Now, here it is stated, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If somebody, somehow or other, achieves or is promoted to that stage, then what is the result? Result is yaṁ labdhvā, "By achieving such stage of transcendental stage," cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nā..., "other achievements, they become insignificant." Here we are trying to achieve so many things. We are trying to achieve so many riches or friends, fame, and beauty, and knowledge. So many things we are trying, achievement. But as soon as you become properly situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness achievement, then you will think, "Oh, no achievement is better than this achievement." Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābham. Aparam lābham means other kinds of achievement. They will be considered as figs. It is so big, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that one who understands and has a little taste... Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt: "A little taste can save one from the greatest danger." And as he makes progress and has a real taste, then he thinks that "All other achievements are useless, nonsense in comparison to Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
- yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ
- manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ
- yasmin sthito na duḥkhena
- guruṇāpi vicālyate
- (BG 6.20-23)
I am very glad to inform you a practical example. One of our students, he was put into very unfavorable condition, but he was not, I mean to say, at all disturbed due to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Practical. So confident. And we are also not disturbed. We thought, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is there. He will not be put into difficulty. He cannot be put into difficulty." You see? So here it is said, yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate. If one is situated firmly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the gravest type of danger cannot disturb him. It is such a nice thing. Yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi. Guru. Guru means very heavy, very heavy. Guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate :(BG 6.20-23). He is not disturbed. He is not disturbed.
Of course, it may be stories, but I am telling you of my practical life. In 1942 there was heavy bombing in Calcutta, heavy bombing in Calcutta. By once or twice bombing, all the population vacated. Calcutta was a city of no man. But there were... Of course, many people remained there, those people who could not leave the city for some urgent or some other business. So somehow or other, I had to remain in the city, and on the 12th December, 1942, I remember, there was heavy bombing. But fortunately, we stayed perplexed.(?) He saw something, fireworks, is going on. "So let us enjoy." (laughter) You see? (makes sound of bomb coming down) Do-do-dee-dee-dong! Like that, so many bombings. So what can be done? There may be so many dangers in our life because it is the place only full of dangers. We do not know. Because we are foolish, we are trying to adjust these things. That is our foolishness. We should...
Just like in a railway carriage. You are being transported from one place. Suppose it is crowded. So instead of adjusting the crowd, better tolerate for few hours and get down and go to your destination. Similarly, we may have many dangerous spots in this material life, but if we are preparing ourselves for going back to Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these things will be not cared for. Let them happen. Āgamāpāyinaḥ anityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. They come and go. Let them happen. The bombing was not for all the days. All right, let them take place for few hours or few days. We have to adjust like that. But it is very difficult to adjust. But one who is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is not disturbed. He is not disturbed. That is the technique of not being disturbed. The more we advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we become free from this material entanglement.