with my hands, with my legs." No. The science of understanding God—the service begins with the tongue. Just see. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). You cannot understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa, His name, His activities, nāmādi... Nāmādi means name, form, qualities, activities, pastimes, entourage, so many things, ādi. Therefore... Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but we cannot understand what is the meaning of Hare Kṛṣṇa. We cannot understand. Nāmādi. Na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. Indriyaiḥ means the senses. There are so many people are hearing this sound vibration, but why they're not becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious? Because there is no sevā, there is no service. Therefore it is said, ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). But how it will be perceived by the indriyas? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. By service. And wherefrom the service begins? It begins jihvādau, beginning with the tongue, beginning with the tongue. This is the service.
Prakṛtiṁ vidhi me parām. So, puruṣāṁ śāśvatam, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person enjoyer, puruṣa. Puruṣa has got different features: personal expansion, personal feature, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Expansion feature also two kinds: svāṁśa, vibhinnāṁśa, His personal expansion and separated expansion. We are all separated expansion, vibhinnāṁśa, a small particle. Just like the sun, we are. The sunshine means combination of, what is called, sparking, sparking molecules, very small. The sunshine means they are not homogenous; they are small particles of shining, part and parcel of the sun. Similarly, we living entities, we are like that—a small particle, part and parcel of God. So we are also brightening, shining. We are not dull. But on account of our combination with the material nature, we have been covered. Therefore our shining quality is now stopped. Shining quality is now stopped. That is our forgetfulness about our relationship with the Supreme puruṣa, puruṣottama, uttama puruṣa. Uttama, madhyama, and adhyama. There are three grades of puruṣa. We are the lowest grade, adhyama. So, because we are adhyama puruṣa, therefore there is chance of our brightness being sometimes covered. But we can again revive our brightness and shine with the Supreme Person. As the sun and the sunshine, they are together shining, there is light, similarly, when we are again posted in our own constitutional position, and Kṛṣṇa is like the sun and we are shining particles, then our life is successful. That is wanted.
So in Sanskrit language, you cannot do like that. If you have to follow the rules, then the same rule will go on. So bhagavate address, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudevāya. This is the form of, fourth form of, śabda, sound vibration, fourth form. Just like kṛṣṇāya. When I offer something, kṛṣṇāya, viṣṇave. Similarly, bhagavate, vāsudevāya.
So the beginning is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam means Kṛṣṇa. It cannot be otherwise. This is kṛṣṇa-kathā. The Bhagavad-gītā is also kṛṣṇa-kathā. Kathā means words. So Kṛṣṇa words spoken by Kṛṣṇa, that is Bhagavad-gītā. And words spoken about Kṛṣṇa, that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Or about Kṛṣṇa's devotees, that is bhāgavata. So bhāgavata, there are two kinds of bhāgavata. One, this book Bhāgavata and another, the person bhāgavata, the devotee. He is also bhāgavata. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that bhāgavata para giya bhāgavata sthāne(?): "You should go and read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the bhāgavata, person bhāgavata." Otherwise you will misunderstand. Bhāgavata para giya bhāgavata sthāne. One big poet, he composed some songs when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was at Purī. And many people used to come and see Him. Because in those days there were many scholars and Caitanya Mahāprabhu was also a very great scholar, so they used to compose and come to see Him, and they would get some applause. But before seeing Him, the rule was that it must be passed through his secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara. Svarūpa Dāmodara was Lord Caitanya's personal secretary, so unless something is passed through Svarūpa Dāmodara, nobody can directly approach Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So one learned scholar, he composed some poetries and he wanted the poetries to be heard by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But Svarūpa Dāmodara, he knew that "This man is mundane. What he will write?" So he was avoiding him: "All right, we shall see later on." But when he insisted... And one of his uncle, he was amongst the associates of Lord Caitanya, so he also requested Svarūpa Dāmodara that "This boy has come so long.
So Kṛṣṇa questions and answers are so important that in future these questions and answers will be discussed in the human society. Actually it is being done so now. We are discussing the same incidents. And he said, ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsām: "And this question is so authorized that ātmavit, those who are interested in self-realization, they have got their approval, 'Yes. This is nice question.' " Ātmavit-sammataḥ. Sammata means approved. It is not bogus question. It is approved. This sort of question should be inquired, Kṛṣṇa, about Kṛṣṇa. And if you speak about Kṛṣṇa... The whole world is full with questions and answers, so these questions and answers are approved by ātmavit, those who are self-realized, not bodily realized, ātmavit. There are two classes of men. Ninety-nine point nine percent, they are bodily realized men, always thinking of the body. And just there is another class; they are called ātmavit, self-realized, Kṛṣṇa conscious persons. Ātmavit-sammataḥ puṁsāṁ śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ. Śrotavya means worth hearing. There are many kinds of subject matter for hearing, but this is the sublime subject matter of hearing, kṛṣṇa-praśna.
They have got their eyes, but they have no introspection, what is the value of life. Therefore he says, apaśyatām. Simply they have eyes like the peacock feather. (laughter) They have no introspection. Eyes means introspection. Therefore Vedic culture says, eyes... Śāstra-cakṣus: "You should see through śāstra. Don't try to see by these eyes." These are, what is the value of this eye? They are conditioned in so many ways. You don't believe the eyes. See through the śāstra, through the spiritual master, through the śāstra. Try to see through this. That is perfect seeing.
So the subject matter for hearing for the ordinary person, those who are engaged in family matters, gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām... So does it mean to become a family man is bad? No. It does not mean. But if you become gṛhamedhī, that is particularly said, gṛheṣu gṛhamedhī. Gṛheṣu, living in family life, but in family life there are also two classes of men: gṛhastha and these gṛhamedhī. Therefore I say that each and every word of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you will have new enlightening, new. Difference, there is difference between gṛhastha and gṛhamedhī. Gṛhamedhī, just like ordinary persons, their household life means they have made the home as the center of their existence. Just like I was seeing just now the rooms of our gṛhastha, householder, boys and girls. Things are scattered. (laughter) But if you go to another person's, gṛhastha (gṛhamedhī), you will find their apartment nicely decorated, chairs, cushions, and sitting place, but they have no vision about self. And here, although we see that household affairs, their resting place, is not so nicely decorated, but their aim is Kṛṣṇa. So that is the difference between gṛhamedhī and gṛhastha. Gṛhamedhī means they simply want to decorate their apartment and children and wife. That is their end of life. That is all. They have no other business. Apaśyatām, blind of the value of life. Whereas the gṛhastha, he is not blind about the value of his life. He is simply looking forward, how to become successful, Kṛṣṇa conscious. So those who are blind of the point of self-realization, such householders, they have got many subject matter of hearing in the newspapers. Śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ (SB 2.1.2). Sahasraśaḥ means thousands of subject matters. For whom? Gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Such householders who made their aim of life to decorate the apartment. That's all. Work whole day and night, and have good dress, good apartment. That's all. They think this is success. These things are, were before also.
It is not possible. But there is a planet in your front. If you are scientist, if you are advanced, go. But you can go actually. Actually you go. People formerly, they used to go. Just like in Bhagavad-gītā you will see this is described. Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1), "I first of all instructed this system of bhakti-yoga, Bhagavad-gītā, to the sun-god." That means Kṛṣṇa went there. Otherwise, how He could instruct the sun-god? Not only that, He says, vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. So the sun-god said to his son, Manu, and Manu is the original person of the man, human being, manuṣya, man. Man, the word comes from the Manu. So Manu is the son of sun-god, so he came from the sun planet. And he begot sons here in this planet, Ikṣvāku. These are all stated by the Vedic śāstras., imaṁ vivasvate... So there was connection. In India, there are two kinds of kṣatriya family, administrator, royal family. The one royal family is coming from the sun-god, and the other royal family is coming from the moon-god. So it was not difficult to go to the sun planet if you can. Just like you are trying to go to the moon planet.
Similarly, you can go to the sun planet, you can go to other planet, there is different process. There is one planet which is called Siddhaloka. In that planet, the residents are so expert, more expert. Therefore, without any airplane or sputnik, they can travel interplanetary system, they can travel. These are wonderful things there are. So these are the material information. And this material informations, they are only one-fourth of the whole creation. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Then you become gosvāmī. Then, as Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, gṛhe vā banete thāke hā gaurāṅga bole ḍāke. Hā gaurāṅga, "Always chanting Nitāi-Gaura, and thinking of Nitāi-Gaura," such person, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says... Gṛhe vā... "He may be a sannyāsī, or he may be a gṛhastha. It doesn't matter. Because he is absorbed in the thought of Nitāi-Gaura." So narottama māge tāṅra saṅga: "Narottama is always desiring to associate with such person." Gṛhe vā banete thāke, hā gaurāṅga bole ḍāke, narottama māge tāṅra saṅga. Narottama is always desiring the society of such person. Kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau.
And gosvāmī has to become very dear to all classes of men. There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. Dhīra means one who has controlled the senses, and adhīra means one who could not. Gosvāmīs are very kind to all classes of men. Dhīradhīra-jana-priyau. So how you can...? How the gosvāmī can be...? When six Gosvāmīs were here in Vṛndāvana, they were so popular to the whole people. Even in this Vṛndāvana dhāma, the village people, if they had some quarrel with husband and wife, they would to go Sanātana Gosvāmī, "Sir, there is some disagreement between us. You settle up." And Sanātana Gosvāmī will give his judgment, "You are wrong." That's all. They will admit. Just see how the popular they were. Sanātana Gosvāmī would give decision among their family quarrel also. So dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. These ordinary men, they were not saintly persons, but they were devoted to Sanātana Gosvāmī. Therefore their life was successful. Because they would abide by the orders of Sanātana Gosvāmī, therefore they were also liberated. They may be personally wrong, but they abided by the Sanātana Gosvāmī. And Sanātana Gosvāmī was kind to them. This is the Gosvāmī. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau.
So you can become dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Adhīra, those who are ordinary men, you can also call them, give them prasādam, treat them very nicely: "Just hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. You come here. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take prasāda."
This is the description of the persons who are blind. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). Yesterday we have discussed this verse. Apaśyatām means one who does not see. Apaśyatām, paśyati. Paśyati means "one who sees," and apaśyati, "one who does not see," "blind." So there are two kinds of men within the world: paśyati, apaśyati. Simply having the eyes, one cannot see. This is not... Because our senses are imperfect. We see every day the sun just like a small disc. But it is not a small disc. It is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. Therefore our sensual perception is not all. That is not perfect. We are deficient: we commit mistake, we are illusioned, we cheat, and our senses are imperfect. As such, there is no possibility of having perfect knowledge by a conditioned soul. That is not possible.
We have to receive knowledge, therefore, from the supreme perfect. That is real knowledge. Just like we have got experience that nobody knows that there is soul. Nobody knows. But we have to receive the knowledge from the perfect person, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says there is soul. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanam, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe, in this body, there is the proprietor of the body, the soul. But if we want to see... Some rascal said, "Show me where is soul." He cannot see because he has no eyes to see. These modern materialistic persons, they want to see everything, but he does not understand that his seeing power is very limited. If the light is off, immediately he cannot see. So what is the value of your eyes? Why you are so much proud to see everything? "Can you show me God? Can you show me the soul?" You cannot see. You have no eyes to see. And what you cannot see, you can hear. Just like a blind man, he is sitting. He cannot see. Somebody comes. He inquires, "Who has come here?" Now, if somebody says, "It is such and such person," by hearing only he can understand, "Oh, such and such person has come." So seeing is not extremely perfect experience. There are other senses.
In many places in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa claims all living entities as His sons, parts and parcels. Just like your children, they are part and parcel of your body. They are not different from you. The same blood is running in his body. Similarly, our constitutional position is that the same blood of God is running in our body. We are not different in that way from God.
There are two kinds of philosophers. One class of philosopher, they say that we are one with God. Another class of philosopher says that we are different, God is different from living entity. But Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has adjusted that we are simultaneously one and different. Just like the father and the son. The father is one with the son, but at the same time, the son is different from the father. The son cannot claim cent percent equality with the father. That is not possible. But the son's body is nondifferent from the father's body. Similarly, living entities, we are simultaneously one and different from God. One in this sense: that all the qualities that God has, the same qualities the living entity has. But the difference is God has all the qualities in fullness, and so far we are concerned, we have got all the godly qualities in minute. That is the difference. Aṇu and vibhu. Vibhu means unlimited, and aṇu means limited. So we have got opulence, fame, beauty, strength, influence, knowledge, all good qualities that God has. But God has got in full, we have got in minute quantity.
So anyway, qualitatively, we are one with God. Therefore our business is how to again unite with God qualitatively. That is the highest perfection of human life. And this chance of realization, how we can unite again with God or Kṛṣṇa, is given only in the human form of life. We are wandering in so many species of life, transmigration of the soul. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Just we change our dress, similarly we are changing our body every moment, and finally we are changing to other body. Not only we are changing or transmigrating from one body to another, but we are transmigrating from one planet to another. These things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. How we are changing our planets also, that is explained:
So here Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he's a sannyāsī. He's renounced order from the very beginning of his life. He never entered into any āśrama or varṇa. He's paramahaṁsa. Paramahaṁsa means the topmost amongst the sannyāsīs. Sannyāsī's the topmost. Above... Within the sannyāsī the paramahaṁsa is the topmost. Sannyāsīs are also, they are called kuṭīcaka, bahūdaka, parivrājakācārya, and paramahaṁsa. Kuṭīcaka means after accepting sannyāsa order... One has to accept the sannyāsa order. After gṛhastha there is vānaprastha and then sannyāsa; brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. In the beginning we, especially the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas, two classes, higher classes, they have to take sannyāsa. If not, at least the brāhmaṇas must take sannyāsa. The brāhmaṇas have got four āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa. The kṣatriya have got three āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, no sannyāsa. And the vaiśya two āśramas: brahmacārī, gṛhastha. Neither vānaprastha or sannyāsa. And the śūdras, they are simply one, gṛhastha, that's all. This is the Vedic order.
So because it is very difficult to maintain sannyāsa in this age, therefore the sannyāsa order is completely prohibited. Real sannyāsī means... Here is the description of life. What is that? Cīrāṇi kiṁ na pathi santi. They have to pick up some torn cloth lying on the street and cover it. That's all. Then this diśanti bhikṣāṁ naivāṅghripāḥ, aṅghripāḥ, aṅghri means legs, and pa means drinking. The trees drink water through the root. That is their leg. Therefore they're..., another name is aṅghripa. And aṅghri means leg. So different species of life there is different process of eating. We are eating through mouth; the trees are eating through the legs. This is God's creation. Not that the mouth is only eating. No. There are other senses, active senses, hands and legs, tongue. These are active senses. Genital, rectum, these are active senses. So aṅghripa means tree. The sannyāsī should depend completely on God. That is sannyāsa. Not that I shall go to a rich man and beg something and take money and utilize it. No. That is not required. Completely independent. Because that kind of sannyāsa is not possible at the present age, therefore, generally, sannyāsa should not be accepted. They cannot follow the prohibit.
Real fact of our existence is this consciousness. Either an animal or a man or a superman or an aquatic or a tree or a plant—any living entity—what is the ultimate stand? The ultimate stand is consciousness. The animal body is animal body so long there is consciousness. The human body is human body so long there is consciousness. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find this verse, avinaśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Avinaśi tu tad viddhi. Just try to understand. Just try to understand that thing. What is that? Just try to understand that thing as imperishable. What is that thing? Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. That thing which is pervading all over your body. And what is that thing? That is consciousness. So long there is consciousness, you feel either from this part of this body or this part of the body or this part of the..., anywhere you pinch, because the consciousness is there, you feel, "Oh, it is painful," or it is pleasure. There are two kinds of feelings: painful or pleasure. And that is due to consciousness. And this consciousness is there in every body, but they are in degrees. That is, the consciousness in tree is very lower. Therefore if you cut a tree, it does not respond. It responds... According to modern science... Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, he has invented a machine that when you cut a tree or take out the fruit or the leaves or the branches, he feels, and that feeling is recorded in a machine. I do not know exactly the machine name, but there is a machine. It immediately...
Prabhupāda: That's all. So śva. Śva means dog, and viḍ, viḍ-varāha. There are two kinds of hogs. One is that we see generally in towns and villages. That is varāha. Varāha means hogs. And they eat stool, viḍ-varāha. Another, jungle varāha. They have got a big, what is called?
Devotees: Tusk.
Prabhupāda: Tusk, yes. That is more dangerous. They live in the jungle. And viḍ-varāha means they live in the forest, finding out "Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is stool?" Śva-viḍ-varāha uṣṭra. Uṣṭra means camel, and khara means ass. So here it is a very terse remark, that "Anyone who has never heard the glories of Gadāgraja, the Supreme Personality of Godhead—in other words, one who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, does not know anything about Kṛṣṇa, or God—they are no better than these animals, especially: dog, hog, ass, camel." Why these four kinds of animals have been selected to compare? That is explained. Śva means dog. A dog, however powerful it may be, very strong, stout, but it, unless it has got a master, its life is very precarious. Dog. Just see our education at the present moment. Very advanced education. Many Indian students come here also to take advanced education. But actually, we consider this education creating dogs. Why? Now, because however technologist you may be, if you don't get a suitable service, all your education is finished.
His affectionate Mother Yaśodā, feeding Him, and there are servants also, serving Kṛṣṇa. And the trees, the water, the flowers, they are serving silently. Pañca-mukhya-rasa, five chief mellows, humors. The same thing is here also. Here also the śānta-rasa, sākhya-rasa, dāsya-rasa is there. But that is mixed with material grains. Just like sweet rice. Sweet rice is very nice, but if it is mixed with some grains of sand, just imagine.
How it is pleasurable? So all the rasas ... The Māyāvāda philosopher, they have eaten sweet rice with grains, with sand grains. Therefore when you offer him next sweet rice, "Oh, I have got taste. Don't supply it." Or, "I wish to live without eating-zero." This is Māyāvāda philosophy. Try to understand, impersonal, making everything zero, without any varieties. Nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣa means without any varieties, and śūnyavādi means zero, voidist. The two kinds of Māyāvādīs, generally headed by Saṅkara philosophy and Buddha philosophy. But our position is transcendental, above. Karmīs ... Karmīs, they are on the material field. They are trying to enjoy on the material platform. Jñānīs, they are trying to make it varietyless, and the Buddhists, they are trying to make it zero. Our philosophy is substance. This is difference, substance, reality. Vāstava-vastu, real reality, not the false thing. So these people, the voidists and impersonalists, because they have no information of the Supreme Lord and His activities ...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore you have to understand your spiritual identification. Because you are fools and rascals, you are thinking, "I am this body," and Kṛṣṇa gives instruction in the beginning that you are not this body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe: you are within this body, not this body you are. So Kṛṣṇa is authority. You have to take it. Kṛṣṇa is not only simply speaking authoritatively but He is giving practical example. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). Because the soul is within the body it is changing. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). You have to become a dhīra, not adhīra. There are two classes of men: dhīra and adhīra. So in order to become a dhīra, you have to go... Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). You have to be trained up. Then you'll understand, not so quickly, without being dhīra. Dhīras tatra na muhyati.
Indian man (4): What is the difference between mind and soul?
Prabhupāda: Mind is material; soul is spiritual. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca, apareyaṁ bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). They are also elements, but bhinnā means material, separated from Kṛṣṇa. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām: "These material elements, they are inferior quality, and beyond this, there is another, superior quality. That is soul." Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). So you have to know from the books. That you now understand?
Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be developed unless one takes the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee. This is these words, Prahlāda Mahārāja's remark. In other words, unless one comes in contact with a pure devotee, Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be developed. It is not possible. Therefore here it is recommended by Sūta Gosvāmī that jīvañ chavo bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ na jātu martyo 'bhilabheta yas tu. Reṇu, reṇu means dust. If one does not try to secure the dust of the lotus feet of bhāgavata... Bhāgavata means pure devotee of the Lord.
One bhāgavata is this book Bhāgavata, another bhāgavata, the person bhāgavata. Who lives on the book Bhāgavata, he is person bhāgavata. Two kinds of bhāgavata. So we have to learn Bhāgavatam from the living bhāgavata. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he advised one brāhmaṇa. One brāhmaṇa wrote something about Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. There were many poets and writers used to come and visit Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was at Jagannātha Purī, and they would present some writings, but these writings would not be presented before Caitanya Mahāprabhu unless it was sanctioned by His secretary Svarūpa Dāmodara. That was the system. So one brāhmaṇa, he wrote one poetry that... The purport of the poetry was that "Jagannātha is Kṛṣṇa. But He cannot move. He's wooden Kṛṣṇa. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu is also Kṛṣṇa, but He is moving Kṛṣṇa." That means he distinguished between Jagannātha and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So this is not siddhānta.
That is the disciple's duty. Sevayā. Upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ. So real knowledge can be achieved in this process. Praṇipāta... Not that I can challenge, "Oh, I can know. I have got so much education and degrees. I can understand what is God," or "There is no need of God. I am God. We are the controller." So these are all rascaldom. Real thing is tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena, as Parīkṣit Mahārāja, the emperor of the world, he's hearing from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, you have seen that picture in our Bhāgavata, newly published, how Parīkṣit Mahārāja humbly asking and sitting before Śukadeva Gosvāmī. So bhāgavata-pradhānaḥ. Bhāgavata-pradhānaḥ. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is the chief bhāgavata. Bhāgavata, there are two kinds of bhāgavata: grantha bhāgavatam and this person bhāgavatam. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī was person bhāgavatam, bhāgavata, chief. Bhāgavata-pradhānaḥ. Bhāgavata-pradhānaḥ means realized souls. We should not hear Bhāgavatam from a professional man, who are observing the Bhāgavata-saptāha.
I know, in Bombay there is a big speaker of Bhāgavatam. He preaches that "You remain in your family life very peacefully. This is the instruction of Bhāgavata." He never teaches that you have to give up this nonsense family life and you have to go back to home, back to Godhead. He never preaches that. There are so many examples. He comes to the conclusion that "You live peacefully," as if to live peacefully in this material world is the highest achievement of life. They will never disclose the actual fact that nobody can live in this world peacefully. It is not possible at all. But they want money. So they'll flatter or they'll go to Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā, presenting Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being and the gopīs are ordinary girls. So this is very palatable for us, kissing, embracing young girls. So Kṛṣṇa is doing, but they take it that their embracing and kissing is supported by Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. That is a different subject matter; they do not know that.
So simply negation is no gain. With something, if you are disgusted, "I don't want it," but... Just like sometimes a man commits suicide, "I don't want this life." So what is the gain? And that is ignorance. He does not know that committing suicide... He's eternal. He's eternal. Living entity is eternal. He thinks that "By killing this body, I am free from this bodily miserable condition of life." No. He's immediately..., either he has to accept a next abominable body or he'll have to become a ghost. One who commits suicide. Ghost means no material gross life, but the mental, material subtle life is there. A ghost is carried by the subtle body: mind, intelligence and false ego. And one who gets a body, gross body...
Upon this mind, intelligence and ego, one develops a gross body of five elements: earth, water, air, fire. This is the two kinds of body, a condition. And when he's actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's transcendental to this gross and subtle body. He attains a spiritual body which is never to be finished, eternal, blissful life. So sometimes, when Kṛṣṇa, He's especially kind to a person who thinks that "By... I shall execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness; at the same time, I shall enjoy this material life," this is foolishness. This is foolishness. If you want Kṛṣṇa, go to home, back to home, back to Godhead, then you have to finish your material desires. Because Kṛṣṇa is so kind that even if you have a pinch of material desire to enjoy in this material world, He will give you a chance, "All right, you do it." That means we become entangled. Therefore, those who are executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they should try to become free from all material desires. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11).
| Page Title: | Two kinds and types of... (Lectures, SB cantos 1 - 2) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 17 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=99, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 99 |