Kṛṣṇa is speaking about Himself, about His abode, about the spiritual world, the activities. Kṛṣṇa is speaking everything in the Śrīmad-Bhāg . . . in Bhagavad-gītā. We don't require to change unnecessarily. If we present the same thing as it is, as we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then the machine is there. You can get all the information. There is no difficulty. Just like you are getting by the present machine, radio machine, the message from far, distant place, similarly, you can get all the information of the spiritual world by the proper machine: the Bhagavad-gītā received through the paramparā, disciplic succession of bona fide spiritual masters. It is not difficult.
So Sanātana Gosvāmī is receiving the message of the spiritual world through the exigency of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is there. Caitanya-caritāmṛta is there. If you study scrutinizingly Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teachings to Sanātana Gosvāmī, then you also get the machine. There is no difficulty. And as soon as you get the machine, and if you know how to handle it properly, then you get all the information. It is not difficult.
And how to handle properly the machine, that is being taught by example, personal example by Sanātana Gosvāmī, that he's approaching Caitanya Mahāprabhu very humbly. He's not proud of his past position that he was a minister, he was a moneyed man, rich man, born of a brāhmiṇ family and so on, so on. He's humbly presenting him that, "I am the most fallen. I am the most fallen." So "I never knew the actual goal of my life. I do not know what is beneficial to me." That is the position of everyone.
Nobody knows what is the ultimate goal of life. They think that, "We have got this body, and let us enjoy the senses to the fullest extent. That is the highest perfection of life." Get some material education—technologist, or something else, material education—get some good post, get good salary and eat nicely, drink nicely and enjoy your senses. This is perfection of life. This is going on all over the world.
But that is not the goal of life. Therefore, because that is not the goal of life, and we know that this is goal of life, therefore we require the enlightenment from the bona fide spiritual master. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That is the Vedic instruction. In order to learn that transcendental science, you must approach a bona fide spiritual master. And Sanātana Gosvāmī, although the most learned scholar, born of a brāhmiṇ family, highly posted, opulent, still he's approaching very humbly to a spiritual master.
That is the way. He's teaching us by his life example that without approaching spiritual master, you cannot have any spiritual enlightenment. That is not possible. You must approach a bona fide spiritual master and serve him. Tad vidhi praṇipātena. First of all surrender unto him, and then you question along with seva. While serving, you can put some questions which you do not understand properly.
Now Sanātana Gosvāmī says that, "Although in the mundane sphere I am what is known as a great, learned man . . ." Sanātana Gosvāmī informed Caitanya Mahāprabhu: grāmya vyavahāre kahaye paṇḍita (CC Madhya 20.100). Just like in India, you'll find there is a system: a brāhmiṇ is addressed, "Paṇḍitjī." Still, that is the etiquette. A brāhmiṇ is addressed as "Paṇḍitjī," a kṣatriya is addressed as "Ṭhākura Sahab," and a vaiśya is addressed as a "Sethjī," and a śūdra is addressed as "Choudhari." They have got respect for everyone.
So Sanātana Gosvāmī was not a false paṇḍita. Nowadays . . . I have seen in Calcutta one brāhmiṇ with thread, he was pulling on ṭhelā. So somebody addressed him "Paṇḍitajī." So that sort of paṇḍitajī was not Sanātana Gosvāmī, that without any knowledge he was pulling on ṭhelā, and he's also a paṇḍitajī. Not like that. He was actually paṇḍita. He was very learned scholar. But he knew his position that, "Although my friends, my admirers, my assistants, my subordinates, they address me Paṇḍitajī, but actually I am not paṇḍita."
He said, grāmya-vyavahāre kahe paṇḍita, satya kari māni, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nāhi jāni (CC Madhya 20.100). Grāmya-vyavahāre. Grāmya means ordinary deals, ordinary dealings, social etiquette. "They call me Paṇḍitajī, but actually I do not know what is the aim of my life, what is my constitutional position." Ke āmi, kene āmāya jāre tapa-traya (CC Madhya 20.102). "I do not know why these threefold miserable conditions of material existence is troubling me. I do not want them."
So this is the real position of everyone. One may be materially, academically very learned, so-called learned, but he does not know what is the aim of life, why he's put in this material condition, ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tapa-traya. They are trying, tapa-traya, and miseries of life, we know. There is heat and cold, adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. These are miseries. And there are problems—birth, death, old age and disease. But we do not know from which source they are coming, and they are being imposed upon us, and still we are proud of our education.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore sings, jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava tomāra bhajane bādhā: the more we become so-called materially advanced, means we are entangled with the network of māyā.
- jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava tomāra bhajane bādhā
- anitya saṁsāre moho janamiyā jīvake koroye gādhā
So anitya saṁsāra, this material atmosphere, it is anitya. Anitya means temporary. Although temporary—I shall live here, say, for fifty years or hundred years—still, I am very much busy to make adjustment of my this temporary living condition. Everyone is busy: how to have a house, how to have nice bank balance, how to be secure nationally, this way, that way. We are embarrassed with so many problems. But at any time, at any moment, the notice may come: "Please vacate this place," we have to do that. But we do not take care of this.
- nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma
- yad indirya-prītaya āpṛṇoti
- na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam
- asann api dehaḥ . . . kleśada āsa dehaḥ
- (SB 5.5.4)
Asann api. This body, asann api, it will not exist forever. It is temporary, but it is troublesome always. Adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Three kinds of miseries are always there.
So Bhāgavata says that we are mad, pramattaḥ kurute vikarma, and doing all sorts of mischievous activities for sense gratification. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya. Indriya-prītaiḥ: simply for the satisfaction of the senses. Tons of beef are sold simply for satisfaction of the tongue. The tongue becomes dry. And a great trade is going on in India, everywhere, in your country also—cigarettes. It has no necessity, but simply for the satisfaction, temporary satisfaction of the tongue, this great trade is going on. So just vikarma.
In this country, there is no such government . . . but in your country, perhaps you know, in every cigarette package, packet, it is written it is dangerous for health, or what is that?
Devotee: Yes, yes. "Warning: The Surgeon General has determined that cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health."
Prabhupāda: Yes. So the warning is there. But still they're smoking. Why? Pramattaḥ. And vikarma. They have given warning that it is not good for health. Warning is there in every cigarette package, packet, but because he has become mad after that bīḍī and cigarette, he kurute vikarma. Although it is forbidden, he's still taking advantage of it. Just see how Bhāgavata writes frankly: nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma.
Pramattaḥ, these mad persons, persistently committing sinful activities, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma. Why? Yad indriya prītaya āpṛṇoti: simply for the satisfaction of sense. Not for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction is that "You give up all this nonsense. Simply surrender unto Me." But instead of surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, he has surrendered to bīḍī and cigarette. Yes. This is going on.