So you, you take it and you distribute it. Or the system, the yoga system of Bhagavad-gītā may now be distributed through you. You become the authority of understanding Bhagavad-gītā." Now here is a direction that Bhagavad-gītā is especially instructed to Arjuna, the devotee of the Lord, the direct student of Kṛṣṇa. And not only that, he is intimately in touch with Kṛṣṇa as friend. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā is understood by a person who has similar qualities like Kṛṣṇa. That means he must be a devotee, he must be in relation, direct relationship with the Lord. As soon as one becomes a devotee of the Lord, he has a direct relationship also with the Lord. That is a subject matter very long, but briefly it can be stated that a devotee is in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in five ways. One may be a devotee in a passive state, one may be a devotee in active state, one may be a devotee as a friend, one may be a devotee as parent, and one may be a devotee as conjugal lover.
Intimate (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So beyond this temporary world there is another world for which the information is there, that paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another nature which is eternal, sanātana, which is eternal. And the jīva, jīva is also described as sanātana. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ jīva-loke sanātanaḥ (BG 15.7). Sanātana, sanātana means eternal. And the Lord is also described as sanātana in the 11th Chapter. So because we have got intimate relation with the Lord and we are all qualitatively one... The sanātana-dhama and the sanātana Supreme Personality and the sanātana living entities, they are on the same qualitatively plane. Therefore the whole target of Bhagavad-gītā is to revive our sanātana occupation or sanātana..., that is called sanātana-dharma, or eternal occupation of the living entity.
Authorities. He accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead not because Kṛṣṇa happened to be his intimate friend but on the authorities of others. And on the statement of Kṛṣṇa, and by understanding Him fully. He, he did not accept Him blindly. So this is the process of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. And although he understood fully, because in future so many rascals will come and proclaim himself that "I am also incarnation of Godhead," therefore in the Eleventh Chapter Arjuna requested Kṛṣṇa that "If you think, You can show me Your universal form," so that in future others will accept some bogus rascal as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he may test by seeing the, I mean to say, universal form of the person. So who can exhibit this universal form except Kṛṣṇa?
This mahat-tattva, this material world, just like a child, a child is born, the father gives the seed and mother develops the body. The child's body is developed... Actually all, all of us, we have got this body from mother. Therefore we have got very natural affinity with mother. The child can forget his father, but he cannot forget his mother. Mother's relationship is so intimate. Similarly, this material body we have got from the material energy; therefore we are so much materialist. We are thinking of this country, that community, this family, how materialistic, because this body is material. But so far spirit soul I am concerned, I am the son or the part and parcel of the Supreme. So material nature is the mother and God is the father. And we are exhibited in so many forms, 8,400,000's of forms. So one who has understood this truth, that God is father, he no more looks, "Ah, this is cat," "This is dog," "This is cow," "This is black," "This is white," "This is Chinese," "This is American." No. That is universal brotherhood: "Oh, they are my brothers." Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā. No more enmity. "They are all my brothers." Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. With everyone he sees on the equal level, for "They are spiritual part, part and parcel of my father." This vision makes one advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is fact. This is realization. This is universal brotherhood. Everything this is, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So when we try to connect with the Supreme, then we can understand there is God and I am also there. We have got intimate relationship. That is explained in the Vedas. Two birds are sitting on the same tree. One bird is eating the fruit and the other bird is simply witnessing. The witnessing bird is God, Kṛṣṇa, and the eating bird is the living entity. So God is witnessing all our activities, and our mental situation. So He orders māyā, the external energy, prakṛti, that "He requires to be given a body like this," and the material nature gives the living entity a particular type of body, and they are numbering 8,400,000. So there is no certainty what kind of body I am going to get next life. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is explained that if you are situated on the mode of goodness, then you will get your place in the higher planetary system.
So this is the duty. They should be very cautious. A sannyāsī, they should be very cautious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, sannyāsīra alpa-chidre bahu kari' mane. An ordinary gṛhastha, or... Gṛhastha only, If he talks with woman nobody will blame. He is gṛhastha. But if a sannyāsī talks with woman very intimately, oh, immediately people will take note of it. Sannyāsīra alpa-chidre bahu kari' mane. That is the practice. He should be very cautious. So a devotee, a sannyāsī, they have got very, very great responsibility. People will very easily criticize them. So Arjuna is considering all these points. Kathaṁ na jñeyam asmābhiḥ pāpād asmān nivartitum (BG 1.38). They may indulge in these sinful activities, how we can indulge? What people will say? Kula-kṣaya-kṛtaṁ doṣaṁ prapaśyadbhir janārdana. "He Janārdana, You are maintainer of the people. So if the people become sinful, so it is very difficult to maintain them." These things are being considered. Kula-kṣaya. So we cannot destroy family.
This is another indication how superiors should be shown respect. Arjuna says, "Although they have become avaricious, still, they are my superior." Avaricious, why? "They have got full affection for me. My grandfather Bhīṣma has got full affection for me. And Droṇācārya, I am his very dear student so he has also my very affection... good affection for me. But because Duryodhana has paid them, he has accepted their service. Paid them. So avaricious. Simply for money, in spite of so much affection and intimate relationship, they have accepted the service of Duryodhana, counting on money. So therefore they are avaricious. But in spite of their being avaricious, they are my respectful." This is respect. This is respect, that the respectful person who is my respectful, even there are some characteristics who does not command respect, still respect should be offered. This is a respectful offering. Yes. Sometimes it may be. The example is given.
So see here. Arjuna accepts Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master. Now, question may be that "Why Arjuna...? There was many learned men, not only Kṛṣṇa, but there were Vyāsadeva and other great sages and brāhmaṇas. Why...?" Kṛṣṇa was also kṣatriya. Kṛṣṇa was not a brāhmaṇa. Of course, He took His, mean... He appeared in the family of a kṣatriya. And they were cousin-brothers. Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, they were cousin-brothers. Kṛṣṇa was the son of the brother, and Arjuna was the son of the sister. Arjuna's mother and Kṛṣṇa's father, they were brother and sister. So they are in the family relation. They were intimately related, and at the same time, they were of the same age and friends. Now, the question may be: "Why Kṛṣṇa is accepted as the spiritual master?" That is the selection of the disciple, that Arjuna says,
- na hi prapaśyāmi mamāpanudyād
- yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām
- avāpya bhūmāv asapatnam ṛddhaṁ
- rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam
- (BG 2.8)
Now, he says that "I am so perplexed that my lamentation cannot be satisfied even if I get the kingdom of the universe. I am going to fight for the kingdom only of this earth, or the India." Of course, formerly, India means Bhārata. Now India is a name given by the foreigners. The real name of this planet is Bhāratavarṣa, this planet. Now, gradually, it has been cut up. It has been cut up, just like we have got immediate experience that some portion of India is now cut up, and that is named Pakistan. You know, all.
Therefore Arjuna is called Guḍākeśa. He is master of... He is also, when he likes. He is not a coward, but he is compassionate because he is devotee. Because he is devotee of Kṛṣṇa... Anyone who becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, all the good qualities manifest in his body. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). All godly qualities. So Arjuna, he is also... Otherwise how he can become intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa unless of the same position? Friendship becomes very strong when both the friends (are) on equal level: same age, same education, same prestige, same beauty. The more similarity of position, then the friendship is there, strong. So Arjuna is also on the same level of Kṛṣṇa. Just like if somebody becomes friend of the president, friend of the king or queen. So he is not ordinary man. He must be of the same position. Just like the Gosvāmīs.
That is God. He is also a living entity like us. Then where is the difference? The difference is, we learn from the Vedic line, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That singular number nitya, eternal, maintains the plural number nityas." We are within the plural number, nityānām. So conclusion is that God is the Supreme Being and we are living being. So our relation is very intimate. Qualitatively we are one because we are part and parcel. So God is eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful; therefore our position is also the same but in minute quantity. His knowledge is great. Therefore God is great. Our knowledge is limited. And because we have got limited potencies, therefore we are called living entities. And God has got unlimited potencies, therefore God is great and we are small. This is conclusion of the Bhagavad-gītā. And we are in this material world being contaminated by the material nature. We are suffering because anything material, it has got limited period of existence. Anything you take, it is asat. Asat means "which will not exist," and sat means "which will exist." The Vedic injunction is asato mā sad gama: "You are sat. You revive your eternal life. Don't be entangled in this asat."
Yes. By chanting the holy name of God, you associate with God. God is absolute. He's not different from His name. So when you chant God's name means you immediately become in touch with God. And by chanting more and more, your association becomes more and more intimate. Then everything is disclosed to you. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
- bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
- dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
- yena mām upayānti te
- (BG 10.10)
If you keep in touch with God with faith and love, then God is within yourself, He'll give you intelligence how you can go back to home, back to Godhead. There are many different processes or yoga system to be in touch with God, but for the people in this age, this is the easiest method, to be in touch with God simply by chanting His holy name.
Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā the last word is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), because you rascal, fools, you have created so many religious system simply on the differences of body. That is not religion. Real religion is that "I am the Supreme Soul, Parambrahma, Kṛṣṇa. And you are My part and parcel. So we have intimate relation, like father and son. So it is the son's duty to obey the father. That is perfection of life." That's all. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). You have created so many religious system on the bodily concept of life, bodily concept of life so strong that even big, big learned so-called religionists, they say that the animal has no soul. The bodily concept of... Because a human body is very much advanced, has got the power to kill animals, therefore they are speaking this nonsense that the animal has no soul. Why the animal has no soul? What is the symptom of possessing soul? I am spirit soul; I am within this body. Everyone can understand.
So anyway, Kṛṣṇa appears in four colors—red, black, yellow, and white—in different ages. So in this age, Kali Yuga, Kṛṣṇa appears as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, yellow color. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣā akṛṣṇam. Akṛṣṇa may be red. Akṛṣṇa may be white. But this akṛṣṇa means pīta, yellow. Because other akṛṣṇa, red and white, was in the Satya-yuga and Tretā-yuga. Therefore here akṛṣṇa means the yellow. Kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). He's always surrounded by His intimate devotees. He's surrounded by many devotees. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, wherever He was going, thousands and thousands of people were following His saṅkīrtana, but especially He, He was always surrounded by five special devotees: śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda, śrī-advaita gadādhara, śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. He's Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya; His expansion, Nityānanda; His incarnation, Śrī Advaita Prabhu; His internal energy, Gadādhara; and His external, marginal energy, Advaita Prabhu, er, Śrīvāsa. But He has got another energy, which is called external energy. External energy cannot come in front of God, Kṛṣṇa. This is māyā. Just like darkness cannot come in front of the sun.
This is advised. Arjuna is famous as a great fighter. Not only that, he is personal friend of Kṛṣṇa, so much so that Kṛṣṇa has agreed to become his chariot driver. Just try to understand what is his position. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, who is worshiped by Lord Brahmā, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **, He has agreed to drive the chariot of Arjuna on account of friendship. Now, we have to imagine how much famous he is. "Everyone will say, 'Oh, Kṛṣṇa is his so intimate friend that He has agreed to drive his chariot!' This is your reputation all over the world." So sambhāvitasya cākīrtiḥ. "And if you don't fight now, what people will say? Better you die." Kṛṣṇa is advising that "Instead of becoming a very good man, nonviolent, you lay down your life. That is My advice. You die. I shall see that you have died. I will be very much pleased." This is Kṛṣṇa's advice. How much He has become, I mean to say, dissatisfied with the decision of Arjuna, "Kṛṣṇa, I am not going to fight this battle." So Kṛṣṇa's last advice is that if you don't fight, better you die before him. I shall be very much pleased." Then?
Now, our affection between ourself is due to this body. Now, I am Indian. I am Indian. Suppose I find some gentleman in the street of New York, an Indian, oh, I am very much anxious to ask him, "Oh, are you Indian? Which province you are coming? I want to..." The affection is there. What is that affection? Due to this body. That's all. Because I am thinking that "My body is Indian, and here, there is another body whose body is also Indian. Oh, let me have some talks with him." This is affection. Similarly, all our affection. There are thousands and millions of women loitering in the street, but there is one woman, oh, with whom I am very much intimately connected because I have got bodily relation. Leaving aside all the women, I call one particular one, "Oh, he's my, she's my wife." Or the wife says, "She's my husband." Why? This bodily relation. So this bodily... One who does not identify with this body, therefore his bodily affection also diminishes. His bodily affection also diminishes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Chapter Three: Karma-yoga. One: "Arjuna said: 'O Janārdana, O Keśava, why do You urge me to engage in this ghastly warfare if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work (BG 3.1)?' "
Purport: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa has very elaborately described the constitution of the soul in the previous chapter with a view to delivering His intimate friend Arjuna from the ocean of material grief. And the path of realization has been recommended: buddhi-yoga, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sometimes this Kṛṣṇa consciousness is misunderstood to be inertia, and one with such a misunderstanding often withdraws to a secluded place to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious..."
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is very important point. Sometimes it is thought that spiritual life means to retire from active life. That is general impression. People think that for cultivation of spiritual knowledge or self-realization they should go to some Himalayan caves or some secluded place. That is also recommended. But that sort of recommendation is meant for persons who are unable to engage themselves in activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna how one can remain in his position. Never mind whatever he is, still he can become perfectly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the whole substance of the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Yes. Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was talking. Kṛṣṇa never said Arjuna, "Oh, my dear Arjuna, you are My friend, intimate friend and devotee. All right. You haven't got to fight with your... Everything will be done by Me. You go to Himalaya and meditate." No. He never said that. Kṛṣṇa could do, Kṛṣṇa could fight for Arjuna. He was all-powerful. Without fighting, He could give him everything, but still, He wanted to engage him—that one should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness along with his prescribed duty, that is required. Yes. (reading from text:) "Perform your prescribed duty which is better than not working."
If you cannot work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you better perform your prescribed duty according to varṇāśrama. Just like if you are a brāhmaṇa, then you have to act such way. If you are a kṣatriya you have to work in that way. But don't stop working. Kṛṣṇa says that, "A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work." He does not say that "You become Kṛṣṇa conscious beggar and maintain your body in that way." No. That is not required. That service for Kṛṣṇa should not be taken, should not be accepted as profession for livelihood. It should be simply for the service of the Lord. For the service of the Lord you can collect millions of dollars, but for your livelihood you cannot take one dollar from any person. Then you'll be indebted. You have to repay him. You cannot cheat others. It is very strictly enjoined. Simply for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction you can take, you can beg from others.
You become like Arjuna, you will see. First of all you become like Arjuna, friend of Kṛṣṇa. Then you will see. Do you think you are as good as Arjuna? Kṛṣṇa says, Arjuna addressing, that I am instructing to you my dear Arjuna, because you are my dear friend. And you are very great devotee. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me rahasyam etad uttamam (BG 4.3). I am speaking to you this Bhagavad-gītā because you are qualified. What is that qualification? Because you are My devotee and very intimate friend. So you become also intimate friend and devotee, you will understand everything. That is our request. If Arjuna becomes a friend and devotee you can also become. Why you are losing this opportunity? That is our propaganda. You also become a friend, a devotee, and be happy and see Kṛṣṇa as He is simply symbolic representation. He says everyone. Let us take this opportunity and become like Arjuna. That is perfection of life.
Just like here also, if you have got a very intimate friend, he wants how you can be happy. So dṛḍham iti, iṣṭo 'si me dṛḍham iti tato vakṣyāmi: "I am not speaking to the rascals. I am speaking to you, because you are My most confidential friend." What is that?
- man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
- mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
- mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te
- pratijāne priyo 'si me
- (BG 18.65)
"You are My dear friend." This is... Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "Whatever I've spoken, they are all nonsense. There is sense, but the truth which I am speaking to you just now, 'You just become My devotee, just think of Me, just offer your obeisances unto Me, just work for Me,' this is the most confidential." But those who are not able to understand, they are not to be spoken. They are to be instructed that "You become a yogi, you practice your breathing, you sit like this, you sit like that." Because he's unable to understand. Therefore He says, idaṁ te na atapaskāya. One who has not undergone severe austerities, don't speak this final knowledge. He'll not understand. He'll misunderstand. Just like scholars, like Radhakrishnan, misunderstands because he has no tapasya. It requires tapasya to understand this philosophy. Therefore Bhāgavata says tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). "My dear boys, just accept austerity voluntarily.
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. Rājarṣis. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was rājarṣi. Because in the previous verse He said, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).
So why He selected Arjuna? He was a military man. He was not a Vedantist. A military man is not supposed to become a Vedantist, a very great sannyāsī. No. Because the so-called Vedantists, they cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible. It is a mystery. Kṛṣṇa, in other place, He says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25), "I cannot be exposed to anyone." Yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ. Therefore, those who are fools, rascals, they consider Kṛṣṇa as fictitious, Kṛṣṇa as a human being, Kṛṣṇa as a historical person. Or "There was no Kṛṣṇa. It is an imaginary writing." Because these rascals, they cannot understand. Unless one is a bona fide devotee and intimately related with Kṛṣṇa, one cannot understand. That is the purport of this verse. One must become a devotee first of all. Because... You'll find in the Eighteenth Chapter: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Tattvataḥ, in reality, what Kṛṣṇa is, that can be understood through devotion and service. This is what we are preaching all over the world, devotional service, the...
- śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
- smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
- arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
- sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
- (SB 7.5.23)
- iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau
- bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā
- kriyeta bhagavaty addhā
- tan manye 'dhītam uttamam
This is the statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja. These are the b hakti process. If one wants to become bhakta, then he must begin with śravaṇam. Just like you have kindly come here to hear about Kṛṣṇa. This is the beginning of bhakti. Unless you hear about the Supreme Person... This is Vedic process. Śruti. Śruti. Veda is known as śruti.
This is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. They are on the same level, on the same chariot, they are friends. Not only on that particular moment of fighting, battlefield, but they are friends from the beginning. Just like friend and friend, they stick together, they eat together, they lie together, they talk together, they quarrel together. This are friendly. So Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna was in friendly terms and almost of equal age, very intimate friends, as it has been explained in the previous verse, bhakto 'si sakhā ceti. "You are My friend and devotee." So in spite of their living together, there is difference. Now here the difference is disclosed. Tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi. Although he is living together, the difference is clear because constitutional position.
Religion is imperfect conception of the word dharma. In the dictionary we find religion means a particular type of faith. But dharma does not mean that. Dharma means natural occupation. That is called dharma. I have several times explained this word dharma in this class. Just like heat of the fire. Without heat, a fire has no meaning. Wherever there is fire, there is heat and light. Therefore heat and light is the dharma or religion of fire. That means fire cannot change its dharma. As this dharma, as we generally understand by the word faith, that we can change. Today I am Hindu. I can become tomorrow a Christian. You are Christian today. You can become, I mean to say, Hindu or Muslim tomorrow. So this faith can be changed, but this dharma, as I explain, that natural sequence, natural occupation or natural intimately connection...
Just like the fire, heat and light. This cannot be changed. Either the fire is in America or the fire is in India or a fire is in Russia, the heat and light is there. That is actually the dharma.
Just like if I want to see President Johnson, if I am unknown to him, oh, I will have to take so many formalities. I will have to write to his secretary, and the secretary will give me some time or may not give me some time, so many things. But if you are personally known to President Johnson, you are intimately thick and thin with him, and as soon as you call him, "Mr. Johnson, I want to see you," "Yes, you can come." So it depends on the thick and thin-ship of your relation with Supreme Lord. If you can establish your relationship with the Supreme Lord in love... The Lord does not require our cooperation. He is full in Himself. He does not require my service, but still, if you love Him, then He reciprocates. So our reciprocation with the Lord depends on the proportion of our love, love of Godhead. This love of Godhead can be attained by Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So we have to get ourself from the temporary to the reality. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says that prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. Now in this material world, because this material world is manifestation of the energy of the Supreme Lord, therefore it has got a very intimate connection with the Supreme Lord. It has got connection. Because...
Just like the sunshine. The sunshine, although the sun is far away, but if the sunshine has got direct connection with sun... The sunshine is connecting me from this earth to the sun, ninety millions of miles away. Still, I have got connection with that. So similarly, this material world is the manifestation of the energy, energy of the Supreme Lord. Therefore it has got intimate relation with the Supreme Lord. That we have to understand. We should not take it, accept it as false and reject it. No. We cannot reject it because there is connection with Kṛṣṇa. Now we have to utilize it properly. Because it has got connection with Kṛṣṇa, and because it is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the whole thing is that this should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. It should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa. If this material world is utilized for Kṛṣṇa, then there is no trouble, there is no disturbance of peace. There is always peace and tranquility and happiness in this world, and at the same time happiness in the next world.
Viṣṇujana: "It is the stage after self-realization in which the devotee becomes one with Kṛṣṇa in the sense that Kṛṣṇa becomes everything for the devotee, and the devotee becomes full in loving Kṛṣṇa. An intimate relationship between the Lord and the devotee then exists. In that stage there is no chance that the living entity will be annihilated nor is the Personality of Godhead ever out of sight of the devotee."
Prabhupāda: How He can become out of sight? He sees everything in Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa in everything. Everything in Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa in everything. Then how can he lose sight of Kṛṣṇa? Yes.
Viṣṇujana: "To merge in Kṛṣṇa is spiritual annihilation. The devotee takes no such risk. It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: 'I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Śyāmasundara situated within the heart of the devotee.' "
Prabhupāda: Śyāmasundara, this is Śyāmasundara, that Kartamasana.
Viṣṇujana: "And above all, he was the most intimate friend of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Five thousand years ago Arjuna had much better facilities than we do. Yet he refused this system of yoga."
Prabhupāda: This system of yoga, this aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Yes.
Viṣṇujana: "In fact, we do not find any record in history of his practicing it at any time. Therefore this system must be considered impossible, especially in this age of Kali. Of course it may be possible for some very few, rare men, but for the people in general it is an impossible proposal. If this was so five thousand years ago, then what to speak of the present day? Those who are imitating this yoga system in different so-called schools and societies, although complacent, are certainly wasting their time. They are completely in ignorance of the desired goal."
Devotee: "And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all."
Prabhupāda: Now, here it is clearly stated that of all yogis, there are different kinds of yogis. Aṣṭāṅga-yogī, haṭha-yogī, jñāna-yogī, karma-yogī, bhakti-yogī. So bhakti-yoga is the highest platform of yoga principles. So Kṛṣṇa says here, "And of all yogis." There are different kinds of yogis. "Of all yogis he who always abides in Me," in Kṛṣṇa. Me means Kṛṣṇa says "in Me." That means one who is keeping always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, "abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service is most intimately united with Me in yoga, and is the highest of all." This is the prime instruction of this chapter, Sāṅkhya-yoga, that if you want to become perfect yogi of the highest platform, then keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and you become the first-class yogi.
There are many different kinds of yogis. Yoga means the system, and the yogi means the person who practices the system. So the object of yoga, ultimate goal of yoga, is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to practice the topmost type of yoga system. So this yoga system is being described by Kṛṣṇa Himself. Why? Because He was teaching His most intimate friend, Arjuna. (Sanskrit commentary) Vyākhyāta-lakṣaṇe svopasye mayy āsakta-mati-mātra nitaraṁ mano yasya saḥ. Now in the beginning, the Lord says that "This system of yoga can be practiced by persons who have developed attachment for Me." This attachment I have described for the last three, four days, in a different way. So this yoga system cannot be practiced by an ordinary man who has no attachment for Kṛṣṇa. This is a different system. And the topmost. (Sanskrit commentary) Tvam anyo vā tadṛṣo mad-āśrayo mad-dāsya-sakhyādy-ekatamena bhāvena.
So God is great, and I am dependent. So my sense of love has to be developed. We must accept that God is great, He is supplying our necessities, why not render some service in gratitude? Is there any harm? Suppose somebody is always supplying you everything, don't you think in your gratitude to supply, to render some service to him? If you develop that sense of gratitude, that is further development, attachment, service. Now that service has again to be further developed. How it is to be developed? Just like service to your friend. A friend does not demand service. Just like master, he demands service: "You must do it." But friend does not demand service, but dear friend: "Yes, why not?" That means voluntary service. More intimately. That is further development. That friendly service... One sort of friendship is with awe and veneration. Just like if you have a very rich friend, you cannot talk with him so frankly although he is so..., he is your intimate friend. But a friend in the same status, you can talk with him very freely. Similarly, we can develop friendship with God in two stages. The first stage is with awe and veneration. "Oh, God is so great. God is supplying us so many things, and in gratitude I must serve Him." Or, "He is my well-wisher; He's my friend."
So you can do that to Kṛṣṇa. Here in the material world, if you surrender to a person, however very big he may be, he may refuse. He may say, "Well, I am unable to give you protection." That is the natural reply. If you are in danger and if you go even to your intimate friend, "Please give me protection," he will hesitate, because his power is very limited. He'll first of all think that "If I give protection to this person, whether my interest will not be jeopardized?" He'll think like that, because his potency is limited. But Kṛṣṇa is so nice that He's so powerful, He's so opulent... He declares in the Bhagavad-gītā, everyone, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You leave aside everything. You simply surrender unto Me." And what is the result? The result is ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "I shall get you released from all kinds of reaction of your sinful life."
So you have to select a nice place, sacred place. Then you have to sit right angular and you have to close your eyes half, not full, and see on the tip of your nose. You cannot change your āsana. There are so many rules and regulations which is not possible at the present moment. What to speak of at the present moment, even five thousand years ago, when circumstances of the world was different... And a personality like Arjuna, who was talking with Kṛṣṇa face to face... Just imagine what is his position. Arjuna belonged to the royal family. He was a great warrior and intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa and constantly living with Him. He, after hearing this process of yoga, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, he said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me." He flatly said, admitted that "For me, these rules and regulation and practice and controlling the mind is not possible." He flatly denied.
So hearing is so important. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching work... Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, this propaganda of saṅkīrtana movement, He has given stress on this hearing process. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. You can remain in your place. We don't say that you change your place. Whatever you are, you remain. If you are American, you remain American. If you are Hindu, you remain a Hindu. If you are Muslim, you remain Muslim. We don't say that first of all you become a Hindu or this or that. No. We simply request, "Please come here, sit down, and hear." That's all. This is the yoga system. Hearing yoga system. We don't say, press, that "You do this, you do that." We say the regulative principle. When one is seriously becoming our intimate friend or member, then we say that "You have to follow the rules and regulations." That he will agree. If he has actually heard our words, then immediately he will agree. It is not very difficult thing.
The yoga system is called attachment for Kṛṣṇa, or kṛṣṇa-yoga. Yoga means connecting, link, and if we always keep ourself connecting link with Kṛṣṇa, then we become the topmost yogi. There are many kinds of yogis. Generally the yogis, they think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead always within the heart. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti 'yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). This is the yogis' business. Yogi's business does not mean simply have some gymnastic or bodily exercise and keep the body fit for sense enjoyment. That is not the purpose of yoga. Yoga means connecting. We are now, or we are now disconnected. Or it is not disconnected. We are now forgotten our intimate relationship with God. We cannot be disconnected. That is not possible. Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, there cannot be disconnection. Just like father and son. The son may go out of home, forget his father and mother for many years, but the connection between the son and the father and the mother is never disconnected. That is not possible. As soon as the son comes home, although the son was absent for many, many years, the father receives him, the mother receives him with affection. And immediately the paternal relationship, affection, immediately established.
Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Mahārāja Prabhupāda. He was creating more brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs for preaching work, but I am creating more gṛhasthas (applause), because in Europe and America the boys and girls intermingle so quickly and intimately that it is very difficult to keep one brahmacārī. So there is no need of artificial brahmacārīs. It is sanctioned. My Guru Mahārāja wanted to establish daiva-varṇāśrama. So married life is called gṛhastha-āśrama. It is as good as sannyāsa-āśrama. Āśrama means where there is bhagavad-bhajana. It doesn't matter whether one is sannyāsī or one is gṛhastha or a brahmacārī. The main principle is bhagavad-bhajana. But practically also, I may inform you that these married couples, they are helping me very much because... For practical example I may say that one of my Godbrothers, a sannyāsī, he was deputed to go to London for starting a temple, but three or four years he remained there, he could not execute the will; therefore he was called back. Now, I sent six married couples. All of them are present here. And they worked so nicely that within one year we started our London temple, and that is going on very nicely. (applause)
The normal condition is the finger is to work for my body. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, when we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is our normal condition, our healthy life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "These foolish creatures, mūḍhāḥ, who are thinking that 'We shall work for sense gratification,' they are mūḍhas." Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). The animals cannot understand this constitutional position of the living entity. Because this material world means all the living entities, they have come here for satisfying their senses. And in different grades of life they are satisfying their senses. Either as Brahmā or the worm in the stool, they are satisfying their senses, different senses. That is material life. And when one understands that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. My duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa," that is normal life. That is actually spiritual life. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). When we forget to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is material life. And when we serve Kṛṣṇa with love and affection, understanding that we are very intimately related, part and parcel, that is spiritual life.
Now, you have to make friendship with Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you want to go to see somebody very great, then somehow or other, you have to make some connection with him, something. You have to introduce yourself in a way, in a friendly way, in a loving manner. Then it is possible to make connection with great personalities. So if we want to transfer ourself to that supreme planet, Kṛṣṇaloka, then we have to prepare ourself how to love Kṛṣṇa. Love of God. If you are intimately in touch with God by love... We cannot conquer with all... We cannot claim any favor from the Supreme unless we are in love.
Just like small child. He is provided by the father, but while eating, he offers the father: "My dear father, it is very nice thing. You taste." How much pleased will be the father. Just imagine. The father knows that "The child has brought my things." But if a small child offers to the father, "Father, it is very nice. You eat," oh, father says, "Oh, it is very nice? All right, I shall eat it." This is love. This is love. So here... How you can offer your love? Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi (BG 9.26). And if God accepts your things and eats, then what do you want more? He becomes your, the most intimate friend. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If you can make God as your intimate friend then there is no, I mean to say, nothing wanted. You'll be fulfilled. You'll find yourself that "I have got everything." Yasmin sthito na guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate (Bg. 6.20-23). And if we become convinced that "God is my protector; Kṛṣṇa is my protector," then how much happy and peaceful we will be.
So therefore our duty is to engage ourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are, at the preliminary, rules and regulation. And if we follow, if you follow those principles, it is not very difficult thing to see God or to become acquainted with God intimately. God is very cheap if we adopt the means. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Adurlabha. Adurlabha, very cheap. To whom? To the pure devotee. But to others, those who are, I mean to say, mongering in philosophical speculation and manufacturing something, some hallucination, it is not possible to have a relationship with God. But adurlabham ātma-bhaktau: He is very cheap to the pure devotee. So our duty is to become pure devotee by practice of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and this is not at all difficult. This chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare, if you chant, you will realize how you are making progress, and gradually... Kṛṣṇa is within you; God is within you. He will give you intelligence that "You do this way. You do that way." Everything will be clear, and the result will be tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya: (BG 4.9) "After leaving this body you will come to Me." Then your human life is perfected. Follow this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thank you very much. (end)
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means how to become dear to Kṛṣṇa: "How Kṛṣṇa will love me." Kṛṣṇa loves. Kṛṣṇa says that He is no one's enemy and no one's friend. That is in neutrality. But He says, ye tu bhajanti māṁ bhaktyā teṣu te mayi, samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu (BG 9.29). (aside:) That talking, stop. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ. God must be equal to everyone. He is neither envious to anyone nor friendly to anyone. This is general. But there is special significance. Ye tu bhajanti māṁ bhaktyā: "Persons who are engaged in devotional service with love and faith," teṣu te mayi, "I have got a special intimate relation with him."
Now, we being very intimately connected, because we are all sons of God... Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā,
- sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
- mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
- tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
- ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
- (BG 14.4)
Kṛṣṇa says aham, "I," "I." "I am the seed-giving father." Not only human society, but there are other societies, animal society, bird society, beast society, vegetable society, insect society, aquatic society. They are also Kṛṣṇa's son, God's sons.
You are thinking one boy here, because he is Australian, you are thinking more intimate relationship with him, and because I am Indian, you may not think more, in such intimacy. Because the bodily connection is there. But Kṛṣṇa said that "This is not very intelligent knowledge." Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca. A person who does not lament for this body, he is actually learned. Gatāsūn agatāsūṁś ca nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ (BG 2.11). Paṇḍita means learned scholar. So either this body is in living condition or it is in dead condition, a paṇḍita, a learned scholar, one who knows things as they are, he does not take care of this body. Not take care actually, he does not think very seriously about this body. That was the answer given by... Because this body is after all, a lump of matter. Actually, so long the soul is there, it is moving. It is growing or changing bodies or so many importance is there due to... Therefore, unless we come to this understanding, that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, there is lack of knowledge. That is being instructed by Kṛṣṇa.
Just like your hand, part and parcel of your body. Its only business is with this body. I am taking care of this body, I am taking of this hand, this leg, this head because there is intimate relationship with this body and with this head. I am not... Suppose if you are in danger, your head is in danger, I am not going to protect. But when my head is in danger, I prepared to give life. Similarly, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. He says, "I will give you protection." Just like I am giving protection to my hands and legs, so what about Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa also prepared. But if you deny His protection, that is a different thing. But if you are prepared to take His protection, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyaḥ, then you should immediately attain abhayam, no more fear. Rākhe kṛṣṇa māre ke māre kṛṣṇa rākhe ke: "If Kṛṣṇa wants to kill you, who can save you? Nobody can save you. And if Kṛṣṇa wants to protect you, who can kill you?" This is... This is philosophy, abhayam. So if you want to be fearless, if you want to sanctify your existence, take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, don't be deviated. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
The real position is, as Kṛṣṇa says, that mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "All living entities are My parts and parcels." When you realize that "I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore my only business is to serve Kṛṣṇa..." Just like part and parcel of my body is always serving, similarly, we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, our only business is to be engaged in devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. That is mukti. Svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). So here Kṛṣṇa is encouraging Arjuna, mā śucaḥ: "Don't think that because I am engaging you to fight, don't think that you are demonic person." Because generally, people take, when one fights, he is considered to be violent demon. But Kṛṣṇa has already encouraged Arjuna to fight, but here he says that "These are the godly qualities." Apaiśunam, nonviolence, ahiṁsā kṣāntir ārjavam, ahiṁsā. These things have been stated. So because Arjuna is Kṛṣṇa's very intimate and dear friend, immediately He says... As soon as He says that daivī sampad vimokṣāya nibandhāyāsurī matā (BG 16.5). Āsurī matā. This asurika fighting or asurika qualities, this is the cause of being entangled in this material existence. So Arjuna may be thinking that "I am fighting. I am also in asurika sampat." So Kṛṣṇa (is) immediately encouraging him, mā śucaḥ. Mā śucaḥ sampadaṁ daivīm abhijāto 'si bhārata: "Don't think that you are in the asurika sampat." Why? He was fighting, he was killing. Why Kṛṣṇa says that "You are in the daivī sampat"? The thing is that he is fighting not for himself; he is fighting for Kṛṣṇa. That is the secret. He was fighting for Kṛṣṇa.
Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is addressing Arjuna as... Sometimes He addresses him as Bhārata, "the descendant of the Bharata dynasty," and sometimes He addresses him as Pārtha, and sometimes He addresses him, Dhanañjaya, His friend. This time He addresses him as Pārtha. Pārtha means his mother's name was Pṛthā. From Pṛthā, the word Pārtha comes. His mother happened to be Kṛṣṇa's father's sister. So very intimately and friendly, He addresses him as Pārtha, "My dear son of My aunt." That means "We have got very intimate relationship. Not only we are friends, but we have got family relationship. So therefore I am speaking you about the truth that there are two classes of living beings." Two classes of living beings, dvau. Dvau means two. One class is called daiva, or divine, divine nature, and the other class is called demonic nature, āsura.
So one priest was surprised in Boston that "These boys, they are our boys. They are Christian boys. They are American boys. So previously they were not coming to the church. They did not care for God or to understand what is God. But why they are mad after God now?" That's a fact. These boys, you American boys, you were not interested. But why you are so interested and you are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world? You are not foolish. I have not bribed you. But why you are doing that? So this is a fact that we have got intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That's a fact.
Just like father and son. They are intimately related. It may be the son has gone out of home for many years, but as soon as he meets his father, again the same love between father and son revives. It does not mean because the son was out of home for many, many years, there is no need of awakening the love of father and son. Similarly, in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. The love between Kṛṣṇa and ourself... It doesn't matter where we are. All living entities, especially the human being, especially the civilized human being, those who have got sense, they can revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness very easily by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So that is our request, that you are very intelligent boys, American boys. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Try to revive your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be happy; otherwise not. Thank you very much. (end)
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Then Vedic injunction is: jñāne prayāsam udapāsya. "Give up this nonsense habit, speculation." Namanta eva: "Be submissive. Admit that you do not know anything. You have to learn from the person who knows." Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām: "Then what shall I...? All right. I shall not speculate. I have become humble now. Now what to do?" San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya...: "Just try to learn about God from the devotee, pure devotee." San-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām. So in this way we can understand God. That is the process. Arjuna, when he was hearing from Kṛṣṇa, he also surrendered, although he was His friend, very intimate friend, always sitting together, eating together, lying together, talking together. He also accepted Kṛṣṇa, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I am surrendered unto You, my dear Kṛṣṇa. I have become Your disciple. Please teach me."
Pradyumna: "The whole world is full of questions and answers. The birds, the beasts, and men are all busy in the matter of perpetual questions and answers. In the morning, the birds in the nest become busy with questions and answers, and in the evening also, the same birds come back and again become busy with questions and answers. The human being, unless he is fast asleep at night, is busy with questions and answers. The businessmen in the market are busy with questions and answers, and so also, the lawyers in the court and the students in the schools and colleges. The legislators in the parliament are also busy with questions and answers, and the politicians and the press representatives are all busy with questions and answers. Although they go on making such questions and answers for their whole lives, they are not at all satisfied. Satisfaction of the soul can only be obtained by questions and answers on the subject of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is our most intimate master, friend, father or son, and object of conjugal love. Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, we have created so many objects of questions and answers, but none of them are able to give us complete satisfaction."
Prabhupāda: Therefore, materialism means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, there is no other existence as material. Just like in dream. In dream, some way or other, we create an atmosphere. But actually, there is no different atmosphere. But by our brain, hallucination, we create something. So created in dream, we have got experience, everyone, "I am the worker. I am doing this. I am flying. I am going there. I am riding the path(?). I am working. I..." "I" is there. This "I" false ego is there. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). So forgetting Kṛṣṇa, when we concentrate only "I" and "mine," that is material world. That is material world. Material means separated. When I create, when we forget Kṛṣṇa, when I create "I" and "mine," that is material. Make it clear.(?) Otherwise, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1).
Pradyumna: "Kṛṣṇa is our most intimate master, friend, father or son, and object of conjugal love. Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, we have created so many objects of questions and answers, but none of them are able to give us complete satisfaction. All things but Kṛṣṇa give temporary satisfaction only, so if we are to have complete satisfaction we must take to the questions and answers about Kṛṣṇa. We cannot live for a moment without being questioned or without give answers. Because the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam deals with questions and answers that are related to Kṛṣṇa, we can derive the highest satisfaction only by reading and hearing this transcendental literature. One should learn the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and make an all-around solution to all problems pertaining to social, political or religious matters. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Kṛṣṇa are the sum total of all things."
Prabhupāda: Now let us discuss, question and answer, "How political situation can be improved by Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Can anyone answer? Who will answer this question? Yes?
Therefore it is said here, dharmasya hy āpavargyasya. One should execute religion just to become free from this māyā and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is dharma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa personally comes and instructs that "My dear sons, My dear part and parcel, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). You are suffering here in this material world repeatedly, birth after birth. Still, you are not in sense." Therefore He said to Arjuna that "Because you are My intimate friend, I am just instructing you the most confidential part of dharma." What is that? Now, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "This is your duty." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching the same principle. What Kṛṣṇa taught five thousand years ago in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra to Arjuna, we are broadcasting the same message. We have not manufactured anything new. That is not dharma. Dharma cannot be manufactured. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like law cannot be manufactured. If you manufacture some law at your home, that will not be accepted. Maybe some people, your friend, your relatives or your family members, may accept. But that cannot be accepted by all, law. But the law given by the government must be accepted by everyone. Similarly, dharma means the law given by God.
Similarly, if we actually want our contact with the Absolute Truth, then we have to go through Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has many forms. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta-rūpam. So... Because nothing is but Kṛṣṇa, everything is Kṛṣṇa's energy, the process is... To contact the Absolute Truth means Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa here says... Not Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsadeva says, through Sūta Gosvāmī, that "Kṛṣṇa is very kind, very friendly to the suhṛt satām." Satām. Satām means devotees. He is very intimately in friendship with devotees. Kṛṣṇa's another qualification is bhakta-vatsala. Here it is also said, suhṛt-satām. Satām means devotees. He is friend of everyone. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). Without Kṛṣṇa being friend of everyone, nobody can live for a moment. You are... Kṛṣṇa is protecting everyone, supplying food to everyone.
- nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām
- eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān
- (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13)
Eka, that one person, supreme personality... There are... We are all personalities. All living entities, we are all personalities. We are not a homogeneous lump. Everyone has got individual, individuality. So every one of is a individual personality. Everyone. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme personality. That is the difference.
The bodily concept of life means to give importance to sense enjoyment. That's all. This is bodily concept of life. So indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. They are very important. Those who are bodily, in bodily concept of life, they are addicted to sense gratification. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). And those who are little advanced more, they are addicted to the mental speculation. The so-called jñānīs, mental speculation. Manasas tu parā buddhiḥ. Then again you come to the platform of intelligence. Intelligence, and when the intelligence is purified, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi, purified, simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you are raised to the platform of spiritual life. This is the process.
So,
- śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
- puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
- hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi
- vidhunoti suhṛt satām
- (SB 1.2.17)
He is very intimate friend of the sādhus, of the devotees. He is everyone's friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). He's everyone's friend. God, Kṛṣṇa, He's everyone's friend, but He's a special friend for the devotees.
So Kṛṣṇa is so nice. Yes. He's the all-attractive. He hypnotizes His devotee in spite of... Just like the Pāṇḍavas. The Pāṇḍavas, they were Kṛṣṇa's friends. Arjuna was friend. All the brother... Arjuna was very intimate friend, but other brothers, four brothers, they were also Kṛṣṇa's friend. And Kuntī, the Pāṇḍavas' mother, she happened to be the aunt of Kṛṣṇa. So they were well, mean, established in relation with Kṛṣṇa. But as a result, they were banished for twelve years. They lost the game, so they were banished. And their wife, Draupadī, was insulted. Not... They could not insult her, but they tried to insult her. They tried to make her naked in the assembly. And they lost their kingdom, and they were banished for twelve years. So Nārada met Kṛṣṇa. His devotee, he could speak Kṛṣṇa with little criticism, "My dear Sir, Kṛṣṇa, by becoming Your devotee the Pāṇḍavas are very happy. They have lost their kingdom. Their wife is insulted. And now they are banished for twelve years. So it is very good thing. (laughter) But the wonderful thing I see, now, in spite of all these inconveniences, they have increased their love for You."
So everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you read carefully then you'll understand things as they are. That is our mission. We have published all these authentic books, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and you can read them. The human life is meant for that, that here māyā is deluding us, yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam. Ātmānam, I am self. I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God. I am eternal. I am ever illuminated. But I am thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am man," "I am woman," "I am this and that," so on—designations. So bhakti means we have to become free from all these designations. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), this is called upādhi. Upādhi means designation. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means how to become free from these designations. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The whole trouble in the world is due to these designations. We are part and parcel of God. We're very much intimately related with God. But, on account of this designation, we are each other's enemies. Even in faraway countries the Europeans are there, the Indians are there, the Africans are there. But, on account of this bodily designation, separated-European quarter, Indian quarter, this quarter, that quarter, this designation.
So this is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that you go and preach and make propaganda about kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are teaching all our men how to spread kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, how to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣāt. Then all the unwanted things he has contaminated will be finished. Then pure consciousness... Pure consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Pure consciousness means to understand that "I am very much intimately connected with Kṛṣṇa as part and parcel." Just like my finger is very intimately connected with my body. Intimate... If there is little pain in the finger, I become so much disturbed because I have got intimate connection with this finger. Similarly, we have got intimate connection with Kṛṣṇa, and we are fallen. Therefore Kṛṣṇa also feels little pain, and therefore He comes down.
So vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva is everywhere, and He is ready to help us, and if we become sincere to take knowledge from Vāsudeva... Even you are in the wilderness, anywhere you are, you are with Vāsudeva. You are not alone. He is so friendly that He is living with you as your most intimate friend. That is described in the Vedic literature. Two birds are sitting in one tree. This is the tree, and two birds, ātmā and Paramātmā, they are sitting in the same tree. One is acting according to his whims for enjoying senses, and another is simply looking over: "When this rascal will turn his face towards Me?" This is going on. (aside, referring to microphone:) Why it is stopped? Oh. So Vāsudeva is always ready to help us, provided we want to take help from Him. And He, not only internally He is helping, externally also, He's sending His representative to teach us. And there is śāstra, just like this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Sādhu, śāstra, guru. Guru is there, śāstra is there, saintly persons are there. You take advantage. And the Lord is there within yourself.
So fact is that even Kuntī or Devakī, so intimately connected with Kṛṣṇa, but they had to face so many dangers, so what to speak of others? What to speak of others, ourself? So when we are danger, we are in danger, we should not be discouraged. We should take courage that even Kuntī and Vasudeva and Devakī, they were also in danger, although they were very, very intimately connected with Kṛṣṇa. So we should not be disturbed by the dangers of this material world. If we are actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, we should face the danger and depend on Kṛṣṇa. Avaśya rakhibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana. This is called surrender, that "I may be in danger, but Kṛṣṇa... I have surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He must save me." Keep this faith. Don't be disturbed when you are in danger, because this world is such... Padaṁ padaṁ vipadām. Every step there is danger. Just like we are walking on the street. Immediately there is some pinprick, thorn. And by pinprick of that thorn, it may become a boil; it may become dangerous. So even by walking on the street, by talking on the street, by eating our food, there... And in English it is said, "There is many dangers between the cup and the lip."
So Vidura gave him hint, so, that "You are being sent there. Be careful for being killed. The house will be set fire." So Vidura was very favorable to the Pāṇḍavas. So they made a subway in that house, and when the house was set fire, they escaped through the subway. In this way, it is said, viṣān mahāgneḥ, set fire in shellac house... Just like nowadays this, what is called, plastic. It gets set fire very soon. Then puruṣāda, they took shelter in a house where there was a rākṣasa, cannibal. He was disturbing the whole village. So the settlement was that every day one family should hand over one man to him for eating, then he will not create disturbance. So the Pāṇḍavas were taking shelter in a house after escaping from the fire, and the... One day the turn came to that family that they would have to hand over one member of the family to that cannibal. So the Pāṇḍavas were present. They thought, "We are guest here, and they are in danger, so we must save them." This is obligation. If you become guest in a house, he's receiving you well, he's supplying you your necessities, so you are considered to be very intimate friend. So when they are danger, you must help. This consideration... Then it was decided that "This man should be hand over. Bhīma shall go." So when Bhīma was handed over to that cannibals, so he was killed. So... But it was a great danger.
Then the question was... Parīkṣit Mahārāja questioned this: "Kṛṣṇa, He came to establish religious principles." Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). Paritrāṇāya sādhū..., vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya. So why Kṛṣṇa did this act, because it is forbidden to mix with others' wife or daughter? Without being married, according to Vedic culture, no man or woman can mix very intimately. That is even in the ordinary dealings. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said that "Except your wife, all women are your mother." This is paṇḍita. Who is a paṇḍita, learned? Now,
- mātṛvat para-dāreṣu
- para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat
- ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu
- yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ
This is the description of paṇḍita. Paṇḍita... And in the Bhagavad-gītā, the paṇḍita is described: paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). This is paṇḍita. Nowadays it has become the custom that unless you have got a university degree, either you may be in knowledge..., māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ, you are not recognized as a paṇḍita. But in the Vedic scripture, the paṇḍita is different person. Anyone... This is the moral instruction by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.
Because we do not love Kṛṣṇa... We have got intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa as part and parcel. It cannot be separated. It cannot be separated. But any way, some way or other, we have lost or forgotten that intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. That is nitya-siddha, eternally fact, that Kṛṣṇa loves us and we love. Kṛṣṇa loves. Therefore He comes personally. He comes as devotee to deliver us back to home, back to Godhead. Unless He loves, how it is possible? Kṛṣṇa is coming in so many ways. He is sending His devotee. He is leaving Bhagavad-gītā for study to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is... Kṛṣṇa loves. Simply teaches that... Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. This kṛṣṇa-bhakti, love of Kṛṣṇa, it is not something that artificially trained up.
Therefore bhave 'smin kliśyanti. Kliśyamānānām. Simply wasting time. Without knowing what is the aim of... The aim of life is you have to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. We have repeatedly that... Therefore Kṛṣṇa says nothing, that "The most confidential knowledge, Arjuna, I am giving you. I have spoken to you Bhagavad-gītā in so many detail, but because you are My intimate, dear friend, I give you the most confidential knowledge." Guhyatamam. This word is used. What is that? "Surrender, that's all." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām... (BG 18.66). "This is the most confidential... Simply surrender and do what I say." That is the fact. If we act as Kṛṣṇa says, then we shall be very, very happy. There is no doubt about it. And if we do not act, then we shall suffer. This is fact. There is no question about it. Just like... Just like I have several times told you that Kṛṣṇa says, parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. No. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Bhavanti means you flourish, you become healthy. Your mind becomes sound. Your brain becomes sound. If you eat properly, naturally... Just like the stomach must be satisfied. If the stomach is satisfied, you get the energy immediately. Different energy is produced, different secretion is produced, and one secretion is sent to the heart, one secretion... That is medical science. And then it is turned into blood, and there are different veins, they are distributed all over the... This big machine is going on, big factory; simply you have to give the raw materials to the factory, and things will come out.
So this is intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa. The ordinary living entity, they have got relationship; but when one becomes devotee, it is intimate relation, intimate friend. Therefore Kuntī is requesting Kṛṣṇa that "How You can leave us? We are Your intimate friends." And anujīvinaḥ. Anujīvinaḥ means, "We are simply living by Your care, by Your mercy. So don't think that we are safe and You are leaving us. We have no other shelter than Your lotus feet. Kindly don't leave us." This is the Kuntī's prayer. Similarly Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, hā hā prabhu nanda-suta vṛṣabhānu-sutā-juta koruṇā karoho ei-bāro: "Now I am fully surrendered. You can show Your mercy." Because without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when one thinks that "I shall protect myself, my society will protect me, my community will protect me, my state will give me protection. What do I care for God...?" This is the general tendency. So, "I have got so many protections. Why shall I go to Kṛṣṇa? These rascals, those who have no protection, they can go to Kṛṣṇa." That is their view. But that is not the fact. Unless Kṛṣṇa gives you protection, there is no protection.
So the devotees, they have got brain. They understand. Just like Kuntī: "What is the value of our... We are so big, big men, Pāṇḍavas, Yadus. What is the value?" Therefore she admits, ke vayaṁ nāma-rūpābhyām: (SB 1.8.38) "Simply big name and big form, it has no value." Bhavataḥ adarśanam. Because Kṛṣṇa was taking farewell, parting. So regretting, Kuntī regretted that "You'll go. So we cannot see You. Then if we cannot see You, then what is the value of our name, fame?" This is... She's lamenting. Bhavataḥ a... yarhi hṛṣīkāṇām iva īśituḥ. It is exactly like the senses. Now we are after sense enjoyment. This material world means sense enjoyment. But without Kṛṣṇa or without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no possibility of sense enjoyment. The senses are there. You have got big hands, big legs, and everything big, big. But when there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even you cannot utilize these. Hṛṣīkāṇām. Hṛṣīka means senses. Therefore intelligent person, he knows that "My senses without Kṛṣṇa has no value." That is devotee. "Therefore so long my senses are active, it may be used for Kṛṣṇa." That is bhakti. Right conclusion. Because without Kṛṣṇa, these senses have no value. Therefore there is some intimate relationship with my senses and Kṛṣṇa. That's a fact. Because without Kṛṣṇa, what is the value of your senses?
Everything looks beautiful when one is related with something in very intimate relation. Just like at night the sky becomes beautiful when there is moon. Everyone can understand. The sky becomes... The sky is there. Vast sky, at night. But on the full-moon night, when the moon is there and the stars are there brilliantly, it looks very nice. Similarly, the state looks very nice if there is good government, good king, good president. Then everyone is happy, everything going on nicely. Similarly, nārīṇāṁ bhūṣaṇaṁ patiḥ. A girl looks very beautiful... Girls are naturally beautiful. But she looks very beautiful when she has got a husband. Nārīṇāṁ bhūṣaṇaṁ patiḥ. And vidyā sarvasya bhūṣaṇam. But if a person, however ugly he may be, if he's a learned scholar, that is his beauty. Similarly there are kokilānāṁ svaro rūpaṁ strīṇāṁ rūpaṁ pati-vratam. These are there. Similarly everything will look very beautiful when Kṛṣṇa is there, when Kṛṣṇa is there. So Kuntīdevī is thinking that "When Kṛṣṇa will be absent, our, this kingdom will not be beautiful. So long Kṛṣṇa is with us, we Pāṇḍavas, our kingdom, Hastināpura, everything beautiful." It is said, tvat-padair aṅkitā bhāti. "Kṛṣṇa, You are now in our kingdom. You are walking. So by the impression of Your footprints, everything is beautiful. There is sufficient supply of food, fruits, water. Everything looks beautiful. But when You leave us, then it will not look beautiful." That is being described. Neyaṁ śobhiṣyate. Śobhiṣyate. "It will not look beautiful."
So Lord Kṛṣṇa is addressed here as kṛṣṇa-sakha. Although Arjuna is Kuntī's son, subordinate, but she knows that Kṛṣṇa is more intimately related with Arjuna than herself. She knows that. Another kṛṣṇa-sakha means Kṛṣṇā. Kṛṣṇā is the name of Draupadī. So Kṛṣṇa saved Draupadī from insult. She was attempted to be naked by Duryodhana and Karṇa, but Kṛṣṇa saved her. So in that sense also Kṛṣṇa, kṛṣṇa-sakha. Vṛṣṇy-ṛṣabha. Ṛṣabha, the chief. The best man is called ṛṣabha. So in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, Kṛṣṇa is the chief. Because Kṛṣṇa appeared in the Vṛṣṇi dynasty, therefore the dynasty became famous. That is already discussed previously. Malaya-candana. Just like sandalwood. Because sandal is produced in the Malaya, Malaysia now, the name, therefore it is called malaya-candana. Or sometimes it is produced in the Malaya Hills. There is hill, another.
So Gāndhārī did it. Gāndhārī... In India still, marriage does not take by canvassing all of a sudden. The father and mother, especially in aristocratic family, royal family, even in Western countries, the father, mother select the husband or wife. Even in England, the Kind Edward VIII, he was intimately in friendship with a common girl. So the state would not allow him that "You can marry a common girl." So at that time the prime minister, one Mr. Baldwin, he said to him that "Either you have to give up the company of that common girl or you have to give up this empire." So out of sentiment, he gave up the empire. Later on he was very sorry. And his second brother, George VI, he... George VI means the father of the present Queen, Elizabeth. So still this is current in aristocratic family, that the husband and wife should be selected by the parents.
He Himself became sannyāsa. Therefore we are trying to follow His footsteps, to accept sannyāsa. But we should not become a sannyāsī like Rāvaṇa. No. We should try to follow the footsteps of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was very strict. No woman could approach Him. They were allowed to offer obeisances from distant place. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very strict about asso... Even in His gṛhastha life He was very strict. He would not play any joke with any woman except His wife. And that also, once He joked with His wife, not with any other woman. So He was so strict. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's opinion is that sandarśanaṁ viṣayiṇām atha yoṣitāṁ ca hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato 'py asādhu (CC Madhya 11.8). Viṣayiṇāṁ sandarśanam, to mix very intimately with the viṣayīs. Viṣayī means those who are very much fond of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are called viṣayī. They have no other business.
Devotee: (leads chanting, etc.)
- sat-saṅgān mukta-duḥsaṅgo
- hātuṁ notsahate budhaḥ
- kīrtyamānaṁ yaśo yasya
- sakṛd ākarṇya rocanam
- tasmin nyasta-dhiyaḥ pārthāḥ
- saheran virahaṁ katham
- darśana-sparśa-saṁlāpa-
- śayanāsana-bhojanaiḥ
- (SB 1.10.11)
"The intelligent, who have understood the Supreme Lord in association with pure devotees and have become freed from bad, materialistic association, can never avoid hearing the glories of the Lord, even though they have heard them only once. How, then, could the Pāṇḍavas tolerate His separation, for they had been intimately associated with His person, seeing Him face to face, touching Him, conversing with Him, and sleeping, sitting and dining with Him?"
Prabhupāda:
- satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido
- bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ
- taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani
- śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati
- (SB 3.25.25)
Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. Sat-saṅga. Sat-saṅga. Sat means devotees, and asat means nondevotees. Even in moral instruction of Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he advises: tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ bhaja sādhu-samāgamam. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita ad... Although he was a politician, a great politician, still, a learned brāhmaṇa and knowing all moral instruction, he gives this advice: tyaja durjana-saṁsargam.
Therefore for the Pāṇḍavas... Of course, the holy name of the Lord and the Lord, they're identical. There is no difference. But still we are chanting the holy name of the Lord, and if the Lord comes personally, how much we shall be engladdened. So we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's name, but the Pāṇḍavas, they were practically associating with Kṛṣṇa. So if a person associating with devotees, becomes interested in chanting the holy name of the Lord, how much it is impossible, how much it is impossible for the Pāṇḍavas to give up His association. Because they are so fortunate that darśana-sparśa-saṁlāpa-śayanāsana-bhojanaiḥ. They're in intimately friendly terms with Kṛṣṇa, that they're lying together, they're sitting together, they're eating together, always seeing Kṛṣṇa. How they can tolerate His separation? It is impossible. If a..., satāṁ prasaṅgāt, if a devotee cannot give up this chanting of His holy name, how the persons who are actually seeing Kṛṣṇa, associating with Kṛṣṇa, can tolerate separation from Him? This is the purport.
So Kṛṣṇa is the friend, most intimate friend of the Pāṇḍavas. Therefore he says, naḥ. Naḥ means "our." Suhṛdaḥ. Suhṛdaḥ, this word, "always thinking of others' good." That is called suhṛdaḥ. The heart is not contaminated. Hṛdaḥ means "heart," and su means "very good." So Kṛṣṇa says also that suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). And here Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja confirms, naḥ suhṛdaḥ. Actually, Kṛṣṇa is suhṛt. Suhṛt means well-wisher. As the father is the well-wisher of the sons or intimate friend, well-wisher... Here in the material world, although I may be your well-wisher, you may be well-wisher, but there is some interest. Unless there is some interest for my personal benefit, I cannot become your suhṛt. This is material suhṛt. But spiritual suhṛt is different. Spiritual suhṛt means everyone is suffering for want of spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore attempt should be made so that everyone becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is spiritual suhṛt.
They should be given first protection. Then jagad-dhitāya, then there will be actual welfare of the whole world. They do not know. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ, go-rakṣya, vāṇijyam, vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. This is the duty of the mercantile class of men: to improve agriculture, to give protection to the cows, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya. And vāṇijyam. And if you have got excess food, you can trade, vāṇijyam. This is the business. The brāhmaṇa is meant for doing the brain work. He will give advice. Just like we, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we, we are not meant for the ksatriya's business or vaisya's business, the devotees, but if required they can take. Real business is, brāhmaṇa's business is to know the Vedas, the Brahman, the Supreme Brahman, the Absolute Truth. He, he must know, and he must distribute the knowledge. This is brāhmaṇa. Kīrtayanto. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ. This is brāhmaṇa's business.
So, we have taken this business that preach that there is God. We have got an intimate relationship with God. So if you act, act accordingly, then they will be happy. This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. These rascals, they have forgotten, or they do not care to know, God, and that is the cause of their suffering.
So, the living entity wants to do something out of his own whims, Kṛṣṇa says, or Kṛṣṇa gives good consultation that "This will not make you happy, don't do this." But he is persistent, he will do it. Then Kṛṣṇa sanctions, Paramātmā, "All right, you do it, at your risk." This is going on. Everyone of us (is) very intimately connected with Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is sitting in everyone's heart. Kṛṣṇa is so kind, that He is simply waiting, "When this rascal will turn his face towards Me." He simply is, he is so kind. But we living entities, we are so rascal, we shall turn our face to everything except Kṛṣṇa. This is our position.
We want to be happy, with so many ideas. Everyone is making his own idea, "Now this is the..." But the rascals, they do not know that, what is the actual process for getting happiness, that is Kṛṣṇa. That they do not know. na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). You, you can see in your country, they are trying so many things, so many skyscraper buildings, so many motor cars, so many big, big cities, but there is no happiness. Because they do not know what is missing. That missing point we are giving. Here is, "You take Kṛṣṇa and you will be happy." This is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa and the living entity, they are very intimately connected. Like father and son, or friend and friend, or master and servant, like that. We are very much intimately connected. But because we have forgotten our intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and trying to become happy in this material world, therefore we have to undergo so much tribulations. This is the position. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vañcha kare.
He's also going with you just to give you guidance. But we won't give Him. Just like father... It is very natural. Father naturally wants to guide the son without any motive. That is father's nature. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, or God, the supreme father, is naturally inclined to give us protection, naturally. Therefore He comes, Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Kṛṣṇa's two business. First of all, preaching, these rascals who have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, that "We are very intimately related. I am the father of all living entities. So you come to Me, come to home. You will be happy. I am not poor. I can provide you with all necessities." Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That one can provide everyone with necessities of life, actually He is doing. What government is doing for the cats and dogs and the ants and the trees? They are not doing anything. Rather, they are cutting. When there is jungle, for their paper mill, they are cutting all the trees. No protection for the trees. They are all cutting all the throats of the cows and animals for eating. So the government cannot give protection. Nobody can give protection. Only Kṛṣṇa can give you protection. Therefore we should always seek the protection of Kṛṣṇa. That is our security, not any other thing.
So many leaders, they got election, pretending themselves devotee of the nation. In everywhere, not only in your country. But actually, they were not devotee of the nation. They were devotee of their own lusty desires. That's all. That "If I occupy this post, then I shall be able to fulfill my lusty desires." Nobody is devotee. Devotion is only applicable to Kṛṣṇa. If somebody is proclaiming himself that "I am devotee, servant of my nation, of my society, of my wife, of my children"—all false. Here nobody is devotee. Everyone has got some motive. Even the intimate relationship between husband and wife, there is some motive. The husband has got some motive and the wife has got... As soon as the motive is not fulfilled, divorce: "Ah, no more now. Take another chapter."
in human society the central point is Kṛṣṇa, central point is Kṛṣṇa. If we forget Kṛṣṇa, this intelligent class of men, this administrative class of men, these productive class of men, the worker class of men, they're all useless. They're all useless. If by your intelligence you cannot find out with whom you are intimately related, then what is the value of your intelligence? That kind of intelligence a dog has also got. "Where is something to eat? Where is something to mate?" The dog has that, eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This intelligence the dog has got. And if you have got the same intelligence without utilizing your intelligence to find out the Supreme, with whom you are so intimately related, then what is the value of your intelligence?
So this is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to utilize intelligence to find out the supreme cause, the Supreme, with whom we are very intimately related. Because we are part and parcel, the same example. Just like this finger is very intimately related with this body. But if it is separated it has no value. But again if there is possibility to join this finger with this body, then again it begins its value. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are now separated from Kṛṣṇa. We have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. This is our position. Although I'm intelligent, very intelligent, so-called intelligent for eating or sleeping or for having sex life intelligence. Just like there the scientists are applying intelligence for abortion.
If you want actually peace, then your intelligence should be utilized for searching out the Supreme and your relation with Him. As soon as you find out... Just like you have lost your father, if you find out your father, immediately your relationship with father is revived. There is no question. "Here's my father." And father says, "Here is my son." Because the relationship is very intimate. Son may go out for years together, but as soon as he comes back home he sees his father, mother, and that original intimacy immediately revived.
So we have got that intimate relation. So when we come to that position to understand our intimate relationship with God, or Kṛṣṇa, that is called svarūpa-siddhi, svarūpa-siddhi. Svarūpa-siddhi means realization of perfection, svarūpa-siddhi. So here Sūta Gosvāmī says sauhārdena gāḍhena, śānta. If an old friend meets another old friend, they become very much delighted. Similarly, if the father meets the lost child, he becomes very delighted and the child also becomes delighted. The husband, wife separated, again they meet. So they become very delighted. It is quite natural. The master and servant after many, many years, if they again meet, they become very delighted.
Then service with friendship. Service, master and servant giving service, but when the servant becomes very intimate there is friendship. I've seen it practically in Calcutta. The Dr. Bose, his driver was his best friend. When he would sit on the car, he would talk all his mind with the driver. So this driver, he became his intimate friend. All confidential talks with driver. It happens so. If the servant becomes very confidential, the master discloses his mind. He talks with him what to do. So this is called platform of friendship. And again farther advancement... Just like relationship with father and son, mother and son. This is called vātsalya, and at last conjugal love. So in this way we are related with Kṛṣṇa somehow or other. In veneration, in servitude, as friend, as paternal affection, or as conjugal lover You see. So we have to revive that. And as soon as you revive any one of them, intimacy, then we become happy, because that is eternal. The same example... The finger, so long is separated, it is not happy. As soon as it is joined it is happy. Similarly, we have got our eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Now we are separated, but as soon as we join with him again we become yenātmā suprasīdati.
So we have got intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is eternally fact. Simply we have to revive. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. We have to create. Just like the young man likes to love a young woman and the young woman likes to love a young man. That is natural. That is natural. But when they meet together, it is revived. It is not that something new imposition. It is there. But by chance or anyway, when they are in contact, the loving propensity increases. The love increases. So our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is natural. That is not unnatural. Nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means it is eternally fact. Simply it is covered. It is covered. That covering has to be taken away. Then we are immediately in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, in natural way. That is perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So here it is said that sauhārdena ati-gāḍhena. Very deep. There are different types of sauhārga, friendship, but there is very intimate, deep friendship. So as soon we revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our deep relationship with Kṛṣṇa as servant, as friend, as paternal relationship or conjugal love... That is already there.
Kṛṣṇa is not different from His words. That is absolute. What Kṛṣṇa said five thousand years ago, if you catch up those words again you're immediately connected with Kṛṣṇa, immediately. This is the process. Just see Arjuna. He says, evaṁ cintayato jiṣṇoḥ kṛṣṇa-pāda-saroruham. When he began to think of Kṛṣṇa and His instruction as..., in the battlefield, immediately he become śānta, peaceful. Immediately pacified. This is the process. We have got intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa, eternally. It is not artificial. Therefore if you keep ourself always connected with Kṛṣṇa, there will be no more disturbance. Peaceful. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If you get that position, then that is the highest benefit, highest gain, yaṁ labdhvā ca, then you will not desire for any other gain. You'll perceive that I have got the highest gain. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ, yasmin sthitaḥ... And if you keep yourself fixed up in that position, then guruṇāpi duḥkhena na (Bg. 6.20-23), even the heaviest type of calamities, you'll not be disturbed. That is peace. That is peace. Not that little pinching, you're disturbed. If you're actually fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll not be disturbed in the greatest form of dangerous condition. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
How are we becoming contaminated? There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa; goodness, passion and ignorance. And we are, according to the association... Just like here we can see, somebody cannot live without smoking. It is practical. But none of our devotees smoke. So it is possible. Because a devotee is associating with the devotees, therefore he is acquiring the quality by association, contamination. This is a fact. If you go to a contaminated, diseased person, you are infected. We should be very careful.
- dadāti pratigṛhṇāti
- guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati
- bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva
- ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam
Intimate relation with somebody, so there is bhuṅkte bhojayate. When you become intimate with certain friend, he gives to eat you, something you eat, and you also give him something to eat, he eats. But if there are different quality, then by eating, you contaminate, you are contaminated by his infection, and he is contaminated by infection. That is practical, medical science. If you eat the remnants of foodstuff of a tuberculosis patient, then you are attacked with tuberculosis. Or cholera patient.
So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira first of all appointed his grandson, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, the emperor of the whole world. Then he distributed... (break) ...or only intimate families, because Kṛṣṇa's family, Yadu dynasty, and this Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's family, Kuru dynasty, they were related in so many ways by marriage. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira's mother, Kuntī, belonged to the Yadu dynasty—means Kṛṣṇa's aunt, Kṛṣṇa's father's sister. Similarly, Arjuna's wife Subhadrā..., here is Subhadrā, she became the wife of Arjuna, sister of Kṛṣṇa. So there were so many family relationships, Kṛṣṇa's family and the Kuru family. Kṛṣṇa was not present. Therefore Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was taking care of the children, grandsons. As his grandson was posted as emperor, similarly, Kṛṣṇa's grandson was also situated as the king of Śūrasena, in which province the Mathurā is there: mathurāyām.
Nitāi: "Since dharma, or the principles of religion, will be lost in the proportion of three out of four, the symbolic bull was standing on one leg only. When three-fourths of the population of the whole world become irreligious, the situation is converted into hell for the animals. In the age of Kali godless civilizations will create so many so-called religious societies in which the Personality of Godhead will be directly or indirectly defied. And thus faithless societies of man will make the world uninhabitable for the saner section of people. There are gradations of human beings in terms of the proportionate faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The first-class faithful men are the Vaiṣṇavas and the brāhmaṇas, then the kṣatriyas, then the vaiśyas, then the śūdras, then the mlecchas, the yavanas and at last the caṇḍālas. The gradation of human instincts begins from the mlecchas, and the caṇḍāla state of life is the last word in the human degradation. All the above terms mentioned in the Vedic literatures are never meant for any particular community or birth. They are different qualifications of human beings in general. There is no question of birthright or community. One can acquire the respective qualifications by one's own efforts, and thus the son of a Vaiṣṇava can become a mleccha or the son of a caṇḍāla can become more than a brāhmaṇa, all in terms of their association and intimate relation with the Supreme Lord."
Prabhupāda: Yes. So if we qualify ourself as Vaiṣṇava and devotee, then all other good qualities will automatically manifest in the body. That is the purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you accept this movement... For example... There are many examples. This is also one practical example. In your state the government has spent millions and millions of dollars to stop the intoxication habit, but it was failure. But as soon as the same person comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness camp, he immediately gives up. This is practical. And there cannot be any comparison of the qualities of our students with any religious institution or any school, college. You cannot have. Because they are devotee. As soon as you become devotee, all good qualities... Therefore if the government takes this movement seriously, they make everyone a devotee, then everything will be solved. There will be no need of criminal court or jail or... Everything will be finished. Or, what is called, liquor house and slaughterhouse and manufacturing cigarette and advertising them two sides of the road. Although (chuckles) it is written there it is dangerous, still it is highly advertised and people smoke. These contradiction things are going on on account of godlessness.
So Kṛṣṇa comes, His avatāra comes, His incarnation, to... Because we are very thickly, intimately, related, we are sons, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore He... Just like your father is always anxious to see you happy. If you are doing something wrong, he's more anxious than yourself. He knows that you are... A child is going to capture fire. The father, parents says, "No, my dear child, don't touch it. It is harmful." That is the duty, natural. So this, in this material world, we have come here, we are sons of God, part and parcel of God, and doing all nonsense. So Kṛṣṇa is not happy; therefore He comes, avatāra, avatāra. He comes, "My dear child, why you are doing this?" And He advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "Give up all this nonsense business. Come to Me. I shall give you protection." But we are so foolish rascal that we are prepared to become servant of the most abominable activities of our senses, but we are not prepared to surrender to Kṛṣṇa and become His servant.
Gargamuni: Page one. "Similarly, in the Second Canto, the post-creation cosmic manifestation is described. The different planetary systems are described in the Second Canto as different parts of the universal body of the Lord. For this reason, the Second Canto can be called "The Cosmic Manifestation." There are ten chapters in the Second Canto, and in these ten chapters the purpose of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the different symptoms of this purpose are narrated. In the first chapter the glories of chanting are described and the process of meditation on the universal form of the Lord by the neophyte devotees is hinted. In the first verse Śukadeva Gosvāmī replies to the questions of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who asked him about one's duty at the point of his death. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was glad to receive Śukadeva Gosvāmī and he was proud of being a descendant of Arjuna, the intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa. Personally, he was very humble and meek, but he expressed his gladness that Lord Kṛṣṇa was very kind to the sons of Pāṇḍu, or his grandfathers, especially his own grandfather Arjuna. And because Lord Kṛṣṇa is always pleased with His family, therefore at the verge of Mahārāja Parīkṣit's death, Śukadeva Gosvāmī was sent to help him in the process of self-realization."
Prabhupāda: This is confirming the statement of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Two things required, Guru and Kṛṣṇa, to advance in the spiritual realization or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So here it is, Kṛṣṇa is pleased in the family of the Pāṇḍavas. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja was going to die. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was grandson of Arjuna, and he was also a devotee. So therefore by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, a bona fide spiritual master is sent to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Guru-Kṛṣṇa. When one is sincere, then Kṛṣṇa is sitting within everyone. As soon as He sees that "Here is a sincere soul. He's seeking after Me," so He manifests Himself out externally as spiritual master. The spiritual master is therefore representative of Kṛṣṇa. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Two things. Without being representative of Kṛṣṇa, nobody can become spiritual master. Kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana. Without being empowered by Kṛṣṇa, nobody can preach, nobody can become a spiritual master.
The Christian parties, they do not believe in karma. So in our childhood, when we were student in Scottish Churches College, Calcutta, we had to attend the Bible class. So one professor, Dr. Urquhart, he said that "If I am suffering the result of my past karma, where is the witness that I have done this bad or good?" But he had no knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā. We also at that time did not know. We were not very interested. But later on, when I read Bhagavad-gītā, "Here is witness, upadraṣṭā anumantā. Here is witness." Perpetual witness. Not only of this life, but many, many lives past, He knows everything. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni vartamānāni (BG 7.26). He knows everything. That is Kṛṣṇa. He knows everything, what you have done or what you want to do. Everything knows He. But in spite of all this, because Kṛṣṇa is your friend, most intimate friend, naturally... Just like father becomes friend. There is no better friend like father or mother. Naturally. They will never advise the son anything for his, I mean to say, suffering. No father will give... Even the father is a debauch, he will never advise his son that "You do this." No, no. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the father of everyone. Everyone. How He can give wrong advice? He does not give. He is the only friend. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhū... So if you take shelter of the only friend, the just friend, that will give us protection. Not anyone else. Everyone has got some self-interest.
Here, strī-kāma, beautiful wife, kāma, one who wants, devīm, he should worship Goddess Durgā. This is recommended here. But it is kāma. But those who are devotees, they have no kāma. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11). Anya. Anya means other than Kṛṣṇa's service. They have made all, everything zero. We don't want all these things. We simply want to serve Kṛṣṇa. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Jñāna means knowledge. Karma means fruitive activities. Uncovered by or untouched by fruitive activities and jñāna. Just like in Vṛndāvana. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they never tried to know Kṛṣṇa, whether He is God. That was not their business. Jñānam, the jñānīs, they want to know. Just like Brahmā wanted to test whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not. Indra wanted to test whether... The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they never did it. They think, "Kṛṣṇa is our very intimate friend, my beloved son, my lover, my master." Everyone's concentrated love for Kṛṣṇa in different mellows.
Pradyumna: "In the Bhagavad-gītā (6.41) it is stated that even a person who has failed in the proper discharge of yoga practice is given a chance to take birth in the house of devout brāhmaṇas or in the houses of rich men like kṣatriya kings or rich merchants. But Mahārāja Parīkṣit was more than that because he was a great devotee of the Lord since his previous birth, and as such he took his birth in an imperial family of the Kurus, and especially that of the Pāṇḍavas. So from the very beginning of his childhood he had the chance of knowing intimately the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa in his own family. The Pāṇḍavas, all being devotees of the Lord, certainly venerated family Deities in the royal palace for worship. Children who appear in such families fortunately..."
Prabhupāda: People still, in India, those who are rich men, they have got their family temple Deities. One temple is there in Kanpur. The family members, they are very rich. The rule is that if the family members do not come in the temple to offer obeisances to the Deity, they'll be fined. The mother, the head of the family... Mother is still living. She has imposed this law, that "Any of my children or grandchildren, if he or she does not visit the temple, then according to this rule, this fine should be realized from them." So if somebody misses to go in the temple one day, the priest presents the bill: "Sir, you have been fined five rupees." (Laughter) So they pay. Yes. So we should also enforce that rule. Anyone who is not attending maṅgala-ārati should be fined. (laughter) And the fine should be that he must sell one Kṛṣṇa book. (laughter) Is that all right?
This is called śānta-rasa. Above this, somebody is giving me flower, sandalwood. This is called dāsya-rasa, serving. Better than ... This is silence; there is work. The śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, then, again develop, sākhya-rasa, more intimate, friendly. Then vātsalya-rasa, more intimate. Just like the parental affection. And more intimate, conjugal love. Just like young boy, young girl, try to love one another. So these rasas are there. Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa is in love with the gopīs. He is playing with friends, cowherd boys. His affectionate Mother Yaśodā, feeding Him, and there are servants also, serving Kṛṣṇa. And the trees, the water, the flowers, they are serving silently. Pañca-mukhya-rasa, five chief mellows, humors. The same thing is here also. Here also the śānta-rasa, sākhya-rasa, dāsya-rasa is there. But that is mixed with material grains. Just like sweet rice. Sweet rice is very nice, but if it is mixed with some grains of sand, just imagine.
So the Māyāvādīs and poor fund of knowledge, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa unless he becomes a devotee. And how he can become a devotee? That is stated here: bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇum. One has to surrender himself to His representative, bhāgavata. Bhāgavata means... God is called Bhagavān. Bhagavat, the original word is bhagavat, and one who has got intimate relation with Bhagavān, he is called bhāgavata. So here it is recommended, bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ na jātu martyaḥ. Martya means one who will die. Every one of us will die. But abhilabheta yas tu. But we can achieve a great success. Although this body's mortal, we can get, we can achieve a great success. And what is that? To take the dust of the lotus feet of a bhāgavata. Simple thing. Therefore it is said, jīvañ chavaḥ. Jīvañ chavo bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ na jātu martyo 'bhilabheta yas tu. After all, this body is dead. Everyone knows. It is simply moving on account of the presence of the spirit soul.
That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So here, vāsudeve bhagavati ātma-bhāvaṁ dṛḍhaṁ gataḥ. Vāsudeve bhagavati. Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, bhagavati, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here... Just like if I give one's father's name, then you know the man particularly. So here, bhagavati. There are many expansions of God. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). But He is particularly mentioned here: vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Vāsudeva. Vāsudeve bhagavati ātma-bhāvaṁ dṛḍhaṁ gataḥ. We are trying to enjoy life by making friends, ātma-bhāvam. Ātma-bhāvam means very intimate. Intimate, near relative, or beloved. So we have to change our consciousness. Instead of trying to make this material world as beloved, you have to make Kṛṣṇa as beloved. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The everything is there. You get everything in return, as here, you are trying to enjoy, but without any inebriety. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja attained this stage. Therefore he could give up all his kingdom, all his family, all his animals and everything, and he simply became Kṛṣṇa conscious.
So He's individual person. He instructed the sun-god millions and millions of years ago. So Arjuna inquired, "How it is possible that millions of years ago...? Because You are my contemporary. You are of the same age." So Kṛṣṇa said that "Millions of millions of years ago, when I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god, you were also present because you are My intimate friend. Whenever I descend, you are also there. But the difference is that you have forgotten; I remember that I said like this."
So that is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ordinary living being. Kṛṣṇa remembers everything, knows everything. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni: (BG 7.26) "I know everything." That is Kṛṣṇa. But we do not know. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa is not impersonal. He's also a person, but He is not a person like us, like you, like me. His personality is supreme. Nobody is greater than Him. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate. These are the Vedic information. He's individual, but He has nothing to do. He's such individual. Just like Kṛṣṇa is here. The whole world is going on under Kṛṣṇa's direction, but He has nothing to do. He's enjoying with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. That is Kṛṣṇa's position. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He has to create one universe or destroy one universe—He hasn't to take any attention.
How one can be pleased? That is the process. Praṇipātena sevayā. You can please one simply by surrendering to himself and by rendering service, "Sir, I am your most obedient servant. Please accept me and give me instruction." Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). Even Arjuna was a very intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa, still, while learning Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā from Him, he surrendered himself to Kṛṣṇa and said that "I am no more your friend." Of course, friend is also, a friend of Kṛṣṇa is also surrendered. That is... But specifically he said, śiṣyas te 'ham. Śiṣya means "You can rule over me now." Śās-dhātu. Śās-dhātu. From śās-dhātu, śāstra, śiṣya, śāstra, these things have come. So śiṣyas te 'ham. Śiṣya means "Now I am under Your full control. You can use me in whatever way You like." So in this way, ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ.
So this is the process of asking. Paripraśna is asking question. Of course, one, the śiṣya, must ask. He must... But not challenge. Just to understand. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Not to defeat the spiritual master. But one should be inquisitive, inquire from the spiritual master, being jijñāsu, very inquisitive to understand the spiritual science. Not that "I know better than you. Let us talk." No. That is not with guru. You must find out a guru where you can surrender, praṇipātena. If you don't find a person where you cannot surrender, don't waste your time and his time. First of all surrender. So this is the process of understanding transcendental... Ānvīkṣikyāṁ pracoditaḥ.
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudeva is ādya. Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he accepted Kṛṣṇa as all in... Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣam ādyam: (BG 10.12) "You are the Supreme Person, original person." Now, Brahmā says, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. He says that "I worship the original person, Govinda." Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Everywhere you'll find. And the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa says also, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat... (BG 7.7). "I..." Govindam ādi-puruṣam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādir ādiḥ (Bs. 5.1). He has no ādi. Somebody will say, "Why not? Kṛṣṇa is born of Vasudeva. Vasudeva is His father." That is His acceptance, a devotee as father. There are dealings of the devotee and the Bhagavān in different ways: śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya, mādhurya. We can have relation... We have that relation. Now it is covered. We can revive it again. Simply appreciation of the Supreme, that is called śānta-rasa. When one appreciates fully, then he wants to give some service. That is called dāsya. And giving service, when he becomes more intimate, then he becomes friend. That is called sākhya. And then, more advanced, the devotee wants to give service to Kṛṣṇa as father. Father-mother means to give service to the son. From the very beginning, even as a sweeper, all taking care.
Dharma means the order of the Supreme Person. That is dharma. The order of the Supreme Person is, I mean to say, open to everyone. Nobody can say that "I do not know what is the order of the Supreme." "I do not carry out," that is another thing. But the order of the Supreme is there. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru: (BG 18.65) "Just become My devotee. Always think of Me." Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī: "You worship Me. You haven't got to worship anyone else." Mām ekam. The order is open. But we'll not do it. That is another thing. We'll not accept. But still, Kṛṣṇa comes. When this dharma is disobeyed, Kṛṣṇa comes. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that "Because you are My friend, I am just talking to You the most confidential dharma. Because I have spoken to you in so many ways, but because you are My intimate friend, so I am talking to you now the most essential part of dharma." What is that? "Now, whatever I have said, you can give up." Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "I have explained to you about so many yoga systems, but this is the real yoga system: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Bas."
So we like society, friendship. Oh, I do not know how many intimate friendship I had, but those are now just like dream, everything finished. Now I am making new friendships with your countrymen, with you younger boys of this country, and I have forgotten the friendship which I made the whole life in India. So this friendship, this love, this society, this country—everything illusion. Just like dream. At night we dream, "Oh, I have been made a king," and in the morning I see everything finished. So we should not be attached to these temporary attractions. We admit these are temporary attractions, but we are still... Just like children. They are attracted to the..., but the parents, they're guiding, "Oh, you must go to school." Niḥśreyasāya. That is śreyaḥ. The boy, the child, does not like it, but the parents, they are anxious, "Oh, my child is not going to school; he is being spoiled." So dragging him.
So this kind of identification, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke... Kuṇape means this is a bag made of kapha-pitta-vāyu, tri-dhātu. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB 10.84.13). And thinking that, in bodily relationship, I am thinking, "He's my own man, or relative..." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu. Kalatra means because we have intimate relation with woman and offspring, children born of her, so kalatrādiṣu. And bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. And the land as ijya. Ijya means worshipable. Nowadays it is very prominent. I heard that for land there was a fight in somewhere near. So that is going on, nation to nation, community to community. So bhauma ijya-dhīḥ. They are thinking, "This land is mine. The land of my birth is mine." We have seen. There was fight between Hindu and Muslim during partition days: "This is my Pakistan," "This is my Hindustan." So bhauma ijya-dhīḥ.
Spiritually they are the same, spiritually absolute. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam. Either you hear or you chant or you memorize or you offer worship, arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam, or you simply work under the direction of your spiritual master or Kṛṣṇa. Just like Hanumān: he dāsyam. He simply carried out Lord Rāmacandra's order. He was supposed to be animal. He's not animal. But he was looking like a monkey animal. But having no education, no. He had everything. But superficially he..., he is not teaching Vedānta. He is simply carrying order of Lord Rāmacandra, that's all. He appears to be very foolish. Not foolish, but superficially animal. He was simply carrying out, dāsyam. Arjuna, simply he took Kṛṣṇa as his most intimate friend, that's all. He was not a Vedantist; he was a fighter, he was a kṣatriya. He had to deal with politics. No time to become Vedantist. But still he's the greatest devotee. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me (BG 4.3). Kṛṣṇa says, "My dear Arjuna, you are My very dear friend and devotee." So people may say, "Oh, he is not a Vedantist, he is not even brāhmaṇa, he is not a sannyāsī. How Kṛṣṇa accepts him as bhakto 'si?" That is called bhakti. Bhakti is ahaituky apratihatā. If you become a devotee there is no impediment. No material condition can check your progress of bhakti, if you are a bhakta.
When one understands there is something else than Kṛṣṇa, then he is fearful. Then he is fearful. Dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ. Dvitīya means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. "I am Kṛṣṇa's eternal servant. I am Kṛṣṇa's eternal part and parcel, son, or most intimate relationship." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, Kṛṣṇa says. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4), Kṛṣṇa says. There are so many forms of life, 8,400,000. But Kṛṣṇa claims ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, "I am the seed-giving father of everyone." So where is Kṛṣṇa Hindu or Indian? Where it is stated? Why people take like that? That is not fact. Therefore they are in the fearful condition of life, always afraid, "What will happen next?" Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Asad-grahāt. People have taken something which is asat. The Vedic instruction is asato mā sad gama: "Don't remain in the asat, in the untruth. Come to the Truth." So at the material world we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, and we are situated in the asat, which is not truth. Therefore there is bhaya, fearfulness. Just like a child, if he is forlorn by the father and mother, then he is always in fearful condition, crying on the street, "Where is my father? Where is my mother?" This is our position.
So if you want to be not fearfulness, no more fear, abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ, if you become out of fearfulness then you have to take shelter of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is begging. Because we are Kṛṣṇa's sons or we have got very intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa and we have given Him up and we have forgotten Him, therefore we are suffering.
So we are hearing. This is wanted. Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended this process, that whatever condition you are, it does not matter. You simply search out a devotee and hear from him. That is recommended. Ihā haya. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. Sthāne sthitāḥ. You, whatever you are, there is no need of change, because it is very difficult to change position. Better remain your position, but you hear about Kṛṣṇa. That is our movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to give chance people to hear about Kṛṣṇa. So many ways. Then, even Kṛṣṇa is Ajita—nobody can conquer Him—simply by hearing, you will conquer Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will be very, very intimate friend of you, simply by hearing. That is said also in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Śṛṇvatām. Śṛṇvatām means hearing. Kṛṣṇa is within everyone's heart. As soon as He sees that "This man is hearing about Me," śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ... Kṛṣṇa is the subject, nominative. Śṛṇvatām. When He sees that a person is interested in hearing, then He takes care of him. Because that is the beginning of bhakti. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ. Even if we do not understand, if we do not understand the philosophy, what Kṛṣṇa says, still, if we hear, then you will be purified. You will be purified. That is the process of hari-saṅkīrtana. It doesn't require anybody to understand what is this Hare Kṛṣṇa. But if he's simply given the chance of hearing, he becomes purified.
Then what is their dealing? Yāvad-arthāś ca loke. They deal as much as required only. That's all. I have to deal with some gentleman who is completely out of our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, but I have to deal with him. Then how I have to deal? As much as possible to avoid him, but so far the business is concerned, all right. This is all. Just like a businessman talks with another businessman so far profit is concerned. That's all. No more talk. A businessman, a lawyer, talks with his client so much... Especially in America, they cannot waste their time. Any businessman will not waste their time. They will talk. Similarly, a householder devotee whose only business is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, they will deal with other persons... Other person means those who are simply interested for maintaining this body, wife, children, in this way. They have no other ideas. We should not have any very intimate relationship, but we shall have to deal with them only as far necessary. No more. That's all. We shall try to avoid them as far as possible. But because we are living with the human society we have to deal with such persons. So our dealings should be so far as required. Not more than that. Then, if one lives a householder life in this way, keeping his viewpoint only in Kṛṣṇa, in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and other dealings superfluous, he is also mahātmā. He's also mahātmā. Na prīti-yuktā yāvad-arthāś ca loke. Mayi īśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthāḥ puruṣārtha yeṣām.
So this is the determination of mahātmās, that they want simply Kṛṣṇa's friendship. Mayi sauhṛdārthāḥ.
- ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā
- janeṣu dehambhara-vārtikeṣu
- gṛheṣu jāyātmaja-rātimatsu
- na prīti-yuktā yāvad-arthāś ca loke
Yāvad-arthāś ca loke, just to deal with other persons as much as necessary, not more than that. But to keep friendship with devotees, that is necessary. Not that I shall not intimately mix, intermingle with the devotees. That is required. A devotee has got four business: īśvare prīti, love for God, Kṛṣṇa; friendship with devotees; and kindness to the neophyte; and rejection to the nondevotees. These four principles. A devotee's only lovable object is Kṛṣṇa. His only friend is devotee, another devotee.
Well, preaching work should be done in company. You..., alone you cannot make preaching work. It is not possible. You haven't got so much strength that alone you can do. Therefore whenever we send our preaching party, they go in company, in combination. Six, seven, eight..., at least two. That is the process. And so far mixing with other people, that I have already explained just now, that to talk with a person is not mixing. You see? Mixing means, intimate mixing, there are six symptoms. When you eat, when you call him to eat, when you give, when you take, when you talk your heart, when you hear his heart. These are called intimate mixing. Otherwise, simply talking or dealing, that is not mixing. That is not mixing. So you can mix with ordinary people in that way. As far as your business is concerned, as it is necessary, but not intimately. And do your own business, chanting, and following the rules and regulations. That's all. It is simple thing. Just like doctors. They also mix with infected persons, but they do not become infected. You see. So preaching is like that. Unless you preach among the fallen souls, then where is the question of preaching? So you should not become fallen. (laughs) You should deliver the fallen. That should be your strength. But if you are less powerful, then you will become fallen. So your power is, your strength is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, strong Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you will be powerful. You'll not fall. So we should be careful. All right. So little chanting? (devotees offer obeisances) Mukunda has not come back? Why he is so late? Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nobody has come back from London? You are coming from the temple, Uttamaśloka? You are coming from the temple, Jim? Oh, you are living here. All right. (end)
This is the definition given by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. The prāpañcikatayā buddhyā... This world is material. Therefore it is false. So... But hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ. But it has got connection with Hari. Hari has created. Kṛṣṇa has created. How...? It is not without... How you can say, "without any relationship"? If I have created something, it has got..., I have got intimate relationship. Therefore the Rūpa Gosvāmī says that "Any creation of the Lord, if we think it is material," prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi, mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgaḥ... Those who are... Because these Māyāvādīs, they are after mumukṣā, so mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgaḥ, if they are giving up, then phalgu-vairāgya. It is called phalgu-vairāgya, false renunciation. The world is not false, but the so-called renunciation is false. But the real fact is... Rūpa Gosvāmī says that,
- anāsaktasya viṣayān
- yathārham upayuñjataḥ
- nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe
- yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate
Anāsaktasya viṣayān. We are after sense enjoyment. That is called viṣaya. Viṣaya means the object of sense gratification. So we should not be very much eager to enjoy. God's creation should be engaged for God's enjoyment, not for my enjoyment. If we are trained up in this way, anāsaktasya viṣayān, we can take prasādam. We have to eat also. But if we think that "These things are made for me. I have to eat," then that is mithyā. "This is given by God, given by Kṛṣṇa, so let me offer it to Kṛṣṇa: 'Kṛṣṇa, it is Your thing. You first of all taste. Then I'll take it.' " Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. "As it is. But Your thing should be offered to You, and then I shall take." That is yukta-vairāgya.
Devotee: He wants to know if he should leave his family and become a devotee, because...
Prabhupāda: No, we never said that. Just now we explained. ye vā mayīśe kṛta-sauhṛdārthā, you keep your intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa. It doesn't matter whether you are in family or without family. It doesn't matter. Just like I have given already example. Arjuna, he is a family man, he is not a sannyāsī. Not only family man, a military man, and politician, but he was prepared to sacrifice everything for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. If you do not become a family man, so what is the gain there? Or if you remain a sannyāsī, if you have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just like you said, "So many swamis they want to become Kṛṣṇa instead of becoming devotee of Kṛṣṇa." So this kind of sannyāsī is also useless. Similarly, gṛhastha, if he's simply attached to family, that is also useless. Any condition of life, if you remain fixed-up with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is your perfection of life. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei 'guru' haya (CC Madhya 8.128). Anyone who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and fixed-up in devotional service, knowing fully well what is Kṛṣṇa, he is guru. It doesn't matter whether he is a sannyāsī, or gṛhastha or brāhmaṇa, and śūdra. It doesn't matter. Is that all right? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.
We have got incidences in the history. There was fight, Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, but in the evening time they were friends. Evening time, there is no animosity. Just like Arjuna went to Duryodhana. Duryodhana criticized as grandfather. Grandfather is sometimes criticized by the grandsons. It is not an offense. You cannot criticize superiors, but between grandfather and grandchildren the relation is different. The grandfather also criticizes the grandchildren. So Duryodhana criticized Bhīṣmadeva, "My dear grandfather, you have got affection for the Pāṇḍavas. Then you are not fighting sincerely. You have been appointed the commander-in-chief, but out of your affection you are neglecting your duty." Indirectly he said. So old grandfather became little angry. "What do you want?" "No, you can finish them in one day. Why you are taking so much time?" "All right, I shall finish today. Tomorrow I shall do that. At least I shall finish Arjuna tomorrow. Either his intimate friend Kṛṣṇa will have to break His promise or His friend will die. You'll see tomorrow." Because Kṛṣṇa said, "Arjuna, I am joining you, but I shall not fight. Do you want Me?" Still, Arjuna said, "Yes, I want You. You don't fight." And Duryodhana saw Kṛṣṇa divided, one side Himself and another side His eighteen aksauhini military force. So Duryodhana thought that "Better let me take the forces. If Kṛṣṇa does not fight, what shall I do with Him? Better take His forces." So Duryodhana accepted the military force, and Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa, with the promise that "I shall not fight. So I shall become your charioteer." So Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa, and Pitāmaha, the Grandfather Bhīṣmadeva, this is the scene.
So this bhakti-yoga or any yoga... Real yoga, or the first-class class yoga, is bhakti-yoga. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ. There are many yogis. Out of them, the bhakta-yogi... Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata āntarātmanā (BG 6.47). Without becoming a bhakta-yogi, nobody can think of Kṛṣṇa always. That is not possible. Satataṁ kīrtanyanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ. The bhakti-yoga we are teaching in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement twenty-four hours' engagement. Superficially we engage from four o'clock in the morning till ten o'clock at night, and that is resting time. But when one is advanced in devotional service, while sleeping he also serves Kṛṣṇa. That means twenty-four hours, satatam. That depends on Because in sleeping you also dream, so what we do during daytime we dream at night. So if one is cent percent engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, naturally he'll dream also at night. I have seen one of our intimate relative. He was a businessman, selling cloth. So in dream also he was quoting price of cloth. So that is natural. That is not unnatural. Therefore we have to practice. At the time of death, somehow or other, if we quote the price of Kṛṣṇa, then our life are successful. Therefore we should practice: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). If we practice Kṛṣṇa, then naturally it is expected that at the time of death we remember Kṛṣṇa. Then immediately we are transferred to the Kṛṣṇaloka, immediately. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Immediately. There is no doubt about it. Simple thing, but it requires practice.
So how to deal with devotee? Maitrī: to make friendship with him. Īśvare prema. And to the devotees, friendship; not with others, friendship. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised. When He was asked by a gṛhastha devotee how to behave like a Vaiṣṇava, what is the behavior of a Vaiṣṇava, He immediately answered that the standard Vaisnavism is asat-saṅga-tyāga,—ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra: (CC Madhya 22.87) "He must give up the company of asat, nondevotees." Asato mā sad gamaḥ. Don't associate with nondevotee. If you want to make progress, don't associate. Associate does not mean to talk with a nondevotee is association. No. That we have to do. As gentlemen, as devotee, we can. But not intimately. Associate means dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva, guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati ca. These are intimate relationship, dealing: giving something to your friend, accepting something from your friend, feeding your friend, accept food from him, and disclose your mind to your friend, and understand his mind. Ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam. So with devotee we should deal in six ways, ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti. Īśvare prema tad-adhīneṣu maitrī. This is friendly behavior.
So this is the beginning of saṁsāra. So there is attraction between man and woman, and as soon as the attraction becomes little intimate, they unite. Then they have children. Then they require money, apartment, so many things. This man became sinful. He gave up his real wife, married wife, coming from very good family, but he became attracted with that śūdrāṇī, fourth class. Śūdra means fourth class, worker class. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. So śūdra women, they are not chaste. Some of them are practically professional prostitute. But that is not in higher caste family—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. But at the present moment it is very difficult to distinguish who is brāhmaṇa and who is śūdra. But formerly this is the system of Vedic civilization—ideal character, ideal behavior of the brāhmaṇa; less, little less, kṣatriya; little less, vaiśya; and less than the vaiśya, the śūdra; and less than the śūdras are called caṇḍālas. First class, second class, third class, fourth class, and then fifth class.
So being pleased, He came before him. He came before him as if angry, but not... He was so pleased, that "You wanted to break My promise. I have broken it! Please save Arjuna; that is My request to you.' " He promised that "Now tomorrow I shall fight in such a way that either Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise, either, or His most intimate friend, beloved friend, Arjuna, will be killed." So this person is determining to kill Kṛṣṇa's friend, most intimate friend, and he's a mahājana. Just try to understand. Bhīṣma is accepted here as mahājana, as authority. And what was his business? He wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. Just try to understand. Therefore, we have to follow only the instruction of mahājana; otherwise, we'll be bewildered. Vaiṣṇave kriyā mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya (CC Madhya 23.39). We cannot understand what are the activities of Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. We have to simply follow their instruction. That's all. The sahajiyās, they do not follow the instruction. They imitate only: "Kṛṣṇa has made rāsa-līlā; so why not we also make rāsa-līlā?" It is going on, regularly.
One should be Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious, why? Because He is the master of your self and the most intimate friend, suhṛt. Yathā ātmeśvara. Ātmeśvara means we are individual self and He is the original Superself. Just like we, for the present we like this body, we love this body...why? Because the body is the production of the soul. Without soul, there is no body. Just like a child born. If the soul is there, the child will grow. If the child is born dead, however chemically you can keep up that body, it will never grow. So that is the significance of the presence of the soul. So as the body grows on account of presence of the soul, similarly, the soul, individual soul, is the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ: (BG 15.7) "All these living entities, they are My part and parcels." We are part and parcel of God. You can study. You can understand what is the nature of God by studying yourself because you are sample God. You are miniature, small God. Just like particle of gold is also small particle, it is also gold, similarly, because we are part and parcel of God, therefore there all the ingredients, all the chemical compounds in the God, we have got. (end)
Similarly, our human form of life, the aim should be to understand Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. That should be the aim of life. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. So here also, the same thing, viṣṇu pādopasarpaṇam yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya. Sarva-bhūtānām means all living entities. Priya, that is real dear object. Sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya ātmeśvaraḥ suhṛt. He is the proprietor of my self. He is Superself. Just like I love this body. Why? Because I am the spirit self, or soul is within this body. Therefore just like I love this apartment. Why? Because I live here. Similarly, I love this body because I am spirit soul, I am living within this body. Therefore I try to protect it. Real love is to myself. So naturally, if you love yourself, then this self is the part and parcel of the Superself. Therefore you love indirectly the Superself. And suhṛt, and He is your actually intimate friend. Suhṛt. Suhṛt means who is always wishing your good. The Vedic information says that the Supreme Lord as Supersoul is sitting with you in the same tree. The individual soul and the Supersoul is sitting in the heart and this body is considered as tree, and He is seeing your, my activities. He is trying to get me back to Godhead. So in whichever form of life I am transmigrating He is also going with me.
So a Vaiṣṇava can understand what kind of part he is playing. So in this way there are different activities going on, and they have been taken as different types of dharma. But real dharma is bhāgavata-dharma. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is dharma. That is called bhāgavata-dharma, intimate relationship with the Lord, Bhagavān. Brahmeti bhagavān iti... Brahmeti paramātmā iti bhagavān iti. Tattva-vit. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). There is no difference between Brahman and Paramātmā and Bhagavān. But still, there is difference. This is called acintya-bheda-bhedābheda. There are two kinds of philosophers, bheda and abheda, oneness and different. So these bheda, abheda, combine together. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's philosophy, acintya bheda abheda, simultaneously one and different. So other gods, they are also gods. We are also god. You are also god because god means controller. Your Honor, Chief Justice, he is also controlling the whole high-court. I am controlling this institution, you are controlling your family or office or factory. So in that sense everyone is god, controller. But he is not Supreme God, that is not. Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. We may be īśvara, god, but Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). That is the verdict of Lord Brahmā.
This is called sambandha-jñāna. (bells ring, Deities open) There are three things—sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. Sambandha means first of all we have to establish what is our relationship with God. This is called sambandha-jñāna. Any Vedic literature, it is dealing with three things—sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. Everywhere... In our relationship with mundane world... You are American. So American means the sambandha, the relationship. You have got intimate relationship with the country known as America. This is called sambandha. Unless you know what is your relationship with America there is no question of fighting for America, because the relationship is there. Similarly, in any country... This is, of course, artificial, man-made sambandha, externally. But the principle, to know first of all our relationship, then act accordingly and then the purpose for which we establish relationship, that is obtained. A businessman, he enters into business contract with another businessman. The agreement is there, that "We shall transact business as purchaser or seller, as agent or as principle." This is called sambandha-jñāna. If we do not know what is our sambandha, relationship with God, then why one should be interested to worship God? There is no question. Therefore sambandha-jñāna is the first principle to understand.
So similarly, our relationship with Viṣṇu is very, very intimate, very, very dear. It is not ordinary relationship. That is being explained. You cannot give up your very dear friend, very dear father and mother or servant. There are so many relationships: śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, mādhurya. In different relationship, Kṛṣṇa is very dear to us and we are also very dear to Him. You have seen the Kṛṣṇa's picture. He is patting the small deer because animal or man, everyone is dear to Him. And for animal or man or everyone, Kṛṣṇa is very dear. This is our relationship. So this artificial way of life, forgetting our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, is condemned therefore. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ... (SB 7.5.31). Here in this material world it is struggle for existence. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Simply struggle to become happy. Why this struggle? Because they have forgotten that Viṣṇu is, or Kṛṣṇa is very, very dear to him. He, instead of accepting Viṣṇu as very dear to him, he is accepting the māyā as very dear to him. This is the fault. Therefore he is not happy. Therefore struggle for existence.
So eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Therefore our relationship is very intimate. Not only my, but everyone, every living entity. Yad eṣa sarva-bhūtānāṁ priya ātmeśvaraḥ. Ātmeśvara, ātmā, self. So everyone's self means himself, the spirit soul, is very, very dear. Just like if there is some danger immediately, then we shall leave this place immediately and try to save our body from the danger. Why you are trying to save your body? "No, because it is very dear to me." Why it is so dear? "Because I am living within this body." So I love my body because I am living within the body. Anywhere you take. You love your house, love your home. Why? Because you are living there. So you are loving yourself. Then why you are loving yourself? What is the source of yourself? Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7).
"It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father." The Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa, is the seed-giving father of all living entities because the living entities are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord (mamaivāṁśo. .. jīva-bhūtaḥ (15.7)). As there is no difficulty in establishing the intimate relationship between a father and son, there is no difficulty in reestablishing the natural, intimate relationship between Nārāyaṇa and the living entities. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt: if one performs even very slight devotional service, Nārāyaṇa is always ready to save one from the greatest danger. The definite example is Ajāmila. Ajāmila separated himself from the Supreme Personality of Godhead by performing many sinful activities and was condemned by Yamarāja to be very severely punished, but because at the time of death he chanted the name of Nārāyaṇa, although he was calling not for the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa but for his son named Nārāyaṇa, he was saved from the hands of Yamarāja. Therefore, pleasing Nārāyaṇa does not require as much endeavor as pleasing one's family, community and nation. We have seen important political leaders killed for a slight discrepancy in their behavior. Therefore pleasing one's society, family, community and nation is extremely difficult. Pleasing Nārāyaṇa, however, is not at all difficult; it is very easy.
So anyone who takes up this endeavor on behalf of God to reclaim these conditioned souls back to Godhead, back to home, he is considered the most intimate devotee, dear devotee of the Lord. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścid me priya-kṛttamaḥ. If you want to become very dear to Kṛṣṇa or God, then try to take up these missionary activities. What is that? Spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased. If you want to live in a solitary place and perform yoga system for your personal elevation of self-realization, that is very good, undoubtedly. But if you try to convert others to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness platform, it is far better. Prahlāda Mahārāja, you'll find in his prayer, he'll say to the Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva, "My dear Lord," naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās, "this world is full of anxieties. That I know. And it is full of miserable condition. But I am not afraid. I am not afraid." Why you are not afraid? Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ: (SB 7.9.43) "Because I have taken to chanting of Your glorious activities. So when I chant Your glorious activities or Your glories, I become merged into the ocean of nectar.
So first we have to surrender by the regulative principle, by the order of the spiritual master: "You do this, you do that, you do this, you do that." Then gradually, ādau śraddhā, if you have got faith, then ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). Sādhu-saṅga means to associate with the bona fide spiritual master and abide by his order. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅga 'tha bhajana-kriyā. And as soon as you intimately associate with the spiritual master, he teaches you how to develop devotional service. Bhajana-kriyā. And if you are perfectly executing devotional service, then anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt, then all your misgivings and misunderstanding will be cleared. Then niṣṭha, then you get firm faith. Beginning is the faith, but when your misgivings are all, I mean to say, eradicated, then the firm..., faith becomes firm. Tato niṣṭha tataḥ rucis. Then after firm faith, you come to the stage of taste. It is very nice, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tato niṣṭha tataḥ rucis tathāsakti, then attachment. Then you cannot leave. Then ecstasy. Then you come to the stage of gopī love. Don't try to come to the stage of gopī immediately. First of all, follow the rules and regulation. Gradually, when misgivings are all gone, you have got firm faith, attachment, ecstasy, then come to this stage.(?) But the ideal is to come to that stage. Just like a student's ideal is to pass the M.A. examination. But that requires time and endeavor, patience. Not immediately.
So as soon as there are enemies, there is lamentation, anxiety. Śokāgninā. Such lamentation is just like fire of lamentation. Śokāgninā sakala-yoniṣu. If you think that only the human society such things are there—somebody's enemy, somebody's friend—no. In any society, any yoni... You have seen in the even in the sparrows, the bird society, they are also fighting. You have seen it. They are also mixing very intimately, again fighting, So either you take birds... Or dogs. They are famous for fighting. So this is going on: somebody very dear, somebody inimical and fighting between them. Sakala-yoniṣu dahyamānaḥ. You cannot get escape by avoiding one society and go to the other society. That is not possible. Thus fire of disagreement, enmity and friendship, it will go on, not only here, even in the heavenly planet. In the heavenly planet there is fight between the devas and asuras. The asuras are envious of the devas, and devas are also envious of the asuras. Everywhere. Even King Indra, he has got enemies although he's very opulent. We want to go to the heavenly planet for enjoying the opulence of that atmosphere, but there is also the same thing. (aside, coughing:) Water. So you cannot avoid it, Prahlāda Mahārāja says.
In more simplified way it has been described in the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: (BG 9.4) "I am all-pervasive." Avyakta-mūrtina. "That is also My feature." But this feature, Kṛṣṇa with flute in the hand, that feature is not present. That is called avyakta. Everything is Kṛṣṇa, but not in everything His original form is manifested. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam avyakta. Avyakta means nonmanifest, nonmanifested. He is everything. It can be compared just like your most intimate friend or family member is playing in the stage. So he is playing there, but still, you cannot recognize him. Naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā, Kuntīdevī has said. Just like the dramatist, the actor... He has dressed himself in such a way that although the actor is your very intimate friend or family, you cannot see. A child, suppose his father is a big actor. He is playing on the stage. So another family member says to the child, "You see your father." But he says, "Where is my father? Where is?" Naṭo nāṭyadharo yathā. Everything Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but because we are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, we cannot see Him. We are challenging, "Can you show me Kṛṣṇa?" You are seeing, but on account of material covering, you cannot see. Kṛṣṇa is there. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. He is everywhere. That is Kṛṣṇa. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). He is always in Goloka Vṛndāvana, but He is everywhere. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. We are sitting here, but we are not in our apartment. Limited. But Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. That is the difference. By foolishness we claim to become Kṛṣṇa, but that is foolishness. Kṛṣṇa is not like that, although He is present before us.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Therefore it is to be understood that the love with Kṛṣṇa in the platform of mādhurya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, sākhya-rasa, dāsya-rasa, śānta-rasa, that is the real platform, in the spiritual world. And because the love affairs are there in the Absolute, that is reflected in this relative world. And here is also the same love is there, but it is not very palatable. It is not without any fault. There are so many faults. Therefore real love can be reciprocated with Kṛṣṇa. In the material world, there cannot be any real love. Therefore the real love cannot be appreciated with our, this material senses. Whatever we appreciate or experience by the material senses, that is not love, that is lust. Motive. There is some motive. One is friend of another person, very intimate friends, both of them have got some motive. As soon as the motive is frustrated, they separate. These things, we find. Even husband and wife, as soon as the sense gratification is disturbed, immediately there is divorce between husband and wife. So... (aside, in response to background noise:) What is this outside?
Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all rasas. Rasa is a very peculiar word. Rasa, it may be translated into English as "taste," as "mellow," or as "humor." So our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, there is some taste. Without taste, we cannot continue our relationship with anyone. There must be some taste. So these rasas, or tastes, are twelve kinds. Primary rasa is the relationship between inert things and our... Just like I am sitting on this chair. So the comfort I am feeling, that is the rasa, taste. We want very nice cushion, sitting position. So that tasting, that "I am now comfortably seated," this is called śānta-rasa. Then above the śānta-rasa, there is dāsya-rasa. Dāsya-rasa... Just like my students, my disciples, they want to serve me, and I want to take service from them. This is also an exchange of rasa, a taste. Śānta, dāsya. Similarly, next advanced stage is sakhya-rasa. Sakhya means friendship. Just like one is serving somebody, but if that service is very intimate, then there is the rasa of friendship, dāsa, sakhya-rasa. And when that is advanced... (feedback) (aside:) What is this sound? When that is advanced, it becomes vātsalya-rasa. Vātsalya-rasa means the taste of relationship between parents and the children. These are advanced. Śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, and then vātsalya-rasa, parenthood, filial love. And above this, there is mādhurya-rasa. Mādhurya-rasa means the taste between husband and wife, lover and the beloved. That is called mādhurya-rasa. Similarly... These are the primary rasas. (aside:) The draft is coming this side, or...? It is open.
Prabhupāda: This tulasī. big plant, while passing it should not touch your cloth. It is not ordinary plant. Very careful. Or it should not be kept there. Be careful. Go on.
Mādhavānanda: "Others, who are less intelligent, or those whose intelligence has been taken away by the spell of māyā, are attached to different demigods on account of the influence of the modes of nature. The wise man is he who has clearly understood that he is not..., that he is spirit soul and not simply a body. Because he realizes that he is spirit and that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Spirit, he knows that his intimate relationships should be with Kṛṣṇa, not with this body. The distressed and the man who wants money are in the material concept of life because distress and need of money are both in relationship with this body. One who is inquisitive may be a little above the distressed and the man in need of money, but still he is on the material platform. But a wise man who seeks Kṛṣṇa knows perfectly well that he is spirit soul, or Brahman, and that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme spirit soul, or Para-brahman. He knows that the spirit soul, being subordinate and finite..."
Prabhupāda: Where it is?
Mādhavānanda: At the bottom of thirty-one.
Prabhupāda: Eh? Thirty-one?
Mādhavānanda: At the bottom of the page.
Prabhupāda: Go on.
That's not very important. They are, they think that mokṣa is very exalted position. Therefore Śrīdhara Swami says mokṣa, mokṣa-vāñchā paryantaṁ nirastam. Mokṣa-vāñchā paryantaṁ nirastam. Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ vāstava vastu vedyam atra (SB 1.1.2). So in Bhāgavata says that "This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant by the, meant for the paramahaṁsas, not for ordinary man." Ordinary man, they are after dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. First of all, nowadays, even they do not care for dharma. They're animals. Really human life begins when they take to religious principles. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. So dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa, gradually improvement, and devotional service is above mokṣa. Therefore dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra (SB 1.1.2). Kaitavo, cheating. As soon as there is some motive, that is cheating religion. But bhakti, there is no such thing, dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. It is above, transcendental. Therefore it is meant for the paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām. Nirmatsara. Nirmatsara means envious..., not envious. Matsaratā. Parā utkarṣaṇam asahanam (?), Śrīdhara Swami says. If in, if somebody is advancing, somebody is making improvement, his neighbors, his friends, even most intimate friends, they also become envious: "Oh, this man is advancing so much. This man is becoming so rich, so popular." Envious. So Vaiṣṇava is not envious. If somebody advances more than him, he appreciates: "Oh, he's so nice that he has advanced more than me. I could not serve Kṛṣṇa in such a nice way." That is Vaiṣṇavism. And if one is envious—"Oh, this man is going so fast. Let him, let us put some impediments on this path"—he's not Vaiṣṇava; he's hīnasya jantuḥ. He's animal. Vaiṣṇava cannot be envious. Therefore Vaiṣṇava cult... This is paramo nirmatsarāṇām (SB 1.1.2). No matsaratā, no enviousness. Satām, devotees. Devotees means he must be nirmatsara.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
You have to understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ, in truth, not superficially. Then you'll misunderstand. Without understanding Kṛṣṇa, if we try to understand Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with Rādhārāṇī, that is foolishness. But they do not know Kṛṣṇa. How can understand His pastimes with the gopīs? That is foolishness. Therefore we have to understand Kṛṣṇa first of all, and Kṛṣṇa Himself, explaining Himself. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa does not speak anything about His pastimes with Rādhārāṇī. That is strictly prohibited. You never find Kṛṣṇa is speaking about His pastimes with the gopīs or with Rādhārāṇī. No. He's officially speaking about Himself, "I am this, I am that." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). First of all try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Thoroughly study Bhagavad-gītā, and after studying Bhagavad-gītā, if you are fortunate enough to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then, Kṛṣṇa says, surrender. That is the beginning of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to understand the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs. Just like if you make a friend, ordinarily, if you become intimate friend, then you can understand about his household affairs. If you are newly a gentleman introduced with another gentleman, you cannot ask him, "What is the affair in your household or with your wife or with your beloved?" That you cannot ask, neither it is possible to understand.
Such a difficult subject matter: Kṛṣṇa. "You are not only giving Kṛṣṇa, but You are giving Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa." You can meet somebody, some exalted person, you can see, but to become an intimate relationship with such exalted person in love, that is not very easy thing. I can meet the president or some exalted person, but to become in love with him in intimacy, that is not easy job. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu distributed this Kṛṣṇa love immediately, anyone. That is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu's contribution to the human society. If you simply become under the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then love of Kṛṣṇa is very easily achieved. Therefore it is said: tāṅhāra caraṇāśrita, sei baḍa dhanya (CC Adi 7.2). He's glorified because he receives... To become under the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu means you have got Kṛṣṇa. You have already got. That is the verdict of the śāstra and Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Because Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, does not give anything else. Simply directly gives you Kṛṣṇa and His love. And to award this greatest benediction to the human society, He took sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four years only in this land of Māyāpur, Navadvīpa. It is very glorified place. It is not ordinary place.
So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He's preaching about Himself, because without knowing, without understanding the tattva, vetti māṁ tattvataḥ, without understanding the Absolute Truth as He is, there is no question of getting out of the clutches of māyā. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). "One who surrenders unto Me," Kṛṣṇa says, "he can get out of the clutches of māyā." Māyā means this material life. We have forgotten ourself, that we are intimately related with Kṛṣṇa, we have got a special function on His behalf. Just like part and parcel of my body: the finger has got a special function the leg has got a special function, the head has got a special function; similarly, we all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we have got a special function in relationship with the Lord. When we are forgetful of this special relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is called conditional life or material life. Material life means we do not serve Kṛṣṇa but we serve our senses—kāma, krodha, lobha, moha, mātsarya, like that. That is material life. We are serving, there is no doubt about it, but every one of us we are serving our senses. Kāmādīnāṁ katidhā na katidhā pālitā durnideśa.
So here the Absolute Truth, when He is realized as the Supreme Person, as Brahmā is realizing, yan-mitram... He is realizing that Kṛṣṇa, who is playing as a cowherd boy in Vṛndāvana, and He has become the most intimate friend of the residents of Vṛndāvana, headed by Nanda Mahārāja... Nanda Mahārāja was the zamindar rāja. He was vaiśya. He had 900,000's of cows, and he was the head of Vṛndāvana. All other cowherds men were his tenants or friends or family members. So Kṛṣṇa automatically became their very, very dear friend. That is the significance of the residents of Vṛndāvana. They... Their love for Kṛṣṇa was so ecstatic that they did not know anything except Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Brahmā says, aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyam: "How fortunate these residents of Vṛndāvana are that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has become their friend." And Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa-brahma sanātanam, not that He has assumed a body like a human being and He is imperson. No. Just like Māyāvādī philosophers, they take it, they concoct like that, that "Ultimately the Absolute Truth is impersonal, but when He descends..." I do not know how the impersonal can be "He." So that theory is refuted hereby because it is the statement of Brahmā, and he says that Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa-brahma sanātanam.
The goal of life is, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu will explain, that we are intimately related with God. Someway or other, we are fallen down in this material world, and we are by mistake accepting this body as self, and we are being trained up also only to see the bodily interests just like cats and dogs. The animals also, they are interested with the body only. They have no other interest. But if a human being is kept in the same darkness, simply bodily interest, that is a great disadvantage. So Sanātana Gosvāmī, he understands that, because he has already begun,
'ke āmi', 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya'
- ihā nāhi jāni-'kemane hita hara'
There are so many things with which we have to struggle. This is called struggle for existence. Even the modern scientists, they call... It is not a very peaceful situation. The same question was raised by Sanātana Gosvāmī that Why there should be struggle for existence? Why not easy life, peaceful life? Why some outer elements, they are giving us opposition? I want to be happy, but there is opposition.
Arjuna also, when he became perplexed whether he should fight or not, he surrendered to Kṛṣṇa and accepted Him as his spiritual master. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "Actually I am deviating from my duty, so I am perplexed. What to do? Therefore I know..." Arjuna knew it perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa, although He is friend, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That was known to Arjuna. All the Pāṇḍava family members, they knew. Kurus also, they knew. Otherwise how it was possible to deal with Kṛṣṇa as family member? Kṛṣṇa was... In His human form of life He was related with the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas by family relationship. Kṛṣṇa's father's sister, Kuntī, was the mother of the Pāṇḍavas, and Kuntī was the family daughter-in-law in the Kurus' family. So they were very intimately related. Duryodhana's daughter was married with Kṛṣṇa's son. So these two families, they were very intimately related. But they knew that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You'll read in Kuntī's stotra. She was praying to Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although Kṛṣṇa was offering His obeisances to the aunt, Kuntī. Similarly, Nārada Muni also, when he entered the royal assembly of Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā, Kṛṣṇa received him by standing from His throne and taking the dust of his feet, although Nārada knows that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, whenever he used to meet Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, He was giving His respect by touching his feet, and Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira embracing Him as younger brother. But they knew, all, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So you... Impersonal conception of Godhead, localized conception of Godhead or universal form of God, pantheism, monism—they are not perfect. If you want to know perfectly, then bhakti... It is stated in everywhere, in all Vedic literatures, evidentially in Bhagavad-gītā, which is present before us, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Everywhere you will find this only way, that devotional service. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Tattvataḥ means "in fact." Partially you can know, but in complete... Of course, God cannot be known in complete, but the highest point a human being or a living entity can reach... That, the only process, through bhakti... Bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām. Śraddhā ātmā priyaḥ satām. That bhakti, that process of devotional service, is very dear to the actual transcendentalist, very dear. Bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā. Man-niṣṭhā. To know simply "I believe in God," that is not sufficient. The ultimate goal is to attain very intimate relationship or love of Godhead. That is required. Of course, to know, to believe in God, to accept God, that is all right. It is better than the atheist. But that is not end. You must develop yourself. You must... You should not simply make God as your order-supplier, but you should be order-supplier. When I become order-supplier to God, that is my perfection. And so long I keep God as my order-supplier, that is not bhakti. Generally, people keep God as his order-supplier: "O God, give us our daily bread," "O God, I am in distress, "O God, I am in difficulty, "O God, I am..." God supplies them. God is supplying. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. But that is not ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is that you should supply God. God will be dependent on you. That is bhakti.
Now, we are aspiring after possessing something, possessiveness. What we should possess? The possession is Kṛṣṇa, and desire is reciprocation between Kṛṣṇa and myself, and the ultimate end is love. That's all. Just like we have got perverted reflection of that love here between the two lovers. They don't want anything. He wants she, and she wants he. That's all. That is desire and their reciprocation of loving affairs and the ultimate end, that they are peaceful in love. This is only perverted reflection of the real love, which is reciprocated with Kṛṣṇa. Here there is no possibility of love. This is all lust. But we call it love because it is just a reflection. Just a real... That is real, and this is unreal. Just like shadow and reality. There is gulf of difference between the shadow and reality. So whatever love we see in this world, that love is only a perverted reflection of that real love with Kṛṣṇa.
- vedādi sakala śāstre kṛṣṇa-mukhya sambandha
- tāṅra jñāne ānuṣaṅge yāya māyā-bandha
So a devotee is not anxious for liberation because his intimate connection with Kṛṣṇa means he is liberated. One cannot be in intimate touch with Kṛṣṇa unless one is liberated. So liberation and intimate connection with Kṛṣṇa, the same thing.
He is addressing Sanātana Gosvāmī. You'll remember that this chapter, "Instruction to Sanātana Gosvāmī," was begun when Sanātana Gosvāmī, after his retirement, approached the Lord at Benares and surrendered himself and asked Him, "What I am?" So under that question, He is describing his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa. The jīvātmā, the living entity, is eternally servitor of Kṛṣṇa, and one should understand the nature of his master so that his service attitude, his affection, may be more intimate. Suppose I am serving at a place. I am engaged in a service to a master, but I do not know how big is my master. But when I understand the influence and opulence and greatness of my master, I become more devoted: "Oh, my master is so great." So therefore simply knowing, "God is great, and I have got some relationship with God," that is not sufficient. You must know how much great He is. Of course, you cannot calculate, but as far as possible, you should know how great He is.
Therefore Viṣṇu and Śiva, the difference is that Viṣṇu is never in touch of this illusory energy, or material energy, but Śiva is in intimate touch with the material energy. That is the difference between Śiva and Viṣṇu.
- śivaḥ śakti-yuktaḥ śaśvat
- triliṅgo guṇa-saṁvṛtaḥ
- vaikārikas taijasaś ca
- tāmasaś cety ahaṁ tridhā
- harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt
- puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ
Now, Hari, Viṣṇu is beyond this material world. That is accepted by Śaṅkarācārya. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa, Hari... Although Śaṅkarācārya is impersonalist, but he has accepted Nārāyaṇa, Hari, the Supreme Lord, as beyond this material infection. Nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ avyaktāt. And he has also agreed to accept Kṛṣṇa. Sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. It is accepted by Śaṅkarācārya. Those who are reading the commentary by Śaṅkarācārya on the Bhagavad-gītā, he will find in the beginning of that nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ. So it is also confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt: "Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is beyond the touch of this material qualities."
As person, Himself, that expansion is called Viṣṇu-tattva. And the vibhinnāṁśa, separated expansion, we are, living entities. We are also expansion. The expansion of Viṣṇu-tattva is just like Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, all the incarnation, all Viṣṇu-tattva, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha. There are so many thousands and millions of expansions, svāṁśa, personal self and separated self. We are also Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel expansion; therefore we have got intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
- svāṁśa-vibhinnāṁśa-rūpe hañā vistāra
- ananta vaikuṇṭha-brahmāṇḍe karena vihāra
So Kṛṣṇa is both in the spiritual world and the material world. Because we represent Kṛṣṇa, we are in this brahmāṇḍa conditioned. But there are many living entities who are eternally liberated. They never come to this. How it is, that? Just like the ocean and the rivers. In river, in the river, you will find fishes, and in the ocean you will find fishes. But the... Sometimes it may be that the fishes of the river may go to the ocean, but the fishes of the ocean never comes to the river. Never comes to the river. There is no place for them. This is a crude example.
Sri Isopanisad Lectures
The jñānīs and demons, they are offered the same place. The jñānīs... Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). They practice severe austerities, penances, to enter into the Brahman effulgence. But the demons, simply by becoming enemy of Kṛṣṇa, they immediately get that place. The demons who are killed by Kṛṣṇa, they are immediately transferred to this Brahman effulgence. So just imagine, the place which is given to the enemies of Kṛṣṇa, is that very covetable thing? Suppose if somebody comes who is my enemy, I give him some place, and somebody, my intimate friend, I give him some other place. Similarly, this Brahman effulgence is not at all covetable. Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatīpāda, he has composed a verse, that Brahman... Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Kaivalya means the Brahman effulgence, simply spiritual light. So kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. He says that this Brahman effulgence is just like hell. For a devotee, this Brahman... The jñānīs who are trying to merge into the Brahman effulgence, for devotee it is stated as hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. Tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5). And tri-daśa-pūr means the planets of the demigods within this material world. People are very much anxious to go into the heavenly planet.
Festival Lectures
We are within this material world on account of this pravṛtti, sense enjoyment. Those who are inclined to sense enjoyment and do not care to know what is the aim of life, they are called asuras. And those who are trying to avoid the entanglement of this material life and revive the whole original life... Whole original life means Kṛṣṇa conscious life. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, our original consciousness is that "I have got intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa as His part and parcel." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the, my conception is the bodily conception, that "I am this body. I am born in this country; therefore I belong to this nation, I belong to this community, I belong to this family, I belong to this species," this is called pravṛtti-mārga. This is scientific division, pravṛtti-mārga and nivṛtti-mārga. Why the scientific? Because it is the fact. Science means fact. I am not this body. I am spirit soul. That is, just like a man suffering from some disease, so that is not his normal life to suffer from some disease. Normal life is to keep healthy life, no disease. That is normal life.
So Dr. Bose, Kartik Chandra Bose, he's a very important man. At that time he was managing director of Bengal Chemical Company. Now there is a street in the central Calcutta, Dr. Kartik Bose Street. So he was very important man, and he was our family physician and my father's very intimate friend. So when I gave up my education and I was joining Gandhi's movement, at that time Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose asked me to join him. So with the permission of my father, I joined. So I was fond of, at that time, this Gandhi's noncooperation movement. And then, when I joined Dr. Bose's laboratory, of course, I was dressed in khādar. So Dr. Bose liked that dress, khādar dress. He told me one day that "Out of your whole Gandhi's movement, I like this khādar only." Dr. Bose said. And why? "No, because this will give impetus to industry. This hand spinning will gradually give impetus to India." Actually that happened. He was himself an industrialist. Actually in India the chemical industry was given birth by Dr. Kartik Chandra Bose. He was very important man. He started this Bengal Chemical.
So 1922 I met my Guru Mahārāja through the exigency of my intimate friend, Mr. Narendranath Mullik. And I would not go. He told me information, "There is a nice sādhu. Let us go and see." I did not like very much these sādhus in those days, national spirit.
So in this way, I passed from 1923 to 1928, I think. Then during Kumbhamelā... (child making noise) Stop that noise he's making. In 1928 my Guru Mahārāja, along with other disciples, came to Allahabad for starting their branch there. So some gentlemen known to me might have told them that "The proprietor of such and such business, Prayāga Pharmacy, he's a very nice gentleman. He can help you in so many ways." So they came to me, and I saw the same saintly persons whom I met 1922. I was very glad to receive. In this way, my connection was more intimate with my Guru Mahārāja. And in 1936, or 1933, I was initiated officially, although I was initiated 1922. But officially, I was initiated in 1933, although from 1922 to 1933 I was always thinking of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. So in 1936, he was to pass away by 31st December. So I do not know... Out of my own accord, I wrote him one letter that "Guru Mahārāja, you have got many disciples. Some of them are directly serving you. I could not do so. I am a householder. So if you give me some direct service to you, it will be very kind of you." So he replied that letter, that "You try to preach in English language. Then the persons who will be instructed by you and both yourself will be benefited." Again, he said the same thing which he ordered me in 1922 at the first sight. Then there... He passed away 1936, 31st December.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So try to present Kṛṣṇa as He is. People will be attracted, because everyone has got Kṛṣṇa's intimate relationship. We are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁso jīva bhūta (BG 15.7), all living entities, not only human being, other than human being, everyone, all living entities. They have got different bodies only, according to their different desires and inclinations. Otherwise, every living entity from..., beginning from Brahma down to an insect, a small ant, they are all living entities, and they are all parts and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, or God. We are all part and parcel of God. Therefore, just like you are part and parcel of your parent, so there is some intimate relationship with your parents. It cannot be broken, even if you are absent from home for many years. Still, when you go home, meet your parents, the old relationship—affectionate father, mother and son—immediately you'll revive. It does not take much time—because the son was long, long away from father, and he has come back, he takes another hundred years to establish the relation.
So if you rightly fan it over, and you'll see very soon, the fire will come out again. So how fanning? Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte. You kindly hear about Kṛṣṇa śuddha-citta, without any embarrassment, without being biased to something else. Śuddha-citte. If you... then Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or love for Kṛṣṇa, will automatically awaken, simply by hearing. That is happening. What we are doing? We are chanting everywhere "Hare Kṛṣṇa," and people are coming for hearing. We're not bribing them that "You take some money and become a member of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement." Rather they are paying. So how it is happening, unless that Kṛṣṇa consciousness (is) within him? Try to understand that. Everyone, it doesn't matter when he is born, what he is, what profession he's not—whatever he may be. Simply if he hears about Kṛṣṇa. Just like after very, very long time, if you hear something which was very intimately known to you, you immediately become attracted: "Oh, that sound is again coming." You see. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is our original father. As soon as we hear about Kṛṣṇa, naturally we shall be inclined to hear about Him more and more. So the more you hear, the more you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and more our life becomes successful. Then you go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process.
Indian man (3): Parābhava, defeated.
Prabhupāda: Defeat. And one is subodha, he is victory. So human life is meant for becoming subhodha, not abodha. But they are keeping abodha. This is difficulty. Everyone is abodha.
Indian man (2): Mahārāja, I had a gentleman talking to me who is very intimate with Sanjaya Gandhi. And he was telling me that Sanjaya Gandhi very forcefully hinted, "Why are you people not working now? Why is the Arya-samaj silent? Why the other powerful sects and movements are not working? Why have you taken this country into the hands of Muslims?" These were his words. "Why do you want that the country should depend, or the government should depend, on the support of Muslims? What are you doing? Why don't you come up?"
Indian man (1): But our government is supporting them, you see.
Indian man (2): Swami Mahārāja said that they are forces which when if you want to keep yourself in power, you have to sometimes ban and this...
Indian man (3): That's true.
Prabhupāda: No. Apart from government, the first thing is... Sometimes we say, "Rāma-rājya." The Rāma-rājya means... There is a verse in Bhāgavatam that when Lord Rāmacandra took charge of the, after coming back from the forest, His brother Bhārata surrendered and He took charge of the kingdom. So the residents, the subjects, are described as a varṇāśrama guṇanvita (?).
Initiation Lectures
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Seven: Instructing the Lord's name to the unfaithful."
Prabhupāda: Yes, this initiation is not canvassing. We don't canvass that "You become our disciple." Anyone who understands, "Oh, this is very nice," if he comes, "Swamijī, initiate me," he is welcome. But there is no canvassing or selling the mantra. No. We have no such business. We give everyone freedom to hear this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any charges. We go from door to door, street to street: "Hear and be purified." And if anyone wants to be intimately associated with us, we welcome. But we don't canvass. That is no use. If I artificially ask somebody that "You become initiated and...," no, that will not stand. One must willingly come. Therefore, as a general principle, we distribute this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. But if we find somebody reluctant, then we become callous. We don't mind. There are many others.
Devotee: (chants praṇāma mantras)
Prabhupāda: So those who are initiated now, you're path is now open to Kṛṣṇa's abode. Satāṁ prasaṅga: by association of devotees. Satām, satām means devotees. Sat, sat means, that exists eternally, is called sat. Kṛṣṇa is sat, om tat sat. So devotees are also sat. So satāṁ prasaṅga, by association... Prasaṅga means very intimate association. Saṅga means association, and pra means still elevated or intimate association. Kṛṣṇa's words, Kṛṣṇa's teachings, Kṛṣṇa's topics, they become very palatable in the association of devotees. In the association of nondevotees one can not understand Kṛṣṇa, neither it becomes very palatable. Bhagavad-gītā is well known in your country, since a very long time. There are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā in your country, Indian and foreign editions. Many. But nobody could become a Kṛṣṇa conscious, a Kṛṣṇa's devotee, because they were not discussed amongst the devotees. They took it, Bhagavad-gītā, as table talks or some sort of philosophical... They could not seriously understand Kṛṣṇa, because the writing or discussing or discourses took place amongst the nondevotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt. But if you actually (indistinct) Kṛṣṇa, then you have to talk of Kṛṣṇa amongst devotees. We are opening different centers just to give people chance. They may have intimate association with the devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgāt mama vīrya-saṁvido. Vīrya-saṁvida. Vīrya means full potency. Mama vīrya-saṁvida bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ. Hṛd means heart and karṇa means ear. Rasāyanāḥ means pleasing, very pleasing, tasteful, rasāyanāḥ.
General Lectures
So the benefit will be that gradually you shall understand what you are. The whole civilization, modern civilization, is going on under a wrong impression that "I am this body." In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that "One who goes on with the concept of the body, he is no better than an ass or cow." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke... (SB 10.84.13). It is a very long verse. But actually we are not this body. So if we chant this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then I can understand what I am. And as soon as I understand that I am not this body, then my activities become different, because at the present moment I am acting on the concept of my life as this body. Because this body is born of a particular place in a particular country, therefore I am saying that "I am American," or "Indian," or "China" or "German," due to this body. And because I have got relationship with some woman with this body, therefore I accept the woman as my wife. There are hundreds of thousands of women, but the woman who has got relationship with this body is my wife. There are thousands and millions of children, but one child who has got intimate relation with this body I call my son. So if the body falsely identified, then we can understand that our identification with this world is also false. The real identification is, as it is stated in the Vedic literature, ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." "I am Brahman" means "I am spirit soul. I am not this matter." So this misconception has to be removed. Of course, it is not possible that everyone will understand or everyone will be able to understand it, but even a certain percentage of the human society can understand, immediately there is solution of so many problems—to understand ahaṁ brahmāsmi. And how that solution is made, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. They used to dress themselves because..., and go before Kṛṣṇa with nice dress, "Oh, He'll be happy to see." Generally, a boy or a man becomes happy to see his lover or wife nicely dressed. That is... Therefore it is the nature of the woman to dress nice. And according to Vedic system, a woman should dress very nicely just to satisfy her husband. That is the Vedic system. If her husband is not at home, then she should not dress nicely. There are injunctions. Proṣita bhartṛkā. There are different dresses of woman. By seeing the dress one will understand what she is. One can understand by seeing the dress that she is unmarried girl. One can see simply by the dress that she is married wife. One can see by the dress that she is widow. One can see by the dress that she is prostitute. So dress is so important. So proṣita bhartṛkā. So we are not going to discuss about the social. We are discussing about love affairs of Kṛṣṇa. So gopīs... Kṛṣṇa and gopīs, the relationship was so intimate and so unalloyed that Kṛṣṇa Himself admitted, "My dear gopīs, it is not in My power to repay you about your loving affairs." Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He became bankrupt, that "My dear gopīs, it is not possible for Me to repay your debts which you have created by loving Me." So that is the highest perfection of love. Ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū.
Yes. The point is that what is the constitutional position of the spirit soul is very elaborately discussed in the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā. Now the last instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā, as Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He has instructed to Arjuna all kinds of yoga system, all kinds of religious ritualistic process, sacrifice, and philosophical speculation, the constitutional position of this body, constitutional position of the soul. Everything He has described in the Bhagavad-gītā. And at last He says to Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, because you are My very intimate and dear friend, therefore I say the most confidential part of Vedic knowledge." And what is that? "You simply surrender unto Me." That's all. People are not inclined to surrender; therefore he has to learn so many things. Just like a child, he has simply a feeling of surrender to the parents, he's happy. There is no need of learning philosophy how to live very happily. The child is completely dependent on the care of parents and he's happy. Simple philosophy. But because we have advanced in civilization, in knowledge, therefore we want to understand this simple philosophy in so many jugglery of words. That's all. So if you want to learn in jugglery of words, then this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not lacking. We have got volumes of books of philosophy. But if you accept this simple process, that we have to... God is great and we are part and parcel; therefore my duty is to serve and surrender unto God. That's all.
"The śānti, peace, real peace, can be achieved simply by understanding that God is the proprietor and God is the enjoyer of everything—that conception." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram. And suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām: "And He is the friend, most intimate friend, well-wisher friend of everyone." And He is seated with everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati: (BG 18.61) "My dear Arjuna, the Supreme Lord is seated with every living entity." So according to Vedic literature, Upaniṣad, we understand that the Supreme Lord, in His localized aspect, He is all-pervading. He is present everywhere. Not only that He is present in the church, but He is outside church, everywhere. It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayān..., "He is present even within the atom." That is omnipresence. So He is present within you. It is not that you have to search out God anywhere else, but you can search out within yourself. And that searching process is called yoga. Our this subject matter today is yoga. That means to search out your self. Meditation means you have to meditate upon what you are. Are you this body? Are you this finger? Are you this head? You analyze one after another. You will find that you are not this.
Mahārāja. (Hindi) Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi) (break) ...gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te. Your Highness, Her Highness, and Ladies and Gentlemen, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has a very intimate relationship with the kṣatriya family. Lord Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Long, long years ago He was speaking in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra that about many, many thousands of millions of years ago He spoke the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā to Vivasvān, the predominating deity of the sun globe. And from Vivasvān the sūrya-vaṁśa kṣatriyas are coming. From Vivasvān, Vaivasvata Manu, because Manu is the son of Vivasvān the sun-god. And from Manu, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku descended, and he is the original king in the Raghu-vaṁśa dynasty, wherein Lord Rāmacandra took His birth. Similarly, in the Candra-vaṁśa Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared. So from historical reference we see that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears on this earth, in this universe, He takes pleasure to appear in some kṣatriya family. And both Rāmacandra and Bhagavān Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared in kṣatriya families, and they acted as kṣatriya. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). Kṣatriya king has got two functions.
In every country, in Japan also. That was the system all over the world, the relationship between the citizen and the king. Gradually, with the progress of the Kali-yuga, Mahārāja Parīkṣit was the last kṣatriya king to give protection all over the world. And when he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa boy, his father regretted that "My dear boy, you have brought a scar amongst the brāhmaṇa society by cursing a king like Mahārāja Parīkṣit." So Mahārāja Parīkṣit was protected by Kṛṣṇa. He could counteract it, but still, he tolerated that punishment or the curse given by a brāhmaṇa boy. He immediately resigned from his royal throne, handing over the charge to his son. And he retired on the bank of the Ganges although he had only seven days' time to live. And during those seven days the whole Bhāgavata was recited. So, I mean to say, the royal family has got very intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And as soon as that was broken, because sometimes it breaks, the religious process declined and the royal power also declined. That is the whole history of the world.
So this movement, from very old days, beginning from that sun-god, and again five thousand years ago between Lord Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas, the pious kings. So this movement has got very intimate relationship with the kṣatriya kings. So I would request Your Highness... Both, you are sitting. If you kindly give us a little place here in Indore, we can immediately start a nice center. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that,
- yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
- sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
- harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
- mano-rathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ
- (SB 5.18.12)
That "If anyone has got devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he develops all the good qualities." Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī. Because he was a devotee, he did not distinguish the king, whether he was Muhammadan or Hindu. He immediately accepted that "You are representative of Kṛṣṇa." That is the version. Arjuna, because he was a devotee, although he was in the battlefield, he was insulted, his wife was insulted, his kingdom was usurped, still, he said, "Better not to fight and kill my kinsmen."
So therefore the greatest art is to understand Kṛṣṇa. Greatest art. If we actually want to be artist, then we shall try to understand or try to be intimately associated with the greatest artist, Kṛṣṇa. For this purpose, this society is established. This Society's name is International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. The members of this Society are trained to see in everything the display of Kṛṣṇa's artistic sense. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In everything the devotee sees the artistic hand of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And actually that is so. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate (BG 10.8). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that "Whatever you see, everything is emanation from Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. "Everything comes out of My energy." Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. Everything. Iti matvā: one who understands this fact that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything, sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam... (Bs. 5.1).
So Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much. The Gāyatrī mantra, which you have chanted just now, we also chant the same Gāyatrī mantra: oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ bhargo devasya dhīmahi. So we have got Gāyatrī mantra general, as well as specific. Just like we have got Gāyatrī mantra for Guru-Gaurāṅga, then Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, that completes the Gāyatrī mantra. So this Gāyatrī mantra is also mentioned in the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is the statement, satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1). Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi, this dhīmahi mantra is in reference to the Gāyatrī. So we have got very intimate relationship. You have uttered the name of Puṇḍarīkākṣam, Nārāyaṇa, these are very known terms in the Bhāgavata pṛṣṭam(?). Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya has mentioned about Nārāyaṇa, nārāyaṇa parā avyaktāt. Nārāyaṇa is the Personality of Godhead beyond this material world.
Yes. By chanting the holy name of God, you associate with God. God is Absolute. He is not different from His name. So when you chant God's name, means you immediately become in touch with God. And by chanting more and more, your association becomes more and more intimate. Then everything is disclosed to you. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
- bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
- dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
- yena mām upayānti te
- (BG 10.10)
If you keep in touch with God with faith and love, then God is within yourself. He will give you intelligence how you can go back to home, back to Godhead. There are many different processes or yoga systems to be in touch with God, but for the people in this age, this is the easiest method, to be in touch with God simply by chanting His holy name.
So every human being should accept this mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and that is the purport of the verse Rūpa Gosvāmī first offered to Lord Caitanya, that namo mahā-vadānyāya: "You are the most munificent incarnation." Why? Now, "You are distributing Kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Godhead. People do not know what is God, and You are distributing love of Godhead." One cannot love anybody unless he knows the other party very well or very intimate dealings. Then there is question of love. Love, there is no question of love. If I do not know you, you do not know me, when we live ten thousand miles away, there is no question of love. Love means when there is intimacy. So to understand God is very difficult. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,
- manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
- kaścid yatati siddhaye
- yatatām api siddhānāṁ
- kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ
- (BG 7.3)
He, God said, Kṛṣṇa said, that "Out of many millions of person, one is interested to make his life success." This is not success, that "I can eat whatever I like. There is no checking. And I have got very nice car, and I have got very nice apartment. And I have got nice bank balance. So now life is, my, perfect." This is not perfection, because we are under the grip of the laws of material nature. Material nature is controlling.
Bhārata-bhūmi, those who are born in India, their business is to do welfare activities throughout the whole world, because the whole world is in darkness about understanding the Supreme Person with whom we have got very intimate relationship because we are part and parcel. Just like your son is part and parcel of your body. Somehow or other, if he forgets and goes out of home, you are anxious to see that your son comes back. A son may have become mad. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa, He is the son of... Kṛṣṇa is the father of all living entities. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrt..., ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: (BG 14.4) "I am the seed-giving father." So Kṛṣṇa is very, very anxious to take us back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa's desire. Therefore He comes personally, He sends His representative, He leaves behind Him Bhagavad-gītā, so we can take advantage and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our real happiness. Any man who is wandering in the foreign countries without any shelter, without any security, his happiness is when he goes back to home, back to Godhead.
Departure Talks
Somebody is doing something. Everything—nirbandhe kṛṣṇa sambandhe, in relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Because the relationship is there with Kṛṣṇa, then every activity which you are doing, that is complete. There is no such material distinction. Just like here in the material world somebody is sitting in the office chair and somebody is cleansing the office, so the cleaner is supposed to be lower than the officer, but in the spiritual world there is no such distinction. The officer and the cleaner, they are of the same importance. That is even Kṛṣṇa, with Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual world. In Vṛndāvana the cowherds boys, they are playing with Kṛṣṇa on equal terms. They do not know Kṛṣṇa is God. They simply know how to love Kṛṣṇa, that's all. There is no need of thinking that "Kṛṣṇa is greater than the other cowherds boy. They are living entities." There is no such sense. Kṛṣṇa wants that. That is Goloka Vṛndāvana worship. Simply the center is Kṛṣṇa, and all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they love Kṛṣṇa, and they do not know anything except Kṛṣṇa. This is Vṛndāvana life. Everyone knows that "Kṛṣṇa is my very intimate friend." Somebody knows, "Kṛṣṇa is my son," somebody knows that "Kṛṣṇa is my master," and somebody is thinking, "Kṛṣṇa is my lover." But center is Kṛṣṇa. The cows, the calves, the friends, the gopīs, and the cowherds boy, Kṛṣṇa's father, Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa's mother, Yaśomatī, and... Everyone's center is Kṛṣṇa, "How Kṛṣṇa will be happy?" This is Vṛndāvana life. If we try to follow the footsteps of the residents of Vṛndāvana, how to love Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful.
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: ...and on Sigmund Freud, you discussed with Śyāmasundara Prabhu the sexual aspects, but not the theological aspects. Freud wrote two basic books on religion, Future of an Illusion, and there was a great deal in Leonardo da Vinci, A Study in Psycho-sexuality. He writes, "Psychoanalysis, which has taught us the intimate connection between the father complex and belief in God, has shown us that the personal God is psychologically nothing but an exalted father. Youthful persons lose their religious belief as soon as the authority of the father breaks down." So he sees God as basically a father complex arising out of the need of help of the little child.
Prabhupāda: That little child, how he can give up the idea of father? And how Mr. Freud can give up the idea? Was he not born by a father?
Hayagrīva: He feels that...
Prabhupāda: He dropped from the sky? Huh? Did, did he?
Hayagrīva: He feels that this is childish.
Prabhupāda: That childish, what is that childish? He had no father?
Hayagrīva: He had a father, but he believed in ultimate emancipation.
Prabhupāda: No, no, ultimate we shall go later on. First of all, he has to think whether he had his father or not. Or his father's father was not there, and go on searching out. So without father, how can one exist or one can come into being? So that if he cannot understand this simple philosophy, what kind of philosopher he is? He had his father. His father had his father. So this is fact. Even though he might not have seen his dead grandfather, but he was there. That is a fact. So if you go on searching, father's father's father, where you will come there is no father? Which..., which is that point when you can say, "Now here there is no father"? And if you actually come to that point that "Here is a person of whom there is no father," that is God.
Śyāmasundara: Well, he says that the criterion for truth is man's social practice, that it has proven over...
Prabhupāda: But what is that social practice? What is the standard of social practice? You manufacture...
Śyāmasundara: Whatever is practical for the most people's happiness, that is truth.
Prabhupāda: So practical happiness, that differs between persons. Just like ordinarily in your country boys and girls meet very intimately, without any restriction. But we say, "No mixing." So which is practical? That is according to circumstance? For our purpose, if we allow illegitimate sex, then there is no spiritual progress. Therefore this stoppage is practical. And because others, they have no spiritual idea, they think, "Oh, why not? Why the sex urges should be restricted? Let us enjoy it. It is enjoyment." They're animals. So which one ms practical? This one is practical or... That practical means according to the aim and object.
Śyāmasundara: Relative.
Prabhupāda: Yes. But if one understands what is spiritual progress, what is his need, then he'll understand that these are all practical.
Hayagrīva: You want to discuss tomorrow? (break) I'm just touching the main points in these, but since we're not interested in comparative theology, I'm just touching the main philosophical differences in these early Christian theologian philosophers. Origen believed that the ultimate reality, which is spiritual, consists of the Supreme Infinite Person, God, as well as individual personalities. Ultimate reality is the interrelationships of persons with each other and with the Infinite Person, God. So here he differs from the Greeks, who were basically impersonal.
Prabhupāda: Our Vedic conception is almost the same, that the individual souls, or living entities, innumerable, and each one of them has an intimate relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the material condition of life the living entity has forgotten his relationship, and when, by the process of devotional service, he comes to his liberated position, at that time he revives his old relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Hayagrīva: Spinoza's God is clearly not a personal God. Spinoza is an impersonalist, and his love for God is more intellectual or philosophical than theistic or religious. Being an impersonalist, Spinoza believed in the identity of the individual soul with God. This is not to say that he believed that the individual soul is infinite, but that it is not distinct from God. He writes, "Thus that love of the soul is a part of the infinite love with which God loves Himself." He sees the soul's intellectual love of God and God's love for the individual soul, which is within man, to be one and the same love.
Prabhupāda: Love is five kinds of love: śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vatsalya, mādhurya. The beginning of love is awe and adoration: "Oh, God is so great. God is everything." When he understands God's potency, unlimitedness, the soul adores Him. That adoration is also love. When that adoration is further advanced, then he serves God as master and servant. When the service is more intimate, then friend to friend—as one friend renders service to other friend, the other friend renders to other friend, like that, reciprocal. Then further expanded, the love is turned into paternal love, and further expanded it is expanding into conjugal love. So there are different stages of love. So Spinoza is touching only the beginning of love, simply adoring, appreciating God's power, expansion, that much. But when this love of adoration expands, that is called dasya-rasa, sākhya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa, madhurya-rasa. So he is on the beginning state of loving God. He has not advanced farther.
| Page Title: | Intimate (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur |
| Created: | 08 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=161, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 161 |