The Lord predicted that "As many towns and villages are there on the surface of the world, everywhere this message will be known." And He also said:
- bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
He entrusted His countrymen—means any Indian. Not that because He appeared in Bengal it was entrusted to the Bengalis, but He said that bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra: "On the land of Bhārata-varṣa."
India is known as Bhārata-varṣa. Perhaps most of you know it. This is after the name of King Bharata. There was a great king, Bharata, who was the emperor of the world, and this planet was named Bhārata-varṣa after his name. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. And after Mahārāja Bharata, this planet was named as Bhārata-varṣa. But gradually, there was partition.
As recently also there has been partition of India—Hindustan and Pakistan—similarly, this planet, known as Bhārata-varṣa, was partitioned gradually, one after another. So then the other names—Europe, Africa or America, Germany—these names gradually developed. Actually the whole planet was known as Bhārata-varṣa. That we understand from the Vedic history. And there was one king. That king also belonged to Hastināpura, which is called at the present moment New Delhi, near about that.
So anyway, Lord Caitanya entrusted to spread this message to the Indians. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra. There are many kinds of living entities. There are men, there are animals, there are birds, beasts, trees, aquatics—all of them are living entities. But He is entrusting to the manuṣya. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra. "One who has taken his birth as human being, Indian human being, to him I am entrusting this message, that this should be distributed all over the world in villages, in towns, this message."
So I am especially speaking to the Indians present here, that you have got a responsibility on behalf of Lord Caitanya. If you believe in our śāstras, in our ācāryas, then those who are present here as Indians, I will request them to take this responsibility of spreading the . . . (aside) This is disturbing.
. . . this message of Lord Caitanya all over the world. And He said, bhārata-bhumite manuṣya-janma haila yāra, janma sārthaka kari. Janma sārthaka kari means "First of all make your life successful." You cannot distribute this transcendental message without making your life successful. Janma sārthaka kari.
That means persons who are born in India, they have got the facility for making life successful. How? Because there is immense treasure house of transcendental knowledge in India. It is known to everyone, in every part of the world. Unfortunately, we Indians, we do not know the value of our spiritual treasure house.
I have got one German Godbrother. He was formerly known as Mr. Hans Schulze. He is now Sadānanda Swami. He is living in Sweden. And one of his disciples, Vāmana Dāsa . . . what is his German name?
Devotee: Walther Eidlitz.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He has written a very nice, authorized book on Lord Caitanya in German language, and it is very big book, paperback, five hundred pages. It is approved by the Sweden University, and he has sent me. So even a German gentleman, he is taking so much interest. And this Mr. Schulze, he told me long . . . about forty years before . . . at that time I was also householder. So he told me that,
"If some student come to Europe and then come to Germany, first of all we try to test him, how much he has got his original cultural knowledge." He said that, "If we find that this boy, the student, knows something of Indian original cultural life, then we welcome him. Otherwise we reject him."
So we Indians, we should know that we cannot imitate the Western country. They are far advanced. So far materialistic way of life is concerned, you cannot compete with them. Just like some years before there was industrial exhibition in India in which the government was very much proud to show that they are manufacturing cycle and sewing machine. When Western part of the world, they are manufacturing so many complicated machinery, we are proud of manufacturing cycle and sewing machine. Similarly, in every respect . . . in medicine also, there are so many laboratories in India, but still, seventy-five percent of the medicines are imported from foreign country, because they are lagging behind.
So my point is that in every country, in every human society, there is a special qualification. The day before yesterday I was seeing one picture in that church, of Haridwar. Millions of people assembled there for taking bath in the Ganges. In 1958 there was a special fair in Jagannātha Purī. It was written in the almanac that on that particular day, if somebody takes bath in the sea and has an audience of Lord Jagannātha, then he will be liberated. I was also there and with other friends. You'll be surprised to know that for a few-hour visit, about six million people assembled from all parts of India. And government had to make a special arrangement for their taking bath in the sea and visiting the temple.
Similarly, there is Kumbha-melā. These assemblies are not advertised. People know it by paramparā: I am speaking to you; you are speaking to your friend. In this way they know it, and on that particular day they assemble at a place, just like Prayāga, on the confluence of Ganga and Yamunā. Millions of people will assemble. So still, in spite of our present leaders' policy to completely eradicate all religious idea—they have made secular state—but people are so born that naturally they are inclined to take part in spiritual movement. That is the nature.
Therefore Lord Caitanya says that bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). To take one's birth in the land of India, to take one's birth as human being, is great opportunity undoubtedly. But still more great opportunity is there who has taken his birth in India. We are . . . we must be proud, provided we do not forget our own Vedic culture.
Unfortunately, the present policy is that students are being taught to forget their old Vedic culture and try to imitate the Westernized way of life, industrial life, technical life. That is being encouraged. But here I find that the young men and young girls and boys, both, they are very much interested about Indian original culture of spiritual life.
Recently, you know, some yogī came, and he simply bluffed so many people that, "If you pay me thirty-five dollars, I will give you one personal mantra, and you will be in transcendental life," or so many things. So thousands and thousands of European boys and girls, as well as in America, they flocked together, but later on, they were frustrated.
That means while the Indian youths are coming to the Western countries for advancement of technological knowledge, the Western boys and girls, they are hankering after spiritual life. This I have very particularly studied. I am here—not in Canada; in America. I came here in 1965, and I am studying the mind of the younger generation especially.
They are hankering after something spiritual enlightenment, not only in America, also in Europe. And they expect something from India, because . . . it is a fact. I have read one book written by one Chinese gentleman. That book is recommended in the New York University for study. That Chinese gentleman is very learned man. He has given comparative studies of all religion and philosophy, but he recommends that "If you want to study religion as it is, then you have to go to India."
So our Indian spiritual culture is still adored and worshiped by the learned section of every part of the world. And especially in the . . . in America and Germany and England, they are hankering after it. We should be little careful that this knowledge, transcendental knowledge, as distributed by Lord Caitanya, should be seriously taken up by the responsible Indians present here.