We go, we take bath in the river, like the Christians, they take bath in the Jordan River, or Hindus, they go to Hardwar, take bath in the Ganges, or Vṛndāvana, they take bath. But they think by taking bath in that water, his job is finished. No. Actually the job is to go to such pilgrimages, holy places, to find out experience spiritual advancement. Because many spiritually advanced men, they live there. Therefore one should go such places and find out the experienced transcendentalist, and take lessons from him. That is really going to pilgrimage. Not that simply going and take bath and business finished. No. So
- yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
- yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
- janeṣv abhijñeṣu...
- (SB 10.84.13)
Abhijñe, one who knows. (indistinct) we should approach person who knows things very well, abhijñaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is abhijñaḥ, svarat. So similarly Kṛṣṇa's representative is also abhijñaḥ, naturally. If one associates with Kṛṣṇa, if one talks with Kṛṣṇa, he must be very abhijñaḥ, very learned, because he takes lessons from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's knowledge is perfect, therefore, because he takes knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, his knowledge is also perfect. Abhijñaḥ. And Kṛṣṇa talks. It is not that it is fictitious, no. Kṛṣṇa—I have already said—that Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart and He talks with the bona fide person. Just like a big man, he talks with some bona fide person, he doesn't waste his time talking with nonsense. He talks, that's a fact, but he does not talk with nonsense, he talks with the bona fide representative.
How it is known? It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10). Who is bona fide representative? Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. Kṛṣṇa says that "I give him intelligence." To whom? Satata-yuktānām, those who are engaged twenty-four hours. In which way he is engaged? Bhajatam, bhajana, those who are engaged in devotional service. What kind of devotional service? Prīti-pūrvakam, with love and affection. One who is engaged in devotional service of the Lord in love and devotion. What is the symptom of love? The symptom, the prime symptom, most important symptom of love is that the devotee wants to see that his Lord's name, fame, etc. become widespread. He wants to see that "My Lord's name be known everywhere." This is love. If I love somebody, I want to see that his glories are spread all over the world. And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmāt manuṣyeṣu kaścit me priya-kṛttamaḥ, anyone who preaches His glory, nobody is dearer to Him than that person.
Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, how you can love, what are the symptoms of love, how you can please God, how He can talk with you, everything is there. But you have to take advantage. We read Bhagavad-gītā, but by reading Bhagavad-gītā I become a politician. So what kind of reading Bhagavad-gītā? Politician is there, of course, but the real purpose of reading Bhagavad-gītā is to know Kṛṣṇa. If one is Kṛṣṇa, if one knows Kṛṣṇa, he knows everything. He knows politics, he knows economics, he knows science, he knows philosophy, he knows religion, he knows sociology, everything. Tasmin vijñāte sarvam etaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti, that is the Vedic injunction. If you simply understand God, Kṛṣṇa, then everything will be revealed to you because Kṛṣṇa says, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. If Kṛṣṇa gives you intelligence from within, who can excel Him? Nobody can excel Him. But Kṛṣṇa can give you intelligence provided you become a devotee, or lover of Kṛṣṇa. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam (BG 10.10). And what is that buddhi-yoga, what is the value of buddhi-yoga? That buddhi-yoga or bhakti-yoga, the value is yena mām upayānti te. Such buddhi-yoga, such intelligence will get him back to home, back to Godhead. Not that by such intelligence he will go down to hell. That is material intelligence.