Rascal means that . . . you know the story, that Kālidāsa, a great poet, he was a great rascal. So . . . it is a long story. So he was sitting on the branch of a tree and cutting. So some gentleman: "Why you are cutting? You'll fall down." "No, no, I'll not fall down." But when he fell down, then he went to that gentleman, "How did you know, sir, that I shall fall down?" Then they concluded, "Here is a rascal number one." (laughter) "Here is a rascal number one." They do not know that they are going to hell. That is rascaldom.
By their so-called scientific advancement, philosophy, education, they are going to hell. That they do not know. Therefore they are rascals. Therefore they are rascals. This is the definition of rascaldom: one who does not know where he is going. If somebody goes in this way straight, and you say: "Don't go!" "No. Why shall I not go?" he's rascal. (laughter) He's rascal. And the another rascal, "Yes, yes, you can go. It is all right." Yata mata tata patha. "As many ways you manufacture, it is all right. You can go this way." He's another rascal. This is going on.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So how do we bring them to their senses?
Prabhupāda: This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Be Kṛṣṇa conscious, and everything will be solved. How we are speaking? Because we have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti (BG 7.14): as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, all this māyā, misconception, will go. You'll become right person, in knowledge. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to become perfect man. Because there is guidance, the perfect guidance, so he becomes perfect. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma . . . (CC Adi 17.21). (break) This is the statement in Bhāgavata. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisram (SB 7.5.30): "Because they cannot control their senses, therefore they are making progress towards the darkest region of hell." Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita: "And repeatedly chewing the chewed."
They make one plan. It is frustrated. Again make another plan. That is frustrated. Again make another plan. But they will never agree to accept that these plans are all useless. That is rascaldom. That is rascaldom. Repeatedly chewing the chewed, chewing the chewed. The same woman, same vagina, and that is their pleasure. Bās. At home and in street or nightclub and theater—the same vagina. That's all.
Dr. Wolfe: Śrīla Prabhupāda, they would say that that is braveness, that they are brave in trying again and again.
Prabhupāda: Yes, they must say. That is their rascaldom. One who goes, braveness, go to the Pacific Ocean and die, and go to hell. That is their braveness. That is their braveness. They are bravely going to hell. That's all. There is a story, palavarne boi nake. One man is chasing another man. So the man who is chased, he's asked, "Why you are fleeing away, fleeing away?" So, "Am I afraid of you? Why shall I not flee? Why shall I not go? Am I afraid of you?" He's fleeing out of fear, but still he says, "Am I afraid of you? Am I afraid of you? Why shall I not? Why shall I stop?" This is the position. "Bravely I am going to hell. Why shall I stop? I am brave." This is going on.
Hṛdayānanda: It's crazy.
Prabhupāda: Yes, crazy. This is stated:
- piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya
- māyā-grasta jīverase dāsa upajaya
- (Prema-vivarta 6.2)
Just like when a man becomes crazy, ghostly haunted, he speaks all nonsense, similarly, anyone who is under the influence of this material energy, he's crazy. He's crazy, talks all nonsense. That's all. (break)
- māyār bośe jāccho bhese'
- khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi
This is Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's . . . "Why you are being carried away by the waves of māyā and you are becoming drowned and sometimes up, sometimes down? Why you are wasting your life in that way?" Jīva kṛṣṇa dās e biśwās korle to' . . . "If you simply accept Kṛṣṇa as your guidance, there is no more māyā." But they'll not accept. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Therefore one who accepts and surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa after many, many births of such struggle for existence, he is actually wise. He's actually wise.