So the śāstra says, tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ, "If you simply want to know what is self-realization, what is religion, simply by argument, logic, it is not possible." Tarko 'pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnāḥ: "If you want to learn by studying scriptures, Vedic literature, you will find different scriptures," Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva, then differentPurāṇas. There are eighteenPurāṇas, Mahābhārata. That is also impossible; means you cannot understand. Śrutayo vibhinnā nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam. But if you philosophize, following some philosopher . . . there are six kinds of philosophers in India. So philosopher means he must decry another philosopher, that he must give a new theory. So nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam (Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 313.117). That will also not help. Dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām. It is very confidential subject matter. Mahājano yena gataḥ so panthāḥ. Then you accept the mahājana. Mahājana means following the paramparā system.
According to Vedic system, there are twelve mahājanas: svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ, janako bhīṣmaḥ and vaiyāsakir vayam (SB 6.3.20), like that. I am just now forgetting. Excuse me. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilo kumāraḥ manuḥ, prahlādo janako bhīṣmaḥ. Prahlāda, Prahlāda Mahārāja, this gṛhastha. Amongst these mahājanas, there are sannyāsīs, there are brahmacārīs, and there are gṛhasthas also. So it does not mean only the sannyāsī and brahmacārī can become mahājana. There are gṛhasthas also, just like Prahlāda Mahārāja is gṛhastha. Brahmā is gṛhastha. Svayambhū. Svayambhū. Nārada is brahmacārī. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhu. Śambhu, Lord Śiva, is also gṛhastha. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ kumāraḥ, brahmacārī, four Kumāras, from the birth, naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī. Kapila, Kapila is also brahmacārī. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ. Manu is gṛhastha. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja is also gṛhastha. Prahlādo janakaḥ. Janaka Mahārāja is also gṛhastha. Bhīṣma, brahmacārī. Bhīṣma. Bali, Bali Mahārāja, gṛhastha. Vaiyāsaki, a brahmacārī. So it doesn't matter whether one is brahmacārī, sannyāsī or gṛhastha, he must know the science.
Just like if you go to a scientist man, you don't inquire whether he is a brahmacārī or a sannyāsī or gṛhastha. You require the knowledge. That is also confirmed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:
- kibā vipra, kibā śūdra, nyāsī kene naya
- yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya
- (CC Madhya 8.128)
It doesn't matter whether one is a brāhmaṇa, kibā vipra; kibā śūdra, or one is śūdra; kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, kene naya, or whether he is a sannyāsī. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā: one must know the science of Kṛṣṇa. The science of Kṛṣṇa is being explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself. So in whatever position you are, you try to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. Then you become guru. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission.
- āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' sarva deśa
- yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa
- (CC Madhya 7.128)
This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. He says: "You become a spiritual master." "How? I have no qualification." "No. You just accept My order." "So what is Your order, Sir?" Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128): "You simply speak the instruction of Kṛṣṇa whoever you meet. Then you become a spiritual master."
So actually it is happening. We are not wonderful men. But our only business is that we are speaking only the same thing as Kṛṣṇa has spoken. That's all. There is no magic. This is the magic. If you adulterate nonsensically like a rascal, then you cannot become spiritual master. If you simply follow what Kṛṣṇa has spoken, then you become spiritual master. Very simple thing. It doesn't require education. You can hear from your spiritual master what has Kṛṣṇa said. It doesn't require even literacy. There are many great personalities, saintly person. My Guru Mahārāja's Guru Mahārāja, he was illiterate, Gaura Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. He could not sign even his name. But my Guru Mahārāja was the best scholar of his time. He accepted him as guru.
So this is the process, that yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya. That is the business of every Indian. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore asking:
- bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
Indians are meant for para-upakāra, because outside India they are in darkness. But unfortunately, Indians are now imitating the Western kind of life. It is very regrettable. You have to make your life successful by reading Bhagavad-gītā and preach the truth all over the world. Then world will be happy and you will be happy. This is required. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa. That is recommended here, evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ. This kind of business can be done by whom? Mumukṣubhiḥ, not ordinary men. Those who are aspiring after liberation. Those who are thinking of stopping this nonsense business of repetition of birth and death, for them. They are not ordinary men. Mumukṣubhiḥ.
When Viśvāmitra Muni approached Mahārāja Daśaratha for help, taking Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa for killing that rākṣasī . . . Viśvāmitra Muni could kill that rākṣasī, but because he was brāhmaṇa, it was not his business to kill. He begged help from Mahārāja Daśaratha to lend Lord Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa, to take Him there. This is the systematic way. The brāhmaṇas should be engaged in knowledge and distributing knowledge. That means their business is not fighting. The kṣatriyas, they should fight. The killing business is meant for the kṣatriya. That is also required. Evam . . . cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). The first of all . . . unless this division is there, that is animal society. That is not human society if these four divisions are not there. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa. Systematic human society means:
- varṇāśramācāravatā
- puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
- viṣṇur ārādhyate punsam
- nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
- (CC Madhya 8.58)
This is required, varṇāśrama. That is again confirmed here, evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ. Mumukṣubhiḥ. The real business is mumukṣā, how to get out of this business of repetition of birth. People do not know it. They do not know what is the aim of life. The aim of life is mumukṣā. This human life is meant for that, to get out of the cycle of birth and death. The animal cannot know this. Therefore it is called mumukṣubhiḥ, "One who wants to get rid of this business of repetition of birth and death." Mumukṣubhiḥ.
Kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvam. That is advice of Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna that, "You follow the previous ācāryas, previous personalities, authorities," just like svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ, I have already described. "You follow them, and act like that, and you try to understand that what is My position. If you simply understand My position, immediately you become liberated."