The whole Vedic civilization is an attempt to create peaceful condition of the mind so that "I can fix up my mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa." This is Vedic civilization. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). This is . . . To control the senses . . . The mind is the central figure of the senses. So first of all you engage your mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is first business. So, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. And you talk only of Kṛṣṇa, vikuṇṭha-nātha, vaikuṇṭha-guṇanuvarṇane. Here it is said, naitan manas tava kathāsu vikuṇṭha-nātha. So if we engage your talking capacity in the reading of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā, tava-kathā, "Your words . . ." That we have got, sufficient subject matter for talking. If we do that instead of talking nonsense, "phish phish," if we talk simply of Kṛṣṇa, take Bhagavad-gītā and together . . . It doesn't matter, man or woman. Together, we simply . . . Just like we are doing now, if you simply talk of Kṛṣṇa, that is the measure, the real remedial measure to control the jihvā. Because Prahlāda Mahārāja is mentioning first of all, in the beginning, jihvā. So if you can control the jihvā, then you can control other senses very easily. This is the . . . Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, tāra madhye jihvā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati, tāre jetā koṭhina soṁsāre. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, "Out of the all the senses, the tongue is very difficult to control, formidable enemy. So in order to control the tongue . . ." Kṛṣṇa boḍa doyamoy, koribāre jihvā joy. "Just to control over the tongue," kṛṣṇa baḍa doyamoy, koribāre jihvā, svaprasād anna dila bhāi, "He has given nice prasādam."
So sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). If we . . . This jihvā is the first item, and if jihvā, if the tongue, if we can control . . . Tongue must taste something very . . . That is another business of the tongue. And must chant or talk something. So if you talk of Kṛṣṇa, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and if you give prasādam, the tongue will be controlled. This is our program, that let everyone chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and let everyone take kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Then the jihvā will be controlled. Here the jihvā is so formidable, the first jihvā is mentioned. So if you can control your tongue, then you can control your belly also. Because without control of the tongue . . . If you lock up, that "I shall not accept anything except prasādam," so if you go on the street and if you see hundreds and thousands of restaurant, you'll not be allured. "No more chop cutlet. Finished. Because I cannot take anything without being offered to Kṛṣṇa." So automatically it becomes controlled. If we take this vow, that "I shall not eat anything which is not offered to Kṛṣṇa . . ." Naturally Kṛṣṇa does not take any chop cutlet, so you cannot offer it. Kṛṣṇa personally says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). So you have to prepare foodstuff for Kṛṣṇa from patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ, nothing else. Although He can eat . . . Kṛṣṇa can eat fire also or anything, all devour. But Kṛṣṇa prescribes for us that "You can give Me this in bhakti, with devotion and faith, then you'll be benefited." If Kṛṣṇa eats from your hand, then your life is successful. If Kṛṣṇa accepts any bit of service from you, then your life is successful. Immediately you become liberated. Because bhakti is not for the conditioned soul. As soon as . . . Kṛṣṇa therefore adds this word. Kṛṣṇa is not hungry for eating anything from your hand. He's not hungry. But He wants to teach you how to become a bhakta. Mad-bhaktaḥ. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (BG 9.34). He wants you to become His devotee. Then your life's problem is solved.
So therefore He is prepared to take anything, little, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ (BG 9.26), so that you can begin to give something to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's neither hungry nor wants anything from you. For your benefit, for our benefit, Kṛṣṇa is prepared to take a little leaf, little flower, little water, which is available anywhere, all over the world, without any price. Even if I am very poor man I can pick up a flower, a little leaf, patraṁ, and little fruit, and water is available everywhere. Everything is available. Kṛṣṇa does not particularly say that "You give Me such fruit, such flower." Any fruit, any flower, He's prepared to take, accept, provided you are a bhakta. Otherwise, even if you prepare very nice, palatable dishes, He'll not accept a single of it. It is the bhakti. Kṛṣṇa is very much anxious to see that you have become a bhakta. Then your problem is solved. Because we are sons of Kṛṣṇa—ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4)—He's suffering more in one sense because we are suffering. Just like your son is on the bed suffering from some disease. The father and mother feels more pain than the son, if the father and mother is affectionate. So Kṛṣṇa is so affectionate; therefore He comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). When we forget Kṛṣṇa, then He comes to convince us that "This is not good. You are trying to satisfy your senses. It will never end. Simply you'll be complicated from one body to another for satisfying senses, sometimes eating stool also. That is also satisfaction of the senses. So this business will never make you happy. Better just surrender unto Me, and what I say, you do. Just begin your service. Surrender. Give Me something eatable." Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). This is the beginning. The Deity worship is the beginning of devotional service.
Therefore arcana, the Deity worship, very essential. Everyone should try. The system is: anyone comes to the temple, he brings something—patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ—just to offer to the Deity. It is the beginning. That is the beginning of love, dadāti, give something. Dadāti pratigṛhnāti bhuṅkte bhojāyate caiva (NoI 4). This is the beginning of love. If I love you, I must give you something, and whatever you'll give me I shall accept it. Dadāti pratigṛhnāti. So give something to Kṛṣṇa and take His instruction. Dadāti pratigṛhnāti. This is beginning of love. Therefore the Deity is there. The instruction is here. If people take advantage, automatically he becomes a devotee, a lover of Kṛṣṇa. That is the success of life.