Practically in the Battle of Kurukṣetra great personalities, warriors, from all parts of the world they came and joined. Some of them joined with this party and others joined with the other party. So far we have studied... just like Śaibya, he belonged to Śibya. So all these personalities, we did not get their full description, it would enhance the pages. But these big personalities, we have got their information. There is a book, The Personalities of Mahābhārata. Bhagavad-gītā is part of Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means greater India. Mahā means greater, and bhārata means India. So this whole planet was Bhārata-varṣa. There was only one flag. The whole planet was being ruled by one king. That is the king of this Hastināpura. The fight is that, that who would be the king, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira or Duryodhana. But a king... It is not a democratic; it is monarchy. So Kṛṣṇa is deciding, "No, Duryodhana is unfit. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is fit." This is Kṛṣṇa's desire. Therefore this fight is there. Kurukṣetra. Kṛṣṇa wanted to wipe out all unwanted demons from the face of the world and enthrone Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira because he is the exact representative of Kṛṣṇa.
Flag (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So in the fighting principle, Arjuna is fighting for Kṛṣṇa. He is following the previous fighting ācārya, Hanumānji. Therefore he has depicted his flag with Hanumān, that "Hanumānji, Vajrāṅgajī, kindly help me." This is Vaiṣṇavism. "I have come here to fight for Lord Kṛṣṇa. You fought also for the Lord. Kindly help me." This is the idea. Kapi-dhvajaḥ. So any activities of the Vaiṣṇava, they should always pray to the previous ācārya, "Kindly help me. Kindly..." This is, Vaiṣṇava is always thinking himself helpless, helpless. And begging help from the previous ācārya.
Just like Hanumān. He fought for Lord Rāmacandra. He did not fight for himself. Similarly, Arjuna also, his flag is kapi-dhvaja, his flag is marked with Hanumān. He knew that. So Hanumān, a great fighter, fought with Rāvaṇa, not for his personal interest. The interest was how to get out Sītājī from the hands of Rāvaṇa, kill the whole family, and get out and let her sit down on the side of Rāmacandra. This is the policy of Hanumān, devotees. And the Rāvaṇa policy is "Take away Sītā from the clutches of Rāma and enjoy it." This is Rāvaṇa policy. And the Hanumān policy is: "Take out Sītā from the hands of Rāvaṇa and get her seated by the side of Rāma." The same Sītā. Sītā means Lakṣmī. So Lakṣmī means Nārāyaṇa's property, God's property.
Can you say anywhere there is agreement between two parties? No. You go, study. In the state, in the family, in the community, in the nation, there is no agreement. Even in the assembly, even in your country. Suppose there is Senate, everyone has got country's interest, but he's thinking in his individual way. One is thinking that "My country's welfare will be in this line." Otherwise, why there is competition during election of president. Everyone is saying that "America needs Nixon." And another person, he also says, "America needs me." So, but why two? If America you, and you are both... No. There is individuality. Mr. Nixon's opinion is something else. Mr. another candidate's opinion is something else. In the assembly, in the Senate, in the Congress, in the United Nations, everyone is fighting with his individual view. Otherwise why there are so many flags in the world? You cannot say anywhere impersonalism. Personality is predominating everywhere. Everywhere, the personality, individuality, is predominant. So we have to accept. We have to apply our reason, arguments, and accept the authority. Then the question is solved. Otherwise it is most difficult.
Śaṅkarācārya's first condition is that "First of all you take sannyāsa; then you talk of becoming Nārāyaṇa." Who is taking sannyāsa? So they are simply falsely thinking. Actually, their intelligence is impure, consciousness is impure. Therefore in spite of such endeavors, the result is, āruhya kṛcchreṇa param, although they go very high, say 25,000 miles or millions of miles up, they do not find any shelter, where is moon planet, where is... They come down again to your Moscow city, that's all. Or New York City, that's all. These are the examples. When they're high up, oh, they'll take photograph. "Oh, this planet is so, this earthly planet is so green or so small. I am going round day and night and seeing in one hour three times day and night." All right, very good. Please come down again. (laughs) That's all. māyā is so strong, she will say, "Yes, very good. You are very advanced in your scientific knowledge, but please come down. Come here. Otherwise you are going to be put into the Atlantic Ocean." That's all. And they'll still be puffed up, "Oh, we are making progress. Within next ten years, you can purchase ticket or land in the moon." You know, in Russia they sold land, and they advertised that "There is Sea of Moscow. We have planted our flag on the sea in the..." So these are propaganda. They cannot go even into the nearest planet, what to speak of the spiritual sky. If you actually serious of going to the spiritual sky and Vaikuṇṭhaloka, then take this simple method, Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Just like here in this planet we have got presidents in each country. So now there are so many presidents. Formerly even on this planet there was one president. They are trying to be united. The United Nation organization, they want to unite. For the last twenty years the United Nations are trying to unite, but the result is we are disunited. Instead of making one flag, the flags are increasing every year. "This is Pakistan, this is Hindustan, this is this, this is that, this is..." They are not united. How they can be united? They cannot be united because prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27), everyone is under the control of the material nature, full control. So, so long we are in the material world, controlled by the external material energy, there is no possibility of unity. That is not possible.
Just like in every planet there is a chief man... Just like in your country, the chief man is President Johnson, similarly, in every planet, there is a chief man. Formerly, in this planet also, there was one king. We can get from Mahābhārata history that five thousand years before there was only one king of this planet, one flag, and one regiment. We get this information from Mahābhārata. Gradually, the world has divided into many states, and we can see hundreds of flags in the United States, er, Nations. But similarly, the example is that similarly, that in the sun planet there is a chief person who is called Vivasvān, who is called Vivasvān.
Guest: And in Mahābhārata we see Hanumān is also (on the flag of the chariot). And Kṛṣṇa Himself was the charioteer. Prabhupāda: Yes. He's given so much respect. Just see how much honor was given to Hanumān. Why? Because he's a devotee. Like, a personality like Arjuna, he's keeping on his head the flag marked with Hanumān, that "Hanumān, you are great devotee and fighter. Please help me."
Now Nārada says that "You can use all these material resources as much as you require, but, if you want more, if you get more, then you'll become the thief, and you are punishable." Just see the idea of communism. Everything in the world, in this planet or in other planets... Just like people are trying to go to the moon planet. The Russians are trying to put their flag first so that if they go to moon planet, they will conquer. Just like you came from Europe. You have conquered this tract of land, America, and you have put up your flag. So now they are trying to go, trying to go to the moon planet. But this putting, I mean to say, this digging the flag, it is called ignorance. This is called ignorance. Where you are putting your flag? It is not your property. It is God's property. This is knowledge. This is knowledge. And if I think, "It is my property. I must dig my flag here," that is ignorance.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Lord's feet, there are flags, lotus flowers, chariot. These are the symbolic representations. God is person, but His personality is distinct from our personality. So these specific marks are there on His lotus feet. And paṅkaja-nābhāya, another meaning, paṅkaja-nābhāya means originally a lotus stem came out from the navel of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and Brahmā was born in that lotus flower, the origin of creation. So Kṛṣṇa's all parts of the body, as reference to the paṅkaja. Paṅkaja means lotus flower. Paṅka means mud, and ja means generate. Paṅkaja, the lotus flower, is so important. Still, it is generated from mud. So Kṛṣṇa likes paṅkaja very much, lotus flower. So if we see lotus flower, we can immediately remember Kṛṣṇa. If... Just like if you love your child, if you see any garment, a small ship, shoes or any play things, immediately you remember your child: "Oh, this is my child's shoes. This is my child's playing things. This is my garment." So it is the custom of love.
So the capital of the world empire is called Hastināpura or Gajasāhvaya. Gaja and hasti means elephant. Maybe there were many elephants, because formerly the kings, they used to keep many, many horses, elephants. Still, in New Delhi they have taken, kept some token elephants in the rājyapal bhavan(?), or the President's house. So formerly there was one king, and the capital was Hastināpura. The king of Hastināpura was ruling all over the world. There was one flag. These are mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. There were not many states, and the world was under one culture, Vedic culture.
Kṛṣṇa comes—paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8), His two business. So He wanted to establish the kingdom of His representative. He wanted that "Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira is right representative. He should be enthroned on the kingdom of whole world." Formerly Bhāratavarṣa meant this whole planet, not this small tract of land. Now it is called India. But the Bhāratavarṣa means the whole planet, this planet. There was one flag. Up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit there was one flag, not like at present there are hundreds and thousands of flags. You Americans, you know. In New York, when we pass through that United Nation building, we see so many flags are there. They are united, but everywhere the flag is increasing, disunited. Not like that. Actually, by monarchy, the pious king, there was unity all over the world. All over the world. And in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra it was a family fight, so all the kings of different parts of the world, they joined this side or that side. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā.
So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira ruled over the earth. Now, it is clearly stated, paridhyupāntām, "up to the limit of the seas." That means all the seas—the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, the biggest oceans, the Indian Ocean. That means the whole world. Here is the proof, that formerly the emperors in Hastināpura, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, he ruled over the whole world. There was only one flag. That is also stated. Up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, there was no division. The whole world was Bhārata-varṣa, and the emperor of Hastināpura, they ruled over, paridhyupāntām. Anujānuvartitaḥ. He was not alone. His brothers, Arjuna, Bhīma, Nakula, Sahadeva, great fighters, great commander-in-chiefs, generals, they were at his command. Anujānuvartitaḥ. Whatever Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira will order... Otherwise, how could he manage such great empire? He had generals and commander-in-chiefs like Arjuna and Bhīma, indefatigable. Nobody could conquer Arjuna or Bhīma also.
Mahīm. Mahīm means this earthly planet. Up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, five thousand years ago, the whole world was being ruled over by one king, one emperor. There were no so many nations or no so many presidents or... No. Simply one king. Mahīm, this world. Mahīm means the earthly planet. This is the history. From Mahā-bhāgavata, er, Mahābhārata we understand that, that the whole world was under one flag, these Pāṇḍavas. Now United Nations means three thousand flags, three thousand nations. So that is not democracy, or that is not good ruling. The best ruling is monarchy, and monarch means he must be a perfectly trained-up person by the best brāhmaṇas. That is perfect government. Not that this democracy, some rascals and fools they are voting another rascal and fool, and by hook and crook he comes to the post. He does not like to give it up, and makes things very miserable. This kind of government... Now your Senate is proposing, "Let us pray to God how we can get good government." They are coming down to again. But why not train? Now you are going to pray to God, "Please give us good government." Why don't you elect a person mahā-bhāgavata?
So another important point is... Ājahārāśva-medhāṁs trīn, three times. The aśvamedha-yajña is so expensive that the king of heaven, Indra, he executed the aśvamedha-yajña seven times. So Mahārāja Pṛthu was also going to complete seven times. So there was some, I mean to say, competition. The Indra would not allow him to complete seven times. Otherwise he would become equal with him. So amongst the kings, not only in this planet, but in other planets also, the aśvamedha-yajña was performed by very, very powerful rich kings, not ordinary kings. It is very expensive job. Because it is stated, bhūri-dakṣiṇān, and vast amount of money required for distribution in charity. Then you can perform aśvamedha-yajña. Similarly, there is gomedha-yajña. Aśvamedha-yajña was to send the horse with flag, that "Such and such king is the emperor of the whole world." So if some king in some state, he does not agree that "He is emperor," he will capture the horse, "I don't agree, I don't accept." Then there will be fight, "You have to accept." In this way there will be sacrifice.
So each king had different colored horses and differently marked flag on the top of the chariot. Just like Arjuna's chariot was drawn by white horses. Śveta. Śveta means white. And his grandson, his horses are of blackish. Not... Śyāma is not black. Blackish. Swarthy. No, blackish. Turaṅga, jeweled. They have four horses in chariot, and there is a charioteer and flag marked with lion. This lion is not to be considered an ordinary lion. This lion is Mṛgendra or Narahari, Nṛsiṁhadeva. Arjuna's chariot was with flag marked with Vajrāṅga, Hanumānjī, Hanumānjī. Kṛṣṇa's chariot flag is marked with Garuḍa. So these are the distinctive marks. One will understand immediately, "This is such and such king's chariot." That mark is there.
Parīkṣit Mahārāja belonged to the dynasty of King Bharata. King Bharata, from whose name the Bhāratavarṣa, the word Bhāratavarṣa has come. This planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. This planet, earthly planet, is called Bhāratavarṣa because it was ruled over by the King Bharata. Gradually, the original Vedic culture lost, Aryan, Aryan family... You French people, you are also Aryan family, but the culture is lost now. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is actually reviving the original Aryan culture. Bhārata. We are all inhabitants of Bhāratavarṣa, but as we lost our culture, it became divided. Now it is divided into so many countries: "This is India," "This is France," "This is Germany," "This is this," "This is this." But formerly, the whole planet was known as Bhāratavarṣa. One culture, Vedic culture, one flag. Now they have increased hundreds and thousands of flags. So actually, if you want United Nations, unity, then you must take this culture, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, again to become Bhārata. That will save the situation.
This one culture means politically, one flag; religiously, one God, Kṛṣṇa; and to understand Kṛṣṇa, one scripture, Bhagavad-gītā; and one work, one work: simply to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. So this is oneness. And if you want at least to become free from all fearful condition, then you should always memorize or remember: Whom? Sarvātmā. Sarvātmā means one who is the living force of everyone. He is called sarvātmā. There is living force. I have got living force, you have got living force, everyone. But wherefrom the living force is coming? From Kṛṣṇa. Bījo 'haṁ sarva-bhūtānām (Bg 7.10). Sarvātmā. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of the living force. He is the supreme living force. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). This is all stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel." Just like a man having many sons, he can claim that "They are all my sons," similarly, Kṛṣṇa can claim that "All living entities, they are My sons."
Just like a blind man is leading other blind men. What he'll do? If a blind man says, "Come on. Come along with me. I shall cross you this road." What is the benefit of this assurance? He is blind himself. Therefore in spite of so much endeavor in the United Nations for the last twenty or twenty-five years, there is no solution. Simply the flags are increasing. Instead of becoming united, the flags are increasing. I have got practical experience. Now India become independent. So India was one. Now there are two: Pakistan and India. So there was one flag; now it is two. And gradually, it will increase to four. So when I pass that United Nations building, I simply see the flags are increasing. Instead of increasing the peace movement, the flags are increasing, that's all. So this sort of bluffing blind leaders cannot make happy the human society. This is the only solution: to push on Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, love of Godhead. Everyone will be happy, the human society. Viśvaṁ pūrṇaṁ sukhāyate. Whole universe will be just like Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means without anxieties.
This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, this nonsense fighting will stop. Otherwise there is no possibility. Otherwise it is not possible. They are trying to stop fighting by the so-called League of Nations, or United Nations. They are disunited. On principle, they are disunited. So many hundreds of flags. How they can be united? They can be united in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When they will be really learned, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18), paṇḍitāḥ ... When one is learned ... Just like we are sama-darśinaḥ. We don't discriminate American, India, African, this ...We distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness to everyone. Because we know, "Everyone is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is son of Kṛṣṇa. They are suffering on account of this material contamination. Let us do something for them." This is wanted. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Bhakti means when you are designationless, purified in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, when your senses are purified, the senses are no more material. In our contaminated state, our senses are acting in designation. "I am Indian. I have to work for India. The others must go out of India." Or others are thinking, "Now your visa is finished. Now you can go out. You cannot stay here." This is all due to designation. But real life is designationless. The United Nations is working, but there is not... They are not working on the platform of becoming designationless. They want to keep the designations. They are struggling there to become united for the last twenty years. And the... We have seen in New York the United Nations center. Only the flags are increasing, because unless one becomes designationless, no designation, there cannot be any unity.
So aṅkuśa; vajra, thunderbolt; then aṅkuśa; then dhvaja, flag; and saroruha, lotus—these four things are there. You have seen. Sometimes Viṣṇu lotus feet is painted and these signs are there. So sañcintayet. What about, sañcintayet? These things, minutely, that "Here is the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and on the sole, upon the sole, these marks are painted." Lāñchanāḍhyam, deriving. It is very brilliant, beautiful. Kṛṣṇa's everything is beautiful. Uttuṅga-rakta-vilasan-nakha-cakravāla. This is the special significance of Kṛṣṇa's hand, that these nails are raised and reddish, uttuṅga-rakta-vilasan-nakha-cakravāla. It is just like cakravāla bird. Jyotsnābhiḥ. And from the effulgence of the nails, jyotsnābhiḥ, āhata, if you see the brilliance and effulgence of the nails of Kṛṣṇa, nails in the finger of Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be that āhata-mahad-dhṛdayāndhakāram.
This planet, the whole planet, was formerly known as Bhāratavarṣa. Before that, it was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. After the reign of Bharata Mahārāja it was named Bhāratavarṣa. So the emperor of Bhāratavarṣa, of this, ruling all over the world, even up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit... And this New Delhi, Hastināpura, was the capital of the world, and there was only one flag, united. There was no need of hundreds of flags, United Nation. We have seen in New York the United Nation organization. The flags are increasing, not under one flag. The culture is lost. In India also the division. Everywhere the division is increasing. In Europe there is only one city. That is also another state. Luxembourg or...? So without the central point, certainly, gradually the division will increase, and in the name of nationalism, the strife and quarrel and fight will increase. Just like in India twenty years before or thirty years before, there was no Pakistan. Now they are divided, and already two big fights have been fought.
Just like Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata is the history. Bhārata means India, and Mahā means greater. Greater India. Just like modern age they use "Greater Britain," "Greater this," so many, same thing. Mahābhārata means "Greater..." Mahā means great, and Bhārata means India. "The history of Greater India." Although India is very small now in comparison to... Although it is called subcontinent, still, in comparison to your America or Africa, it is very small. But formerly it was not so small. Greater India means India and outside also. And so far we collect records from the Mahābhārata, part of Europe, also India. Up to Greek and Rome. Therefore it is called Mahābhārata. And when there was the Battle of Kurukṣetra, all kings and rulers from different parts of the world, they joined either this party or that party. The Kaurava, the dynasty of the Kurus, they were ruling all over the world. The capital was Hastināpura, which is now known as New Delhi. It is very old. And the emperor, up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, they were ruling all over the world. There was one flag, not many flags. Therefore it is called Mahābhārata.
Just like in New York we have seen the United Nations organization. It is said they are united, but there are thousands of flags. Disunited. Because actually they do not want to unite. It is a farce that they have made a United Nations organization. Nobody wants to unite. In the material world how there can be unity? That is not possible. Material world means everyone wants to enjoy to his satisfaction sense gratification. That is material world. So you want to satisfy your senses, I want to satisfy my senses. Therefore there is struggle: "Oh, this man is enjoying so much; I am unable." Even brother to brother, envious: "Oh, my, this brother has increased so much money. He is enjoying." Envious. That is material envy, to be envious.
Sva-para-vairaṁ hanteti pāracara pīpṛhi mūḍham. Mūḍham. We are all rascals. We are trying to create peaceful condition. It is not at all possible, peaceful condition. This rascal must know it clearly that there cannot... By your manufacturing some League of Nation or United Nation, it is not possible. In the New York we have seen the United Nation, and every year a flag is increasing—another flag, another flag, another flag. Where is "united"? Increasing of flags. That means disunity. "I don't agree with you. We don't want to remain with you. We must have Pakistan. We don't want to remain with Hindustan." So "All right." "We don't want this. We don't want this"—this is fighting, going on, sva-para-vairam. This is the condition of this material world. And we must suffer the threefold miseries. So where is happiness? But because we are illusioned by the external energy, therefore we think that "We are making good arrangement to live peacefully, and we shall live peacefully." Where is peace? You have to die. You don't want to die; you have to die. You don't want disease; you must suffer from disease. You don't want to become old man; you must become old man. So where is your happiness? This is all foolishness. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said, hanteti pāracara pīpṛhi mūḍham: "We are rascals, fools, so we are suffering in this way. Kindly save us."
Engage the tongue in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is wanted. Don't talk material subject matters. In big, big meetings the politicians, the United Nation, they talking—but talking all nonsense, simply going there for passing resolution that "Now we have to do this. Then the world will change." No, it will never change. By such kind of foolish talking, it will never change. Better close this United Nation organization because it has not given any practical effect. But talking about Kṛṣṇa, just see how it is giving practical effect. Here you are assembled here from Europe, America, and Africa, Canada, and practically all over the world, but you are united nation. You are united nation simply by talking Kṛṣṇa. This is the remedy. And if you keep yourself as American, as Indian, as Canadian, as African, and go to the United Nation and talk for years and years, there will be no more United Nation. It will be... More flags will increase because this is nonsense talking. It is practical. The United Nation is talking for the last thirty, forty years?
This is a conversation between Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, five thousand years ago he was the emperor of the whole world. Formerly, up to five thousand years ago, the whole world was being controlled and ruled over by kings whose capital was Hastināpura, New Delhi. There was only one flag, only one ruler, one scripture, Vedic scripture, and the Aryans, Arya, they were the civilized persons. You Europeans, Americans, you are also Aryans. Indo-European stock. Mahārāja Yayāti, grandson of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he gave to his two sons the portion of eastern Europe, Greek and Roman. That is the history, Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means great India. So there was no different religion. One religion, Vedic religion. Vedic religion means to accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the Supreme Person Absolute Truth. This is Vedic religion. Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, it is said there in the Fifteenth Chapter, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Vedic knowledge means to understand God. This is Vedic religion.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
Just like in your this planet, if not Deity, somebody like president there is. Formerly, there was only one king on this planet, up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. One king was. There was only one flag ruling over this whole planet. Similarly, in every planet there is a predominating Deity. So here it is said that the supreme predominating Deity is Kṛṣṇa, in the spiritual, in the topmost planet in the spiritual sky. This is material sky. In the material sky this is one of the universes. There are millions and trillions of universes. And within this universe there are millions and trillions of planets. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Jagad-aṇḍa. Jagad-aṇḍa means universe. Aṇḍa: just like an egg, this whole universe. So koṭi. Koṭi means hundreds and thousands. So in the brahmajyoti there are hundreds and thousands of these universes, and within this universe there are hundreds and thousands and thousands, unlimited number of Vaikuṇṭhas, planets.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So anyway, on the material platform, there is no possibility of equality, fraternity, or nothing. It is not possible. Unless you come to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), there is no question of equality, fraternity. So in the United Nation, they are trying for that unity, united nation, but where is unity? Every year there is a new flag. There is no question of fraternity or equality. Just like in animal life, there is no question of fraternity or equality. Similarly, if we keep ourself in the bodily concept of life, that is animal life. So long we keep ourself as :I am French man," "I am German man," "I am English man," "I am Indian man," or so many there are nationalities, there cannot be any fraternity, equality. We have come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or brahma-bhūtaḥ, then there will be fraternity, equality. And factually you can see in this movement all classes of men, all nationality, all religion, all color, they are coming together and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and dancing. This is wanted. So don't be misled by the leaders of so-called eternity and fraternity. It is not possible.
So I must first of all thank you for decorating Rādhā-Mādhava so nicely. So we are coming from Māyāpura, from the birthplace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is combination of Rādhā-Mādhava. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted that in every town, every village of this globe, this cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be preached. And it was given to the Indians: bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila jāra. It was the duty of the Indians. But in one sense, Bhāratavarṣa means this planet. Formerly there was one flag, Bhāratavarṣa, and the capital was Hastināpura. Gradually the control of the Pāṇḍavas declined. Up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole world was Bhāratavarṣa. Now it has become a tiny land, peninsula. So in that sense, anyone who is, who has taken birth on this planet, it is the duty of him to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, you European boys and girls, you have taken very seriously, and Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased upon you.
Initiation Lectures
Prabhupāda: Ravindra-svarūpa. Just like sunshine. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. You know the rules and regulations? (devotees chanting japa)
Devotee: Rohiṇīdevī.
Prabhupāda: Rohiṇī. Rohiṇī, the mother of Balarāma. (laughter-it's a boy?)
Devotee: Devamīra.
Prabhupāda: Devamīra.
Devotee: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Victory flag. Victory flag. That means Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (japa) Madirā. Madirā means intoxication. So you be intoxicated by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So after performance (indistinct) they may to my room.
Devotee: After the yajña?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
General Lectures
Take it, Lord Jesus Christ or Buddha or Śaṅkara or Rāmānujācārya or Caitanya—nobody will say that you make adjustment here and live peacefully. Everyone will say that you have to extinguish this material existence. Lord Buddha says nirvāṇa, and Śaṅkara says brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, and Kṛṣṇa says sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Lord Jesus Christ says that "You have to go the kingdom of God. Just come with me." So nobody says that "Let us make United Nation organization and stick up to thousands of flags, and let there be peace and prosperity, and let the war go on in any part of the world." That is not spiritual master. Spiritual master means that he is interested with the other world beyond this material world. That is spiritual master.
So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was narrated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī and it was heard by Mahārāja Parīkṣit. At that time he was the emperor of the world. He was very big emperor. Formerly, at least five thousand years ago, there were not many flags. There was only one flag. Now, with the advancement of civilization and in the name of United Nation, we are simply increasing flags. You see? So we are not increasing our civilization; we are decreasing. Disunited. In the name of United Nation, we are becoming disunited. You see? So this is not actually advancement of civilization. Actually, we have to study, phalena paricīyate. We have to study things by the result, not by propaganda. By false propaganda, if you study something, that is not studied. You have to see the result. Phalena paricīyate.
Jñātvā means "knowing perfectly that I am the source of everything." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the source of everything." So these things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It is not possible to explain all the verses. But our request is that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to spread the knowledge depicted in the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any nonsensical commentation. Then the human society will profit by it. They are actually not in sound condition of living atmosphere, but if they understand Bhagavad-gītā and if they actually expand their broader outlook, then these questions of social, national, international, all will be automatically solved. There will be no difficulty. And without finding out the center, if we manufacture our own ways... Not to speak of any individual persons, the different nations of the whole world, they are trying to be united. And in your country there is United Nations organization. Unfortunately, instead of becoming one, the flags are increasing. Daily you pass, you'll see another flag is there. Just like in our India, there was one Hindustan. Now (chuckling) there has become another, Pakistan. And sometimes there will be Sikhistan and there will be some-stan. So instead of becoming united, we are being disunited because we are missing the center.
Anyone can go anywhere very swiftly. You can go to London from Bombay within nine hours. So the world is not bounded anymore by "geographical limits to the particular countries or communities. Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state of human society." There is already the United Nations. In New York, they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations. But actually, when we pass through that road—I think it is First Avenue—instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing. They are becoming disunited. Just like in India, our independence movement was started by Mahatma Gandhijī for uniting all the different section of the people, but actually, the result was that instead of being united, India was partitioned. And the partition has become so poisonous that formerly there was only sporadic Hindu-Muslim riots in some place; now there is organized fighting between Pakistan and Hindustan.
We think, from Vedic evidences, the whole world was in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There was one God, Kṛṣṇa; one scripture, Bhagavad-gītā; one consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and one work, service of the Lord. From Mahābhārata, the great history of India, we can understand that up to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the whole world was ruled by one flag, this Vedic culture. Gradually it deteriorated, as we have practical experience. Twenty years ago there was no Pakistan, but now Pakistan is existing. Similarly, the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. This Bhārata-varṣa name was after the king Mahārāja Bhārata, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after the king Mahārāja Bhārata—he was a great king—he also left his kingdom at the age of twenty-four years, very young boy, for searching after spiritual realization, self-realization. That is the way of Vedic culture or Indian culture.
Prepare hundreds and thousands of preachers from India and send outside. This rascaldom, fighting with one another always, it will be forgotten. There will be one under this flag of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is need of such preachers. We should open regular school or teaching institution for preparing preachers all over the world. That is needed. This Bombay city is very nice city. You can do that. We can help you how to do it. Lord Caitanya Himself preached. Although He was very young man, at that time only twenty-four years old, for preaching work He sacrificed everything. He sacrificed His nice, beautiful wife, He left His old mother, His popularity at Navadvīpa as a great scholar and beautiful boy, and He accepted sannyāsa just for the purpose of preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These are the examples. So Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, they were prime minister of the then government of Bengal. They sacrificed their post. They joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "Let us help You." Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī, he was the biggest zamindar of that time.
Unless you come to the platform of brahma bhūta (SB 4.30.20) consciousness, you cannot treat everyone on the same level. It is not possible. The so-called universal brotherhood is not possible on this material condition of life. Therefore you can see that materially there are so many attempts to find out a platform of universal brotherhood. But there is no universal brotherhood. There is simply platform of enemy. The United Nation is trying to come to the platform of universal brotherhood. When I go to New York, I see the great institution. There are hundreds and thousands of flags. Instead of being united, the flags are increasing, because this universal brotherhood, this equality, fraternity, cannot be established on this material platform. It is not possible. You have to come to the point, to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or brahma bhūta stage, then it is possible.
So it doesn't matter whether you are Christian or Hindu. People must be raised to God consciousness scientifically. Otherwise it is doomed. It is not progress. It is already doom. They are simply inviting war after few years. In America, in New York, there is United Nations. They are spending millions of dollars every month, but they cannot stop war. Simply the flag is increasing. That's all. Because it is godless. They may talk all big, big words in the assembly, but at heart they are all dishonest, politicians. And God consciousness means cleansed heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). "I am servant of God." That is wanted. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). This is the definition given in Vedic literature, that "If anyone develops God consciousness, then all the good qualities will develop automatically. And you give him all kinds of education, but if he is godless, it is all useless." That is compared with decorating the dead body.
So the world is not bounded any more by geographical limits to the particular countries or communities. "Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state of human society." There is already the United Nations. In New York they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations, but actually, when we pass through that road—I think it is First Avenue—instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing. They are becoming disunited. Just like in India our independence movement was started by Mahatma Gandhiji for uniting all the different section of the people. But actually, the result was that instead of being united, India was partitioned. And the partition has become so poisonous that formerly there was only sporadic Hindu-Muslim riots in some place; now there is organized fighting between Pakistan and Hindustan. So although the tendency is to unite, but in fact it is not being united. They are becoming disunited more and more. Not only the Hindus and Muslim. Now in India there are many provincial questions. Just like in Andhra the fight is going on for separation. Punjab is already separated. So actually we are not being united. We are being separated.
Now for lack of knowledge, the United Nations, they're also, the Eastern and Western people have gone to make a solution of the world problems. But they're unable. My next headquarter is New York. I go on the First Avenue. Most occasionally I see there is the United Nations Building. But instead of diminishing the flag, they're increasing. They're increasing. I do not know what is the meaning of this United Nations. Why? Big, big brain, big, big politicians, big, big learned scholars, and they are speaking. But why the nations are not united? It is is, it is simply a show only. Because lack of knowledge. It is due to lack of knowledge. What is that lack of knowledge? Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Everyone is thinking: "I am this body." They have gone to unite together. But their basic principle of knowledge is the same, that "I am this body." American, he's thinking: "I am this body. American." Russian, he's thinking: "I am this body, Russian." And they are fighting. Why the fighting? Due to this body. But if we understand this very simple thing, that I am not this body, everything is united. So the lack of knowledge is there. How we'll be united, culturally or this way? It is not possible. The first lack of knowledge must be eradicated, that why you, why we are missing the point? This is the point.
Religion does not mean stamping in different way. Religion means to know God the great and we are subordinate, maintained by God. This is religion. If anyone knows these two things only—God is great, and we are subordinate; our duty is to abide by the orders of God—that is religion. So unity can be established on the spiritual platform. Unity cannot be established on this bodily platform just like the United Nations trying to unite the nation, but every year a flag is increasing. We have seen in New York. So this kind of unity will never be successful. The United Nations established at least how many years ago? So what they have done? They could not do that. Neither can do anything. Before that, there was another establishment, League of Nations. They are trying to unite the nations not to fight with one another. But because they are contemplating all these nonsense on the bodily platform, it is not possible. It is not possible. If you want to be united, then you have to be united on the spiritual platform. And what is that spiritual platform? The spiritual platform is to understand thoroughly that "God is great, and we are subordinate. God is maintaining us. All the property anywhere, that belongs to God, and we can use the father's property as much as I require, not to take more and stock it. No."
Departure Talks
Prabhupāda: You have got the photo.
Rāmeśvara: We have very nice pictures of both those places. Because so much of the book is describing Rūpa Gosvāmī's writings...
Prabhupāda: Everything of Rūpa Gosvāmī. We are called rūpānuga, "strictly following the footstep of Rūpa Gosvāmī." Rūpānuga-varāya te. And our Guru Mahārāja was..., rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe: "Anything against the plan of Rūpa Gosvāmī, not accepted." Rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa, caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa. What are these flags?
Jayatīrtha: They're flags, I think, of different nations. This is international airport. So they put so many flags, of all friendly countries. Russian flag, Chinese flag are not there. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...by United? No.
| Page Title: | Flag (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 25 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=47, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 47 |