Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtina. Sukṛtina means pious. Kṛtī means very expert in acting worldly activities. So one who are engaged in pious activities, they are called sukṛtī. There are two kinds of activities: impious activities, sinful activities; and pious activities. So one who goes to pray in the church or in the temple, "O God, give us our daily bread," or "God, give me some money," or "God, give me relief from this distress," they are also pious. They are not impious. The impious people, they will never surrender to God, Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ, prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). These class of men, sinful men, rascal, lowest of the mankind, whose knowledge has been taken away by māyā, and demon—these classes of men will never surrender to God. Therefore they are duṣkṛtina, impious. So Kṛṣṇa is pious, but still he wants the family benefit. This is his defect. Er, Arjuna. Family prosperity. He wants to be happy with society, friendship and love. Therefore he says that na kāṅkṣe vijayam... This is called vairāgya. Śmaśāna-vairāgya. It is called śmaśāna-vairāgya. Śmaśāna-vairāgya means that in India, the Hindus, they burn the dead body. So relatives take the dead body for burning to the burning ghāṭa, and when the body is burned, everyone present there, for the time being, they become little renounced: "Oh, this is the body. We are working for this body. Now it is finished. It is burnt into ashes. So what is the benefit?" This kind of vairāgya, renouncement, is there. But as soon as he comes from the burning ghāṭa, he again begins his activities. In the śmaśāna, in the burning ghāṭa, he becomes renounced. And as soon as comes home, again he is vigorous, vigorous, how to earn, how to get money, how to get money, how to get money. So this kind of vairāgya is called śmaśāna-vairāgya, temporary. He cannot become vairāgī.
For the time being (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
He is playing like that. Because without Arjuna's playing like that, how this Bhagavad-gītā will come? This is just like playing on the stage. One very rich man, he is, in a drama, he is playing the part of a very poor man. But actually, he is not poor man. But in the stage he is playing the part of a poor man. Similarly, Arjuna is not bewildered, but for the time being he appears to be bewildered by Kṛṣṇa's māyā, because Kṛṣṇa wants to speak Bhagavad-gītā, for the benefit of the whole world, that what is spiritual knowledge. Therefore this is a stage arrangement.
So pratikāram and apratikāram. Whatever we have manufactured, pratikāram, counteraction, that will be also failure if Kṛṣṇa does not sanction it. That is realized by Prahlāda Mahārāja. He says "My dear Lord," Hiraṇyakaśipu, that "people have manufactured so many pratikāram, counteraction." But tanu-bhṛtām, "Those who have accepted this material body, they are simply manufacturing things to counteract dangers.
That is the instruction of Śaṅkarācārya also. Because he was a devotee, he was a great devotee. But he pretended to be an atheist because he was to deal with the atheists. Unless he presents himself as an atheist, the atheist followers will not hear him. Therefore he presented Māyāvāda philosophy for the time being. The Māyāvāda philosophy cannot be accepted eternally. The eternal philosophy is Bhagavad-gītā. That is the verdict. Go on.
So long our mind is karma conscious, then we have to take another body. Therefore bhakti is defined, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). Karma. People are very much enthusiastic to be engaged in karma, fruitive activities, and some of them are very eager to speculative knowledge. That is called jñāna. Therefore bhakti is jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). It must be uncovered by the speculative knowledge and fruitive activities. By karma, you are bound up to accept birth and death; by jñāna, you can be liberated for the time being, but you again fall down; but by bhakti, you are firmly fixed up in your spiritual platform. (break)
If you keep yourself strictly to the principles of bhakti-yoga, māyā's father also will not be able to do anything. No.
So here it is said, bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi. Yadi, not always. If sometimes one falls down, without... Then, yatra kva vā abhadram abhūd amuṣya kim. Then what is the loss there? He's not a loser. Still he's gainer. Because for the time being, whatever he has done sincerely, serving Kṛṣṇa, that is credited forever, eternally. It will be never lost. Mind that. Do sincerely, and you'll be never lost. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31), Kṛṣṇa says "My dear Arjuna, you declare it, that none of My devotees will ever be vanquished. I'll give you protection." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). So do it sincerely. Don't think that "Even if I fall, there is no loss." No, don't think like that. Why I shall fall? I've taken to Kṛṣṇa's shelter, why shall you give it up? This is my life. But even if you fall down, that is also said, so there is no loss.
Yoga-bhraṣṭa: falling down from devotional service, he gets next chance again. He gets birth in very good family, rich family, and pure family, brāhmaṇa family, so that again he'll be given chance. "Now, you begin again." These are explained, you'll find. Therefore, Nārada Muni says that even if he is, for the time being, failure, then there is no loss. But on the other hand, ko vā artha āptaḥ abhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ. Suppose one is very nicely executing his occupational duty, he's a businessman, very routine work, doing business, making profit and everyone appreciates his routine work. Even if he does so, or he is a very nice brāhmaṇa, nice kṣatriya, so he has done his duty very nicely, but he has not taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śāstra says, what he has gained? What he has gained?
Now, if I do not identify myself with this body, if this knowledge is fixed up, then... The miserable condition of this material world is due to this body, but if I don't identify with this body, then what relationship I have got with all this miseries? This is theoretical knowledge, of course, but one has to practice. But this is a fact. Just like for the time being, if there is any pain in the body... I feel pain because I am absorbed in this bodily concept of life, but actually, I am not this body. That is a fact. It is due to my absorption of bodily concept of life; therefore I feel. The more I become enlightened, the more I shall not be affected by all these miseries. Go on.
These sufferings are there—birth, death, old age and disease. You cannot stop it. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ, and even you go to this moon planet or to the highest planet, these four things will follow. So therefore sense gratification must be stopped. But if you want to stop it artificially it is impossible. Neither by this yoga process, neither by this jñāna process. Simply for the time being you can check.
Just like a naughty boy. By force, you can stop him acting mischievously. But as soon as he gets opportunity, again he will act so. Similarly, senses are very strong. You cannot stop them artificially. Therefore the only remedy is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These boys in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this is also sense gratification, eating nice prasāda, dancing, chanting, reading philosophy—but it is in connection with Kṛṣṇa. That is the significance. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. It is the sense gratification of Kṛṣṇa. Not directly, but because I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, my senses are automatically satisfied. This process should be adopted.
Vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam means full knowledge, full knowledge. We are hankering after knowledge; then we come to the point of full knowledge. Vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Ānanda. We cannot increase ānanda here. In the material sense gratification, ānanda does not increase. If you want some ānanda from sense, for the time being it may give you some pleasure, but at once it decreases. You have no more capacity to enjoy. You see? At once decreases. So it is not ānanda. It is not real ānanda. Ānanda means that will increase, increase. You enjoy and increases. Increases. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. The example is very nice. Ambudhi. Ambudhi means sea. Sea... You don't find sea has increased. You go to the, what is called, seaside. Ten years before you had been to the seaside. You see the same level is there. It does not increase. If it increases, the whole New York City will be overflooded. It does not increase. But here Lord Caitanya says that ambudhi, the ocean of bliss, it increases.
"Your temporary problems, so-called happiness and distress, these are āgamāpāyinaḥ. They come and go." That is not very important. Just like the seasonal changes. The winter season comes; again goes away. For the time being, you may feel very cold, but it will go. Similarly, summer season also, it comes and goes—any seasonal changes. We should not be disturbed with these seasonal changes of happiness and distress.
We should be very serious about the problems of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). That is spiritual advancement. Unless you come to the serious point, unless you have become very intelligent, that "I do not want to die. Why death is there...?" This is intelligence. You may solve your temporary problems, but you cannot, by your so-called materialistic activities, solve the problem of death. Nobody wants to die. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś ca aham. Death will come.
Then, as we... Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). Mām upāśritāḥ. When you take shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then you become vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56). Otherwise, you'll be attacked by, attracted by this material world. So therefore, artificial śūnyavāda philosophy, it may be, for the time being, necessity, śūnyavāda...
Just like Lord Buddha preached his philosophy, śūnyavāda philosophy, nirvāṇa philosophy, because it was needed at that time. It is not permanent philosophy. Any philosophy except Kṛṣṇa philosophy... Nothing is permanent. They are temporary. They have got temporary use. The real use is Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Real use, Kṛṣṇa philosophy. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam... (BG 18.66).
Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. Abhyāsāt means there must be activities. If you stop activities, there will be no ānanda. Then you will again search out where is activities. And because you have no spiritual activities, you will come down to the material activities.
So this artificial type of saṁyamāgniṣu juhvati, it may help you for the time being to stop the activities for the indriya, but that will not be permanently done. Therefore this process, that sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam... (CC Madhya 19.170). When you become free from all designation... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu said—I was going to explain—that "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a śūdra, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya, I am not..." This is negation. Then what you are? Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). There is activities. As soon as we accept dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, there must be activities.
So you have to forget this, that "I don't belong to this material world and so nice division," either you call brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, or American, Indian. "No. Purely I am spirit soul, and my business is to serve Kṛṣṇa." Then you will be able to control your senses.
Because senses want engagement. If you artificially stop, it will not stay. For the time being, it may be appearing, but it is not possible. You cannot be desireless. Sometimes we say that "We should be desireless." That is not possible. The whole process should be purifying desire, purifying desire, mind. Mind is the source of desires. Therefore the bhakti process is first of all engage the mind. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). If you engage your mind, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru... (BG 18.65). This is the recommendation given by Kṛṣṇa.
This is real sannyāsa, that he does not act for his own account, for his sense gratification, but he works... Never mind. He does not hate an work. "Any sort of work I am prepared to do, and the result I'll have to offer to Kṛṣṇa"—this is called real sannyāsa. So Kṛṣṇa gives the... Jñeyaḥ sa nitya-sannyāsī. Nitya means eternally, not for the time being, eternally. Nitya-sann..., yo na dveṣṭi. He does not hate any kind of work, but na kāṅkṣati: he does not desire for his own, se..., viṣaya, enjoying the result. Nirdvandvo hi mahā-bāho sukhaṁ bandhāt pramucyate: Oh, "That sort of sannyāsī is always happy, and he is a liberated person." He's a liberated person.
I think, next we shall talk on, next meeting. If you have got any question, you can ask. (break)
The friend suggested, "It is just like a bamboo log." So the foolish man began to chew all kinds of bamboo logs. So how he can get the sweetness of the sugar cane? Similarly, we are trying to have happiness and pleasure, but we are trying to derive happiness, pleasure, eschewing this material body.
So therefore there is no happiness; there is no pleasure. For the time being, there may be a little feeling of pleasure, but that is not actual pleasure. That is for temporary, just a slight focus of that lightning. In the sky you will find some lightning, but real lightning is beyond that. So vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaś calati tattvataḥ. Because persons they do not know what is happiness, so sthitaś calati tattvataḥ. Real happiness... They are deviated from real happiness. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. This real happiness... Now, we are trying to be posted or to be situated in that position of real happiness by practice of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we shall gradually develop our intelligence, real intelligence.
No, no. You should take care." So there is a picture, very nice. That is a very famous picture. That Menakā is showing Viśvāmitra Muni the girl, and the muni is like that, "No more show me." Yes. There is a picture. That is... Then he went away. So there are chances of failure. There are chances of failure. Just like a great sage like Viśvāmitra Muni, he also failed, failed for the time being. But Kṛṣṇa says that this failure is not, I mean to say, unsuccessful. As we have sometimes the proverb, that "Failure is the pillar of success," so especially in the spiritual life, this failure is not discouraging. This failure is not discouraging.
"You are afraid of the son of your sister. So your sister is not going to kill you. So I request, don't kill your sister. Save her. And I promise that all the sons born of your sister will be brought to you, and if you like, you can kill." The compromise was made by Vasudeva. He was also a king.
So politically, that "For the time being this poor girl may be saved, and it may be that time will change the mind of Kaṁsa. When her sons will be born he might change his mind." But he was such a great demon that he killed all the sons of Devakī. So the eighth son... It was foretold that the eighth son of his sister would kill him. So when Kṛṣṇa was in the womb of his mother, Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Now you see, he was also Kṛṣṇa conscious, but he was Kṛṣṇa conscious not directly, not for love's sake, but as an enemy. He was Kṛṣṇa conscious as enemy. So that is not devotional service. One who is Kṛṣṇa conscious and Kṛṣṇa's friend, Kṛṣṇa's parent, Kṛṣṇa's servant, Kṛṣṇa's lover, that is devotion.
And the easiest process is: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is not at all difficult provided we agree to accept it. Then we can gradually understand "What is God, what I am, what is my relationship with God," and so on, so on. Everything will be clear.
"Everything will be clear" means for the time being our heart is very dirty. We are always full of so many dirty consciousness. It has to be cleansed. This cleansing process is this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). This Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra means the first business is to cleanse the dirty heart. The dirty heart means rajas-tamas. There are three qualities, three modes of material nature: tamo-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, sattva-guṇa. So generally we are in rajas-tamo-guṇa, ignorance and passion. The ignorance and passion, the symptom is greediness and lusty desires. So this is the dirty things.
And you are crying, "Save me! Save me! Here is a tiger!" But one who is awakened, he say, "Why you are crying?" "There is a tiger." "Where is tiger?" This is illusion. But when you are dreaming that there is a tiger, you are crying, that is not illusion. It is acting. Similarly, this material manifestation, it is not illusion, but for the time being it is illusion. We are attracted with this material world, society, friendship and love. But in a second we can be slapped by the material nature and get out of this illusion, just like dream. So in this sense it is illusion, but so long it is there, it is fact also. So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore he had to reject the Vedic principles because in the Vedic principle, in the sacrifice, there is recommendation sometimes, not always, about sacrifice of the animal. But his aim was, mission was, to stop animal killing. Therefore for the time being he rejected the Vedic authority, because people will take advantage that "In the Vedas there is recommendation for sacrificing animals." So just to stop, to take this advantage, he said that "I do not accept the authority of Vedas." Therefore he was accepted as atheist. Veda nā māniyā bauddha haya ta' nāstika. That's a big story.
So either we are suffering or we are enjoying according to different season and circumstances, but actually we are suffering. Because... Take this winter season. We do not want chilly cold. Therefore we are covering. The cause is we are suffering. Therefore we are covering. And after covering, we are feeling some pleasure. This pleasure is, for the time being, absence of suffering. That's all. Actually, we are suffering, but by some arrangement, when we stop that suffering for the time being and feel, enjoying, that is material enjoyment. Actually there is no enjoyment. Because in the winter season by covering the body we are feeling pleased but in the summer season by covering the body we feel not pleased. So this is going on. So rejecting and... Why the same dress, warm dress, does not give us pleasure in the summer season? And the same dress, in the winter season it gives us pleasure. So we do not know whether dress is pleasing or suffering. Means sometimes it is pleasing and sometime it is displeasing.
So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that for the time being we are trying to create a section of men, not from India, not from Hindus. Never, Kṛṣṇa never said that "These things can be done only in India and amongst the section, Hindu." No. It is open for everyone. It is open for everyone. Just like if you start an engineering college, does it mean that it is meant for Hindus or Muslims or a certain nationality? No. It should be open for everyone. Anyone who wants to become a brāhmaṇa, he can become brāhmaṇa. Of course, the, what is called, conservative class of men, they come to fight with us that "How you are making brāhmaṇas from the European and American people? They are mlecchas and yavana." No.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
That is his victory. Temporarily he might have been disturbed when his son was killed. That is a different thing. Everyone becomes. But that does not mean he stopped work. That is wanted. What was the final conclusion? He did not leave the warfield because his son Abhimanyu was killed; therefore he left—"No, I don't want to fight"? No, he did not do that. He was affected for the time being. That is natural. But finally he concluded and he said, "Yes," kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). Naṣṭo mohaḥ smṛtir labdhā: "My illusion is now over. I shall fight." That is right conclusion.
There are two things within our experience: one, matter, not sentient; and another sentient. So this... Now, I am seer. Or sometimes I control both these things. But I am not supreme controller. But I can observe that there are two things, sentient and insentient, and I am observing. So, for the time being, I am superior of both the sentient and nonsentient. So the conclusion is the ultimate source of everything, ultimate knower, ultimate analyzer, must be a sentient. It cannot be insentient. That is experimental knowledge.
Prabhupāda: This is universal form of the Lord, virāṭ-puruṣa. Here is also. This is more or less imaginary. But virāṭ-puruṣa... Just like Arjuna was shown the virāṭ-puruṣa, universal form. That is not eternal. That was causal or temporary; for the time being it was shown to Arjuna.
Upendra: "His body is eternally in spiritual existence par excellence." Purport: "The conception of virāḍ-rūpa or viśva-rūpa of the Supreme Absolute Truth is specially meant for the neophyte materialist who can hardly think of the transcendental form of the Personality of Godhead. To them a form means something of this material world and as such an opposite conception of the absolute is necessary for them in the beginning to concentrate their mind in the power extension of the Lord.
He eats. How He eats, that you can understand when you make advancement to that stage. He eats. For the time being, you just take it for granted that He eats. How He eats, that is not possible because you cannot see Him. And how can you see that how He is eating? So that requires spiritual vision, and we shall understand. But He eats, we take it. Because in the Bhagavad-gītā He says that "I eat." Aśnāmi. Aśnāmi means "I eat." (end)
Vasati daśana-śikhare dharaṇī tava lagnā śaśini kalaṅka, keśava dhṛta-śūkara-rūpa. Here it is stated, saukaram. Saukaram means like hog. Not that He's hog. He's yajñeśa. He can take any shape. Just like here is, God has assumed the shape of a lion, half-lion, half-man. So He's all powerful, He can take any shape, any form, but He is not that form. That is for the time being. For the time being, He assumes so many forms. The real form is Kṛṣṇa, the original form. Keśava dhṛta-śūkara, sūkara-rūpa or śūkara-rūpa. "My Lord Keśava, You have assumed this form."
So there are many millions and millions of forms of God. According to time, necessity, circumstances, He assumes different forms. Because it is His business:
So your country is still very nice because you are not shooting Kṛṣṇa conscious people, but there is possibility. Demons are increasing. Demons are increasing. But don't be afraid. Kṛṣṇa is there. Just like Kṛṣṇa's mother and father were so much, I mean to say, harassed by Kaṁsa. But at the end, Kaṁsa was killed by Kṛṣṇa.
So we may be harassed for the time being, but Kṛṣṇa will save. This is śaraṇāgati. Avaśya rakhibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana. The śaraṇāgati means, surrender means that "Kṛṣṇa will save me. I, I'll not do anything against the devotional service. Even there is torture..." Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. He was tortured by his father. He had... Kṛṣṇa's mother was tortured by his brother. Not outsider. So the demons are so rascal, they don't care for son, sister, mother. No. "As soon as it is against my personal sense gratification, I must finish this." But be sure that Kṛṣṇa will save. We have got so many instances.
And if he's little advanced, "Please try to read Teachings of Lord Caitanya. It is very nice. You'll be benefited." These three four words will make you a preacher. Is it very difficult task? (chuckles) You may not be very learned, very good scholar, very good philosopher. You simply say... Go and door to door: "My dear sir, you are very learned man. For the time being, you stop your learning. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."
Just like Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī did. He said, dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya. The preaching method he is teaching. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. He wrote one book, Caitanya-candrāmṛta, "The Moonlight of Lord Caitanya," in Sanskrit. He belonged to southern India. And his nephew became one of the Gosvāmīs.
And chanting in his way, Hare Kṛṣṇa. We must have engagement. But if the same child was not engaged in this way, he would be naughty. He would be doing something mischief, this way and that way. We must have engagement. Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not understand it. They want to make stop. Of course, that stop, for the time being, may be. Just like if this child is very naughty, I can stop him: "Don't do this. Sit down here, silent." But how long he'll sit silently? He wants some engagement. Similarly, this meditation process is like that. They... In order to stop him for doing some nonsense activities, better let him sit down, like this. But how long he'll sit down like this? As soon as he is free from that so-called meditation, he will immediately engage himself in all nonsense activities.
Therefore he must have pious activities.
Now, once this Kṛṣṇa consciousness awakens, it is so nice that it will not let the person fall down. No. The... Rest assured. Fall down. It will go simply. If it is checked for the time being, but that checking is for temporary checking. It will again come out. So don't lose this opportunity. Go on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the simple method. So there is no question of falldown. Bhakti-vāsanā sad-bhāvāt.(?) Bhakti-vāsanā, this desire, that "I'll serve Kṛṣṇa," this desire is sufficient to keep him, I mean to say, intact. This very desire, bhakti-sad-bhāvāt. This desire will never die.
So many ways. So this is anartha. To accept this body and in bodily relationship everything, ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), this is māyā. So this is anartha. Anartha means meaningless. No artha. Artha means meaning.
So if we want to stop this anartha, misconception of life, then we have to take to bhakti-yoga. It is explained in the next verse. But for the time being we are misled. The māyā, or the material nature, is misleading us. We are trying to adjust things according to the dictation of māyā, that we shall be able to stop our struggle for existence in this way and that way. That is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). If you make some plan... You can make plan, but that plan will never be successful. This is the... By false understanding we may make hundreds and thousands of plan to be happy in this material world. That is not possible. This is therefore called sammohito, bewildered. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam.
"If I am eternal, why I have to change my body?" This is intelligence.
So that intelligence is there. Here it is said, lokasya ajānataḥ. The rascals, the fools, ajānataḥ, foolish... Ajānataḥ is another meaning of foolish. Ajānataḥ, ajñāna, without any knowledge how we can stop this perpetual... Not perpetual, but at least for the time being, why we are subjected to these anartha? This is the enquiry. This is called brahma-jijñāsā. But they do not know it. Ask anybody of this material world that "What is the cause of your suffering?" They cannot explain; they do not know it. Therefore it is particularly mentioned, ajānataḥ: "They do not know how to mitigate this suffering." Therefore vidvān. Vidvān, one who has got full knowledge, Vyāsadeva, he has made this sātvata-saṁhitām. Saṁhitā means Vedic knowledge, and sātvata means pure, completely pure, or for the Vaiṣṇavas or the perfect spiritualists.
Don't think that we disrespect. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. And the Vaiṣṇavas know Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkara, svayaṁ śaṅkara, he is incarnation of Lord Śiva, and Lord Buddha is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So they come for particular purpose, to benefit the whole world. But that is for the time being. That is not permanent. The permanent solution is mataṁ ca vāsudevasya. That is permanent. Mataṁ ca vāsudevasya. That is permanent.
So vāsudevasya matam? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is vāsudevasya. "You simply surrender unto Me." That is real mata. Everyone is surrendered. Even Śaṅkarācārya says bhagavad-gītā kiñcid adhita(?). If you read little, a portion of Bhagavad-gītā, your life will be successful. That is the recommendation given by... Sva bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa vāsudeva devakī-vasudevasya nandana(?). He has admitted. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt.
So the real concept is that "I am American, so my senses are American senses. So it must be utilized for America." Similarly Indians thinking, others are thinking. But none of them do know it that senses belong to Kṛṣṇa. This is ignorance. No intelligence. They are thinking for the time being, that these senses, upādhi, designated... American senses, Indian senses, African senses. No. This is called māyā. It is covered. Therefore bhakti means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). When your senses will be uncontaminated with all these designations, that is the beginning of bhakti. If I think, "I am American. Why shall I take Kṛṣṇa consciousness? It is Hindu God," that is foolishness. If I think "I am Muhammadan," "I am Christian," then you are gone. But if we purify the senses that "I am spirit soul. The Supreme Spirit Soul is Kṛṣṇa.
Pumping process. He is, I mean to say, evaporating water throughout the whole summer season. And they are on the head, on the sky, and then the water is distributed all over the land. Parjanyaḥ. Kāmaṁ vavarṣa parjanyaḥ (SB 1.10.4). Because water is required. Just see how nice arrangement. And the water, whatever for the time being in the rainy season, is distributed. And for future supply it is stocked on the head of the hills and mountains. And from that hills and mountains the rivers—they are supposed to be water supply source—throughout the year will supply water. It is stocked on the head. The same principle. We simply imitate. We also keep a very big tank on the head of the house, and through pipe we get water supply. So here nature's pipe water supply is the big, big rivers, and the water is being supplied from the stock on the head. There are big, big lakes and it is supplied. The same process.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Bali-mardana: So all these warriors on the battlefield, they were all Kṛṣṇa conscious? Is that correct?
Prabhupāda: Yes. At least for the time being, they knew that Kṛṣṇa has come. Suppose a prominent man comes in a big meeting. Is not everyone conscious of that person?
Bali-mardana: Jaya.
Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, you state that spirit soul has form.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Therefore Devahūti proposes, "Sir,..." Yaḥ avagrahaḥ. This false conception of life, ahaṁ mameti... (SB 5.5.8). "I am American,""I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian..." Or "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya..." This avagraha... It is called upādhi, designation: "For the time being." Just like you become minister for five years or three years. Or president. Just like Nixon was president; now he's not president. So this is an upādhi. You are Indian, American, this, that—they are all upādhis. Therefore if we are attached, if we are attached to the upādhi, that is called avagraha. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). And according to the upādhi, I become attached to "me" and "mine"—"I am this," "I am that," and "It is mine, it is..." But actually, they are all illusion. Fact it is. If you suppose... Just like the president was five years very powerful. Now he's dragged down. Then what is the value? What is the value? So it may be for five years or fifty years or utmost hundred years.
They are not sad-dharma. They are asad-dharma. "Because I am born in the family of a Christian, I am Christian." "Because I am born in the family of Hindu, I am Hindu." And next time I may (be) born in the family of a dog. There is no dharma. So these are not sad-dharma. These are all asad-dharma, for the time being. Asad means "that will not stay." You are Hindu. How long you are Hindu? Say, fifty years. Or you are Indian. How long you are Indian? Say, fifty, sixty, hundred years. But again you have to become something else. That we do not know. We are working very hard, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Indian," "I am American." These upādhi. But the upādhi may be changed next moment. At any moment. So what is your real dharma? This is temporary dharma for the body. What is your real dharma? Real dharma is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is sad-dharma. That is sad-dharma. That will continue eternally.
Kṛṣṇa says, God says, sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "Everything belongs to Me." Still, we are fighting: "No, this Africa is mine," "This America is mine," or "This India is mine." They are simply fighting, simply fighting on this misconception. It is clearly said, and is a fact. How this land becomes yours? It does not belong to you. You have come for the time being, for, say, fifty years, hundred years. But the land is lying for millions and millions of years. So before your coming the land was there, and after your going away the land will be there. How it becomes yours? But they have no common sense, these rascals. They have no common sense. They are fighting—"nationalism." Therefore they are described as go-khara, go-khara, animals, cows and asses. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhātuke svā-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). Bhauma-idya-dhīḥ, this is nationalism, worshiping the land of birth. This is called nationalism.
That is predicted in the World Almanac. We have seen, that people are going to live under. They'll... Sometimes they will come out to have fresh air in the surface. Otherwise, they will have to live underground.
So actually we are, by advancing this materialistic way of life, for the time being we may feel happy, but we do not know how much risk we are taking in our life. That science is not yet discussed. That science is described in the Bhagavad-gītā that if you hear also, we have begun, that this life is not meant for simply sense gratification with hard labor. No. This life is meant for restraining. Restraining. Tapa. We have to restrain our business of sense gratification. Without restraining our business of sense gratification, it is not possible to make ourselves liberated. That is not possible.
That is a good suggestion, but you rot for the time being. Suppose you are going somewhere, walking, and somebody gives you opportunity, "Come in my car," why don't you take advantage of it? You are... You will reach the destination by walking in six thousand years, (laughter) but if you get the opportunity... In your country there is good. There is staircase and there is elevator. So if you want to go, that "I shall go by the staircase and reach the upstair at the end of the day when office will be finished," (laughter) then you can do that. But if you are intelligent, you shall take the advantage of the elevator. Within a minute you go there. That is intelligence. "I am going. I shall reach at the end of the day when every office will be closed. Then I will come down again." If you see that, that you can do—not very good intelligence. That is not intelligence. We have to take the speediest process. That is intelligence. Yes?
For the time being, when he's punished, he thinks, "I shall not commit what mistake I did." But as soon as he's out of the danger, he commits again. So kvacin nivartate abhadrāt. Nivartate means he refrains, abhadrāt, from abominable activities. Kvacic carati tat punaḥ. And again sometimes he commits the same thing. Punaḥ. Therefore habit is second nature. It is very difficult. The example that yasya hi yaḥ svabhāvasya tasya sa duratikramaḥ.(?) Svabhāva, one who has his habit, one who is habituated to do something, it is very difficult for him to give it up. The example is given: sva yadi kriyate rāja saḥ kiṁ na so uparhanam.(?) You can keep one dog in a royal position, but as soon as it will see one shoe there, immediately bite—because he's a dog. The doggish quality's there. You may put him on the throne; that's doesn't matter. But the doggish quality, you cannot change. Similarly this svabhāva. Svabhāva means the material nature, material nature.
You can go on, make many experiment of atonement, but the disease of the heart will remain. And you'll commit again sin. But as soon as you come to the Kṛṣṇa platform, then you become free from the contamination. This is the advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you don't come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you may be relieved for the time being from the reaction of sinful activities, but you'll again commit.
So Parīkṣit Mahārāja says, "This kind of committing sin and again become relieved by atone, atonement, repetition, it is just like kuñjara-śaucavat." He's giving very nice example. Kvacin nivartate abhadrāt kvacic carati tat punaḥ, prāyaścittam atho 'pārtham (SB 6.1.10). "Therefore this atonement, to me, is nothing but waste of time." How it is waste of...? Kuñjara-śaucavat. The example, kuñjara means elephant. The elephant cleanses the body very nicely in the water, in the lake, or some water, reservoir, but as soon as comes on the shore takes some dust and overthrows.
The answer, Parīkṣit Mahārāja's question to Śukadeva Gosvāmī, that this atonement, once committing some sinful activity, and counteracting it by so-called atonement, confession, has no meaning. If one is suffering from certain type of disease, goes to a doctor, physician, he gives some medicine, it is cured for the time being, and again if he's attacked with such disease and goes to the doctor, again he gives medicine, then what is the use of this business? Again and again. That is the question, very intelligent question. How to cure the disease completely?
We were, at that time, boys, students, and we know about this League of Nations, how it was manufactured. Then again the Second War. And now they have manufactured United Nations. But the war is going on, Vietnam or here or there. But actual medicine is how to stop war. That cannot be done by... By one action there is war, and by another action the war is stopped for the time being. And again, when the opportunity's there, again war. So sinful activities and atonement is like that. But actual, what we want, that no suffering, no war—that is our hankering. We want that. That is not happening.
So the answer is given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. But that one kind of war causes some disturbances and another kind of war stops it for some time, for the time being, that is not ultimate solution of the problem. Any intelligent man can understand it. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends that these things happen on account of foolishness, avidvad-adhikāritvāt.
Simply by atonement there may be temporary suppression of something, but it will arise again. The same example can be given. The whole world is trying to stop war. But by some means like League of Nation, United Nation, but it is stopped for the time being, but again, after some years, there is huge war.
So, so Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that this material world, sinful life, we are acting in a way, we are forced to commit some sins, and you are suffering as a resultant action. This is going on. But if you want to stop this business—one suffering and one again becomes victim—then you have to become advanced in knowledge. Karmī-jñānī. Ordinary people, they are karmīs, or fruitive actors. Fruitive actors. They're working whole day and night, and getting some result, enjoying, again suffering, again there is problem. This is going on. They are called karmīs.
Nobody is loser. Everyone is gainer. Everyone is gainer. So therefore we should take this process.
Therefore it is recommended here, kecit kevalayā bhaktyā (SB 6.1.15). Somebody, without undergoing so much austerities, penances and practice in yoga for controlling mind, the senses... It is not possible for the time being, in this age. People are so fallen that they cannot take to these processes. But they can take to this bhakti process. That is the easiest. Kecit kevalayā bhaktyā vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ (SB 6.1.15). Bhaktyā means to become devotee of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, aghaṁ dhunvanti. Agham means all sinful reaction of life. Not only one life. Life after life, we have done. So that can be solved in this human form of life simply by taking to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Aghaṁ dhunvanti kārtsnyena. In toto, wholesale, kārtsnyena, wholesale. How? Nīhāram ivaṁ bhāskaraḥ. Just like the whole atmosphere is surcharged with fog; nobody can see.
So this cure of material disease have been described—we are discussing—first by atonement. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja did not like it very much because he saw, the atonement is like bathing of the elephant. By atonement we may be free from the infection, but again we do it. Karmaṇā. Then again... That is called karma-kāṇḍa, fruitive activities. Because the bīja, the seed of my sinful desires, that is not cured. For the time being... Just like go to the doctor. You are suffering from a severe disease, and he gives some medicine, takes his fees. That is my atonement, prāyaścitta. But it is no guarantee that I will not fall disease again. So this atonement like that. Many patients, they are suffering from some chronic disease, some venereal disease. They go to the doctor and they give injection, very costly medicine and so much suffering, but as soon as he cure, again he does the same thing so that he is attacked with venereal disease. So this is not very effective way of becoming...
So that surrender means to accept his orders. The spiritual master trains the disciple in the way of goodness quality. So if you do not abide the orders of spiritual master, what is the use of your surrender? Surrender means ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam. Anukūla, favorable things, should be accepted. And you do not know. Therefore spiritual master will direct you, "This is favorable. This is unfavorable. Don't smoke—this is unfavorable." But if you don't accept the instruction, what is the meaning of surrender? Simply by offering obeisances, falling flat for the time being, that is not surrender.
We do not understand that this deha, this body, is always kleśada. Kleśada means giving pains. For the time being, we may feel some pleasure, but actually it is a reservoir of pain, not pleasure. The example is given in this connection... Formerly, this was done by the government servants to criminal, to take a man in the middle of the river and drown him, and catching his hair, and when he's almost suffocating, then they again draw from the water and he takes little rest and again put him into the water. So that was the system of punishment. Similarly, whatever little pleasure we are feeling, that is exactly similarly the man, when he's taken from the water, that's all. Again he's to be drowned. This material world is like that.
Everyone, from the morning to night, they are simply trying how to enjoy the material world: "How to enjoy? How to enjoy?" This is called karma-jñāna. When they are fed up, then "the grapes are sour." They give up: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. But that will not stay. If you... Even if you give up for the time being, that jagat mithyā—"We have no business with the jagat"—it may be sentimentally enduring for some time, but because you are not purified, therefore Bhāgavata says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Simply to understand that "I am not this material body, so I have nothing to do with this body, and I am spirit soul," simply this much knowledge is not perfect.
And you can see that as our Hindu-Muslim religion, even they perform the ritualistic ceremonies, they do not cease from committing the sins. Just like a rascal patient. He goes to the physician. The physician gives some medicine and gives some direction that "You take this medicine. Do not do this. You do not eat so many things. You eat like this." But he takes the medicine. For the time being he follows and again he commits the same mistake and again he goes to the physician and "Doctor, please give me medicine." This is going on.
So this kind of treatment is not accepted by the Viṣṇudūta.
Ajāmila in his previous life, although he became fallen in later age, but he was a brahmacārī. He was being trained by his father and he knew the pastimes, the form, the name of Nārāyaṇa. But by bad association for the time being, he forgot. But as soon as he chanted the name of Nārāyaṇa he remembered all these. Therefore he was saved. Try to understand this. One should know the offenseless chanting means remembering the form. Therefore Māyāvādī, those who are impersonalists, they cannot think of the form of the Lord, neither of the pastimes. They do not believe in the pastimes of the Lord. They think these pastimes means it is māyā. Kṛṣṇa's transcendental pastimes, they think it is māyā. Kṛṣṇa's form, it is māyā because they are impersonalists. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that janma karma me divyam. The rascals, they cannot understand what are the activities, pastimes of Kṛṣṇa.
No, when he was a boy he was doing everything. You have not heard? So svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Because he practiced sometimes before falling down, so by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra he immediately remembered that real Nārāyaṇa immediately, His pastimes, His form, everything, and therefore he became liberated. He had practiced. But for the time being his practice was stopped on account of bad association. But as soon as chanted... That is the advantage of a devotee. If you practice devotional service even for some time and if you fall down, then it will also help sometime. Nārada therefore says, tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). He says that a person who takes to devotional service, giving up all his prescribed duties... Just like Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Now, in course of prosecuting the devotional service, even he falls down there is no loss. Because whatever he has done, that remains his credit.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that veda nā māniyā bauddha haila nāstika. Buddha philosophy, they do not accept the authority of Vedas, although Lord Buddha is accepted as incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. But for the time being, he did not accept the authority of Veda. Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātam. Lord Buddha was preaching ahiṁsā, so according to Vedic rituals there is prescription sometimes—not always—killing of animals. So when Lord Buddha was preaching ahiṁsā, "No more animal killing," the so-called Vedantists and Vedic followers, they said, "Why you are preaching in that way? We have got in the Vedas many animal sacrifice is prescribed there, paśu-bali." So Lord Buddha, what he will reply to these foolish persons what was his mission? He said, "I don't care for your Vedas."
So Lord Buddha, what he will reply to these foolish persons what was his mission? He said, "I don't care for your Vedas." Therefore nindasi. Nindasi yajña-vidher ahaha śruti-jātam: "Although it is Vedic injunction, my Lord, you have decried." Means there is no way. Why? Sadaya-hṛdaya-darśita-paśu-ghātam: "You are so kind, you wanted to stop this poor animal killing: 'Never mind. For the time being stop Vedic authority.' "
So these things can be understood by the devotees. Although he decried Vedic authority, still, he is worshiped. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa. This is the understanding of the devotees. They know everything perfectly well, what is what. They know Śaṅkarācārya, what he is. Śaṅkarācārya is the incarnation of Lord Śaṅkara, Lord Śiva. Lord Śiva. Vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ. He is the topmost Vaiṣṇava. So the devotees know that Śaṅkarācārya was at heart a Vaiṣṇava, but he had to preach like avaiṣṇava because he had to drive away Buddhism from India.
They are called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). The things which have been thrown away after chewing, again chewing the same thing, that is called gṛha-vratānām. You cannot make any permanent settlement within this material world. That is not possible. The nature is made so, whatever you do, for the time being you relish that "I have done something, I am now very comfortably situated," and so on, so on, but time will come, you will be kicked off from your position. You will be again thrown into the wilderness. Therefore they do not know. That will be explained also. They do not know what is the aim of life. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know. They are foolish. Andhā yathāndhair. Their foolish leaders also misleading them.
This is Māyāvādī philosophy. "The spirit soul cannot appear without being dressed by māyā." But that is not the fact, that... A man is diseased, suffering from fever. It does not mean that without fever nobody can exist. That is nonsense. Fever is a symptom for the time being, and feverlessness is the real life. Similarly, somehow or other, iccha-dveṣa-samutthena (BG 7.27), by some desire, we have got this material body, but it does not mean that without this material body I cannot live. That is nonsense. Actual life is spiritual life. Actual life is spiritual life.
So therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says that kaumāra ācaret prajño dharmān bhāgavatān iha durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma (SB 7.6.1). This is human life. You have got the human life only for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you are doing anything else except Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means you are risking your life to become a cat and dog or anything else. This is the fact. So Kṛṣṇa is still prepared to give you facilities.
Try to understand how Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth or the original source of everything. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin. I am the source of all creation." Bhagavad-gītā says. "And from Me everything is coming." Sarva. Sarva means whatever you can think, everything is coming from... If you think for the time being about the sun, what is the sun? The sun is also coming from Him. Sarvam. Sarvam means including everything. Sarvam ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ. He is the origin of Brahmā. Generally, we think Brahmā has created. Brahmā is also created by Him. Lord Śiva is also created by Him. Because from Brahmā, Rudra... Rudra is stated to be the son of Brahmā. So Brahmā is the son, or born out of the lotus flower from the abdomen of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is expansion of Kṛṣṇa. In this way Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. That is a fact. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati.
He advised, "Yes, I understand there are pains and pleasures like that, but they have to be tolerated. You cannot be disturbed. You have to execute your business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If there is any trouble, you must know no trouble or no happiness exists because this is material. It has come. It will go. So for the time being, don't be mad after happiness and don't be mad after miseries." Āgamāpāyina: "They come and go." Just like nowadays it is very hot. This season will change, and again we will be disturbed by cold. So disturbance will continue, either heat or cold due to this material body, mātrā-sparśā, due to this skin attachment. So we have to tolerate.
Just like in children. He is loving something, but if you give him something better, something red, oh, he is attached immediately. He gives up the old thing and takes up the red thing.
So you cannot... The jñāna system, the yoga system is by force they are trying to detach. That is not possible. It may be possible for the time being. Just like Viśvamitra, a great sage. These are the historical references. He was a very great king and he wanted to realize self, and he began to meditate in the forest alone, as it is, this yoga system, that "He must be in secluded life. He must make his seat in a very sacred place and sit in this posture." There are... So he followed everything completely, perfect yogi. But as soon as Indra saw that "This man is performing a great yoga system. He may not acquire my position," so he sent one beautiful girl, Menakā, to entice him.
Cloth is made of cotton. So from cotton we prepare thread, and from thread we prepare cloth. So when the cloth is there, the thread has disappeared. When the thread is there, the cotton has disappeared. They are called sad-asat. Sat means which is existing, and asad means which is no longer existing. So this material world is asat. It is simply for the time being an exhibition. So we have to find out the real existence, sanātana existence. That is Kṛṣṇa. We should not be bewildered by seeing this temporary manifestation. Anything material is temporary. It has a date of creation. Everything, whatever you see here in the... Just like this microphone. It has got a date of creation, it will work for some time, and then it will go out of order, and we shall throw it in the street and again it will disappear in the earth, because everything has come out from the earth. This is material world. But we must find out what is the reality.
And if you cannot fulfill, then śoka. Two things are there. Śoka, there are so many things. We have got practical examples. The so-called loving affairs of man and woman ends in even murder. We have got experience. So śokāturam. The lusty desires means for the time being it may be very happy condition, but the result is śoka. It will end. Either illicit sex or legal sex, the end is śoka, śoka, lamentation. There are many examples, practical.
So this kāmāturam, this lusty desire, is not good. Either you do it legally or illegally, the result is śokaḥ. That we must understand. Unforunately, although the result ..., everyone knows practical experience, that nobody has become happy by these sex affairs. There is a Urdu word, they say durlika-lugdu, yo khāyā abhipastāyā yo na khāyā abhipastāyā.(?) The meaning is "There is a lugdu"—you know lugdu, of course—"lugdu which is known as durlikalugdu.
This is called māyā. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So what is the business of the servant? The business of the servant is to carry out the order of the master. So the senses are... I am the body—taking for the time being—and my senses, hands, legs, eyes, ears, tongue, genital, so many, ten senses, they are working senses and knowledge-gathering senses. There are so many senses. So if I am servant of Kṛṣṇa, then my senses should be always ready to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is real position. But we are not doing that. We shall wait, that "If I serve Kṛṣṇa, then where is the opportunity for my living condition?" No. There is good opportunity. Just like we want to eat. That is the first problem. So if we say, "Don't eat this," so that does not mean you don't eat. The eating is not prohibited, but eating independently, whimsically, that is prohibited.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So anyone who is giving service to Kṛṣṇa, we should take care of them also. We should offer our respect in... You'll find in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, it is stated somewhere, that if, if a devotee is coming, then another devotee who is engaged in worship of the Deity may stop Deity worship for the time being and should go immediately to receive the devotee. So Kṛṣṇa also says, mad-bhakta-pūjā abhyadhika. Kṛṣṇa is satisfied more when a devotee worships His devotee. Kṛṣṇa says, "If one is worshiping Me and one is worshiping My devotee, then the person who is worshiping the devotee, he's more important than the person who is worshiping Kṛṣṇa."
Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa can give you. If you actually want Kṛṣṇa, He'll give you intelligence. Dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te. Kṛṣṇa is very cunning also. This man is trying to forget Me, to mislead others. He is misleading himself, others cannot be mislead, for the time being, but he is misled for good. Tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān kṣipāmy ajasram eva yoniṣu (BG 16.19). These asuras, on account of their enviousness upon Kṛṣṇa, to prove that there is no Kṛṣṇa, there is no God, so these people are put into andhā yoni. Andhā yoni means in such, just like animals. They cannot understand about Kṛṣṇa. Kṣipāmy andhā yoniṣu. So that is Kṛṣṇa's punishment, that "He wants to forget Me, he wants to kill Me. All right, he, let him be put into such birth that he may not know what is Kṛṣṇa for many, many births." Yes, go on.
For example, a person suffering from venereal disease on account of excessive indulgence of sex life has to undergo some severe pain in medical treatment, and he is then cured for the time being. But because he has not been able to remove the sex desire from his heart, he must again indulge in the same thing and become a victim of the same disease. So medical treatment may give temporary relief from the distress of such venereal disease, but unless one is trained to understand that sex life is abominable, it is impossible to be saved from such repeated distress. Similarly, the ritualistic performances, charity, and austerity which are recommended in the Vedas may temporarily stop one from acting in sinful ways, but as long as the heart is not clear, one will have to repeat sinful activities again and again."
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
It is confirmed by the Vedic knowledge. This is the origin of creation, not that this chunk, or... No. Matter cannot expand. Matter, when there is reaction... Just like explosion. We have got experience that there is sometimes explosion like if you mix together two chemicals, acid and alkaline, there is explosion for the time being. But this explosion takes place when a chemist in the laboratory mixes soda, soda bicarb, and citric acid. Otherwise, it is not possible.
So this is wrong theory that matter automatically takes the explosion or something like that. Matter is handled by some superior living being. Then it explodes or whatever you call. It reacts. Otherwise, it is not possible. And because the living being takes the superior position for explosion of matter or reaction of matter, therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is admitted that the matter is handled by the living being; it is inferior energy. Both of them are energies of the Supreme Lord, but one is superior energy, another is inferior energy.
And we have created a civilization which is blazing fire, blazing fire. Everyone, all politicians, even ordinary citizens, they are now suffering. The politicians cannot give them enough food. They simply take vote, and the price of foodstuff is increasing. This is a very precarious condition. It is called saṁsāra-dāvānala, "the blazing fire of material existence." We may extinguish for the time being, but again... Dāvānala is used for this purpose. Nobody sets fire, but it takes place. That is called dāvānala. In the forest nobody goes to set fire, but it takes place by dealings. So when we deal in a different way than Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there will be fire immediately. This dealing will produce fire. That has come already. So this is the only remedy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's process:
"This world is false. Brahman is truth." But after some days, they come to politics, they come to sociology, they come to hospital, they come to this and that. That's all. Finished. Brahman finished. Patanty adhaḥ. They must fall down because they have no shelter in Kṛṣṇa. Just like the sputnik goes very high, clap, hear clap. Uh, come down again. Where you'll go? Yes. Simply for the time being clapping, that's all. (laughs) But the fools, they are so nonsense, they are satisfied with that temporary clapping. That's all.
Oh, the Supreme Lord is ordering Lord Śiva that "In the age of Kali, you go and try to make them against Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
So there are so many policies and so many programs of the supreme authorities, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that that is time service. For the time being they are necessary. Actually, such interpretation is not necessary at all. We should take direct meaning. Now He's explaining Vedānta. The first thing He's explaining, 'brahma' śabde mukhya arthe kahe-'bhagavān'. Whenever we speak of Brahman... Because these Māyāvādī philosophers, they are very much uttering this word, "Brahman." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "All Brahman." They don't utter "Kṛṣṇa" or "Govinda." Oh, that is very difficult for them. They simply utter, "Brahman." Now... Let them. Brahman is also Vedic word. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says the direct meaning of Brahman is Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Lord Caitanya, from different quotations of Vedas, He establishes that the Supreme Absolute Truth is person. He's not imperson. And so far Śaṅkarācārya is concerned, he was ordered to preach Māyāvāda philosophy by the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the time being. It is not that this is the only process for realizing the Absolute Truth.
There is a very nice story in this connection. There was a physician and his servant. So one day the physician was called by some person to treat his horse. So when the physician came, he asked, "What is the matter?" He says that "The horse has suddenly swollen his throat. So please treat." Then the physician took a hammer and strongly struck the swollen portion, and it was at once cured. The servant saw, "So this is the process of curing swollen parts of the body."
'Finish this, these material activities, and your miseries will be solved.' " Śaṅkarācārya said, "Yes, this is all right, but there is Brahman." But he did not describe the Brahman, whether He has, He is person or He has got pastimes, He has got many planets and there are many devotees, because those fools were not able to understand. Therefore he took for the time being. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, while criticizing, I mean to say, Śaṅkarācārya, He is always taking care that "It was not the fault of Ācārya Śaṅkara, because he's Lord Śiva, and he cannot make any mistake, but he was ordered to do so for the time being. Actually, Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His body is spiritual. He is person. The difference is that He's sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). And so far the living entities are concerned, they are His energies." Energies.
Dānte nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipātya. "And falling down on your feet," kṛtvā ca kāku-śatam, "and flattering you in hundred times," ahaṁ bravīmi, "I am just submitting before you one request." What is that? He sādhavaḥ: "You are very great, you are very nice, and you are all sādhus. But my request is," sakalam eva vihāya dūrād, "whatever you have learned, please set aside for the time being. Please set aside." Sakalam eva vihāya dūrād. "Throw it away!" Then what to do? Sakalam eva vihāya dūrād caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: "Please submit yourself on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya."
"Anyone who wants to understand Me, he has to follow the bhakti principle." Then he'll be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. Not any other process.
So our request is, like Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpada, dānte nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipātya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi, he sādhavaḥ sakala. Whatever you have learned, for the time being forget. Forget. Simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and you'll be happy.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)
So similarly, although Lord is the proprietor of everything, every land, every space, every, any, anywhere... This is the proprietorship of Lord, of God's.
So we are seeking after peace, but we do not know that where we are living. We are claiming proprietorship for the time being. We come here under different shapes, in different body, and claim proprietorship for the land where we are born. But we do not know by freaks of nature, any second, we can be driven away from this land and put another land. So where is my proprietorship? If I am staying for some time here, some time there... Bhojanaṁ yatra yatra śayanaṁ haṭṭa-mandire: "I eat wherever eatables are available, and I sleep on the marketplace." Then where is my home? Where is my home? So this is our position.
So Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is above everything. No rules and regulation. He cannot do anything wrong. He is not under the jurisdiction of any law. Therefore Kṛṣṇa manifested the full power of the Supreme Lord. And other incarnations, although they came, they came for the time being to perform a certain particular purpose, but they did not manifest the full power of God. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme God. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). It is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that He is the Supreme Personality, original Personality of Godhead. He is nobody's under control. Even He was not controlled by His supreme lover Rādhārāṇī. Rādhārāṇī is considered... The gopīs are considered the topmost lover of Kṛṣṇa. But when Kṛṣṇa decided to leave Vṛndāvana, oh, they began to cry. They blocked the way. Kṛṣṇa didn't care, went away. Went away. He didn't care even. So much dear Rādhārāṇī. They became blind, crying, crying, crying, crying, whole life.
Why? Why you are so humble? What is the intention? Kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā cāhaṁ bravīmi: "I want to say something. Please hear." "All right. Say it. What is that?" He sādhava, "Oh, you are very learned man and you are very honest man." He sādhava sakalam eva vihāya dūrād. "For the time being, so long I shall speak, whatever you have learned, please set aside. Please set aside." Sakalam eva vihāya dūrād caitanya-candra-caraṇe kurutānurāgam: "Kindly hear for some time about the topics which Caitanya Mahāprabhu has presented before you." We are servant of Lord Caitanya. So, in the disciplic succession we are trying to present. The Caitanya Mahāprabhu's topic is yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Whoever you meet, please try to convince him about Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
"Whoever you meet, please try to convince him about Kṛṣṇa consciousness." So in order to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he says that "I have taken straw in my mouth and I am falling down to your feet and I am flattering you in so many ways. Kindly, for the time being, you forget whatever you have learned. Please try to hear about the Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This should be the preaching method. Because you cannot enforce. You cannot enforce. The atheistic party, the godless civilization is so strong. So you are not weak. You are protected by the Supreme. But our mission is not to fight, but our mission is to convince. So this is the method to be accepted by devotees, those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to preach the philosophy in the world.
He admitted... Ācārya means Śaṅkarācārya. He means here Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya wanted that there is only one Brahman and we are also Brahman, but he wanted his philosophy of monism. Dualism, God and living entity separate, they do not admit. They admit that God and living entity the same. It is simply for the time being covered, which is called māyā. Māyāvāda philosophy. So the Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī also admitted that because Śaṅkarācārya wanted to establish his philosophy of monism, therefore he had to cover the real meaning of Vedānta-sūtra.
Initiation Lectures
That is ignorance. Yes. Apahṛta-jñānāḥ means just like a madman. For the time being, his natural knowledge is taken away. Crazy. What do we mean by crazy? For the time being, his knowledge is taken away. Similarly, when a living entity is in that position, as somebody has taken away his knowledge, that is demonic condition. But he can be reestablished again in knowledge. Just like a crazy man is sent, mental disorder, to hospital for treatment; again he comes as a sane man. Similarly, the demons are just like crazy men. Even they are treated with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they can be reverted to their own position. So this is temporary. This demoniac nature is temporary due to the contact with māyā. Therefore the whole business is how to get out of the clutches of māyā. Then there is no more demonic nature. It is artificial. (break) ...superficial. It comes and goes. As it comes artificially, so it can go also. And the driving method is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Everyone wants to live peacefully and happily. That is natural, because spirit soul is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), by nature joyful. He wants to keep himself joyful, but he does not know how eternal joyful life can be attained. That is spiritual life. You cannot become joyful by material adjustment. No. You may be joyful for the time being by drinking or by intoxication, but how long? So long the intoxication influence is there, you may feel something. That is artificially. But that is not actually the state of joyfulness. Real state of joyfulness is to be situated in spiritual life, and when you (are) actually in the spiritual kingdom, then you become sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), eternal life, joyful life, blissful life, with full knowledge.
That is Absolute Truth. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's form—we are seeing here Kṛṣṇa's form—it is not different from the original Personality of Kṛṣṇa. Or Kṛṣṇa's pastimes—we hear about Kṛṣṇa's pastimes from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā—that subject matter is also not different from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Anything about Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa. It will be realized gradually. For the time being you have to take it for acceptance, that "I am chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. This means that Kṛṣṇa is personally present on my tongue. Therefore I am in direct touch with Kṛṣṇa." And we should be very careful so that we may not..., offense, commit offenses, as they are being described. Another, Kṛṣṇa has got many names: nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis. So of all the names, two names are very important: Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the Rāma and Kṛṣṇa are there, and Kṛṣṇa's potency, Hare. So in the śāstra it is said that one thousand names of Viṣṇu... There is Viṣṇu's one thousand names, viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma.
General Lectures
There is no question of māyā. That's all right. But if you go continually, if you do not get shelter in any other planet, then the next stage will be you have to come back. You cannot remain in that impersonal sunshine. You have to take shelter. If you don't get shelter, then you come back. Similarly, the impersonalist, for the time being they may think that they have Brahman realization, but because by nature he wants association, without getting association of the Supreme Lord he has to come back to make association with this nonsense. And this is practically we have seen. Many sannyāsīs, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "Brahman is truth and the world is false." They take sannyāsa, and after some time they come to the hospital opening business. They come down again to politics, hospitals, philanthropy, welfare work. Why? If brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, if this whole world is false, why you are taking this hospital business?
There is no doubt. Nobody can say that "I am free, I am master." Nobody can say. If he thinks like that, that is māyā. It is false. Can anybody say in this meeting that he's not servant of anybody or anything? He must be, because that is his constitutional position. But the difficulty is that by serving our senses, there is no solution of the problem, of the miseries. For the time being, I may satisfy myself that I have taken this intoxication, and under the spell of this intoxication I may think that "I am nobody's servant. I am free," but that is artificial. As soon as the hallucination is gone, he comes to the point, again servant. Again servant.
Lord Buddha knew that they cannot meditate. You are a very intelligent boy. But in order to stop their nonsense, he simply said, "Sit down. Meditate." That's all. (laughter) Just like a naughty boy, he's creating mischief. His parent says, "My dear John, you sit down here." He knows that he cannot sit down, but for the time being he'll sit down. The father knows that he'll not sit down, but at least for the time being let him stop these mischievous activities. All right. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant. (kīrtana) (end)
Just like one of the devotees of Lord Caitanya, he said that padayor nipatya, "Falling down on your feet," padayor nipatya, dante nidhāya tṛnakaṁ padayor nipatya, "taking a blade of grass on my mouth and falling down on your feet with flattering and informing you, 'My dear sir, you are very learned man. I know that. But for the time being, please set aside all your learning. Kindly hear what Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says.' " We belong to that sect, Lord Caitanya's disciplic succession. So our business is falling down on your feet and flattering you and making many, I mean to say, salvation(?), I mean simply we request you that try to understand this philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You will be benefited. The so-called knowledge, so-called elevation, so-called upliftment, oh, this will be all finished as soon as your body is finished. But you are pure soul. You have to educate yourself how your soul can be saved from this cycle of birth and death within the species of 8,400,000's in different planets and different places.
God says... For the time being you are not in direct touch with God, but you can follow the Biblical instruction. God's agent, Lord Jesus Christ, says—you follow that. The ten commandments are there. Lord Jesus Christ said, "Thou shall not kill." So you should not kill. Why should you kill? You follow this instruction, God's representative. Then you gradually develop your God consciousness.
Then what is the condition of the society? So that is being done.
So it will take some time to explain about these activities of first-class, second-class, third-class men. It is a great science. So we shall try to explain, one after another. You please come on Sunday. I shall hold this class. For the time being, excuse me.
In some of the verses, the definition is being given in negation: "It is not this." Because with our blunt material eyes, we cannot find out where is the soul in this body; therefore Kṛṣṇa is describing the characteristic of the soul in a negative way in several verses. And you know that sometimes it is required, according to logic, that definition by negation: "It is not this." I cannot express for the time being a thing, what it is, but I can distinguish what it is not. So similarly, at the present moment, everyone is under ignorance. He does not know what is the soul. That is the basic principle of missing point of this material civilization. I talked with many big, big professors in Europe. Most of them, they do not know what is the soul. (aside:) That sound cannot be stopped for the time being? When I was in Moscow, I had the opportunity of talking with some professors. One of them was very interested, Professor Kotovsky. So he said, "Swamijī, after death everything is finished."
If one has actually taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will never be lost, even though you find for the present he is not well-behaved. That is the version of Bhagavad-gītā. Even a thief, even a rogue, even a sinful man takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and follows the rules and regulation, for the time being you may find there are some faults, but it will vanish very soon. Just like the electric fan, it is moving. You make the switch off, you will find still moving. But it will stop moving very soon, because the switch is off. Similarly, if anyone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, if you find that still he is not well-behaved, that is not very important thing. He has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is important thing. Because this superficial external misbehavior will stop. There are many śāstras' example.
So our darśana and talks, if there is any, generally, every day it will be done. And on Sunday you can fix up some time. I will speak in the evening. And then Kṛṣṇa's desire, as He likes. For the time being, this arrangement.
So what is that verse? Divya-jñāna hṛde prakāśito. Just recite that. (Indians repeat) Before that. (prema-bhakti yāhā hoite, avidyā vināśa yāte) So the necessity is prema-bhakti. Prema-bhakti yāhā hoite, avidyā vināśa yāte, divya-jñāna. So what is that divya-jñāna? Divya means transcendental, not material. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Divyam means we are combination of matter and spirit. That spirit is divya, transcendental. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā (BG 7.5). That is parā prakṛti, superior.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: They may be existing, but on this planet we have no evidence...
Prabhupāda: That doesn't mean... That means you limit your study in one planet. That is not full knowledge.
Śyāmasundara: I just want to find out for the time being about...
Prabhupāda: Why time being? If you are not perfect in your knowledge, then why should I accept your theory? That is my point.
Śyāmasundara: Well, if you make claims that millions of years ago there were complex forms of life on this planet...
Prabhupāda: Why you are... I never said on this planet. By nature's way everything is existing.
Prabhupāda: Now, the Māyāvādī philosophers, they, possessing poor fund of knowledge, they want to kill this individuality. But that is not possible. Kṛṣṇa says that you shall remain individual perpetually. There is no question of stopping. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta jīva-loka sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). They, perpetually you are individual, God is also individual. So to..., killing the individuality is not possible, but this is a false notion that "I kill my individuality and become one with God, then I will be perfect." That is not possible. You cannot become one with God. You keep your individuality. So even though if for the time being you think that "I am now merged in the existence of God," but on account of our individuality you shall again fall down.
Hayagrīva: And there's no need for a search for individuality.
Prabhupāda: Individual, he is always individual. Perpetually.
Prabhupāda: That salvation he prescribes in the beginning, that is temporary salvation.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. So this type of salvation called ethical salvation is permanent.
Prabhupāda: It is not salvation. It is for the time being. It is called sasana(?)-vairāgya. Sasana-vairāgya means just like a man dies, somebody dies, so his relative takes him to the crematorium or the burning place. So at that time he gets little renouncement, "Oh, this is the end of life. Why you are struggling?" And again, as soon as he comes from the crematorium, he begins again, the same thing. He forgets that he has to die. You see? So this kind of sasana-vairāgya will not help. Actually this is not salvation.
Śyāmasundara: He says it's only momentary.
Prabhupāda: Momentary. So no, we want to give actual salvation, perpetually aesthetic ideas about Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: That is not correct. The living entity is eternally existing, as God is eternally existing, the living entity who is the part and parcel of God. But the living entity, as we have several times..., being a small spark, sometimes the illumination is extinguished or stopped for the time being, but he is eternally existing, changing the body, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20), after the destruction of the body. The material life means the body is destructed, one body after another, but the living being is eternally existing, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).
Hayagrīva: He uses this metaphor. He writes, "The human body has unity because its various members are all made for specific functions in it, and it is bounded by a single soul. In the same way, it seems to me, the whole immense, gigantic world should be regarded as one being kept alive by God's power and logos, as by a single soul."
| Page Title: | For the time being (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 19 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=97, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 97 |