Kṛṣṇa says that "This instruction, bhakti-yoga instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, was first given, imparted by Me, to the sun-god, Vivasvān." That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Now, it is a question of believe or not believe. That is a different thing. We believe. We take it. Because it is said by Kṛṣṇa, we take it, accept it. And we apply our reason also, not blindly take it, that if I see that in every planet, in our this planet there is a president . . . formerly, in this planet also, there was only one king, and he was ruling over all the planets. Gradually, people have divided their interests and become different nations. From Vedic history we can see . . . I understand, somebody was telling me that in Australia also there is some Śiva temple here.
(aside) Who was telling me that? Yes. He was telling me.
So the archaeological investigation has found so many relics, and in the Vedic literature we also find the mention of all the island, sapta-dvīpa, seven islands. Seven islands means Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Australia and Oceania. These are mentioned already in the Vedic literature. So it is not that the world was not known to Vedic culture. It was fully known. And one king—he was that Mahārāja Pṛthu—he was the only one ruler all over the world, and he was ruling over these seven islands—that is mentioned—although his residential quarter was in the Brahmāvarta, the piece of land between the rivers Yamunā and Ganges. That tract of land is still considered a very sanctified land. Practically all the Vedic culture is there still.
So the example is that as there is a chief man or king . . . he is also supposed to be God's representative. God gives power to somebody to look after the interest of the inhabitants of that particular planet. Similarly, there is a king in the sun planet. We may call him sun-god or something like, but there is a predominating personality. He has got his personal effulgence, body. Just like fire has got effulgence, heat and light, similarly, he is the fiery god or fiery person, and his effulgence is spread all over the universe. In the Brahmā-saṁhitā it is said:
- yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ
- rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ
- yasyājñayā bhramatisambhṛta-kāla-cakro
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.52)
It is the description of the sun planet. The sun planet is described as the eyes of all other planets. Yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. That's a fact. Unless there is sunrise, you cannot see. You may be very proud of your seeing, "Oh, I want to see," but we do not know that our seeing power is limited and conditioned. Unless there is sunrise, these eyes are useless. Just like at the present moment, at night, we cannot see even four yards. So what is the value of these eyes? It is conditional. If there is sunrise, then we can see. That condition is made by God.
Therefore in the Upaniṣad it is said: "When God sees, you can see. When God walks, you can walk." These are the description in the Upaniṣad. Practically, that is the fact. We are completely helpless, simply dependent upon God. The word that, "Not a single blade of grass moves without the sanction of God," that's a fact. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am living in everyone's heart." Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15): "From Me there is remembrance and forgetfulness." There is . . . we sometimes forget and sometimes remember. That is by God's grace. We are practically under the . . . not exactly directly, but through His agent, the material agent.
So there are so many things to be understood about God. So we are preaching God consciousness throughout the whole world just to study the science of God. So please do not take us as something sectarian. Just like the science of mathematics or any science you take, that is not localized in one place. Any advanced student, if he wants to know about that science practically, he can go to some country or . . . either to preach or to learn.
So our coming and going throughout the whole world . . . we are interested to enlighten people about the science of God. That is our business. And our test of religion is how one has developed God consciousness or love of God. Practically throughout the whole world they are rejecting God. You know also very well. In England there are many, many churches, they are vacant now, redundant. And they are . . . in the Parliament they have passed law that these redundant churches can be sold for any other purpose. So it doesn't matter whether one is Christian, one is Hindu or one is Muslim. Our simply request is that whatever you may be, you make cultivation of God consciousness. That is our program. Scientifically try to understand what is God. And if you consult Vedic literature you'll get very accurate, scientific, authentic information.