We have to receive the knowledge from the right source in disciplic succession of spiritual master beginning from the Lord Himself. So Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Lord Himself. And Arjuna, the, I mean to say, the student who took lessons of the Bhagavad-gītā, he accepted the whole story as it is, without any cutting. That is also not allowed, that we accept a certain portion of Bhagavad-gītā and reject another portion. That is also not accepted. We must accept the Bhagavad-gītā without interpretation, without any cutting, and without our own whimsical participation in the matter because it should be taken as the most perfect Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is received from the transcendental sources because the first word was spoken by the Lord Himself. The words spoken by the Lord is called apauruṣeya, or not delivered by any person of the mundane world, who is infected with four principles of imperfectness.
Interpretation (Lectures, BG)
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Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
They, no man and no boy can go there. This vastraṇaṁ-līlā was that Kṛṣṇa stealthily went there and tookup all their clothes, and got up on a tree, (laughter) (laughs) with the clothings. And they cannot come out of the water. "Kṛṣṇa, You are very naughty. Give us our clothes. Give us our clothes." That was vastraṇaṁ-līlā.(laughter) The purpose was the, the people interpret in a different way, but the purpose is very significant. Only devotees can understand that all these girls, day before, they prayed to Yogamāyā that, everyone prayed, that "Let us have Kṛṣṇa as our husband." Now Kṛṣṇa was at that time only 15, 16 years, no older. In India still the boys of 15, 16 years, they are not married. At least he must be 20, 22 years. And girls are married between 12 to 16 years. That is the Vedic system. Neither it was possible for Kṛṣṇa to marry all the girls, but they all prayed. So how to fulfil their desire? That was vastraṇaṁ-līlā.
"You are naked, I am before you,so I am your husband." That's all. Wholesale acceptance. That was the purpose. But the nonsense people they differently, differently interpret.
So Kṛṣṇa's opulence, beauty, strength, and so far wisdom, at least you can test. Now the wisdom, see preliminary wisdom only. Preliminary talks on spiritual matter is discussed in this Bhagavad-gītā. And this book is still read, even after five thousand years, all over the world. Just see His wisdom. That is a test. Big scholars, big religionists, philosophers, they are bewildered still about Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore there are so many interpretations. But this, what is this Bhagavad-gītā? Bhagavad-gītā is the A B C D of spiritual knowledge. It is not very high depth of spiritual knowledge.
That is not accepted in Vedas. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇī. Dharma means the rules and regulation which is given by God. That is accepted everywhere. In Bible, in Koran also. The laws of God. You cannot manufacture. So Kṛṣṇa said that this principle of Bhagavad-gītā... At the present moment Bhagavad-gītā is being interpreted by anyone and everyone according to his whims. That is not permissible. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. We have to understand this. Simply Bhagavad-gītā is that which is received by the paramparā system. That is being explained. Go on.
So our process is to receive the perfect knowledge from the perfect source and distribute it. We don't manufacture knowledge. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, as it is. The Bhagavad-gītā is already perfect. Why shall I interpret with my imperfect senses? This is cheating. But people want to be cheated. Vañcita-vañcaka-sampradāya. The whole world is full of cheaters and cheated. Because we want to be cheated, there are so many cheaters. They don't want real thing. Here is the real thing, Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead speaking personally about Himself. Why should we interpret? Does it mean that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme authority, left something unexplained to be interpreted later on by some rascals? No. But the rascals dare; they interpret. That is cheating.
Because he is receiving the right knowledge from the right source, ācārya... Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Ācārya means by disciplic succession. As Kṛṣṇa says, disciplic succession, all the ācāryas will say the same thing. They will not change, they will not interpret. They can explain. But the original fact is not distorted. That is ācārya. Ācārya will never say that "Kṛṣṇa is material. Kṛṣṇa... There was no such thing as Kṛṣṇa. There was no such battle, Battle of Kurukṣetra. These are all imaginary." So if we don't want to be cheated, then we should take Kṛṣṇa as He is presenting Himself and as it is confirmed by the ācāryas. Then our knowledge is perfect.
Mystery means very complicated; no ordinary man can understand. Therefore it is called mystery, rahasyam. But not ordinary rahasyam, uttamam. Uttamam means transcendental, not covered with darkness of material science. But it is brilliant, daivam, divyam. Rahasyam.
So ordinary man cannot understand. Therefore they interpret foolishly, speculate, and demonstrate their rascaldom. That's all. Even big, big scholars. So they cannot understand because they are not devotee. It is meant for the devotee. This whole Bhagavad-gītā is a transaction between God and His devotee. There is nothing more. Just like if you go to the market and two mercantile men talking. So it should be understood that he is also businessman, he is also businessman, so they must be talking something about business.
This meaning, they are distorting. So Kṛṣṇa says man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), and this Dr. Radhakrishnan says, "It is not to the Kṛṣṇa person." Just see. Just a big scholar, doctor of philosophy, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says directly, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (BG 9.34). He is interpreting in a different way.
Therefore this word is used here, hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśam idaṁ vākyam, hṛṣīkeśam tadā vākyam idam āha mahī-pate (BG 1.20). Mahī-pate, "O King..." Sañjaya was addressing Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He's a king. So mahī-pate. Hṛṣīkeśaṁ kapi-dhvajaḥ. Kapi-dhvajaḥ is nominative. So "He said..." Kapi-dhvajaḥ. Kapi-dhvajaḥ is also significant. Kapi-dhvajaḥ, Arjuna, on his... Just like nowadays also, every nation has different types of flags, so Arjuna also had his flag on the... Dhvajaḥ. Dhvajaḥ means the flag. The flag was on the top of his chariot.
Sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt. Arjuna will be the greatest example, how he became Kṛṣṇa conscious, in the last Tenth Chapter. He will say, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yad vadasi keśava: (BG 10.14) "My dear Kṛṣṇa, Keśava, whatever you say, I accept in total." Without any interpretation, or "This is like this, this is like that, this is not very good." Ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya (Cc. Ādi-līlā 5.176). All rascals, they accept this Bhagavad-gītā on the principle of ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. In the nyāya, in the logic. There is a logic, ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. What is that ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya? Kukkuṭī means the hen. So hen gives one egg every day. So the man, proprietor of the hen, he is considering that "This hen is very good, giving every day one egg. But the, its mouth is expensive. It eats. So let me cut the mouth, simply take the egg." So there are rascals, they study Bhagavad-gītā on this principle of ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya. "Cut this, take this, cut this, take this."
Now, sometimes Bhagavad-gītā is misinterpreted that this battle, I mean to say, dharma-kṣetra kuru-kṣetra means "this body." We do not misinterpret in that way. There is no question of misinterpretation. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change by our whimsical imagination, concoction. We do not interpret the words of the Bhagavad-gītā according to our own desire. No. Actually, from literary point of view, interpretation is required when things are not understood very clearly. The interpretation required. In the law court, when the lawyers try to interpret before the judge, when the terms are not very clear... That is the same way, in, in, amongst the associates and society of learned scholars. Interpretation is not required when the things are very clear. Just like the sun, sunshine, sunlight. There is no need of a lamp to show the sun. The sun is self-effulgent.
That is the Vedic version. So Kurukṣetra is always... Still people go for pilgrimage in Kurukṣetra, and the station is there, Kurukṣetra, and the place is there. People go there. Kurukṣetra. Why one should interpret that kuru-kṣetra means this body and Pāṇḍavas means these pañca-indriyas, so many things? There is no question of interpretation. And this Mahābhārata... Mahābhārata means "The History of Greater India." That is Mahābhārata. History, it is history. It is not a fiction. It is history. Mahābhārata. This planet was formerly known as Bhārata-varṣa. This planet. The whole planet. Not that the piece of land, as we are calling now, Bhārata-varṣa. No. Before that, this planet was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I am explaining as it is. I am not interpreting. So it is being accepted.
Indian: So I should read it.
Prabhupāda: Thank you.
Indian: That's the inclination, that I should read the books.
Prabhupāda: (laughing) Very good.
Indian: Very good.
Devotee: Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Then how? Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). You have to follow a pure devotee, acknowledged devotee. Similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā, if we follow Arjuna, then we understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. But if we don't follow Arjuna, if we follow somebody, Dr. Frog, or create our own interpretation, then we remain impure. So mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. We have to follow the footprints of mahājana, great soul. So here is directly you are meeting great soul, Arjuna. He is directly being taught Bhagavad-gītā by the original teacher. Who can be greater authority than Arjuna? So as Arjuna accepts Bhagavad-gīta, if you accept Bhagavad-gītā in that way, then your study of Bhagavad-gītā is perfect. It is very simple. Therefore I'm saying here that Kṛṣṇa is the original teacher, and Arjuna is the original student.
Therefore Lord Caitanya embraced the brāhmaṇa, "Yes, your study of Bhagavad-gītā is perfect." Because one has to come to this stage, thinking of Kṛṣṇa always. So if one does not come to this stage, simply by academic education, he says "It should be like this. The interpretation should be like this," he's simply wasting time. Frog philosopher. One has to come to this stage. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra). So that is the perfection. Kṛṣṇa and gopīs. They were cowherds girl. Their father, mother, they were only ordinary village men, keeping cows. That's all. What was their education? They were not Vedantists. But they learned to love Kṛṣṇa. That was their qualification.
This is Vedic process. This is called paramparā system, disciplic succession. We receive knowledge perfectly from the Supreme Bhagavān. And if I receive the knowledge from Bhagavān, and if I distribute the same knowledge as Bhagavān has said, without any interpretation of my cheating policy, then the knowledge which I distribute, that is also perfect. I may not be perfect, but the knowledge which I have taken from Kṛṣṇa, if I present it as it is, without any interpretation, then what I give you, that is perfect. It is very easy to understand. I have given several times... Just like a peon has brought a money order for you, thousand dollars. So he's giving you. So you cannot say, "Oh, here is a peon. He's a poor man. How he can give me one thousand dollars?"
So Śaṅkarācārya says, bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha-mate. Mūḍha, mūḍha I've several times explained. Mūḍha means rascal, ass. You are depending on your grammatical understanding, dukṛn karaṇe. Dukṛn, these are grammatical affix and prefix, pratya, prakaraṇa. So you are depending on this verbal root, that verbal root, and creating, interpreting your meaning in a different way. All this is nonsense. This dukṛn karaṇe, your grammatical jugglery of words, will not save you at the time of death. You rascal, you just worship Govinda, Govinda, Govinda. That is the instruction of Śaṅkarācārya also. Because he was a devotee, he was a great devotee. But he pretended to be an atheist because he was to deal with the atheists. Unless he presents himself as an atheist, the atheist followers will not hear him. Therefore he presented Māyāvāda philosophy for the time being.
Yes. That is a formality. That is not very important. Because Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, they are also Vedic sannyāsīs. They are not outsiders. But their interpretation of Veda is different. But they follow the Vedic rules. So this acceptance of sannyāsa is following a principle of the Vedic rules. So the Māyāvādī sannyāsī may differ in his interpretation, but he's following the Vedic rules. So this acceptance of sannyāsa is following the Vedic rules. So you can accept sannyāsa even from Māyāvādī. It doesn't matter. But you have to transcend the limits of Vedic rules. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That also Caitanya Mahāprabhu... Although He took sannyāsa, He did not assume the sannyāsa title. His sannyāsa guru was Keśava Bhāratī. Naturally, He would have accepted the Bhāratī title. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Bhāratī, or something like that.
If we take, if we read Bhagavad-gītā in the spirit of understanding like Arjuna, the perfect disciple, and if we accept the advice and the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, the perfect teacher, then we should know that we have understood Bhagavad-gītā. By my mental speculation, by rascal interpretation, by showing one's scholarship, you cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. That is not possible. Submissive. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). So we have to surrender as Arjuna, he surrendered. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I surrender unto You. I become Your disciple." To become disciple means to surrender, voluntarily accepting the instruction, the advice, the order of the spiritual master. So Arjuna has already accepted that.
Woman: But this is own interpretation.
Prabhupāda: Eh? Not interpretation. It is reading.
Woman: One can cheat.
Prabhupāda: I give you... Cheat. No, that is also in the definition of a conditioned soul. These four principles are there. It is not my manufactured thing. The, these are information from authoritative scripture, that a conditioned soul has four imperfectness. One imperfectness is that he's sure to commit mistake. He's illusioned, and he has got a tendency to cheat, and, above all, his senses are imperfect. So anyone who is above all these four imperfectness—who never commits mistake, who is never illusioned, who never cheats others, and who has got perfect senses—He is God. That is also another definition of God. He may not be...
This sarve means "we all," not that... Sarve is plural number. Janādhipāḥ is plural number. "So they are all individual souls." So the individual soul continues. That is the version. That is the version of the Bhagavad-gītā, and we... It is better to accept this version without unnecessarily commenting it or interpreting it in a different way so that one... Interpretation is very bad. You see? A scripture should not be interpreted. A scripture should be taken as it is, as it is. And besides that, interpretation... When interpretation is required? When a thing is not properly understood, at that time, interpretation is required. Otherwise, there is no necessity of interpretation. Just like you..., that "Such and such village" or "such and such town is on the sea." Somebody says. Now, the person who hears that "Such and such town is on the sea," and he may be confused: "How is that?
Now, the person who hears that "Such and such town is on the sea," and he may be confused: "How is that? On the, on the water, how there can be a town?" So there is explanation required. Now that explanation is that " 'On the sea' does not mean 'in the midst of the sea,' but 'on the bank of the sea.' " Here is an interpretation. So similarly, a thing which is very clear to everyone, so there is no necessity of interpretation. Here the, the statement of Bhagavad-gītā as by, spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa, is very clear, that "Myself, yourself and all these people who have assembled here, they are all individual persons. And they were individual persons in the past, and at the present moment, we see that they are individual persons, and they will continue. They will continue." I may not know what they will become in the future, but because He is God, because He is the Supreme Personality, His statement should be accepted.
That yoga, citta-niruddha. The whole purpose of practicing yoga is to control the mind, control the mind. Now, here Patañjali system, that unless you, I mean, conduct devotional service of Lord, or bhakti, there is no success of yoga. The subsequent commentators and interpreters... The difficulty is that wrong interpretation of the original text delude the audience. You see? So they are... The subsequent commentators and interpreters of the yoga reveals also a theoretical interest in God and discuss more fully the speculative problems as to the nature of God and the proof for the existence of God. They practically take up the speculative way. But Patañjali, as he is, he takes practically, that without devotion of God, there is no success of yoga. Thus the yoga system has come to have both a theoretical and practical interest in the divine will.
And if He is not all-perfect, then there is no value of His instruction. A man with defect in knowledge cannot impart instructions. His instructions... Therefore the whole Vedic process is paramparā system. Paramparā system means that I cannot deviate. I cannot make any interpretation. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). You'll find in the Fourth Chapter. Now we are reading Second Chapter. You'll find, as we have explained in the introduction of Bhagavad-gītā, that because... Just like I am speaking to you. I am an imperfect person. I cannot give you any knowledge. I cannot manufacture any knowledge. If I do that, then I shall deceive you. I can simply present before you the original knowledge. I can explain it in an understandable way but not deviating from the original text. Now, here it is clearly stated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead that na tu eva ahaṁ jātu (BG 2.12).
"And you." That means Arjuna. And na ime janādhipāḥ: "Neither all these kings." He's dividing the whole audience into three: "Myself, yourself and they." And again He confirms it, sarve: "all." He never identifies into one. So this is the version of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Now, if I say that our interpretation of aham, I, myself, yourself, and he, or she, different vision, this is due to our ignorance. You can say. Because I am ignorant, it may be my mistake, that I see differently from you. But Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, cannot see like that. He is above all this ignorance because He's all-perfect. And we have already defined that the Supreme Lord is full of knowledge. So... He's full of knowledge, supreme knowledge. Now, if the Supreme Personality, with full knowledge... He cannot commit any mistake.
What is called? Homogeneous spirit. No. Then Kṛṣṇa is false. The Māyāvādī theory accepted, that we become one lump sum, then Kṛṣṇa's theory... Not theory, Kṛṣṇa's actual knowledge. Then it becomes false. And if Kṛṣṇa speaks false, something defective, then where is the use of reading Bhagavad-gītā? Why should we read Bhagavad-gītā which is spoken by a person who is defective? No. That's not... What Kṛṣṇa is speaking, that is fact. Otherwise, why Bhagavad-gītā is given so importance? So, so Māyāvādī philosophers, they try to interpret in a different way, " 'I' means this, 'you' means that," some... (end)
So that clear conception of soul you can have from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. He is speaking to Arjuna, and that is recorded by Vyāsadeva and which is presented before us as the Bhagavad-gītā. So we are presenting the knowledge of the Bhagavad-gītā, as it is, without any malinterpretation, because we cannot interpret Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by God, so what He has spoken, there cannot be any mistake, there cannot be any illusion, there cannot be any cheating, and there cannot be any imperfectness of the senses. Others, those who are called conditioned soul... Just like we have got our eyes, but the eyes, we are very much proud of our eyes.
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). So actually knowledge is coming from Kṛṣṇa. So our proposal is, we are receiving knowledge, this Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is directly giving you the knowledge. So we have to accept it as it is. We cannot interpret Bhagavad-gītā in my own way. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. That is something else. They take advantage of the Bhagavad-gītā and put their own conclusion. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. If you want to study Bhagavad-gītā, then you have to study as it is. Then it is nice.
And it is dharma-kṣetra. People go for pilgrimage. And in the Vedas also it is stated that kuru-kṣetre dharmam ācaret. One should go to Kurukṣetra and perform religious rituals there. So it is dharma-kṣetra by Vedic version, by practical example. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre (BG 1.1). But somebody's interpreting Kurukṣetra as this body. From which dictionary he can get this meaning, that Kurukṣetra means this body? This kind of interpretation is going on. But our proposition is that if you want to be benefited by reading Bhagavad-gītā, don't read such malinterpretation. Read Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then you will be benefited. Kuru-kṣetre dharma-kṣetre. It is a fact. Kurukṣetra is dharma-kṣetra. Samavetā yuyutsavaḥ: (BG 1.1) And the persons assembled there, namely, the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas, they wanted to fight. Yuyutsavaḥ. That's all right. Where is the interpretation?
And the persons assembled there, namely, the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas, they wanted to fight. Yuyutsavaḥ. That's all right. Where is the interpretation? They wanted to fight. They selected a nice place, dharma-kṣetra, Kurukṣetra, and there they fought. So it is, meaning is clear. Why there should be interpretation that "The Pāṇḍava means the five senses and the Kurukṣetra means this body"? Why? Why? Where is the necessity of such interpretation? Interpretation is required where things are not clear. Actually, we do interpret. Just like in the law court, if some clause is not very clear, the lawyers interpret: "It may be like this, it may be like that." But when the things are clear, there is no question of interpretation. That is the system. Amongst the scholars, if things are clear, there should be no interpretation.
So Bhagavad-gītā, in each and every verse, the things are very, very clear, as clear as the sunshine. So there is no question of interpretation. Our, this publication of Bhagavad-gītā, we have therefore mentioned: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Because there are six hundred and forty different editions of Bhagavad-gītā, and almost every one of them has got a different interpretation. That is the system going on now. Therefore, before me, many persons, many swamis, went to Western countries and they presented Bhagavad-gītā in their own way, but not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Throughout the whole history. Now Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, and thousands of them are becoming devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Practical. Thousands of them. The simple thing.
"No, it is not to Kṛṣṇa. It is something else." Where you get this? Kṛṣṇa directly says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). So why do you deviate? Why do you say something else : "It is something within Kṛṣṇa"? You'll find... I don't wish to name. There are so many rascal scholars. They interpret like that. Therefore in spite of Bhagavad-gītā being a book of knowledge of India, so many people are misguided. Big... Due to these rascal scholars, so-called scholars. Because they simply misinterpret.
So in a position of perplexity, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master. That is the process, Vedic process. Otherwise, it is not possible. And our Sanātana Gosvāmī, our predecessor, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's direct disciple, he gives his direction that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. He says. He says, "Do not hear from a person who is not a Vaiṣṇava." He must, one must become a Vaiṣṇava. Otherwise his so-called ideas and interpretation has no value. Has no value. Just like in your country, South India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he has done so many works. But to tell you frankly, it is useless labor. Because he has said in one of his writings that Bhagavad-gītā is mental speculation. He is surpassing all the ācāryas who came, who appeared in South India.
Viṣṇu Svāmī appeared in South India. Śaṅkarācārya appeared in South India. South India is so blessed. And he also appeared in South India. He's decrying all the ācāryas. Just see the position. He says, "Bhagavad-gītā is a mental speculation." And he has interpreted in a different way. Kṛṣṇa says that man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). And if you have seen Dr. Radhakrishnan's translation of Bhagavad-gītā, he says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa says directly that man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. He says, "Not to Kṛṣṇa." You'll see. So this defect will be there, unless one is sadācāra-sampanna-vaiṣṇava, self-realized. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī says, avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam.
He may be a poor man. Similarly, a guru, a guru is perfect when he delivers the words of the superior authority as it is. Then he's perfect. He may be imperfect in your estimation. But that is his perfection, that he is not misleading people by becoming a so-called rascal scholar and interpreting in a different way and misleading the whole population. That is perfection. People say so much about me, that I have done some wonderful thing. But I say that I am not a magician. I'm not a magician. My only credit is that I am presenting Kṛṣṇa as He is. That's all. I am not diluting Kṛṣṇa. That is not my business. And therefore, because it is pure, pure ghee, therefore everyone accepts. And if you place dalda, mixing with ghee some rascal thing, then nobody will accept.
So the process should be to receive the knowledge by disciplic succession, not sporadically hearing sometimes this scholar, hearing sometimes this scholar. "I interpret in my scholarship." No. This thing will not. Our process is, as directed by Sanātana Gosvāmī, avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇa-pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathā is amṛta. Amṛta. But still, it should not be received when it is uttered by some avaiṣṇava. There is another direction: avaiṣṇavo gurur na sa syāt. Sat-karma-nipuṇo vipro mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ. A person, a brāhmaṇa, sat-karma-nipuṇaḥ. Brāhmaṇa's business is become to become scholar and to make others scholar. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana. He must be a worshiper and he must teach others how to worship. Paṭhana pāṭhana yajana yājana dāna pratigraha.
Our great leader, Mahatma Gandhi, he wanted to prove from Bhagavad-gītā, nonviolence. He started the nonviolence movement, and he wanted to support... Everyone takes advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and tries to support his view on the strength of Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore you will find so many interpretations. Everyone wants to utilize. There are more than six hundred publication, commentaries, on Bhagavad-gītā. One Dr. Rele in Bombay, he has interpreted Bhagavad-gītā as talks between a physician and a patient.
So these things are going on, but that is not Bhagavad-gītā. That is nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Nāma-aparādha, ten kinds of offenses...
So similarly on the strength of Bhagavad-gītā, if one wants to prove his foolish philosophy, that is a great offense. That's a great offense. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā cannot be interpreted by foolish commentators. It must be studied through the paramparā system, ācārya upāsanam. One must worship the ācārya and learn from him what is Bhagavad-gītā. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. This is the Vedic injunction. Who knows things as they are. Ācāryaṁ māṁ puruṣa, one who is under the guidance of ācārya. So you won't find this foolish nonviolence theory from any ācārya. Many ācāryas have commented on Bhagavad-gītā. There is Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, even Śaṅkarācārya. But never said that Bhagavad-gītā is proof of nonviolence. Nonviolence is good but when there is dharma-yuddha, righteous fighting, there is no question of nonviolence.
So Kṛṣṇa is encouraging Arjuna because he is a kṣatriya. Sva-dharmam api cāvekṣya. It is his duty. The rascals should not take example that: "Kṛṣṇa encouraged killing. Therefore everyone should kill. There is no sin." Without understanding. This is the difficulty. The rascals they do not understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. They interpret for their favorable condition. That's all. Here is Bhagavad-gītā. They do not read the whole thing from ācārya—misunderstand. Bhagavad-gītā is not encouraging violence. That is not the Bhagavad-gītā's purpose. But a kṣatriya, when there is fight, dharma-yuddha, yuddha dharma... What is that, before we...? Sukhinaḥ kṣatriyāḥ pārtha labhante yuddham īdṛśam. A kṣatriya becomes very satisfied to get such fighting opportunity, yuddham īdṛśam, yadṛcchayā copapannaṁ svarga-dvāram apāvṛtam, labhante yuddham īdṛśam.
This kind of killing is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Not that general killing. You can capriciously kill anyone and give the evidence, "Oh, it is Bhagavad-gītā. It is there." How... See how rascals, they are interpreting. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without interpreting in a rascal's way.
So Kṛṣṇa says in two ways that "If you don't fight, then your enemies will blaspheme you." Avācya-vādāṁś ca vadiṣyanti bahūn. "They'll concoct, manufacture some blasphemy against you. You are becoming very much sorry to fight with your kinsmen. Undoubtedly you are very sorry.
So according to that process, if somebody understands Bhagavad-gītā and in his life he practices in that way, just like a lawyer who has passed the law examination... Similarly, one who understands Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any wishful interpretation for his own purpose... No. Bhagavad-gītā as it is, as it is instructed to Arjuna. If there is somebody who understands Bhagavad-gītā in that way, he is the representative of God. He is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and one should accept such representative of Kṛṣṇa for his guide. Then, actually, as much as Arjuna was guided by Kṛṣṇa, then similarly, that person who takes the shelter of the guidance of a person who is fully, I mean to say, aware, fully conversant with the science of Kṛṣṇa, he can guide you nicely and for your spiritual life as Lord Kṛṣṇa has guided Arjuna for his spiritual life.
I am controller, I am Brahman, but at the same time, I have got superior controller over me. But Kṛṣṇa is called Paraṁ Brahma, or the īśvara parama, the supreme controller, because He has no controller over Him. That is the acceptance of Arjuna. This is the mode of studying Bhagavad-gītā. If we don't interpret in our own way. If we really want to study Bhagavad-gītā, then here is the confirmation by Arjuna how he understands Kṛṣṇa after hearing Bhagavad-gītā. Not only that, he also... In the Eleventh Chapter you'll find that Arjuna will request Kṛṣṇa to show him His gigantic universal form. Because he, Arjuna, as he is, he accepted Kṛṣṇa that He's God undoubtedly. But in future people may think that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna were two friends. So out of friendly appreciation, Arjuna might have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but what is the evidence to us?
So Bhagavad-gītā was his life and soul practically. And in the morning he was having Bhagavad-gītā class; in the evening he was having Bhagavad-gītā class. So that was his life and soul. But unfortunately he interpreted Bhagavad-gītā in his own way. Although he took Bhagavad-gītā as his life and soul, so, but he interpreted it in his own way. That is not the way of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore such a great man and such a good man... He was not only a great man; he was very good man in the worldly estimation. His character, his behavior, his dealing—everything was good. He was ideal personality. But just see. He was killed by violence. He could not stop violence.
We are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, and we are getting good response because we are preaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is. This book is... Here it is written, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. We do not make any false interpretation so that the reader also spoil and the listener is also spoiled.
So, so many people, sometimes they come forward to give me some credit that I have done very wonderful thing. So I reply that "I do not know how to do something wonderful. I cannot manufacture gold, I cannot show any jugglery, but if there is any credit, then the only credit is I don't adulterate. That's all. The pure milk, I don't show my expert service by adding water in it. That I do not do. So we present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. In the, all the Vedic literature, Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the Supreme Lord, person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: "This human form of life is very, very difficult to obtain." Somehow or other, we have now this human form of life. Kṛṣṇa said that utilize it very nicely so that the problems of life... And that knowledge is very easy. Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. That's all. That will solve. And Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, what He is. Where is the difficulty? Unless you make some interpretation foolishly, everything is very, very clear. So you can understand Kṛṣṇa.
"They... That knowledge which I exactly imparted to sun-god is now lost." How it is lost? There were many scholars, and still, how it is lost? The lost means that the purport of Bhagavad-gītā is lost.
Because scholars they can interpret in their own way about Bhagavad-gītā, but that is not Bhagavad-gītā. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. That is the purport which Kṛṣṇa wants to stress. So any student of Bhagavad-gītā must note it, that Bhagavad-gītā commented by a person—he may be very scholar in the material sense, but that scholarship will not help to comment on the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā, to understand Bhagavad-gītā, we have to accept this disciplic succession principle as Lord Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, that "It is coming down by disciplic succession." We have to take that spirit.
Now I am again establishing that disciplic succession through you. So anyone who has to understand Bhagavad-gītā, he has to understand as Arjuna understood it. If you try to understand in a different way, if you want to give a different interpretation of Bhagavad-gītā, that may be a manifestation of your scholarship, but that is not Bhagavad-gītā. By your scholarship, you can manufacture some idea.
Just like Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi. He also wrote an interpretation of Bhagavad-gītā, and he wanted to prove that from Bhagavad-gītā, nonviolence. How you can prove nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā? The, the theme of Bhagavad-gītā is that Arjuna declined to fight and Lord Kṛṣṇa is just trying to induce him that "You must fight.
Now, if you like, you can take the credit that you have conquered them." Last of all, He said like that. When the program is that the Bhagavad-gītā clearly says that in this case fighting is necessary, how can you prove that nonviolence is taught in Bhagavad-gītā? That is a different interpretation. You cannot interpret a thing which is, whose theme is different. The author, the author of Bhagavad-gītā... The author of the Bhagavad-gītā is saying very frankly that "the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is now lost. So I am just trying to convince you. So you try to understand it." The purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is lost because they have been interpreted in a different way. So as soon as Bhagavad-gītā is interpreted in the way of a particular scholar or particular man, oh, then the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is lost.
The trick is that because Gītā is a very reputed literature and Dr. Radhakrishnan, he's also a reputed scholar, so he thought that "I can..." Now, at the present moment, the things are going that everyone can give his own interpretation. That is the modern tendency, that everyone can give his own interpretation in any literature. So that, I mean to say, propensity, is also in Dr. Radhakrishnan, in Gandhi, and many other persons also. They are renowned persons of the world. So they have translated, and they have given their own opinion. But actually, so far Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, it is to be understood in the process as recommended by Kṛṣṇa. That is clear here.
Shahjahan was the father; he could not tolerate that his eldest son was killed, his youngest son was killed, and he was arrested. This was a political maneuver by Aurangzeb. But actually, the hero, the sufferer, was the Shahjahan, Emperor Shahjahan." Now, just see. The mind of the author was disclosed by the author. Nobody could interpret what was the intention.
Similarly, the intention of the Bhagavad-gītā is known by Kṛṣṇa, the author. So we have to understand the intention of the author. We cannot exact any meaning by our own scholarship which is different from the intention of the author. So anyone who is not in the disciplic succession, he cannot understand the intention of Kṛṣṇa, why this Bhagavad-gītā, why this yoga was imparted. You can... You are a good scholar. You can make a... something... Just like our president, Mr. Goldsmith, he knows that expert lawyers, by interpretation, they can do so many things. That is another thing.
And in Calcutta, when I was in Calcutta, there was a rent tax passed by the government, and some expert lawyer changed the whole thing by his interpretation. The government had to reenact, you see, because the purpose was foiled by the interpretation of the lawyer. You see? So we are not out for foiling the purpose of Kṛṣṇa for which the Bhagavad-gītā is said. These persons, these unauthorized persons, they are practically trying to foil the purpose of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, that is unauthorized. All right, Mr. Goldsmith, you can ask anything.
No. It is meant for everyone to take perfect knowledge from Kṛṣṇa and be happy. If you want to become happy actually, then Kṛṣṇa's instruction you accept. We are already fallen. Now if we want to save ourselves from this fallen condition, take instruction from Kṛṣṇa and do not try to deviate, do not try to interpret in your own whimsical way, in a rascal way. Simply try to understand what Kṛṣṇa says. That's all. Then your life will be perfect.
So Bhagavad-gītā is not a new thing, a new adventure. And the person who spoke Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god, does it mean that He left something to be commented by some, these mundane men to understand the meaning of the Bhagavad-gītā? Such a great personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He told something which is to be understood by the interpretation of a mundane scholar? Do you think it is reasonable? No. Whatever he spoke, that is all right. And that is clear. There is no question of interpreting in a different way. Just like here, "The Blessed Lord said, 'I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvān.' " What is difficulty there? Is there any word which you cannot understand? Is anyone here who cannot understand these lines? It is clear. "The Blessed Lord said, 'I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god whose name is Vivasvān.' " It is clear. How you can interpret?
"The Blessed Lord said, 'I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god whose name is Vivasvān.' " It is clear. How you can interpret?
Now, the thing is, unless I think of Kṛṣṇa that "He is an ordinary man. How He could say to the sun-god Vivasvān?" Then the interpretation is required. But that sort of thinking is not bona fide because if you want to study Bhagavad-gītā, you have to take the words of Bhagavad-gītā. The Blessed Lord. He is Lord. He can say. The Lord is not like ordinary man. That "Because we cannot say to the sun-god, therefore Kṛṣṇa cannot say," that is our foolishness. Why should we calculate Kṛṣṇa's activity with my activities? Therefore all the commentaries who think Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man, they are null and void. Such commentaries should not be accepted.
We have explained in our introduction that all the commentaries in the market, they are simply presentation of the particular commentator's personal view. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. If you want to understand Bhagavad-gītā, then you should understand as they are said. You don't interpret in your own way.
Now, because there should be some doubt of the ordinary man, that "How Kṛṣṇa could say to the sun-god?" that is explained in the next verse. Because Arjuna was taking instruction from Kṛṣṇa, he knew Kṛṣṇa, what He is. Otherwise he would not have accepted him as a spiritual master. But because others would doubt, "This is fictitious that Kṛṣṇa said to the sun-god. How it is possible?" so you will find Arjuna said, "The sun-god Vivasvān is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?"
"To err is human"—he is subjected to be illusioned, and he has a cheating propensity. Just like a mundane scholar. I do not wish to name. A mundane scholar, he admits, his introduction, that it is very difficult to interpret Bhagavad-gītā in one's own way. It is so tightly fitted. Actually it is so. Unless you contradict yourself, you cannot interpret Bhagavad-gītā according to your own way.
So Arjuna is clearing that, and Kṛṣṇa is saying, "The difference is that I take, I appear..." As you will find later on, Kṛṣṇa says, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7).
That is mistake. We are not concerned with imperfect knowledge. We want perfect knowledge. Therefore we are going to Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise what is the use? If it is an ordinary book—you can interpret in your own way, I can interpret in my own way—then what is the value of Bhagavad-gītā with other books? No. It is not like that. Therefore the words of Kṛṣṇa should be understood through the devotees: perfect channel. As Kṛṣṇa..., Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Avyayam, the... It is eternal. It is spiritual, avyayam. Avyayam means "that does not perish."
This is very important verse to understand Bhagavad-gītā. By rascal interpretation, you cannot understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. It is a mystery. Rahasyam, mysterious. Only a devotee who is in intimate relation with Kṛṣṇa, he can understand. That is clearly stated here. When Kṛṣṇa was speaking Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna, it was in the battlefield. It is not a parlor, discussing, smoking and discussing Vedānta philosophy. No. It is not like that. Very serious, in the battlefield. And Kṛṣṇa selected Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa selected... At that time, when Kṛṣṇa was present, there were very, very great learned scholars. Even Vyāsadeva was present there, the Vedavyāsa. And many others—Asita, Devala... Great, great saintly persons and saints.
Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. This material manifestation, with innumerable universes, is only a one part of manifestation of the Supreme Lord. Ekāṁśena sthito jagat. These descriptions are there in the Bhagavad-gītā.
So we should always remember that we are reading Bhagavad-gītā and we should understand it as it is. We should not make any interpretation. That is a wrong thing. And if there was some necessity of interpretation, we should not think that Kṛṣṇa left the matter for being interpreted by in later age by some scholar. Oh, He could have disclosed it Himself. He was quite competent. No. There is no question of interpretation. We have to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. If we cannot understand, that is a defect in me, not in the Bhagavad-gītā. So we have to find out the defect in me.
In London, in two months, we sold about thirty thousand copies. And the trades manager of Macmillan Company, he has sent me letter that while the other editions, they're diminishing, this edition is increasing by sale. Why? Because it is presented as it is, without any wrong interpretation. People are appreciating. This is a fact.
So people do not believe that Kṛṣṇa is a historical person, at the same time, He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They think that He is a very learned man or a great politician, or a beautiful man. Like that. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ (BG 9.11). They do not understand the background of Kṛṣṇa.
He goes with all his paraphernalia, secretaries, minister, and commander-in-chief, and so many others. Similarly, whenever Kṛṣṇa comes, He does not come... Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, aham eva asam agre. "I was in the beginning." The impersonalists interpret that "I was, personally," but that is not the fact. Nārāyaṇa, as soon as Nārāyaṇa was means Nārāyaṇa was there with... Not was there, Nārāyaṇa is there always with His all paraphernalia. And that is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, dhāmnā svena nirasta-kuhakaṁ sadā paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. Dhāmnā svena nirasta-kuhakam. The kingdom of God is freed from illusion. This world, this material world, is full of illusion. But dhāmnā svena nirasta-kuhakam. So God's kingdom, or Kṛṣṇa's kingdom, is spiritual. Everything will be explained one after another.
The blood corpuscles are changing. That is scientific. But Kṛṣṇa hasn't got that. Therefore He is explaining Himself. We can understand Kṛṣṇa by Kṛṣṇa's explanation. We should not make any rascal interpretation. Then we'll not be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. Because our senses are imperfect.
Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi jānāti tattvam. Either you have to understand Kṛṣṇa from the Kṛṣṇa personally.... That is not possible. Or one who has got, received the favor of Kṛṣṇa, from him you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi. One who is favored with a little mercy of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he can understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).
That is also described in the Tenth Chapter that aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Everything. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7).
These things are described. So we have to accept Kṛṣṇa like that. And if we make our own interpretation, rascal-like, that will not help us to understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Bhagavad-gītā. That is going on, generally. "Kṛṣṇa has no existence." "Kṛṣṇa, there was no Kṛṣṇa. It is story." "There was no battlefield of Kurukṣetra." These things are going on by, spoken by so-called political leaders and scholars. But that is not the fact. They do not understand Kṛṣṇa, simply mislead people. Therefore the world is in chaotic condition.
The simple thing is that if we understand it as it is, then it is as simple as anything. But if you want to...
Just like in our Bengal there is proverb, ghuriye nag nag naki.(?) Now, now, you are asking me... Just like sometimes we ask small child, "Where is your nose?" He says, "It is nose." "Where is your eye?" "It is eye." So that is a simple thing. But one child... Not child. One man is asked, "Where is your nose?" He says, "Oh, here is my nose." (laughter) "Here is my nose," this is simple thing. But one should show, "Oh, here is my nose." So Bhagavad-gītā is interpreted like that, "Here is my nose." Nobody shows that "Here is my nose." You see? So that is the difficulty. They have created difficult, create a situation of this Bhagavad-gītā under, I mean to say, catastrophe. So if you, any sincere student who will take Bhagavad-gītā as it is, this self-realization is as cheap as anything.
No. It, simply, simply we have to hear it as it is. Don't try to interpret in a different way. The, the whole mischief is that everyone has got his own theosophy. And Bhagavad-gītā is a popular book, and he wants to prove his own philosophy through Bhagavad-gītā. Because he wants to be important man and he wants to show that "Here is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā," and they present some jugglery of words and mislead the people.
Just like I am repeatedly mentioned here that in our country Mahatma Gandhi, he had his philosophy of non-violence, and he wanted to prove non-violence from Bhagavad-gītā. But Bhagavad-gītā is spoken in the warfield.
There is no alternative means, because anyone who does not understand Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is surely in the mode of ignorance. Consequently he will not attain salvation simply, so to speak, by licking the outer surface of the bottle of honey or by interpreting the text of the Bhagavad-gītā according to his own mundane scholarship. Such empiric philosophers may assume very important roles in the material world, but they are not necessarily eligible for liberation. Such puffed up mundane scholars have to wait for the causeless mercy of the devotee of the Lord. One should, therefore, accept the principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness with faith and knowledge, and in this way one can attain the perfection of life."
So these things are... If we study Bhagavad-gītā, we have to take it, Bhagavad-gītā, as it is. We cannot give our own interpretation just to suit our purpose. This thing already been explained in this Fourth Chapter, that it is understood by the paramparā system, by the disciplic succession. So we have to take up this knowledge from the disciplic succession. And this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken some millions of years before to the sun-god. That is also stated. And the sun-god instructed this Bhagavad-gītā again to Manu, Manu to Ikṣvāku. And in this way this is coming by disciplic succession. But during the time of Kurukṣetra war that great philosophy of yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā was lost, and therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa again said to Arjuna.
There are two classes of philosopher in India. One is impersonalist and the other is personalist. So we, so far we are concerned, we are personalist, and Śaṅkarācārya is impersonalist. Now, although we are two classes, impersonalist and personalist, we take Veda as the medium of knowledge. We may give different interpretations. That is another thing. But either party of Śaṅkarācārya or the party of Vaiṣṇava and ācāryas, they take the Vedānta-sūtra, the Vedānta philosophy, as the medium.
But Lord Buddha, although we accept him as the incarnation of God and he was born in India and he propagated his philosophy from India, but because he denied to accept the Vedic principle, therefore he is known as atheist, because he, Buddha, did not accept the Vedic principles. He denied.
Mām, this mām. Mām means "Me," "Unto Me." Kṛṣṇa says, "Unto Me." But there are many miscreants who are interpreting this mām as "everyone," as "everyone." Just like when I say, "I want a glass of water," does it mean that you want a glass of water? No. My individuality, "I want a glass of water." But they are making, by jugglery of words, that when I say, "I want a glass of water," that means, "everyone wants a glass of water." Is it a fact? Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa says, "I," they identify with the "I" themselves. That is their interpretation. That is misinterpretation.
Bhagavad-gītā... Therefore, although Bhagavad-gītā is very popular in the world, due to this misinterpretation of so many scholars, they have been not properly understood. That is a fact.
So if we take up this missionary work, to preach Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any interpretation and without any motive behind it, as it is, as Kṛṣṇa said... We should present as it is. People misrepresent Bhagavad-gītā by their own interpretation. That should not be done. Bhagavad-gītā as it is should be presented before the people of the world. They are suffering for want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and as soon as they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, their life becomes happy. So this is the mission of this society, International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
That is the ultimate goal of life, but they do not know it. Na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. Kṛṣṇa says... Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Therefore we are repeatedly asking everyone to study Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Don't become a learned scholar and interpret foolishly or differently from Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there.
So Kṛṣṇa says that our real problem of life is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). That is the problem. Repetition of birth. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). We take one body according to karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1).
So we have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious by scrutinizing, studying, this authoritative book, Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā, without having fashionable interpretation, as it is. What Kṛṣṇa says, He says for all the time. It does not change.
Just like the verse which we are just now discussing, He says that "It does not matter in whatever occupation you are. Simply you have to change your consciousness. You are now guided by the consciousness of self-interest, of sense gratification." Self-interest. Not exactly self-interest because we do not know what is our self-interest. Rather sense interest, not self-interest, but sense interest. Whatever we are doing, we are doing for satisfying the senses. This consciousness has to be changed.
"In my opinion it is like..." Who are you? If you have got any opinion, then you write your own book. Why do you touch Bhagavad-gītā? Because Bhagavad-gītā is very well-known book all over the world, these rascals take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā and interpret it in their own way. That is not ācārya. Ācārya means, as Kṛṣṇa says, that "Millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā..." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam, vivasvān (BG 4.1). "I spoke to the sun-god millions and millions of years ago." Vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. Manu... If you simply calculate the age of Manu, it becomes millions and trillions of years. So before that. Because Vivasvān spoke to Manu. So Manu's age we cannot calculate. Before that.
So the process is very easy, but we do not want to follow the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, but simply falsely I am proud that "I am reading Bhagavad-gītā." There are so many Bhagavad-gītā readers even in your country, so many. I know. But the real instruction they will not follow. They will interpret in some way, this way, that way. Or some rascal commentator will also induce the reader, "Oh, here Kṛṣṇa says that you become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. It is not up to this Kṛṣṇa. There is another Kṛṣṇa." Just see.
Yes. Now, "A true yogi observes Me in all beings." How he can see? They interpret that all beings are Kṛṣṇa. So therefore there is no use of worshiping Kṛṣṇa separately. They take therefore to the humanitarian activities. They say this is better. Why Kṛṣṇa shall be worshiped. Kṛṣṇa says that one should see in every being Kṛṣṇa. So let us serve (?) but they do not know the techniques. That requires training under bona fide spiritual master. This, "A true yogi observes Me in all beings." A true yogi, devotee. Just like these devotees are going to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness outside. Why? They see Kṛṣṇa in all beings. How? Because they see that all beings are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.
Mayy āsakta. Mayy means "unto Me." Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says "unto Me, Kṛṣṇa." You cannot interpret in a different way. When I say that "Give me a glass of water," it means that I am the person who is in want of a glass of water. And if you supply me, not to others, then it is right. So when Kṛṣṇa says "unto Me," that means Kṛṣṇa. But sometimes rascal interpreters, they say something else. Why? Even grammatically this is wrong. Kṛṣṇa says "unto Me"; therefore the action should be unto Kṛṣṇa, not of any other else.
In the Fourth Chapter it is said that "My appearance, disappearance, and activities are all transcendental. Anyone who can understand this transcendental nature of My activities, appearance, disappearance, the result is," tyaktvā deham, "after leaving this body," punar janma naiti, "he does not take birth again in this material world." That is stated in the Fourth Chapter. That means immediately liberation achieved. This is a fact. This is Bhagavad-gītā study, not that to interpret in your own way. Bhagavad-gītā says like that. Therefore we present Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any nonsense interpretation. There cannot be any chance of nonsense interpretation. You have to take fact as it is; then you study. But they are not inclined to study Bhagavad-gītā as it is.
Ladies and gentlemen, I beg to thank you for giving us the opportunity to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this meeting. So this is the essence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this verse spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself. Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself, and we are preaching kṛṣṇa-kathā, the words, the message of Kṛṣṇa, as it is, without any wrong interpretation.
Our beloved student Śrīmān Hanumān Gosvāmī has already given some introduction about our movement. Lord Caitanya, five hundred years ago, ordered it. Lord Caitanya is accepted as Kṛṣṇa Himself in the form of a devotee. Kṛṣṇa, when He was personally present, He stressed that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So this age is called Manu. Manu, the father of the humankind. Manuṣya. There is Manu-saṁhitā, to give direction to the people, how to act, how to live. That is Manu-saṁhitā. So in this way, we have to learn the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa which is directly spoken by Kṛṣṇa, not interpreted by anyone. That is Kṛṣṇa philosophy. If it is interpreted, or misinterpreted by some so-called scholar... We cannot accept them scholar who misdirect people by misinterpretation of Bhagavad-gītā. That is not very good. Otherwise why people are so much misdirected? Because the so-called scholars and philosophers, they have misdirected. They have tried to kill Kṛṣṇa from Bhagavad-gītā and pusḥ forward their own rascal philosophy. So that is not good. We have to learn Bhagavad-gītā directly from Kṛṣṇa.
Because Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). By the paramparā system, all the great kings, rājarṣayaḥ, they understood Bhagavad-gītā. So we have to accept the Bhagavad-gītā by the paramparā system. Not we manufacture our own interpretation. That is not Bhagavad-gītā. That is misusing the Bhagavad-gītā.
So if you want to increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then the śraddhā is the basic principle, faith. "Yes. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Even if we don't accept Him... At least everyone accepts Kṛṣṇa, the greatest personality. So that much faith is the beginning of āsakti, attachment for Kṛṣṇa. That little faith. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt.
He personally instructed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the instruction is left behind Him, this is Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, this Bhagavad-gītā has been misused in so many ways by the so-called scholars and swamis. The impersonalist class, or atheist class of men, they have interpreted Bhagavad-gītā in their own way. When I was in America in 1966, one American lady asked me to recommend an English edition of Bhagavad-gītā so that she could read it. But honestly I could not recommend any one of them, on account of their whimsical explanation. That gave me impetus to write Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. And this present edition, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, is now published by Macmillan Company, the biggest publisher in the world.
This is called mayy āsakta-manāḥ. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan, to practice yoga... This is bhakti-yoga. Mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means "under My direction," or "under My protection." Āśraya.
So if you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, that is mad-āśrayaḥ. But if you interpret Bhagavad-gītā according to your rascal imagination, that is not Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore it is called mad-āśrayaḥ, "under My protection, as I am tea..." We are therefore presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change. Why should you change? What right you have got to change? If Bhagavad-gītā is a book of authority, and if I make my own interpretation, then where is the authority? Can you change the lawbook according to your interpretation?
That is not lawbook. You cannot change. Similarly, if you accept Bhagavad-gītā as the book of authority, you cannot change the meaning. That is not allowed. What right? If you have got some opinion, if you have got some philosophy, you can write in your own book. Why you are, I mean to say, killing others and yourself by interpreting Bhagavad-gītā? You give your own thesis in a different way. But these people, they take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā and interpret in a different way according to their own whims. Therefore people do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difficulty. And the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā is to understand Kṛṣṇa. And all the so-called scholars' and politicians' commentary is to banish Kṛṣṇa or to kill Kṛṣṇa—the Kaṁsa's policy. The Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how to kill Him.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says you have to develop your love and attraction for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. "This yoga practice can be performed," mad-āśrayaḥ, "under My protection or My devotee's protection." You cannot take protection of another rascal who interprets Bhagavad-gītā in a different way. You have to take shelter directly. Of course, Bhagavad-gītā instruction is there. Everyone can take shelter of Kṛṣṇa directly. Where is the difficulty? Just like here is is said, mayy āsakta. You have to develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. You can do that. How these Americans and European boys, they have developed their attraction for Kṛṣṇa?
That requires knowledge. So Kṛṣṇa said that "I spoke to the sun-god, Vivasvān." So we cannot enter into the sun planet. That is not possible. It is so fiery. Temperature is so high. But Kṛṣṇa can go. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa went and spoke to the sun-god? It is stated. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not interpret the meaning that "Kṛṣṇa, not this Kṛṣṇa, that...," and all, so many nonsense things. No. Simple meaning is that if Kṛṣṇa instructed the sun-god, Vivasvān, then He went there as He comes here. That is natural conclusion. And because He entered the sun planet and He did not burn down into ashes, therefore His body is different. Because if we go, if we enter such high temperature, immediately we are finished. What to say about speaking.
That is natural conclusion. And because He entered the sun planet and He did not burn down into ashes, therefore His body is different. Because if we go, if we enter such high temperature, immediately we are finished. What to say about speaking.
So Kṛṣṇa spoke. These are natural, as it is, conclusion. You cannot interpret. So therefore conclusion is: Kṛṣṇa's body is different from us. One who does not know, rascal, he thinks that Kṛṣṇa is like ourself. Kṛṣṇa, how He can be like ourself? If He entered the sun planet and spoke to the president of the sun planet, then His body is different. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: (BG 9.11) "Because I look just like a human being, the rascal think of Me, I am an ordinary man." Therefore the conclusion is: one who thinks of Kṛṣṇa as one of us, he is a fool, he is a rascal. Kṛṣṇa's body is explained in the śāstra, Vedic. What is that body? Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ.
So either take the shelter of the person or directly the Supreme Person, the same thing. Better to take the shelter of a person who is under the protection of Kṛṣṇa.
So our request is that Bhagavad-gītā is very popular book. Don't try to interpret Bhagavad-gītā whimsically just to show yourself a big scholar, big politician. No, don't do that. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then you will be benefited. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā, this book. It is about eleven hundred pages. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any interpretation. And the result is that thousands of the foreign country youths, they are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. The proof is there.
So Kṛṣṇa therefore left His instruction behind Him that "These mūḍhas, rascals, after studying Bhagavad-gītā they may understand Me. I am keeping behind Me."
So we should take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā. And even though we take advantage, we interpret in a different way. The same business is going on, how to kill Kṛṣṇa. Instead of understanding Kṛṣṇa, the endeavor is going on to kill Kṛṣṇa. Asura. Just like Kaṁsa. He was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. His sister was pregnant, and it is foretold that "The eighth child of your sister will kill you." So he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa, that "The eighth child...," but with a purpose to kill Him. That is the business of the asuras, how to wipe out Kṛṣṇa, Kaṁsa philosophy. So we haven't got to follow Kaṁsa philosophy.
Kṛṣṇa said this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā first to the sun-god, and he spoke to his son Manu, he spoke to his son Ikṣvāku. In this way, disciplic succession, this Bhagavad-gītā has come down to this earthly planet, and if we accept that disciplic succession, do not unnecessarily interpret, then we understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. That is the process. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to understand the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, as He is, without any interpretation. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga. That can be achieved, as Kṛṣṇa says, always keeping center Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa cannot be exposed to the nondevotees. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya. Not anyone, ordinary common man, can understand. Therefore, we have to understand Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, from Kṛṣṇa, not from anyone who is simply speculating or wrongly interpreting Bhagavad-gītā. They cannot understand. That is the way.
Even though Kṛṣṇa, from Kṛṣṇa all His power is taken away, still He is pūrṇam, He is still all-powerful. So, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. So we haveto understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, not superficially. In scientifically, vijñānam, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam. Not foolishly, that "I can interpret Kṛṣṇa." Some rascal says that Kṛṣṇa means black. Some rascal says Kṛṣṇa means this, Kṛṣṇa means a debauch, as according to one's character and angle of vision. But real meaning of Kṛṣṇa is paraṁ brahma. Kṛṣi go va... Kṛṣi bhu-vacaka-sabda nasta nirvṛtti-vacaka (?) iti kṛṣṇa paraṁ brahma iti abhidhīyate. Kṛṣṇa means paraṁ brahma. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. So we have to take the understandi
Then another place Kṛṣṇa says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. So our aim should be to understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ in truth, not superficially, not by foolish commentary. If we simply try to follow what Kṛṣṇa has said, what is the difficulty? There is no difficulty, but foolishly we interpret in a different way, and māyā takes away our knowledge, māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. He is thinking that he is very learned scholar, but he is fool number..., rascal number one. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says māyayāpahṛta-jñānā. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ. Kṛṣṇa is speaking so many ways about Himself.
Without understanding Kṛṣṇa in His own way, we are trying to understand Kṛṣṇa in different way. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says māyayāpahṛta-jñānā, āsuri bhāvam. The atheistic class of men, they interpret in a different way, because theirknowledge has been taken by māyā. And why it is so? Because they are sinful. duṣkṛtinaḥ, mūḍhāḥ, narādhamāḥ. These things are there. You will find in Bhagavad-gītā. It is not our manufactured word. Therefore, our proposal is, try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is! Do not misinterpret, do not be misled by the misinterpreters. Then your life will be successful. You will understand what is Kṛṣṇa, and you will become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya.
And He's so kind also that before His departure from this material world, He leaves behind Him this Bhagavad-gītā so that you can know from His personal talks what is God. So if you read Bhagavad-gītā rightly, as it is spoken by Kṛṣṇa, not foolishly interpreting nonsensically, but as it is, as it is... Call the spade a spade. Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Don't interpret this version with your foolish interpretation, but accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And by His acts, by His sastric knowledge, wisdom... Everyone accepted previously, all the ācāryas.
They don't accept... God personally explaining, they would not accept. They would simply speculate. This is their disease. When God is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā... Rather, they will mislead the readings of the Bhagavad-gītā in different interpretation, but they will not accept what is being taught by God Himself. This is their misfortune. "Why shall I accept Kṛṣṇa as God?" Although He has proved Himself when He was present by the qualification which God needs...
To become God is not easy thing. There are some qualification, yesterday we discussed, that He must be the richest, He must be the most powerful, He must be the most famous, He must be the most learned, He must be the most beautiful, and He must be the most renounced. This is the definition of God.
As soon as we think of Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being we become more rascal. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: (BG 9.11) "Because I am speaking this Bhagavad-gītā, the ultimate knowledge, these rascals sometimes think of Me as I am ordinary human being." And therefore they interpret in their own way, "What Kṛṣṇa has said, the meaning is like this," as if Kṛṣṇa left the whole book to be interpreted by another rascal. No. You cannot interpret. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any interpretation. So if we take Bhagavad-gītā as it is—and everything is there clear—don't interpret like fools and rascals, then you'll get real knowledge. Jñānam. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2).
So this Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of the Atlantic Ocean of Vedic literature, and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that we are presenting the, that taste of Bhagavad-gītā to the world as it is, without any interpretation. Just like milk, if you get it directly from the milkbag of the cow and taste it, you'll find very nice. But if you take it and adulterate with something, water, then it is not so tasteful. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā, if you understand as it is, then you can have the taste of the milk, but as there are many rascal commentators... I say straightly that those who comment on Bhagavad-gītā according to their own whims, they're all rascals.
You can understand. So, many people in America, since I came here they asked me to recommend an edition of Bhagavad-gītā in English. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā in your country. Some of them are compiled by your countrymen, some of them compiled by Indians, but all of them—different interpretation. Different interpretation. But we should accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then we can relish.
So we shall very shortly present our Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It has been taken by Messrs. MacMillan and Company to publish it. Most probably in the month of October it will be published. So I shall request you to read Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any interpretation. Just like I'll give you some examples. The first verse of Bhagavad-gītā is stated as follows:
So Kurukṣetra is a place of pilgrimage; that is a fact. But unfortunately even a great man like Mahatma Gandhi, he comments that "Kurukṣetra means this body. Kurukṣetra means this body." Now, wherefrom he got this meaning, "Kurukṣetra means this body," which is that dictionary, I do not know. But he has interpreted in that way. Similarly, in Dr. Radhakrishnan's book also the translation is... Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "My dear Arjuna, you just always think of Me, you just become My devotee, you just offer your all obeisances unto Me, and the result will be that you'll come to Me, without any doubt."
That is also stated in the Bhagavad... Mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate: "Anyone who comes to My place, My abode, he never goes back." So in this way, if we accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is. But this special verse, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, is interpreted by Dr. Radhakrishnan, "It is not up to Kṛṣṇa that we have to surrender." Now see. Kṛṣṇa says, "directly unto Me," but he says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." In this way, in different books you'll find different kind of interpretations. Why? The Bhagavad-gītā is very popular book, and if one has got some nonsense idea, he wants to put forward that nonsense idea through Bhagavad-gītā. This is going on. But if you want to taste Bhagavad-gītā, then you'll relish and you'll get the benefit. By reading of Bhagavad-gītā, or the essence knowledge, quintessence of all Vedic literature, if you want to taste, just read Bhagavad-gītā as it is and you will be benefited.
There are so many varieties, they are considered lowest, low-grade. They cannot realize what is the aim of life. Kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ. Kirāta, the black race. Sometimes it is interpreted: the Africans or the south part of our country. Kirāta. Huns. These Huns are supposed to be inhabitants of the northern region of Russia. Some of them migrated into Germany. Kirāta, hūṇa, āndhra, pulinda, pulkaśa. There are so many different names. Of course, if we research from history, from the world history, we can find out where there are. But there are varieties of human beings. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). All human beings are not of the same standard. There are different standards.
Arjuna was taught Bhagavad-gītā, how much time? At most, within half an hour. Because he was very intelligent. This Bhagavad-gītā, the people of the world are reading. Very, very learned scholar, wise men, they are reading. They are trying to understand, giving different interpretation. And there are thousands of edition, commentaries. But Arjuna was intelligent; he understood it within half an hour.
So it requires relative intelligence. Everything... This world is relative. Law of relativity. That is scientific. Professor Einstein's theory? Law of relativity? So it is relatively. One can become immediately Kṛṣṇa conscious within a second, and one cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious after many, many births.
One philosopher is putting some theory, another philosophy is putting another doctrine or theory. So we are puzzled, which of them has to be accepted. Śrutayo vibhinnā nāsāv ṛṣir ya... Because in the mundane philosophers, mundane scholars, they want to give his own interpretation of everything. That is their habit. They don't accept the interpretation of the higher authority. They want..., each and every one of them want to become the higher authorities. So our this principle, this devotional principle, is not like that. We don't pose ourselves as the higher authority. We just try to follow the higher authority. We don't pose ourself. We never... We'll never say that "In my opinion, it should be like this." Oh, what opinion I have got? What value I have got of my opinion? What is my value? I am a blunt man. I cannot acquire any knowledge perfectly. And what is the use of my opinion?
So jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Anuśīlanam, culture of Kṛṣṇa favorably, that Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa is pleased, we should do like that. We should know how Kṛṣṇa is pleased. How you can know? The Bhagavad-gītā is there, and take the right interpretation from a right person. Then you'll know what Kṛṣṇa wants and do accordingly. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā. Then you are elevated to the first-class devotional service. You see? First-class devotional service. Everything should be anukūla. Anukūla means favorable.
Ryaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti... These things are there. So you should (read) Bhagavad-gītā very carefully with attention, as it is, without malinterpretation, with rascal interpretation. Try to understand, make your life successful. This is our propaganda, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a manufactured movement. It is simply based on this Bhagavad-gītā—Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavad-gītā means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, everything Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are simply placing Bhagavad-gītā as it is. And if we are fortunate enough to understand Bhagavad-gītā, our life is successful. The Bhagavad-gītā is there, the teaching is there, the example is there. Why should we not accept and make our life successful? That is the first law.
That will continue. But the quality of eating may be different. Not the quality, but the form may be different.
So in this way things are going on. They are described in this Bhagavad-gītā very widely and expressively. So every human being is expected to receive this knowledge directly from Kṛṣṇa. Don't interpret wrong way according to your whims. Take it as it is and be benefited. If you don't take it, aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ (BG 9.3). Those who have no interest to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, the result is mām aprāpya. Aprāpya mām. He never approaches God. He remains in this material world of repetition of birth and death. That is not a very good job.
That is not our business. Therefore we present this Bhagavad-gītā as it is. As it is. We don't change it. Why we shall change? We are not greater authority than Kṛṣṇa. Whatever Kṛṣṇa has said, that is perfect. Why shall I change it? There are many rascals. They change the meaning, the interpretation, but that is misleading. You cannot change. Everything is very clear. Just like you do not require a lamp to show the sun. The sunshine itself is quite bright to see sun. If body says, "I have brought lamp. You can see," this is nonsense. So Bhagavad-gītā is so perfectly illuminated that anyone can understand without any very advanced knowledge, simple knowledge.
Just like this transmigration of the soul. How simply it is, people cannot understand it, but Kṛṣṇa is explaining this transmigration of the soul so nicely.
Two plus two equal to four always. You cannot make it five or three. That is not science. Similarly, if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then as Kṛṣṇa says, you have to understand.
Therefore, we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, without any interpretation. Kṛṣṇa says: "I am the Supreme Person," we say: "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person." Kṛṣṇa says that He's the background of this cosmic manifestation. We present: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all material cosmic manifestation." This is our program. So our only request is those who are intelligent persons, let them understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not meant for the foolish person. Because foolish person cannot understand. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19).
So, without becoming a pure and unalloyed devotee of Mine, it is very difficult to understand." Actually it is so.
In, in the market you'll have so many commentaries of the Bhagavad-gītā. In India we have counted, there are about six hundred and forty-five different commentaries of Bhagavad-gītā. One Dr. Rele(?) of Bombay, he has interpreted Bhagavad-gītā as the talks between the patient and the medical practitioner. Yes. He has imposed on Kṛṣṇa as the physician and Arjuna as the patient. And in his commentary he has tried to, I mean to say, interpose all the meanings of anatomy, physiology, everything in his own imagination.
Similarly, at the present moment, there are so many commentaries and people have taken that anybody can interpret in his own way. This is the modern view. Everyone is perfect and he can interpret any scripture in his own way. But so far we are concerned, we are not agreeable to that point. We agree to read Bhagavad-gītā in terms of the instruction as it is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says that this knowledge has to be taken by the paramparā system or the disciplic succession. It is not that anyone can interpret. This viewpoint no bona fide student of Bhagavad-gītā will accept.
So this Bhagavad-gītā is being taught by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to Arjuna. He says again the same thing.
Not that God, or God's representative says: "Thou shalt not kill." And I go on killing in the slaughterhouse. And when asked why I am killing, I give my, some interpretation of my own. This rascaldom is going on. Nobody's religious. Because nobody's following the orders of God. Neither... Anybody... Māṁ ca vetti na kaścana. Kṛṣṇa says that: "I know past, present, future, everything." That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ (SB 1.1.1). Abhijñaḥ means one who knows. And Kṛṣṇa confirms it: "Yes, I know, past, present, future, everything." That is Kṛṣṇa. That is God. Therefore His order is supreme. So we have to follow His order. That is real religion. Puruṣa. Puruṣa is giving order.
That is required.
So in this way you will find solution all problems—social, political, economical, philosophical, religious, everything. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose, that you study Bhagavad-gītā as it is, don't try to, foolishly try to interpret in this way and that way and spoil your time. Then you get right direction for solution of all problems and your life will be successful. That is our request. Thank you very much.
So about Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is personally speaking this Bhagavad-gītā about Himself. So why not take this opportunity? Why you are losing the opportunity given in this human form of life to hear about Kṛṣṇa? Everyone can do that. But don't misinterpret according to your own, I mean to say, fertile brain. No. Just hear Kṛṣṇa, what Kṛṣṇa says, as it is. Kṛṣṇa... Don't try to interpret, mal-interpretation. That will not make you profit? Try to hear Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa says that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). There is nothing superior than Kṛṣṇa.
They have become so fool, so degraded. Simple thing they cannot understand. This is the position. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness is trying its best to make people to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any nonsensical interpretation. This is our mission. But people will not take that.
If we give some bluff, that "Kṛṣṇa means... You are also Kṛṣṇa. I am also Kṛṣṇa. Why Kṛṣṇa alone shall be God? You are also God, I am also...," these things will be very much appreciated. Because he bluffs. But that bluffing may be very pleasing to the demons, but those who are actually student of Bhagavad-gītā, they'll not accept this bluff.
The sampradāya must have understanding of the Brahma-sūtra, Vedānta-sūtra. So all the sampradāyas, they have got their commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra and... Even Śaṅkarācārya. But his commentary is not accepted by the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas because he has tried to derive some meaning, interpretation. But there is no question of interpretation. When the things are clear, in the Brahma-sūtra, all the sūtras are very clear. So you don't require any interpretation. You can expand, explain very elaborately. That is another thing. But you cannot go beyond the sutra.
This is the civilization, going on.
So although we have got this Bhagavad-gītā, at least in India the education should have been on the line of Bhagavad-gītā for the benefit of the people of India. Unfortunately nobody is taking care. Even though there are some propaganda of understanding Bhagavad-gītā, they are interpreting in their own way to fulfill their own ambition. This is going on. So here Kṛṣṇa says, amānitvam, amānitvam. What is that amānitvam? Read the purport.
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that try to understand Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa is speaking in the Bhagavad-gītā. Don't mal-interpret. Don't be foolish, that "Kṛṣṇa means this, Kurukṣetra means that," manufacture some words and you be also foolish and make others foolish. No. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then you'll understand everything.
Now here Kṛṣṇa says, bahir antaś ca bhūtānām. The Absolute Truth is there, bahir antaś ca, not that it is in a different position or different angle of vision. You are already in the Absolute Truth, even materially conception. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). These are the material elements, five gross elements and three subtle elements. So even taken materially, so what is this material? We have already explained.
They are advancing very quickly to understand. This Bhagavad-gītā, they are now reading as it is. Latest report is, in London we are selling fifteen thousand copies per month. So they are taking interest, because it is presented as it is, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, no rascal interpretation, "This meaning is this, this meaning that." What authority you have got to make like that? Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Then you'll be benefited.
There is no dictionary which means Kurukṣetra this body. So Kurukṣetra is a place. Dharmakṣetra, it is a place of religion or as our Vedic instruction, kurukṣetre dharmān yajayet. You go to Kurukṣetra and perform ritualistic ceremonies, that is recommended. So there is no question of interpreting Kurukṣetra Dharmakṣetra when you can understand it very easily and directly.
There is no use of interpretation. Interpretation is required when you cannot understand one statement. In the law court if one statement is ambiguous then two parties argue on it. "I think it is this," "I think..." But when it is clear there is no question of interpretation.
Unfortunately the Bhagavad-gītā is being interpreted by unauthorized persons unnecessarily, and people are kept into darkness. We are trying to protest against this process.
We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and people are taking advantage of it in the Western countries. They are taking good interest, they are reading Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in very large scale, increasing our book sales every year, millions and millions dollars. we are already selling, I have already stated. unexpected, sixty hundred thousand, sixty thousand dollars per day. People are taking so much interest in this literature.
Simply like cats and dogs, they are engaged in sense gratification, eating, sleeping, mating. And this Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD, preliminary knowledge of spiritual understanding. People are unaware of... And misleaders, they give misinformation, mal-interpretation.
And there are so many people. They are very much proud. He has read Bhagavad-gītā hundred times, but he does not know anything. He does not know anything. Because... The difficulty is that the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, they do not follow.
So even they do not know, they can hear. Just we are opening centers all over the world—why? Just to give them the chance to hear. To hear. If people only come to these centers, these centers of spiritual knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, hear the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any so-called scholastic interpretation, all rascal, as it is, then they also can derive the benefit, so much so that they can also stop their repetition of birth, death, and old age. It is so nice thing.
No... And whatever it may be, why you are interpreting? You stop. In the upper planetary system, beginning from the sun, there are Sūryaloka, Candraloka, Maṅgala, Bhūr, Bṛhaspati, up to Saturn, there are different lokas. So the upper planetary system, beginning from Sūrya, they are called devaloka. They are all devotees of the Lord; therefore they are called devatā. They are not pure devotees, but they are not disobedient to the orders of the Supreme Lord. Śuddha-bhakta means they do not come to the material world. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), the śuddha-bhaktas, nitya, nitya-siddha, they do not come to this material world.
As many living creatures come out from the perspiration and from a dead body without any cause, similarly, the whole living world has come out from the material combinations of the cosmic manifestation. Therefore material nature is the cause of this manifestation, and there is no other cause. They do not believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) 'Under My direction the whole material world is moving.' In other words, amongst the demons there is no perfect knowledge of the creation of this world; every one of them has a particular theory of his own. According to them, one interpretation of the scriptures is as good as another, for they do not believe in a standard understanding of the scriptural injunctions."
Where is the difficulty? Any other question? This Bhagavad-gītā, if you study minutely—this is the science of God—you will see God, you will see Kṛṣṇa, and you will understand everything. Therefore we are present...
But if you misinterpret, if you pollute it by your own interpretation, then you will not see. These rascals, they are simply polluting. Because they are not coming in paramparā system, everyone is trying to become a very learned scholar, very learned leader, but they are rascals. Actually they are rascals because they cannot see. Recently, what was the Gandhi's statement? That "I do not believe that there was Kṛṣṇa ever lived." That's it, "ever lived.
"Your personality, nobody can understand." There is person before him, and he is such a big man. He says that "It is imagination." This is going on. If... Science should be as other such study. Two plus two, mathematic calculation, that is four. You cannot say it is five or three by interpretation or by imagination. Two plus two is equal to four. You accept or not accept; that is a different thing. So it is a science. You have to accept according to the direction given. Then you will have this real thing. So any other question? Study by questioning. Paripraśnena, tad viddhi paripraśnena, paripraśnena sevayā, praṇipātena.
Why You are selecting me? I am not a Vedantist. I am not a sannyāsī. I am ordinary gṛhastha. That also, I am a soldier, fighting man. Why You are selecting me?" Bhakto 'si: "Because you are My devotee." Nobody can understand Bhagavad-gītā unless he's a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. It is not a rascaldom, that you speculate some interpretation, speculation. No, these things are not allowed, strictly. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation. This is the significance. And people are appreciating. Macmillan Company, our publisher, they printed fifty thousand copies of this book in August, and it was finished by October. Not in this country, of course. In Europe and America. We have got very good demand for our books, all these books. We are selling twenty-five to thirty thousand rupees' worth books daily all over the world.
Because you are not Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you are discriminating in this way, that the human society should be given protection, the animal society should be slaughtered. Is that very good? Is that good consciousness? Just like the Christian people say that the animals have no soul—because they want to eat meat. Christ says, "Thou shalt not kill." They interpret in a different way. So you can make your own mental concoction, but if you require to be right person, you have to take direction from the authorities. That is required. (break)... without being Kṛṣṇa conscious, anyone who wants to serve, he serves himself only. You see? These leaders, they... Of course, they give that "We are going to serve the country..." Factually, if we study scrutinizingly, he's serving himself only. (laughter) That's all. (break) Hare Kṛṣṇa.
You are understanding something else. This is the secret. Here we have got so many commentaries on Bhagavad-gītā, as one thinks. As if Kṛṣṇa left Bhagavad-gītā to be commented by some rascals to understand! Why? He said Bhagavad-gītā clearly. Why it is to be interpreted by some rascals? Did Kṛṣṇa mean that "I leave Bhagavad-gītā ambiguous and some learned scholar will come. He will explain"? What is this nonsense? Everything is clear.
Now, why it should be interpreted that "Dharma-kṣetra means this, kuru-kṣetra means this, pāṇḍavāḥ means this"? Why? It is clear. Kurukṣetra still existing. Everyone knows. And that is dharma-kṣetra. Everyone knows. It is not known now. From the Vedic age. Kuru-kṣetre dharmam ācaret. Still people go there for performing ritualistic ceremonies. So Kurukṣetra is still there and it is dharma-kṣetra from time immemorial. Why it should be interpreted that "Kurukṣetra means this, and dharma-kṣetra means this"? Why? Where is the dictionary?
Why? Where is the dictionary?
But because one has got some whims, he wants to fulfill his whims on the authority of Bhagavad-gītā, he interprets in a different way. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without nonsensically interpreting. Therefore it is being effective. Before me, many swamis went to the Western countries to preach this Bhagavad-gītā. Not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Not a single person. There is not in the history. And now Bhagavad-gītā is being presented as it is, thousands are becoming devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is the secret. People give me credit that "Swamiji, you have done wonderful. Nobody could do it." I am not a wonderful man. Neither I do know anything magic.
So this Kṛṣṇa philosophy means to understand Kṛṣṇa as He is, without any interpretation. And if we actually understand Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. What is the mission of our life? The mission of life is to get out of the cycle of birth and death and old age and disease. That means to cease accepting material body, one after another. That is going on. We are wandering throughout the whole universe in different planets and different species of life. We are spirit souls. We don't require to accept this material body. But we have accepted it, somehow or other.
That is my request. It is very clear to understand the science of God. Why you should neglect and by, mislead ourself by understanding some misleading interpretation? That is my mission. I want to establish throughout the world that kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Here is Bhagavān. Why you are searching after Bhagavān? Here is Bhagavān. I give the name and address of Bhagavān. His father's name and everything. Why you are being misled? Where is the scope for searching out where is Bhagavān? Here is Bhagavān. Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said... It does not say kṛṣṇa uvāca. Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Its name is Bhagavad-gītā, spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhagavad-gītā. Śaṅkarācārya says:
| Page Title: | Interpretation (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 20 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=133, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 133 |