Illusion means you accept something, something is presented as reality, and you accept it. Just like the example is given water in the desert. Mirage. There is no water, but a, an animal is hankering, is running after water in the desert. That is practical, that due to sunshine there is a reflection, it appears in the desert. Sometimes you might have seen—not here, in India we have seen several times—that exactly there is a vast water, and it is reflecting, the reflection. That is called mirage. There is not a drop of water, but the animal, when he is thirsty he..., it thinks that "There is water." He jumps into the desert and the water is going ahead, going ahead, and he is running after it and then dying. So this illusion, that "I am this body." So we are after this sense gratification. Body means the senses. So that is mirage, illusion. Just like the animal is running after water in the desert.
Jumping (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So all these heroes are mentioned not only in this verse, in several other verses also. So people may ask that "By mentioning these great fighter, what spiritual progress we make? Because we are meant for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, so by chanting the names of these great fighters, what do we gain?" The question may be raised there. But the thing is that nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe, whenever there is connection with Kṛṣṇa, that also becomes Kṛṣṇa. This is a subtle form of philosophical understanding. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. If there is relationship with Kṛṣṇa... Therefore the sahajiyās, they do not read Bhagavad-gītā. They say, "We have nothing to do with Bhagavad-gītā." They jump over to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto, Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā, as if Kṛṣṇa is connected with rāsa-līlā and not with this līlā. They make distinction. Kṛṣṇa's this fighting līlā, pastimes, and the rāsa-līlā pastime, they are all the same because Kṛṣṇa is the center. Kṛṣṇa being center, whatever in connection with Kṛṣṇa is there, that becomes also Kṛṣṇa. This is the idea.
These rascals, they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. They think Kṛṣṇa is ordinary man. "Why He is engaging Arjuna in the fighting? Why He is dancing with others' daughter and girls? These are immoral things." Therefore this rasa dance should not be discussed among the fools and rascals. They'll misunderstand. Although the professional reciters, they take part, whenever they speak of Bhāgavata, they immediately jump over the rasa dance. That is not to be done. Caitanya Mahāprabhu never indulged in such thing. For mass of people He engaged Himself in saṅkīrtana. And when Kṛṣṇa's dealing with the gopīs were discussed, He was discussing amongst three selected devotees: Rāmānanda Rāya, Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śikhi Māhati. He had thousands and thousands of devotees, but He never discussed Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā in the mass of people, never did it. Therefore it is restricted. Because they will misunderstand. These rascals, they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa, and they will misunderstand. They will be polluted. Of course, not polluted. Because after all, they will hear about Kṛṣṇa. But they may misunderstand. That is against their making progress to the spiritual life.
Bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca. Vyavasāyātmikā-buddhiḥ, niścayātmikā-buddhiḥ. If one has got unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa and guru, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya... (CC Madhya 19.151). We have to receive mercy both from the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. We cannot jump over to Kṛṣṇa. That is another nonsense. We must approach Kṛṣṇa through guru. That is paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa is not so cheap thing that you can jump over. Somebody says, "Oh, why shall I accept guru? I can approach Kṛṣṇa directly." No. Kṛṣṇa does not accept such... Mad-bhaktaḥ pūjābhyadhikaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that "First of all you become devotee of My devotee." Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ: "I am the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa (CC Madhya 13.80)." This is called paramparā system. You have to learn how to become servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. The more you become in the lower position—servant, servant, servant, servant, servant, hundreds times servant, servant—then more you are advanced. Here in this material world everyone is trying to be master of the master. Just opposite. And the spiritual world, the endeavor is to become servant's servant. This is the secret.
This is very important verse in Bhagavad-gītā. It is a turning point of life. Kārpaṇya-doṣa. Miserly, doṣa means fault When one does not act according to his position, that is fault. And that is called miserly. So everyone has got his natural propensities, svabhāva. Yasya hi svabhāvasya tasyāso duratikramaḥ. Svabhāva, natural propensities. It is a common example, it is given, that yasya hi yaḥ svabhāvasya tasyāso duratikramaḥ. One, habit is the second nature. One who has, who is habituated or one whose nature, characteristic in some way, it is very difficult to change. The example is given: śvā yadi kriyate rājā saḥ kiṁ na so uparhanam. If you make a dog a king, does it mean that he'll not lick up shoes? Yes, dog's nature is to lick up shoes. So even if you dress him like a king and let him sit down on a throne, still, as soon as he'll see one shoe, he'll jump over and lick it. This is called svabhāva. Kārpaṇya-doṣa.
So when Kṛṣṇa is killing Putanā, that picture they will not paint, or killing Kaṁsa, or... Kṛṣṇa has got so many pictures. These pictures they will not, artists. They will simply paint the picture, His confidential dealings with the gopīs. One who cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, which Vyāsadeva has described what is Kṛṣṇa in nine cantos, to understand Kṛṣṇa, and then in the Tenth Canto he begins the birth advent of Kṛṣṇa... But these rascals, they jump over immediately to the rāsa-līlā. First of all understand Kṛṣṇa. Just like if you become a friend of some very big man, so first of all try to understand him. Then you'll try to understand his family affairs or confidential things. But these people jump over to the rāsa-līlā. And misunderstand. And therefore they sometimes say, "Kṛṣṇa is immoral." How Kṛṣṇa can be immoral? By accepting, by chanting Kṛṣṇa's name, the immoral persons are becoming moral, and Kṛṣṇa is immoral. Just see the foolishness. Simply by chanting Kṛṣṇa's name, all immoral persons are becoming moral. And Kṛṣṇa is immoral. And it is spoken by a rascal professor.
How plainly, how easily explained that kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā. There are three stages, kaumāram. Up to fifteenth year, it is called kaumāra. And then from sixteenth year, it begins youthful life up to fortieth year. Then after forty, one becomes jarā, old man. Primarily old man and later on. Say, forty to fifty, primarily old man, and after fifty, he is old man. Therefore it is advised pañcāś ordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. Pañcāś means fifty. Ūrdhvam, fifty-one. And rest of the days, maybe one hundred years, but that is not possible nowadays. Maybe seventy, eighty, utmost. Somebody lives ninety, ninety-five. Hundred years, although the limit, nowadays nobody lives. So those who are dhīra, gentlemen, sober-headed, cool-headed, they can understand that "I have changed my body. When I was a boy, up to fifteenth year, I remember how I was playing, how I was jumping. Then I became young man. How I was enjoying my life with friends and families. Now I am old man." "I am" means my body. Dehinaḥ. Dehi and dehinaḥ. Dehi means the proprietor of the body, owner of the body, and deha means the body.
As we have changed so many different types of body even in this duration of life... Now, how this change is taking place, that you cannot imagine. Therefore we say the same body. But actually it is not the same body. The body is different. It is changing. And because the person, the soul, is there, therefore it is changing. And as soon as the person is not there... Suppose in a child's body, a born baby, a dead body, it will not grow or it will not change. So long the soul is there, it will change. So Kṛṣṇa said that "We existed in the past." This is authoritative statement. So it is to be understood that I existed in the past in different body. As I existed, say, seventy years before in a different body, I was jumping as a boy, now I cannot jump. Now I have to take the stick. This is a different body. So where is the difficulty to understand? If the same body had been, then I could jump like a boy. I remember that I jumped. But now it is not possible. I have to take help of three men. (laughter) So it is different body. Although imperceptibly it has changed, but the body is different. Body's different.
We are conditioned in every step by the laws of material nature. Still, foolishly, we are thinking we are free. This is foolishness. We are so much controlled by the material nature, exactly like a small child is pulled by the ear by his mother. "Come here." He comes here. "Go there," and goes. Just like a dog. A dog may feel very freedom, jumping. But as soon as the master says "Come here," he comes and immediately chained. This is our position. So that is our position, that we are completely under the clutches of material nature, and according to the modes of material nature, we are acting and changing our body in different species of life. So our real business in this human form of life is to get, try to accept the process by which we can get free from this conditioned life. The process is that we have to give up all our false consciousness. We are, under false consciousness, I am thinking, "I am Indian," you are thinking you are German, and the dog is thinking "I am dog," and cat is thinking "I am cat." So this bodily consciousness, bodily concept of life, will keep us conditioned within the material nature. Therefore our first business is how to get free from all these designations. Just like I am putting on this saffron cloth, but I am not saffron cloth.
So who does not understand there is consciousness all over the body? Tad viddhi. Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. They'll jump over, "Yes, I am the Supreme God." God's consciousness is also spread all over. That's all right. But is your consciousness spread all over the universe? Both of us, we are conscious. But He is supreme consciousness. Therefore His consciousness is spread all over the universe, all over the creation. In the Thirteenth Chapter, you'll find Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata: (BG 13.3) "I am also kṣetra-jñam." Supersoul. What is the difference between Supersoul and soul? Soul, consciousness, is spread all over this body. You are soul, your consciousness spread all over your body. I am soul, my consciousness spread all over the body. But my consciousness not spread all over your body, neither your consciousness spread all over my body. But God's, Kṛṣṇa's, consciousness is spread over your body and my body, His body and everyone.
If you remain in a room, to serve the room, does it mean that serving you? You are within a room. Simply cleansing the room, does it mean serving you? The present moment, what they are doing? Just like my Guru Mahārāja used to say that a man has fallen on the water, and one brave man came. He said that "I shall save this man." And he also jumped in the water and brought his coat and shirt, and he said, "Now the man is saved." Is it saving the man? So similarly, the service of humanity means they are serving the body. Where is the soul? They do not know how to serve. Just like washing the cage, and the bird within the cage, it is starving (imitates bird): "kanh kanh kanh." So they do not know what is service. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). They are thinking this body. That is, that is... We are explaining this morning: antavanta ime dehāḥ. This body is perishable. It is material. What is the use of serving it? However you serve it, it will destroy. Try to save the soul who is put into this body and embarrassed. That is real service. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to save the soul. The body, however you try to save it, it will, antavanta ime dehāḥ, it will end, today or tomorrow or after some years. You cannot save it. Save the soul. Nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. The śarīriṇaḥ, the soul, which is within the body, that is nitya, eternal. Now, although it is nitya, it is fallen in certain condition of this material body, that it appears to be dying.
Just like a tiger. He is also enjoying. He is thinking, "I am very strong. I have got so power, so much jaws and nails. I can jump over any animal and immediately kill him." He is pleased in that position, but, you know, the tiger or the lion, they are so unfortunate that they do not get daily food, in spite of becoming so strong. Because prakṛti-jān guṇān, he is under the influence of the material nature. He... The tiger may be very powerful, but he remains always hungry. Very powerful. Because the other animals, they know that in that corner of the forest there is tiger, nobody goes there. Where he can get food? Hardly chance, by chance he gets one animal and jumps over it. This is called prakṛti-jān guṇān. He thought, "By becoming tiger I shall be very much proud of enjoying," but prakṛti says, "No, sir, you cannot get even daily food. That is not possible." Therefore prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarva... (BG 3.27).
Surface. Spending money. You see? But there is no instruction how they are wasting their time, this human form of life, simply by jumping in the water. (laughter) And they are thinking, "I am enjoying, butterfly." You see? They do not know the value of this life. And the system of civilization who is encouraging them to do this without any good information, what kind of condemned civilization is that? Pulling by force to the darkest region of hell. They do not know although the hellish condition of life is in the front. There are so many varieties of life. They do not question, "Wherefrom these lives come?"
The Padma Purāṇa says, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayor rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. There are, nava-lakṣāṇi, 900,000 species of life within the water. We begin our aquatic life. Because the whole world was in the beginning, full of water, so we had to live within the water. So there are 900,000 species of life within the water. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. And when the water dries up, as soon as the land comes out, the trees and plants begin to grow, two million types of trees and plants. In this way there are 8,400,000 species of life.
So we should not jump. First of all we should read Bhagavad-gītā very carefully. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. Then we shall be fit to understand what is Bhāgavatam. The last conclusion of Bhagavad-gītā is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If we can surrender to Kṛṣṇa wholeheartedly, then we become eligible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is the... Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). We, if we are advanced in devotional service, then we become fit to understand Kṛṣṇa.
But still, just to make us fit to understand Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is describing Himself, what He is. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san, prakṛtiṁ svām adhiṣṭhāya. He comes with His own energy. He's not forced by the external energy. We are forced. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). We, as we develop different modes of nature by the association of this external energy, we get our particular body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapatti (SB 3.31.1). But Kṛṣṇa does not do so.
So if you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these are the result. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56). Krodha means when we cannot satisfy our senses in the... We try to satisfy our senses... Just like the jackal. He wanted to eat some grapes, but jumping, jumping, he could not get. Then, in krodha, he says, "Oh, it is useless. It is sour. We don't want." So this krodha, in the absence of sense gratification, there is krodha. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ.
So Kṛṣṇa says, man-mayā, "being always absorbed in Me." Man-mayā, mayā, mayā, mayā. Vikārārthe mayārthe.(?)When, just like, one thing is covered with gold, it is called svarṇamaya. Similarly, when... We are now materially covered. When we become covered with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is called man-mayā. Man-mayā, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. How it is possible? Man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ. When you take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He gives you shelter.
So everything, analytical study is there in the śāstras very minute, senses and power, who has got. The fish, they have got very good sensation power. Means two miles away, they get sensation there is enemy, "Somebody's coming to eat me." These are all described in the Bhāgavatam. The frogs, they can become in samādhi, situated in samādhi, for many, many years. So these things are not very great things, to have samādhi, to have yogic principles. Even in the animals you will find. I read long, long ago that in the coal mine, while they were digging coals, one frog came out from the coal and jumped over and died. That means the frog was buried within the lump of coal for many, many thousands of years, and he was keeping samādhi. Kumbhaka, kumbhaka-yoga they know. So these are not very extraordinary things. Because after all, living entity is eternal, does not die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). If, by some process, he lives for some time more, that is not very wonderful thing. The wonderful thing is how to stop this birth and death. That is wonderful thing. Not that I am living, say, for fifty years or hundred years, another man is living for three hundred years. That is not very wonderful thing.
This philosophy you should learn. You cannot say, "But why shall I go through guru or through Vaiṣṇava to Kṛṣṇa? I can go directly. I am so qualified." No, you are not qualified. If you jump over like that, that is not... That is... In Bengal it is said, honar din ke ghaska (?). There is grass before the horse. If you think that I shall jump over the horse and eat the grass, that is not possible. So one should be devotee first of all. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We must approach a bona fide guru in order to understand the science of Kṛṣṇa. Abhigacchet. This I have explained several times. So anasūyave. If you want to learn Kṛṣṇa, then you should be very much humble and submissive to Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, anasūyave.
Jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam. Jñāna, this knowledge, most confidential knowledge, it is not sentiment. Vijñāna-sahitam. It is science. Just like in scientific knowledge you must know theoretically and practically. Not only that, you simply know that so much oxygen, so much hydrogen produces water by mixing... That is theoretical. You have to make water by mixing these two chemicals—that is practical. So in the B.A.C. examination they take examination, test, theoretical and practical.
Prabhupāda: ...that you are different from your body. Analyze your body part by part. Then you come to understand. Don't jump over. Your question was: "The body's not different from the life." That was his question.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So it is different. You analyze this body. You'll find in every part of body. Take this and you study it. You'll find no living force there. So how the living force is equal or identical with the body?
Guest (3): All right, I agree. I...
Prabhupāda: Then you agree. Then you accept that the soul is different from the body.
Guest (3): Yeah, I understand. So you call that Kṛṣṇa. But God is God. God's name is God, not Kṛṣṇa. You may call Him Kṛṣṇa if you want.
Prabhupāda: So who is God?
Guest (3): God is God.
Prabhupāda: Who is that? You do not know. You do not know.
So anyone who has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he's the greatest mahātmā. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. It is very, very difficult to find out a Kṛṣṇa devotee. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has described that out of many, many human being, common man, one is karmi. Karmi, karmi means honestly working according to the direction of the Veda. Karmi does not mean that a monkey also jumping, that is also karma. No. Karmi means one who is acting according to the direction. Dharma karma. In Bengali this is a common word: dharma karma. Karma means dharma. And what is dharma? Dharma means varṇāśrama-dharma, four castes and four orders of spiritual life: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. This is the dharma. This is the division of dharma. And according to the dharma, one who is acting, that is called dharma karma. That is dharma-karma. Not that doing anything becomes karma. Karma means just doing. The Vedas are so arranged that we have come here to enjoy material things. So therefore there is prescribed duties.
If one is fortunate enough, he'll take this opportunity and make his life successful. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, rāja-vidyā. All these centers are being opened to give opportunity the people to take advantage of the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu cult, guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpa. Without guru you cannot have mercy of Kṛṣṇa. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṇa like monkey. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa will not accept. If you think that "Without guru I shall jump over Kṛṣṇa, and He'll be merciful upon me," that monkey's business will not be accepted. Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says that gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. You have to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of servant (CC Madhya 13.80). Then Kṛṣṇa will be pleased. If you jump over Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, I have come to You..." Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. Therefore guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya. If you are sincere, if you're sincere, that Kṛṣṇa will be merciful, first of all. Then Kṛṣṇa will guide you. If you're sincere, Kṛṣṇa will direct you that "Approach such and such guru," and if guru is pleased, then you'll get Kṛṣṇa, that guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya, both, parallel line.
Just imagine. Here in this material world there is sex life. That is considered to be the highest pleasure. But the spiritual world means there is no sex life. Although there are very beautiful women, very beautiful men, with four hands. The men are with four hands there and very attractive. All of them are young. They never become old. Because in the spiritual world there is no birth, death, old age and disease. That is spiritual world. So there is no... Old age is due to this body. Otherwise, spirit soul is everlastingly young. You can think over yourself. Just like I am now old man. So sometime I think that in my childhood, when I was born, I was jumping and dancing. Now I cannot do that. Because of this old body. So we are hampered on account of this material body. Encagement.
So let me see this devotee." So when Nārada Muni was coming, this devotee was going to receive the spiritual master. This is the custom, to receive the spiritual master from distant place with all honor by bowing down. But he was jumping. He was jumping. So when he came near, the Parvata Muni first of all asked him, "My dear son, you are great devotee, but while coming here why you are jumping?" He said that "On the ground there are so many ants, sir. So I do not want to kill these ants."
This is the effect of devotional service. The same man who was taking pleasure by killing one animal half-dead, he is not prepared to kill even an ant. This is called bhakti. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). If one becomes a devotee of the Lord, akiñcana-bhakti, then sarvair guṇaiḥ, all good qualities will come out automatically. Because every living entity is part and parcel of God. God is all-good. Therefore every living entity, potentially, constitutionally, he is also good. As God is good, we are also good. But due to our material association, we have become bad. So if we revive our old position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then automatically we shall become all-good. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
So the villagers understood that a vyādha, a hunter, has become a great saint. So everyone was coming and offering some rice, some flowers, some fruits. So he was executing his devotional service according to the instruction of Nārada. Then, after some time, Nārada wanted to show that devotee to his friend, Pārvata Muni, and he was coming to that devotee, hunter devotee. At that time the devotee was going to receive Nārada, and while going, he was very careful that an ant may not be killed on the path. So he was jumping. Whenever there was an ant, he was jumping. So Nārada inquired that "While you were coming here, why you were jumping?" So he said, "Sir, there were so many ants. So how can I kill ant?" Just see. The same man who was without any kindness killing so many animals, he has become kind to the ant even.
A small insect, a full-stop-like size, it has also the same anatomical, physiological structure of the body and the same way, jumping and enjoying. You might have seen. So there is no difference between the bodily construction. Everyone has got heart and everything, complete. But according to the desire and karma we are getting different types of body.
This is called material existence. So long we shall desire to enjoy this material world, God will give us facility to possess a similar body so that we can satisfy our desires. Therefore He is situated, witness. Anumantā upadraṣṭā. He is overseer. And without His sanction you cannot act, we cannot act. Therefore His name is anumantā; He gives sanction: "All right, you want to do it? Do it as you like."
But ultimately Kṛṣṇa advises that in this way we'll never be happy. This constant change, repeated change of body and different types of desire, if you continue, you will never be happy. Therefore He advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You just surrender unto Me and just be engaged in My service. Then you will be happy."
These things are to be understood. Karma does not mean that anything you like, it becomes karma. Just like monkey. Monkey, whatever he does, it is simply mischievous. Therefore sometimes we accuse: "You are an ass. You are monkey." There is activity, but there is no meaning. There is no meaning, jumping. Monkey wherever he'll sit, (makes noise:) katak katak katak. So this kind of activities are not karma. Foolishly, rascaldomly. That is not karma.
Karma means prescribed duties. Prescribed duties. Janma-karma. Guṇa-karma. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Guṇa-karma. Cātur-varṇyam, According to Vedic civilization, there are four divisions of karma. Because there are three qualities of the material nature. Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So when we come to certain type of activities or accept certain type of body, Kṛṣṇa is giving us opportunity. I wanted certain type of body. Kṛṣṇa is giving. Kṛṣṇa is giving through the agency of material nature. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22).
Just like a small bird, immediately he can fly in the sky. And although we are very intelligent, if I want and if you want to fly in the sky, no you cannot. Although he's supposed to be very intelligent, scientist, but I cannot fly. But a small bird will immediately fly. That is his prabhavaḥ. You must have to admit that this is his special power. Similarly, a vulture, he goes four miles up and his eyes are very small. But from the four miles away he will find out where there is a dead body, immediately jump over. And we have got so many big eyes. But we cannot say, after... This spectacle required. You cannot see even one feet. So this is his prabhavaḥ, influence. A vulture, most, but a nasty bird, still it has got so much influence that you cannot compete with him. So you'll find in every creature, every living entity, a special prerogative than the others, than the others. So, with the body.
We see. Everything material, that has got a beginning, date of birth and date of death. And there are, in the middle, between the birth and death, there is disease and old age, deterioration. Old age means deterioration. Just like this body. When I was young man, child, I was also jumping. Now I have to go with a stick. The deterioration... This is called de... Deterioration. Deterioration means now it is coming to be finished.
And another class—mūḍha, rascal, without any knowledge. He cannot also surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ. And the lowest of the mankind. Why lowest of the mankind? Because this human body, this man's body, not the dog's body, cat's body, but the man's body, that is meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is not meant for spoiling like cats and dogs, jumping from here and there. So therefore he's not taking the opportunity of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Therefore narādhama. Adhama. Adhama means the lowest. First-class man utilizes life for proper benefit. But one who cannot... They are called kṛpaṇa also. Miser.
So our aim should be how to go back to home, back to Godhead. But we do not know. We are simply acting like cats and dogs, that's all. Jumping like dog, cat, and eating, sleeping, and having sex intercourse and trying to defend my position. These things are done by the animals. These things are done by animals. Then what is your benefit you get, this human form of life? Śāstra says,
- nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke
- kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye
- tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ
- śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam
- (SB 5.5.1)
"This human form of life is not meant for working very hard like cats and dogs. It is meant for tapasya. Tapasya, simple life, and realize yourself. And then you stop the miserable condition of your life. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam.
If you want real love, real position, then you have to transfer your, these loving propensities in five different kinds of mellows to Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be permanent, and you'll be happy.
Don't reject this as, because you could not capture the grapes, then the grapes and the jackals. The jackal... You know that story. The jackal went to steal some grapes in the orchard, and it was very high. He jumped over several times. He could not get it. Then he rejected, "Oh, this is sour. I don't want it."
Similarly, this Māyāvādī philosophy is like that. First of all he wants to become very big man, very big businessman, minister, this, that, to enjoy, simply enjoy, competition of enjoyment. But when he's baffled, when he did not enjoy, simply suffered—he comes to his knowledge that "I could not enjoy; I simply suffered"—then "It is mithyā. Grapes are sour." That philosophy will not do. You must know that this prakṛti, this material world, you are not enjoyer. The enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29).
Kṛṣṇa orders prakṛti, the material nature, that "He wants to enjoy in this way; you give him a suitable body like that." You... "He wants to enjoy by becoming a tiger: 'Immediately I shall jump over an animal.' " Because phalgūni mahatāṁ tatra, the weak is the food for the strong. So sometimes we think that we shall be strong like tiger or lion. Kṛṣṇa is sitting within you. He says, "All right, you become a tiger." He sees that "To become a tiger is my success life." A very strong body. They are exercising, very strong, to become very strong, stout. So Kṛṣṇa will give you. Whatever you want. But in this material world.
In the spiritual world you cannot become a competitor of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. In this material world you can become a false competitor of Kṛṣṇa. Your position is false. Because you are not this body, but you wanted a body like that to enjoy. Just like a pig is given a body. He wanted to enjoy stool. As a human being, possessing a human body, nobody can eat stool. But if one gets a suitable body, just like pig, you can very nicely eat stool.
Just like the monkey. It is active fool. In your country, in the Western country, you don't see many monkeys. But in India, there are many monkeys. As soon as a monkey will come, he will create some mischief. He's very busy, jumping here, there, here, here, there, but always creating mischief. So modern civilization... And the Darwin's theory is that they have come from monkey. (laughter) So they are also doing like that, jumping like monkey, this way, that way, this way, that way, but always creating mischief.
So this is very good example, that idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram. He has given, God has given you a piece of land, this body. Now you work. You make your future with this body. Karmaṇā... Because the body is produced according to my karma. Otherwise, why there are so many varieties of body? We are all human beings. Everyone, we are, we possess two hands, two legs. Still, the bodies are different. We don't find anybody's body is exactly equal to the other. No. Because we have got different mentality. Every one of us, we are individual soul; we have got different mentality, different propensities, different ideas. So in this way we have got different bodies. This is the science.
So he threw it, and, "Sit down, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." You see? Those who are actually attached, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170), for them it is equally valuable. Not for ordinary men. So we cannot jump to the highest position. That is not possible. Therefore we have to go abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ. This process is recommended. Kṛṣṇa says, and Kṛṣṇa says also this. So actually, Kṛṣṇa says ultimately, sarva-guhyatamam, "The most confidential knowledge I am giving you: sarva dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). This is the most confidential." So, so long we are not able to come to the platform of thinking the gold and the stone on the equal value, we have to follow these rules and regulation. But that is the highest consideration. Just like Sanatāna Goswāmī, he didn't care for this touchstone. Not for the ordinary man. The ordinary man cannot make that all of a sudden; therefore it is not for him. So what was the purpose of saying that Gītā says sama-loṣṭrāśma-kāñcanaḥ? Why did you raise this question? What is the purpose? We can not raise, ordinary man, but why did you raise this question? What is the purpose?
So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. They are thinking that "Why these people are taking so much trouble, dancing jumping?" They cannot under... Therefore they feel displeasure. They feel disturbance because they are not purified. So āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ. The demonic principle is to become bound up by their desires, but if you are on the spiritual platform, then all your desires means loving service to the Lord. That is wanted. So the demons' desires is described here. There is nothing to be explained. We have got practical experience in the material world. They are always thinking, idam adya mayā labdham: "Now, today I have earned five hundred dollars" or something more or less. Mayā labdham means "I have got it." Imaṁ prāpsye manoratham: "Again I shall get tomorrow so much money, and my bank balance will increase to such and such strength." Idam asti: "I got so much, and so much will be added, and the balance will increase." Idaṁ me bhaviṣyati punar dhanam: "In this way I will increase the amount of my wealth more and more."
Later on, when Nārada Muni came to see him, he was coming to receive the spiritual master jumping over the road. So when the hunter, now he becomes Vaiṣṇava, so Nārada Muni and his friend, Parvata Muni asked "Why you are jumping?" He said, "Sir, there are so many ants, so I was trying to save their life." The same hunter who was killing animals one time half-dead and was enjoying, is no more interested to kill even an ant. This is called saintly life. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Samaḥ, equal to all living entities. Not that simply protection should be given to the human being.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata-dharma means one who has at least understood what is God. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu begins His teaching where Kṛṣṇa ended. Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same Personality of Godhead. As Kṛṣṇa, He demanded... Because God can demand like that. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You just surrender unto Me." What God can say? God cannot say that "You jump over My head." God can say like that, "You surrender." That is God's word. God cannot allow you that you jump over His head. You can jump over His head, but that requires great advancement of love for God. That is another thing. Just like the cowherd boys, they are jumping over Kṛṣṇa. That position... You can also have, but after kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. After amassing many lives' simply pious activities, you can have that post.
In India there is a class, they are professional Bhāgavata reciters. They make contract that he shall recite Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, finish within a week, and he should be rewarded. These things are not recommended in the authoritative scriptures. We should follow the footsteps of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He's explaining Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the very beginning. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Try to understand the philosophy of Bhāgavata. Then gradually, when you are accustomed to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, then go to the Tenth Canto, wherein Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance is described. Without reading in the beginning what is Kṛṣṇa, if we all of a sudden jump over to understand the rāsa dance... That is a very natural tendency. No, we should not go like that. First of all, try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. To understand Kṛṣṇa is very difficult subject matter. But by the grace of Lord Caitanya we can understand little about Kṛṣṇa. And then gradually... Of course, the ultimate goal is to enter into the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. But not by speculation or by material misconception. Gradually, step by step. Prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ.
These professional readers, they won't read. Just like we are reading the philosophical side here. They won't go. People are not interested the philosophy. They immediately jump over the rasa dance, and they think, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is enjoying with the gopīs." Just like we read some novel, one boy is enjoying with another girl. They take it like that. You see? So that is degradation. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam. Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī has warned that one who is not actually Vaiṣṇava, a realized soul of this Vaiṣṇava philosophy, one should not hear from him. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavya... Don't hear.
So actually, this Bhāgavata-saptāha is going on in India in village to village, but we see the effect is that they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious. They are not as good Kṛṣṇa conscious as you are becoming. Because they take it as, as a matter of some refreshment. No. It should be taken very seriously and should be heard from the right source. Then you will get the result.
Actually Kṛṣṇa is supplying everything. Whatever you have got. Whatever you are eating you cannot manufacture in the factory. It is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. Everything is being supplied. What to speak of animal, human life, in the animal life the necessities are eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Everything is there. Eating—there is enough fruit in the tree. The birds will very nicely jumping over from one tree to another, eating. Sleeping—they have got a nest, at night without any disturbance, they sleep. Mating—with the birth they are two eggs, one male and one female. Sex life is there. And defending—they know. The bird, if you attack, they immediately go up. He knows how to defend. The (?) in the (?) Park, the swans, as soon as they pass, immediately jump over the water. They know how to defend. This morning a small mouse he has gone up to collect a small sweetmeat. So these intelligence are there even in the lowest animals, even in the ant. So advancement of civilization, how to make this body comfortable, that is not advancement of civilization. That kind of civilization is there even in the cats and dogs. They know. Nobody has to go to the university to learn how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life, how to defend. Nobody hasn't got to. It doesn't require education. It is already there, everyone. If you attack me, I shall immediately defend with my hands. You see? Natural. So ekāntataḥ śreyas means don't spoil this human form of life only for satisfying the animal propensities. You try to advance in spiritual consciousness. That is ekāntataḥ śreyas. Hm.
So this is the paramparā system. As you receive knowledge step by step... Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa, instructed Vyāsadeva. Brahmā, Brahmā instructed Nārada. Nārada instructed Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva instructed his disciple Madhvācārya. In this way we have to go through also, in the same way. First of all, offer respect to the spiritual master, as he has done to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Taṁ vyāsa-sūnum upayāmi guruṁ munīnām. So then his spiritual master, then his spiritual master, then his spiritual master. Just like you have got the pictures. First of all, your spiritual master, then his spiritual master, then his spiritual master, his spiritual master—ultimately Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Don't try to approach Kṛṣṇa directly, jump over. That is useless. As you receive knowledge through the steps, paramparā system, similarly, we should approach Kṛṣṇa through these step.
"All the Vedic literatures and the Purāṇas are meant for conquering the darkest region." Tamo 'ndham. We have already discussed. Atititīrṣatām. Saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha. Saṁsāriṇāṁ karuṇayāha purāṇa-guhyam. Adhyātma-dīpam atititīrṣatāṁ tamo 'ndham. Atititīrṣatām. That is human civilization, how to get out of this darkness of ignorance. Not the dogs and cats jumping in very jubilant, "I am a big dog. Let me jump over." This is not civilization. That is animal civilization. They are jumping naked, we are jumping dressed. That's all. That is the difference. Otherwise, where is the difference? So long we have got this bodily concept of life, "Let me enjoy this body, senses..." Body means the senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. So long one is in the darkness, his predominant feature of enjoyment is the senses. That's all. "Let me enjoy. I have got this tongue. Let me whole day go to the restaurant, cut throat of this animal, that animal, and enjoy, and let him go to hell. Let me enjoy." This is jihvā-lobha.
Actually those who are in perfectional yoga, they can become like that, smaller than the smallest. So aṇimā, laghimā, you can become lighter than the lightest. You can fly in the air. They go, by touching the beam of sun, moon, they can go. They are trying to go to the moon planet by artificial, material weapons, material means, but those who are yogis, they can catch up the beam of the moon and go. This is called... Mahimā. You can become very big, heavy. Mahimā. Just like Hanumān, he jumped over this ocean. That he, means, he assumed a big body so, so that one leg here, one leg there. He can jump. That is called mahimā-siddhi. Prāpti: you can get anything you like at any time. Prāpti-siddhi. So many things. Sometimes they do not like the devotees because the devotees, they cannot show this magic. They do not like that within four years, five years, the whole world should be chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That is not magic. But if he can jump over a river, that is the magic. That is magic. The other side of the magic they have no eyes to see.
Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Aśānta means where they can get peace? They have to work for it. The karmīs, they have to work for it. The jñānīs, they have to cultivate for that. The yogis, they have to practice. But bhakta has nothing to do. Therefore it is first class. Without doing anything, he will show magic. This is the first class... Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first class. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. If you have got unflinching faith in the Supreme, Adhokṣaja... Adhokṣaja means beyond the perception of the senses. Adhokṣaja. Adhah-kṛta akṣajaṁ jñānaṁ yatra. Our knowledge, our activities they are sensual. I can jump, but jumping requires two legs, sense organs. So adhokṣaja means you cannot realize the Supreme by sensual activities. That is not possible. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja. Adhah-kṛta akṣajaṁ jñānaṁ yatra tattvataḥ.
Just like example is Mahārāja Parīkṣit. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he had only seven days time of his life—that is the beginning of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He simply heard, he listened carefully about Kṛṣṇa and he became perfect. He simply listened, he had no other business. Similarly Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply described, chanted about Kṛṣṇa, he became perfect. Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was being punished and chastised by his father in so many ways but he was simply remembering Kṛṣṇa. He became perfect. Hanumān, he was not even a man, he was animal, but his only business was to serve Lord Rāmacandra at any risk. He jumped over the ocean. He did not know any Vedānta philosophy, he was an animal. But he dedicated his life to serve Lord Rāmacandra. He took the risk of jumping over the sea. So in this way there are nine different process of bhakti-yoga. You can utilize all of them or you can utilize some of them, but if you stick to one only even, then your life will be successful. How life will be successful? That is also stated here, janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam (SB 1.2.7). By bhakti-yoga process, your original knowledge will be revived.
Bhoga and tyāga. Bhoga means enjoyment, and tyāga means renunciation. So actually, in this world, some people are very much busy in the matter of bhoga, enjoying, the karmīs. And some people are very much engaged in the business of tyāga, renouncement. These two kinds of activities are going on. One is very, very busy for acquiring things for enjoy, sense enjoyment, and when he's dissatisfied, he cannot fully enjoy, neither he's satisfied, he says, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, "This world is false. There is no need of this world. The grapes are sour." The same story. The jackal and the grapes. A jackal wanted to eat the grapes, and it jumped many times, but could not approach the grapes. So at last he satisfied himself that "There is no need of the grapes. It is sour." So this brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā is like that. When one is fed up or tired of this world, he cannot enjoy it due to age or other circumstances, at that time, he says, jagan mithyā. Why jagan mithyā? If God is truth, then creation of God is also truth. Why it should be mithyā? But because he has no knowledge, sufficient knowledge of the Vedic instruction, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam, pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (ISO 1), he does not know that creation of God is complete.
So this is the process of civilization. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means perfect civilization, perfect advancement of civilization, according to the direction of the Vedas. We do not concoct anything, any meaning. Just like why you are reading this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? This is the beginning of understanding Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The professional readers, they immediately jump to the rāsa-līlā of Kṛṣṇa. They think that Bhāgavatam means that rāsa-līlā of Kṛṣṇa. Because it appears like ordinary boys and girls, so they like it. No. This is the foundation of Bhāgavata. The nine cantos must be thoroughly read, then one can understand what is rāsa-līlā and what is Kṛṣṇa. If one jumps at once to the platform of understanding Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā or vṛndāvana-līlā, he'll be misled. He'll be misled. Just like so many rascals are interpreting Kṛṣṇa in so many different ways. They are thinking Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being. So when He acts like ordinary human being, they take Him as ordinary human being—avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11).
Therefore one should not jump. One should learn Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara: bhāgavata giyā paḍa bhāgavata sthāne.(?) One who is practical bhāgavata, one who knows what is Bhāgavata, what is Bhagavān. Not from the professional reciters, who are reading Bhāgavata for belly's sake. Now they are reading Bhāgavatam, and if they get more money, they can become a sweeper. Because their consideration is money. They'll give up immediately reading of Bhāgavatam. But my Guru Mahārāja used to say that it is better to become a sweeper and honestly earn one's livelihood than to become a false Bhāgavata reader for earning livelihood. Yes.
So therefore Vyāsadeva has taken so much trouble to establish the Bhāgavata life in Twelve Cantos. One has to go, one after another, one after another, one after another. Not jumping. Daśama-skandha, the Tenth Canto is the face of Kṛṣṇa. So worshiping Kṛṣṇa means one should offer tulasī on the, on His lotus feet first of all. Not jump over to the mouth or to the face. So the First and Second cantos are the two lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. One should begin worshiping Bhāgavatam, or the sound representation of Kṛṣṇa, by worshiping the First Canto and Second Cantos. We are reading the First Canto. We are just worshiping one lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Then the other. Then the thighs. Gradually, you have to rise to the face. The Tenth Canto is the face of Kṛṣṇa. Don't jump over immediately. Read it. But try to understand from the very beginning.
So here is also, Lord Rāmacandra appeared. The main business was to kill Rāvaṇa. Not main business. Main business is to satisfy the devotee, side by side, to kill Rāvaṇa. And Rāvaṇa was on the other side of Indian Ocean. So Hanumān, a devotee of Rāmacandra, he jumped over the ocean simply by chanting "Jaya Rāma." You see? But Rāmacandra thought Himself that He is unable to jump over. He had to construct a bridge. You see? But what kind of bridge? Bridge, a stone bridge that was floating on the sea. The law of gravitation did not work. That is God. He can nullify any law. He can introduce any new law. And nobody has got experience that stone thrown on the water floating. No one has got... Naturally, it goes down. But this is God, that He nullifies the general law, as He desires. Sarva-śakti-sampannaḥ. That is all-powerful. That is greatness. Not that if you have got a small body and the elephant has got a very big body, therefore he is great. No. That is not greatness. The elephant, in spite of having such a big body and thousand times stronger than the human being, he is controlled by a small human being. That means intelligence is strength, not this bodily. Buddhir yasya balaṁ tasya. Anyone who has got intelligence, he has got strength.
How is that? The incidence is that he was performing the śrāddha ceremony of his father, but he had a girlfriend, prostitute. So he wanted to go there very quickly. So somehow or other he finished. And he wanted to go there. But on the road he found that it was very heavily raining and he had to cross the river. So he did everything. And he... The prostitute was... She thought that "Bilvamaṅgala is not coming today. It is very..., so much raining." So when she saw that Bilvamaṅgala is at the door, she was astonished. She said, "Bilvamaṅgala, how did you come here in this rainy, torrents of rainy...?" So he disclosed everything that how he catched one dead body in the river, then he crossed the river, then he jumped over the wall. So she was astonished, and she simply said, "Oh, this much affection if you would have with Kṛṣṇa, how you would have been... Your life would have been nice." Immediately it was... "Oh, Kṛṣṇa...?" Immediately, he left everything. Immediately he left everything and went to Vṛndāvana. He is... So Kṛṣṇa is so nice. Just at the right point He will remind. Yatate ca tataḥ. Here, in the Bhagavad-gītā, yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana, pūrvābhyāsena. He was accustomed, so immediately reminded, immediately.
So the... Here it is said that sākṣād bhagavatoditam, uditam. That... What is Bhāgavata, Bhāgavata? Kṛṣṇa never says that "First of all you hear My līlā with the gopīs." He never says that. He first of all says that "You surrender unto Me." First of all learn how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. First of all learn how to love Kṛṣṇa. Then you can taste what is Kṛṣṇa's līlā with the gopīs. It is just like mukhāravinda. Just like... Kṛṣṇa's līlā in the Daśama-skandha with the gopīs is compared with Kṛṣṇa's face, smiling face. But we have to worship Kṛṣṇa beginning with the feet. Not immediately we shall look to the face of Kṛṣṇa. We shall misunderstand. First of all try to be Kṛṣṇa's devotee by offering your worshipable things at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. The First Canto or Second Canto of Bhagavad-gītā are the two lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So from the very beginning we should hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Gradually, we shall come to the face. That is real understanding of Kṛṣṇa. And without understanding of the other nine cantos of Bhagavad-gītā, er, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, if we simply jump over the Tenth Canto, and especially to the Thirty-fifth Chapter, the five chapters, Rāsa-pañcādhyāya, this is not very favorable. Of course, it is favorable. Kṛṣṇa's līlā, you hear any way, this way or that way... But if we misunderstand Kṛṣṇa, then there is fall down. That is instructed by Śrī..., Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, that don't try to understand Kṛṣṇa's līlā all of a sudden without understanding Kṛṣṇa. Tattvataḥ. So regulative principle—to serve, as it is stated in the śāstras or as it is enjoined by the spiritual master.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore recommends that niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Anyone who is aspiring to become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya... Why bhagavad-bhajana required? Pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhava-sāgarasya. For a person who wants to go to the other side of the ocean of nescience, pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣoḥ. (break) ...means one who is very rich man. No. Rich man and poor man doesn't matter. If one is interested simply with the four principles of the bodily necessities, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna-eating, sleeping sex and defense, they are called viṣayīs. Viṣayiṇām... Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. If viṣayī means rich man, then why the śāstra says viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt: the enjoyment of these four necessities of body, it is available everywhere? The sparrow, he's also enjoying viṣaya. There is a male and female, and they are jumping from one tree to another, from here to there. And as soon as they require, they are enjoying sex and eating something. So eating, sleeping, mating, this is going on. That viṣaya is available... I have seen at night a small insects, they are also enjoying eating, sleeping, mating. A small, very small ant is captured. Jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. One life is meant for being eaten by another life. You can see, very small. He has got all the same tendencies. So viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt.
This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is another Purāṇa, history. We have already explained. So sometimes a class of devotees known as sahajiyā, they say that "What we have got to do with the narration of Kurukṣetra battle?" They immediately jump to the kṛṣṇa-līlā, directly with the gopīs. And Kṛṣṇa's activities in other field, they think it is useless. But that is not the fact. Anywhere Kṛṣṇa is acting, that is transcendental—the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, historical references, description, so superficially it appears that what a devotee has got to do with this battlefield? But battlefield or no battlefield, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, that is transcendental. This has to be understood. Otherwise, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, why he should indulge in describing how Uttarā's pregnancy was saved by Kṛṣṇa, how the brahmāstra was thrown by Aśvatthāmā? So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is liberated person. Why he should indulge in these material things? No. Those who are advanced, they know that Kṛṣṇa's dancing with the gopīs, that līlā and Kṛṣṇa's playing as the leader of the battlefield of Kurukṣetra is the same. It is all transcendental. One should not make any distinction between the two. Saṁsthāṁ ca pāṇḍu-putrāṇāṁ vakṣye kṛṣṇa-kathodayam. Pāṇḍu-putrāṇām, the pāṇḍu-putras, or the Pāṇḍavas, son of Pāṇḍu, they're all devotees. Even their political affairs, because there is connection with Kṛṣṇa, it is kṛṣṇa-kathā. Those who are with poor fund of knowledge (break)
...directly taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa or to take shelter of a pure devotee who is under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Mad-āśrayaḥ. So if one takes shelter of a pure devotee... Just like electricity: the powerhouse is far away, but the power is coming. Suppose your body is electrified, and if I touch, then my body immediately becomes electrified. And if somebody touches me, then other's body. This is electric. Similarly, one who is pure devotee, he's authorized by Kṛṣṇa, he's electrified.
So these love affairs between young girls and young boy, is there in Brahman. That is the dealing of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs. So that dealing is pervertedly reflected within this material world. It is not the same thing. It is different. But those who are not in the knowledge, they take it that the dealings... Idam Viṣṇu and the vraja-vadhū... It is so nice that actually if one hears about the dealings of the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa, then he becomes so elevated in devotion that he forgets the lusty dealings between man and woman. That is the result. It is stated in the Bhāgavatam, apahinoti, bhaktiṁ pratilabhya apahinoti kāmam.. If one is eligible to hear the dealings of gopīs and Kṛṣṇa, the result will be he'll forget the lusty desires of this material world. Therefore it is not for all. These dealings of gopīs and Kṛṣṇa is meant for the liberated person. They can hear, not the ordinary persons. Therefore this kṛṣṇa-līlā is given in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So don't jump over. First of all you try to understand Kṛṣṇa, Acyuta. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). To understand Kṛṣṇa, not only... The Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins when one is actually Kṛṣṇa conscious. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam (BG 18.66). Then Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam begins. So don't jump over the kṛṣṇa-līlā or jump over Rādhā-kuṇḍa unless you are a liberated person. This is the instruction. Acyuta. You must be also acyuta—not falling down from the standard of pure devotional service. Acyuta-gotra.
Violence is only in the material world. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa desired to fight... Because all desires are coming from Him, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Anything that we have got experience, everything is there in God. Therefore He's God. Not that minus something. Nothing minus. Everything. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Raso vai saḥ. These are the Vedic injunctions. He is the reservoir of all rasa, humor or mellow. So this is also a mellow. Sometimes cruel men, they take pleasure by killing. I've seen it. One hotel man was cutting the throat of one chicken, half-cut, and it was throbbing, jumping. His child was crying because he could not see such horrible thing. And the man, the hotel man, he was laughing and pacifying the child, "Why you are crying? Just see how he's throbbing, how he's jumping." So one subject matter, the rasa is different. Humor is different. He's one, (?) enjoying one rasa, the father, and the child is crying. That is also another rasa. So the whole world is full of rasa. Ādi-rasa. The sex life is called ādi-rasa. There is bībhatsa-rasa, hāsya-rasa, karuṇa-rasa, mādhurya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, sākhya-rasa, śānta-rasa. There are so many rasas-twelve rasas. Anaya(?) vyatireka, ādi-rasa. So janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has described this ādi from ādi-rasa. Ādi-rasa means the conjugal love. That is called ādi-rasa. So janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Wherefrom the ādi-rasa comes? The attraction between man and woman, that is a fact.
So if you get a nice boat. then you can cross over the currents very nicely. So it is recommended: samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. You have seen the lotus petal. That is also just like boat. Is it not? Like small boat, imitation. So if you get the help of the pada-pallavam, the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, bhavam, then by that petal boat, bhavāmbudhir, this great ocean of birth and death, vatsa-padam, it becomes just like the water contained in the hole created by the hoof of a calf. Vatsa-padam. You have no experience, but in India, during rainy season, the roads become muddy and the cows and the calves go. They have got holes created, and there is some water. So such vatsa-padam water, you can jump over, at a time, one dozen. So similarly, this great ocean of bhavāmbudhir, birth and death, although it is very great for others, for a devotee, it becomes like that hole. He can jump over one dozen at a time. Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam. Then, by that way, he attains the paraṁ padam, the supreme abode. Then what about this world? Now this world is padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). It is simply full of dangers at every step. Na teṣām, not for the devotees. This is not a, this not the place for the devotees. This is for the persons who are suffering, kliśyamānānām. Therefore Kuntī-devī is suggesting "This is the medicine for your suffering." Take it and be happy. Thank you very much. (end)
So the life in this material world is not very easy-going. Therefore this very word is used, bhave 'smin, bhave 'smin kliśyamānānām. Everyone is working very, very hard. But they do not know what is the aim. Why they are working so hard, that they do not know. Generally, as I have already explained, that a man works very hard to get some money, some good bank balance, so that in old age he can live very peacefully, without any disturbance. Of course, that is not possible because at that time he may have money, but he is full of anxieties. A family man, old man, is always cintā-magna, cintā-magna, as "This boy is not well-situated. That boy has not educated... His education is not yet finished. And that girl has lost his husband. Husbands are rejected." Where is the peace? There cannot be peace. Kliśyanti. Again he tries to adjust that boy, that girl, that grandchildren, that..., going on. Therefore Śaṅkarācārya, he has said, bālas tāvat kriyāsaktaḥ.(?) The children, they are very working hard for playing. They're also getting perspiration, but they are taking pleasure in jumping and this way and that way.
So we have got this mystic power, but we do not know. The example is given like that. The, the deer who has got musk in the navel and the flavor is very nice, so he is jumping here and there, here and there, here and there. Where is this flavor? He does not know the flavor is in his navel. You see. The flavor is there in him, but he is finding out, "Where it is? Where it is?" Similarly we have got so many dormant mystic power within us. We are unaware. But if you practice the mystic yoga system, some of them you can evolve very nicely. Just like the birds are flying, but we cannot fly. Sometimes we desire, "Had I the wings of a dove..." There are poetry: "I could immediately go." But that mystic power is also within you. If you develop by yogic practice, you can also fly in the air. That is possible. There is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. In the Siddhaloka, the inhabitants, they are called... Siddhaloka means they have got so many mystic powers. We are trying to go to the moon planet by so many machines. They can fly. As soon as they desire, they can go.
So mystic power there is in everyone. It has to be developed. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). We have got so many dormant powers. It has to be cultivated. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Say, four or five years ago, you did not know what is Kṛṣṇa. By cultivation you are coming to know Kṛṣṇa, what is God, what is our relationship. So the human life is meant for such cultivation, not for seeking where is food, where is shelter, where is sex. These are already there. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate... (SB 1.5.18). These things are not our subject matter of inquiry. These are already there. It is enough there even for the birds and beasts. And what to speak of human being? But they have become so rascal. They are simply absorbed in the thought of the where is food, where is shelter, where is sex, where is defense.
People have become so misguided, they are memorizing. In our country some astrologer has said that one big politician, he has become one of the two dogs in Scandinavia! Now here for this material body, they have erected museum, and statues, and being worshiped by so many methods, but the spirit soul—which was the politician actually, not this body—he has taken birth as a dog. This is the understanding. Where the politician has gone and how what he is doing, they do not know. But they are concerned with the body. My Guru Mahārāja used to say, (aside:) yes? "That one man is drowned, and another brave man comes—I'll save him." As he jumps over the water and brings the coat and shirt, "Now this man is saved." So what people will say, what a nonsense he is, he has brought his coat and shirt and the man is saved? Similarly, these rascals, they are dealing with the coat and shirt of the living entity but they have no knowledge in the university or anywhere where the soul has gone.
So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, not that "Here I am getting the opportunity of becoming a prime minister or president. Let me jump over," like monkey. Not like that. Not like that. He... He was convinced by the instruction of Bhīṣmadeva, by the instruction of Acyuta, when he saw that "If I sit down on the throne to rule over the world, I will be right in my position." And that is Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Not only Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, all the kings who was emperor of the world, they were of the same nature, same nature. Therefore they were called rājarṣi. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam, rājarṣayaḥ (BG 4.2). The Bhagavad-gītā, it meant for the rājarṣis. King, but they are saintly person. Therefore they are called rājarṣi. Rāja and ṛṣi, both, combined together, rājarṣi. So all the kings in those days, they were all rājarṣis. Not this rascal president.
Indian woman: May I ask one question, please? In the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, chapter starting twenty-ninth to thirty-five, there is a beautiful description of this rāsa-līlā, and some scholars think that there is some work(?), imagination, in that. So will you please comment upon this?
Prabhupāda: Because they are rascals. We are not commenting on rascals. (laughter) Why do you jump to rāsa-līlā? That is another rascaldom. Bhāgavata, there is twelve cantos. And this rāsa-līlā is described in the thirty-fifth chapter of Tenth Canto. Why you jump there?
Indian woman: Because I got all the stages of bhakti in Bengal Vaiṣṇavism.
Prabhupāda: No. Bengal Vaiṣṇava is not foolishism. You have... First of all you have to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then go to understand what is Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā. You do not understand Kṛṣṇa. Why you jump over His activities?
Indian woman: Well, I was given that work to do for research.
Prabhupāda: So some foolish man has given you like that. (laughter) Yes. You should ask him that "You, Mr. Rascal, (laughter) why you have given, 'jump over to here?' Why not other?" That Kṛṣṇa, to understand Kṛṣṇa, the Bhāgavata begins, athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ... (SB 1.1.1). You know Sanskrit, I think.
Indian woman: Not actually.
Prabhupāda: Then why do you jump over there? Education means from the beginning. Therefore a small child, he wants to be educated. He immediately goes to the M.A. class? Or he learns ABCD? So therefore those who have given you this task, they are not realized souls. All fools and rascals.
Indian woman: (giggles) Thank you very much.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. First of all you understand two plus two equal to four. Then you go to higher mathematics. And all of a sudden higher mathematics? What is this? Is that very good intelligence? You have questioned already. Any other? What is that?
Devotee (1): In Bhagavad-gītā when it states that "Supersoul," in American terms is this known as your astral body?
Prabhupāda: Astral body means mind, intelligence, ego. This is astral body. And Supersoul is soul, Supreme Soul. Hmm?
So if you want to understand Bhagavad-gītā, then we must understand in the same way as the person who directly heard from. This is called paramparā system. Suppose I have heard something from my spiritual master, so I speak to you the same thing. So this is paramparā system. You cannot imagine what my spiritual master said. Or even if you read some books, you cannot understand unless you understand it from me. This is called paramparā system. You cannot jump over to the superior guru, neglecting the next ācārya, immediate next ācārya. Just like our, this Gau..., Caitanya Mahāprabhu's cult; we cannot understand Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly. It is not possible. We have to understand through the Gosvāmīs. Therefore you'll find in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta and at the end of every chapter, the writer says,
- śrī-rūpa-ragunātha-pade yāra āśa
- caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇa-dāsa
This is the process. He does not say that "I've understood Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu directly." No. That is not understanding. That is foolishness. You cannot understand what is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore repeatedly he says, rūpa-ragunātha-pade... "I am that Kṛṣṇa dāsa, Kavirāja, who is always under the subordination of the Gosvāmīs." This is paramparā system.
This is sign of a perfect God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). One who has understood God, he is paṇḍita, learned. Without being learned, a fool, rascal, cannot understand what is God. One who understands God means he is paṇḍita, he is learned because he has got the knowledge. Veda, Veda means knowledge. What is the purpose of knowledge? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). That is Veda, that is knowledge. Any kind of knowledge, it doesn't matter whether it is political or scientific or philosophical or mathematical—there are different—but the ultimate aim should be to understand what is God. That is knowledge. Because you, human being, you are advancing in knowledge, but what is the goal of knowledge? The goal of knowledge is to understand God. That is the difference between dog and me. He has no goal of knowledge. He is simply eating, simply jumping and barking, that's all. That is a dog's business. If you go on like that, eating, sleeping and begetting children and barking in political conference, then you are dog. You are not God or godly. Nobody can become God, that is... But you can become godly. Similarly, people have become just like cats and dogs. This is dharmasya glāniḥ.
So devotee hasn't got any personal decision. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). We should decide by the order of Kṛṣṇa through the disciplic succession, via media, the spiritual master. That is required. A devotee cannot decide personally. If Kṛṣṇa desires... If somebody says that "We cannot see Kṛṣṇa personally," then you have to decide by Kṛṣṇa's representative. If your spiritual master, guru, says that "You do this," that is Kṛṣṇa's order. That is Kṛṣṇa's order. Therefore it is said, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. By satisfying the spiritual master, you satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is very natural. Just like when you go to your work, the immediate person who is in charge of your work, he must be satisfied. You don't jump up to the proprietor. The proprietor will be automatically satisfied. If something is done and the proprietor sees that the immediate office superintendent is satisfied, then he accepts, "Yes, that's all right." He hasn't got to inspect personally. If the superintendent of the office says that "Yes, this clerk or this man works nice," then proprietor accepts. Similarly, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. We have to satisfy our spiritual master, sevayā.
There was a very good example of our Kṛṣṇa conscious men in Melbourne. That was published. There was a fire in one building, and they were, I mean to say, stranded. They were crying. So our girls went there and saved them. Nobody came. Therefore it is said, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). If one is God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, then other material good qualities will automatically develop. These girls in our Melbourne temple, they were not asked by me or their president, "You go and save them," but out of their good will they went and saved them, and some of the girls jumped from three story and they captured in this, what is called, canopy. So it was published and very much appreciated by the public. So the idea is that one cannot be merciful unless he is a devotee. The so-called mercifulness showed by the philanthropists, humanitarians, that is all false. They are humanitarian, but they maintain slaughterhouse. What is this humanitarian? It does not appeal to you that animals are being killed? So the real fact is that without becoming a devotee of Kṛṣṇa or God, nobody can be qualified with good attributes. It is not possible. Therefore śāstra says that "Make people devotee." Then automatically, all the good qualities will come in. Next.
These things are all mentioned, how the human society can be peaceful and progressive. These are the qualifications. Not like animallike jumping all day and night. Here in Hawaii we see that children, children and elderly persons also, the whole day and night, simply jumping in the sea. Someone is swimming, somebody is doing something else, somebody is swimming. How they're wasting time. But they have taken, "This is civilization. This is civilization." Human life is so important. So many things are to be learned, neither in the school, college, educational institution, society, nothing of the sort. Just like a dog is also jumping, a man is also jumping. This is going on. But that is not civilization. Real civilization means these things are to be acquired in real life, personal life, then that is civilization. Now, these are mentioned one after another.
So this is going on. (laughs) A dog in the park is jumping very fast, walking. But as soon as the master, "Come one. Come one," immediately, "Yes, sir." "Give me your neck." "Yes, sir." Chain. Chain. He's thinking that he's very free, but as soon as the master calls, immediately he has to submit. This is our position. We are very busy, but the master is the material nature. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duraty... (BG 7.14). The fact is that we are under the stringent laws of material nature. We have no freedom. That we do not know. We are struggling so much. War has been waged in, all over the world, especially in Europe, for freedom. You have got that freedom statue. And in America also, there is freedom. But where is freedom, sir? That they do not know. Why? Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). They do not know what is freedom and whose freedom. That they do not know. Therefore they have created so many newspapers for freedom. The so-called freedom. But there is no freedom. Even big, big leaders, they have no freedom. What we are?
Therefore Kṛṣṇa points out in the Bhagavad-gītā that real freedom is when you get freedom from four different problems. What is that? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). If you get freedom from these four things—no more death, no more birth, no more old age, old age, and no more disease—that is freedom. But where is that freedom? The so-called scientists, big, big scientists, they have very scientifically advanced, but they had no freedom from death. They had to die on a fixed-up date. Professor Einstein or any other big, big scientist, they could not manufacture any scientific instrument and keep it in the custody of his student, that "As soon as I die, you just apply this machine. I shall come alive again." Where is that freedom? So this so-called scientific improvement, advancement in civilization, it is just like jumping like the dog. That's all. It has no value. Real value is to understand ātma-tattvam, "What I am? Why death is imposed upon me? I do not wish to die. Why old age is imposed upon me? I do not wish to become old man or old woman. I wish to remain a beautiful young..." "No, sir, that is not possible." Then where is your freedom? What for you are jumping so much? As soon as the master will call "Yes, sir.
So although he was king's son, a very powerful king's son, he was not interested anything with spiritual, er, material. He decided. So from the childhood, he was trying to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Where he should get opportunity? He was a child of five years old, and king's son, locked up within the palace. So he was taking opportunity in the school. As soon as he go to the school, and the teachers are out, he'll stand up on the bench and speak of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A five-year-... You have seen the picture. So he was advising, "My dear friends"—they were all five years, four years old—"now take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha: (SB 7.6.1) "This kaumāra, this age, from the very beginning of life, you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." He was advising. They, they were all asuras. They were asking, "Why Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Let us play now, jump like monkey." So he was not... "No, no. Let us take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." "Now, why we should take Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Now, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma: "Oh, it is very valuable. This human form of life is very valuable." Because in this life only you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious, not in the body of cats and dogs. That is not possible. Or trees.
An interesting story has been described by our Satsvarūpa Mahārāja in the Back to Godhead: The learned scholar and the boatman. The boatman... In Bengal there are many rivers, and so people generally transport by boat service. So a learned scholar from Calcutta, say, was going home in the village on a boat, and he was very happy. So he was asking the boatman, "My dear boatman, do you know what are these stars, this astronomy, how they are working?" "No, sir, I do not know." "Oh, your life is twenty-five percent lost. You do not know anything." Then after some time, "You know the geology, how this earth, water, they are working?" "No, sir, I am poor man. What can I know?" "Oh, your fifty percent of your life is lost." Then all of a sudden there was a cloud, black cloud on the sky, and there was storm. Then at that time the boatman asked, "Sir, do you know how to swim?" "No, I do not know." "Then one hundred percent you have lost.(laughter) You are going to be drowned." He jumped and he drowned.
Always jolly. That is the first symptom. "Oh, I am now free from the material clutches." Because as soon as you are actually engaged in devotional service, there will be no more, I mean to say, punishment by the material nature. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śo... (BG 18.54). Therefore he's always jubilant, prasannātmā. What is the meaning of prasannātmā? Prasannātmā means na śocati na kāṅkṣati. He does not desire anything, does not lament for anything. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. If there is something lost, "Never mind. Kṛṣṇa desired loss. That's all right." And if there is gain, he does not jump over, "Oh, I have gained this. I have gained this." Like monkey. (laughter) No. Everything Kṛṣṇa's. I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Suppose if there is some loss. So it is Kṛṣṇa's desire. And if there is some profit, it is Kṛṣṇa's money. I don't possess anything. Why shall I jump? Jump, of course, we can jump. "O Kṛṣṇa, we have gained so much thing, so many things for Kṛṣṇa." That is another... So na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then he's equal to everyone. He understands that everyone is a spirit soul. Some way or other, he's entangled in this material body. So because I am now...Mad-bhakti... Prasannātmā na śocati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate par... Then he's fit for transcendental service to the Lord.
Nobody can understand. Out of many millions and trillions of persons, one is interested how to make his life success. Otherwise they are not interested even. Like cats and dogs they are jumping here and there. That's all. And out of those persons who are interested, some may understand what is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is not so very easily understood, but by the grace of Kṛṣṇa we can understand Him if we follow. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, there is no more superior power than Me, or greater than Me." So if we accept the statement of Kṛṣṇa, then we understand Kṛṣṇa immediately. Otherwise, by speculation, it is not possible. That is the fact. There are so many... Such a person, such a big, who is estimated as very, very big person, Mahatma Gandhi, he could not understand Kṛṣṇa. From his writing we see. He said, "I don't believe that there was any person Kṛṣṇa living ever." Just see.
That is bhakti. That offering is not required... But Kṛṣṇa is not hungry, that He's asking from you little fruit, little flower, little... He is feeding... Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. He is supplying all the necessities of everyone. So why He's begging from you? Because He wants that you love Him. That is Kṛṣṇa's want. You are suffering in this material world, you are entangled in this tree from one branch to another, rotating and suffering. So Kṛṣṇa wants that you do not suffer. You give up this business of jumping like monkey from this branch to that branch, but come to Him and surrender to Him. Śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyam. When this knowledge comes, that is perfect knowledge. Gato mukundaṁ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ parihṛtya kartam.
So this class of men, they are not interested. They will suffer this material existence continually, one after another, one of chapter, one of chapter... Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), one life. And if he gets one life very opulent, that is, then he doesn't care for what is next life. "Let me drink and enjoy. Eat, drink, and be merry and en..." This is going on all over the world. But śāstra says, "No, no, no, no. It is not good. You are doing mistake. You are doing mistake." Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). You have become mad and you are engaged in doing all forbidden things which you should not do. You are doing that. And why you are doing that? Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Why? Yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. Simply for sense gratification. Simply for sense gratification. I have seen one hotel man in Calcutta. He cut the throat of a chicken, and the chicken, half-cut, it was flapping and jumping. The child of the hotel man, he was crying, and the hotel man was laughing. He was taking pleasure, "Oh, how this chicken, half-cut throat, and how he is jumping... Why you are crying? Why you are crying?" And in Western countries I think students are sometimes taken to slaughterhouse to see. Is it a fact? Yes. You see. They take pleasure. Doing something sinful, they take pleasure. For pleasure's sake they do that. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaye (SB 5.5.4). Simply for the matter of sense gratification.
This is the experience of Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura. He was a South Indian brāhmaṇa, very rich brāhmaṇa. But by bad association or something like that, he became a very staunch prostitute hunter. So he engaged all his income, money, everything, after one prostitute. Her name was Cintāmaṇi. So it is a very nice story. I am briefly describing. So one night... Every night he was to go to that prostitute, and one night it was very terribly raining. So the prostitute thought, "Now this night Bilvamaṅgala is not coming. It is terribly raining." But Bilvamaṅgala went there, crossing the river, and the door was closed. He jumped over the door catching a snake. In this way, very dangerously, he reached the prostitute's house. And the prostitute was astonished, that "How is this condition you could come here? Oh, you are so much attracted by this skin. If this much attraction you would have to Kṛṣṇa, how it would have been nice for you." So immediately he left the prostitute's house and went to Vṛndāvana.
So śrī-vigraha-darśanam. This temple is situated to give people the facility as it is described here. Tair darśanīya avayavaiḥ udāra. We have to see the Deity beginning from the lotus feet, not jumping over the smiling face. That is the way. First of all you try to see. And when you are practiced... Try to see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and when you are practiced to this habit, even after visiting the temple if you go home, if you are practice to see the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, that is meditation. So darśanīya avayavaiḥ: "Different limbs." First of all feet, then the thighs, then the belt, then the chest, then you reach the smiling face. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's form... If you meditate on Kṛṣṇa's form, that is Kṛṣṇa. So we associate with Kṛṣṇa, His smiling face, His flute, His hand, His dress, His consort, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, or any other, gopīs, surrounded by. In this way, practice this habit of observing the Supreme Lord. Therefore He has appeared, arcā-vigraha, so that we can see Him.
So it is called ūrdhva-mūlam. Ūrdhva-mūlam means... Here we have got experience: the tree has got its roots underneath, down. But this material world, which is compared with the aśvattha tree, the root is upside and the branches downside. That means it is shadow. We can experience of this tree, ūrdhva-mūlam. The root upside and the branches downside, we have got experience. Where it is? In the shadow. If you stand on the bank of a river or reservoir of water and if there is any tree by the side of that reservoir of water, you will find the shadow, ūrdhva-mūlam. The root upside and the branches downside. Exactly the same tree, but it is shadow. It has no fact; it is simply shadow. Many places it has been compared with the mirage, mirage in the desert. Just like in bright sunshine in the desert you will find that there is water. So the thirsty animal, they think there is water. They jump over it, and the animal runs after the water, and the water also goes away, goes away, goes away. Sometimes we have got also experience. In bright sunshine on the street we find exactly a shadow of water, but there is no water. Tejo-vāri-mṛt, amṛṣā. In the Bhāgavata it is stated: tejo-vāri-mṛt, amṛsā. Sometimes in the water we see land, and on land we can see water. This is called marīcikā, or mirage.
Therefore it is said, etāvān eva loka 'smin puṁsāṁ niḥśreyasa udayaḥ. Udayaḥ means rising. Just like sūryodayaḥ. In the darkness... At night, we are in the darkness. In the morning there will be sūryodayaḥ, and then there will be light. So this is conclusion, that in this material world we are simply struggling for existence with a hope, future hope, that "We shall be happy by this plan." But it will never be possible. Simply you will be bewildered. Just like the animal goes to the desert, and he sees mirage, a shadow of water in the desert. He is thirsty. He goes to the water, and the water goes again, farther away. And he jumps over, jumps over. In this way, being thirsty and in the hot sand, he dies. This is called māyā-marīcikā. Our struggle for existence is like that. We are thinking, "Let me go little farther, and we shall be happy." But actually, where is the water? There is no water in the desert. But those who are less intelligent, like animal, they seek happiness here in this material world. Just like the animal running after water in the desert. Māyā-marīcikā.
So these attachments, this false attachment, has to be given up. And that is possible when we engage ourself in the bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga.
Actually, he is being pulled by the material nature. Just like dog, chained, he has to do according to the master desire, similarly, we are also chained by the prakṛti, material nature, and we are being forced to act according to the dictation of the material nature. But ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Because he is bewildered, he is thinking... You will find in the beach so many dogs. They are very proudly jumping and thinking that "I have got full independence," but actually he is dependent.
Recently one of our life members—he is a big industrialist—he has jumped from the, what is called, that Daksinasvara(?) Bridge, down to the Ganges. No, Wellington Bridge, I think. So committed suicide. In Western countries also, because there is no end of greediness: "More, more, more, more, more." Ask him that "What will be satisfaction for you?" Oh, there is no such limit. This is rajas and tamas. And some people, they are śūdras. So some political party, by agitation, by propaganda, makes them convinced to accept some way, and they do it. Another party will do another... They have no their own discretion. They elect some president, and again they want to dethrone the president. Because they are śūdras, they have no intelligence. They do not know how to elect the president, who should be the governor, who should be the executive head. They commit mistake. They again cry.
Just like here we are having Bhāgavata class. This is not ordinary Bhāgavata class, not jumping over Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā. It is not like that. It is step by step studying what is Kṛṣṇa, what is this material world, what is the sambandha, or relationship with Kṛṣṇa—so many things—how this body has developed, how we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, how to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. These things must be studied first of all. Then we can understand what is Kṛṣṇa's pastimes with the gopīs. But these professional Bhāgavata preachers, they go, jump over at once. Because it appears like the dealings of young boys and girls, so that is the... Here in this material world, sex impulse... Here in this material world, sex impulse is the center of all activity. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tucchaṁ kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham (SB 7.9.45). People are working so hard day and night. What is their happiness? The happiness is sex. That's all. That has been described as tuccham, most abominable. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8).
So people may be astonished, that "They are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Why they are discussing the action and reaction of fire?" Generally, they think Bhāgavata reading means rāsa-pañcādhyāya, bas, immediately jump over to the rāsa-līlā of Kṛṣṇa. Actually to know God means to know everything in detail. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. That is the Vedic injunction. If we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we must understand also how Kṛṣṇa's different energies are working. That is called tattvataḥ. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). The other day I was reading Gandhi's discourses on Bhagavad-gītā. He said that "I can imagine any way Kṛṣṇa. I do not accept the historical Kṛṣṇa." In this way, so many things. He was a big man. He can say like that. But we cannot imagine or manufacture Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. That is not Kṛṣṇa. God is never imagined or speculated or manufactured by my limited knowledge and limited senses. That is not Kṛṣṇa. Of course, Kṛṣṇa is everything. But if we want to know tattvataḥ Kṛṣṇa, in truth, how Kṛṣṇa has created the pañca-bhūta and how each bhūta or each material element is working, that is being discussed. This is perfect knowledge, tattvataḥ.
So Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept our service in so many ways. Either if you cannot establish Deity, then you simply hear about Him. That is the most important thing. We do not require to establish temple everywhere. If there is possible to establish temple and serve Kṛṣṇa properly according to the regulation mentioned in the śāstras or instructed by the spiritual master, that is called vaidhī-bhakti. Vaidhī-bhakti. Vaidhī-bhakti means discharging devotional service under regulative principles. So without vaidhī-bhakti, you cannot jump to the rāga-bhakti. Rāga-bhakti is spontaneous. That does not require any regulative principles. Out of love, out of feeling anyone wants to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is called..., that is gopīs. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they did not undergo any regulative principles. But spontaneously, they are always ready to serve God, Kṛṣṇa. That is called rāga-bhakti. Just like to... The example... There are examples. Just like a mother, as soon as there is child, baby, she takes care. She takes care.
We are attempting to do that in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We have got an institution, Gurukula, at Dallas, Texas, and they are learning very nicely. Just like this child. From the very beginning he is learning bhāgavata-dharma. He is offering obeisances, he is chanting, he is dancing, he is offering a flower to the spiritual master, and he is offering to the Vaiṣṇavas. In his childish way, while playing, he is becoming accustomed to dharmān bhāgavatān. This is really, really human civilization, from the very beginning of life. Because if we want, we can learn like cats and dog, jumping and eating and sleeping and mating. No. That is not the business of the human life.
Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore says, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1). "Why? Why bhāgavata-dharma so important that I have to learn from the beginning of my life?" Now, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam: "This human life is very rarely obtained, durlabham." Dur means "very difficult." After many, many births, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), this human form, after evolution, we have got. Durlabham, with great difficulty we have got it. That, why it is important? Now it is arthadam. Arthadam. Artha means meaningful or riches or something wealth.
So dhyāyed devaṁ samagrāṅgam. The dhyāna, the meditation, should begin from the lotus feet. As soon as you begin kīrtana, first of all concentrate your mind on the lotus feet, not all of a sudden jump over the face. Be practiced to think over the lotus feet, then still higher, the knees, then the thighs, then the belly, then the chest. In this way, at last go to the face. This is the process. It is described in the Second Canto. The process is how to think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. This is meditation. So this... By kīrtana it becomes very easy. If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra twenty-four hours like Haridāsa Ṭhākura... That is not possible. So as much as possible... Tīrtha-yaśasa. Kīrtana, this is also kīrtana. We are talking about Kṛṣṇa, reading about Kṛṣṇa, reading Kṛṣṇa's instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā or reading Kṛṣṇa's glories in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They are all kīrtana. It is not that simply when we sing with musical instruments, that is kīrtana. No. Anything you talk about Kṛṣṇa, that is kīrtan.
Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes, gradually. No, no. First of all see the lotus feet and meditate. When you are fully practiced to see the lotus feet simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa, then that business is finished. Then go up, then go up, then go up, then go up. Then see the face. This is the process of meditation. Not... Therefore I said, "Not jumping over the face, rasa-līlā." What do you know about Kṛṣṇa's līlā, rāsa-līlā? First of all study what is Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā. Any other?
Jñāna: Śrīla Prabhupāda, will you please explain the phrase, I mean, "serving the lotus feet of the spiritual master," "serving the lotus feet."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Give little water and tulasī and flower. That's all. It is very difficult job? Then everyone can do it. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. No. Simply... Just as Advaita Prabhu, He simply offered Gaṅgā-jala and tulasī to please the Lord to come. Caitanya Mahāprabhu came. This is... There is no difficulty at all. Because we simply use..., misuse our intelligence, misuse our opportunity, there is trouble. Otherwise there is no difficulty. Where is the difficulty? Tulasī-patra you can have, and little water, offer to the, on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, and pray, "Give me intelligence so that I can serve You nicely.
Prabhupāda: They are accepting God, but they did not disclose the name of God because the people are unable to understand. "Kṛṣṇa" means "the all-attractive." That is the meaning of Kṛṣṇa. So unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God? "Kṛṣṇa" means all-attractive.
- ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
- mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
- iti matvā bhajante māṁ
- budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
- (BG 10.8)
When one understands Kṛṣṇa... To understand Kṛṣṇa it takes little time. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). So Kṛṣṇa revealed Himself in India before Arjuna, and what the others will understand about Kṛṣṇa unless he's advanced like Arjuna? So there are different persons, so different types of religion they have revealed. That is also Kṛṣṇa—but, to some extent. The full extent they cannot understand. Just like Lord Jesus Christ says "Thou shall not kill." Just imagine what the audience were. They are killers. So what they'll understand about Kṛṣṇa? Let them first stop this killing. Then the stage will come he'll understand what is Kṛṣṇa.
- yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
- janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
- te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
- bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
- (BG 7.28)
One who is sinful, the first instruction should be, "You stop your sinful activities." Then the opportunity will come to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is stated in the... Yeṣāṁ tu anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is sinful, what he will understand about Kṛṣṇa? First of all, stop sinful activities. Then this stage will come, he'll understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Jesus Christ said, "You nonsense, stop killing." Then there will be time we'll understand one day Kṛṣṇa. So the first instruction is to stop sinful activities; then he'll be qualified.
- yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
- janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
- te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
- bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ
- (BG 7.28)
So everything by step by step, not by jump. That is not possible.
As soon as we take birth, it means we must be prepared for death. I am increasing my age means decreasing my age, not increasing. When a child is born, if some friends asks, "When this child is born?" "Now, one week before," that means the child has already died one week. From his duration of life, make one week minus. So we are dying every moment. Mṛtyu, death, is sure. "As sure as death." So... But we are not meant for death, neither we are meant for birth. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na jāyate na mriyate vā: "The spirit soul is never born, neither he dies." Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The spirit soul, nitya, eternal, śāśvata, inexhaustible... Na hanyate, clearly says, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So this death is artificial. Therefore we do not like to die. We do not like to be unhappy. We do not like to be without any knowledge. This is our nature. But because this nature is hampered on material condition, therefore the business of the human being is to cure this disease—birth, death, old age and disease. This is the mission of life, not to waste time, not to waste our life, duration of life, just simply jumping like dog and hog. That is not human life. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1).
So somebody gives half, because they are also not overburdened. If they have to deliver, so many sannyāsīs come, and sumptuous food, then how the gṛhastha will provide? Therefore though... They do not overburden. There may be other sannyāsīs, therefore little only. Madhupuri. The Gosvāmīs practiced this madhupuri in Vṛndāvana. They lived, but they would take little only from the house. This is called bahūdaka. Then when he has practiced more, he travels all over the world, parivrājakācārya. And when he is fully experienced, then, in spiritual life and everything, then he is paramahaṁsa. So one must find out a guru who is paramahaṁsa. Neither kuṭīcaka, nor bahūdaka, nor parivrājakācārya. Paramahaṁsa. So in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta also, Lord Caitanya says, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). This bhakti-latā-bīja can be obtained through the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. Here Ṛṣabhadeva, who is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, therefore He says mayi, haṁse gurau mayi. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṇa. "Well, I know Kṛṣṇa. I shall go to Kṛṣṇa directly, without guru." There are many rascals, they say like that. No, that is not possible. First of all guru, then Kṛṣṇa. Haṁse gurau mayi, bhaktyānuvṛtyā.
So these are description, this is the beginning. If we actually practice the description of the prescription given in the śāstra, then it will be possible that, as it is said, karmānubaddho dṛḍha āślatheta. Then our strong desire to enjoy this material world in different way, that will be slackened. That is wanted.
So don't waste your time making material plan, big, big plan. "Big, big monkey, big, big belly, Ceylon jumping, melancholy." One European gentleman, he translated this Bengali proverb. Baro baro badare, baro baro pet, lanka dingake mata kare het.(?) There are many monkeys. The one monkey, he jumped over the Indian Ocean, went to the other side. So there were other monkeys also. They were asked, "Can you do it?" And mata kare het:(?) "He simply bowed down." So this plan is meant for how to, by chanting "Jaya Rāma," I'll jump over the other part of the material world. That is required. Not to work hard to improve your material condition. That will never be possible. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). You cannot get happiness within this material world. Bhramatām upary adhaḥ. Upary adhaḥ means, upari, in the higher planetary system, and down, lower planetary system. We are wandering like this, sometimes in the Svargaloka, sometimes in the Patalaloka, sometimes in naraka, sometimes in heaven. This is going on. Ei rupe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kono bhāgyavān jīva, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpa pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). So try to take bhakti-latā-bīja by the mercy of guru, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, and make your life successful. Don't engage yourself in the material fruitive activities for improving your material condition. That will never be successful.
So therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I have no problem." Naivodvije para duratyaya. "I have no problem to cross over the ocean of nescience. That solution is already there. Wherever I am, I shall think of Your lotus feet. That's all." "But you appear to be unhappy." "Yes, I am unhappy." "Why?" Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ: "I am thinking of these rascals who have rejected Your instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā." Śoce tato vimukha-cetasaḥ. And they are busy. Like monkeys and dogs they are busy. You will see they are very busy, going here, going there, going there. Just like monkey, jumping from one tree to another, jumping. Wherever he is standing, he will move his arm, everything. But people know that "Here is a monkey." He may appear to be very busy, but people will immediately take a stick: "Go away! Go away! Go away!"
So see development. Siddha. Siddha means those who have got yogic mystic power, siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, īśitva, vaśitva, these are called siddhis. Nowadays so-called yogis, they show some gymnastic. That is not siddhi. Siddhi is different thing. One can become smaller than the smallest. That is called aṇimā. One can become bigger than the biggest, just like Hanumānji. He jumped over the sea. Jumped over sea... This is mahimā-siddhi. One can become as big as required. Just like there is water. A grown-up man can cross water by jumping, but a small child cannot do. So proportionately, if you increase your body by the mahimā-siddhi, you can jump over the sea. That is possible. So these are called siddhas. We have got description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about the Siddhaloka. There the people can go from one planet to another in this body. That is called siddhi. Here we are trying to go to other planet with the machine, and still, we are failure. But in the Siddhaloka they can go very easily from one planet to another with this body. They are siddhas.
So we have to learn through bhakti-yoga how to see Kṛṣṇa, how to understand Him. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāniḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). These are required. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṇa and see Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. So everything is sitting place of Kṛṣṇa. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). He is even within the atom, so why not within yourself? He is everywhere. This vision should be developed. And vivikta-dṛgbhis tad ahārhaṇam. If you see in that way, that Kṛṣṇa is everywhere present But that presence can be experienced by love and devotion. There is no other way.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
Now, because the soul is there, therefore the body is changing. Everyone knows that he was a child. I know, you know. I remember my childhood body or my boyhood body, my youthhood body. I am old man. I remember them, that "I was doing as a young man like this. I was doing as a boy like this. I was jumping. Now I cannot jump. Why? The body has changed." The body has changed. It is very good logic. The same "I" am there. I was a boy. I was jumping. Now I am old man. I have changed my body. I cannot do that. I will have to take the stick. Because the body has changed. So where is the fallacy of logic? It is very clearly... And the authority says... Kṛṣṇa says, not an ordinary person. He says, "Within this body there is the soul, and as on account of the soul, the body is changing shape from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood, from youthhood to old man's body. Similarly, when this body will be useless, he will accept another body." This simply truth one has to understand first of all before anything spiritual knowledge. If one cannot understand that the spirit soul is different from this body, then he is cat and dog. He is not human being.
No, if you can make the people Kṛṣṇa conscious, then everything will be automatically..., because the democracy is there. So if they vote for a Kṛṣṇa conscious person to become president and prime minister, then everything will be saved. So that means you have to create voters, Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then everything will be right. That should be one of your aims, the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. The government still is under the control of the public. That's a fact. If the public becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, naturally the government will be Kṛṣṇa conscious. But that is up to the public. But they do not want to be. Therefore they want a king—the crane was sent. You know this story? The frogs, they wanted a king from God, and God gave. He gave them one stone. (indistinct) small. So they were expecting a king. Then, when they saw that king is not speaking, somebody jumped over it. Still, the king did not say. "What can be done to the king?" So they accused the God that "What kind of king you have...? He does not speak. He does not move." "All right." Then He sent one crane. So the crane came and began to catch one like that. Then they became, "Oh, what kind of king?" (laughter) So the public is like that. They wanted. They defied this religious system. They defied their... Yes. The modernized. Who was saying, "the modernized version of Bhagavad-gītā?" Chinmayananda?
Prabhupāda: That is Bengal. That is called Hanumān.
Revatīnandana: You said in Vṛndāvana they would come in a gang. Three or four will jump out in front like this, and the rest will grab what you have and take it away. You said they would do that.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Revatīnandana: They're very smart.
Prabhupāda: But if you have got a stick they will not come. They are afraid of stick. The dogs also, they are afraid of stick. Therefore in such places one should carry in hand one stick. That is safe. After all, they are animals. They know that a man can strike with the stick very severely. They are afraid of that. In Vṛndāvana, in the beginning, I was eating, and a monkey entered very peacefully and took it, everything. (laughter) He took everything. I could not replace. I began running. Immediately caught also. They do like that. In Vṛndāvana you cannot open doors.
So one day Nārada Muni asked his friend, Parvata Muni, "I have got a disciple. Let us go and see him." (to translator:) Parvata Muni, his friend. Yes. So when Nārada Muni and Parvata Muni was coming to the same hunter who had become now a Vaiṣṇava, so he was going to receive his spiritual master by going forward. So while he was going forward towards his spiritual master to receive him, on the way he was jumping in so many places. So Parvata Muni asked him that "Why you are jumping on your way while coming to us?" The hunter, the Vaiṣṇava, he replied, "Sir, there were so many ants on the ground. Therefore I was trying to avoid trampling them." So Parvata Muni was surprised, that "This man was hunting and killing animal half. Now, because he has become a Vaiṣṇava, he is not prepared to kill even an ant."
So this is the practical instance that if one becomes devotee of the Lord, all the good qualities manifest in his body. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied to Parīkṣit Mahārāja that "You are saying right that simply by atonement, simply by punishment, one cannot become honest." Practically speaking, if you simply enact laws to make people honest, it is impossible to do that.
So this is called tapasya. And brahmacaryeṇa. Brahmacaryeṇa means completely cessation of sex life. So that is not possible to completely give up eating or completely sex life, but make it regulated. That is tapasya: eating, sleeping, mating, and defense as much as it is required. The aim should be to make it nil. That is called tapasya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13). Brahmācārya means, strictly. Brahmācārya means that one should not look upon woman, "Oh, here is a very beautiful girl." That is also sex, subtle sex. And to talk, "Fsh, fsh, fsh, fsh," that is also subtle sex. So these things are to be avoided. There are eight kinds of subtle sex life. This is called brahmācārya. So according to Vedic śāstra, if one lives with one woman, one man, they are also brahmacārī. Not many. This is... If one cannot give up sex life, let him be satisfied with one man and one woman. That is also tapasya, that is also brahmacārī. But not that jumping from here, there, there, there, there, no, like monkey, no. (laughter) This is training. This is training.
So in this age it is very difficult, but this is the meaning of tapasya, voluntarily accepting inconveniences. When there is cold, one has to take the help of heater, fire. No. No heater, no fire, but go deep into the cold water. Of course, it is very difficult in your country because the water is so cold, and if you go deep, immediately finish. (laughter) I have seen in New York. One dog, he jumped over—immediately finished. I have seen it. That is actual fact. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so kind that these people in this age, they will not be able to undergo severe austerity. That is not possible. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). In this age every man is alpāyuṣaḥ. Alpāyuṣaḥ means very short-living. The limit is hundred years, but who is going to live hundred years? Nobody. If one is eighty, seventy years, it is considered... Within sixty, seventy years everyone finished. But the age limit is hundred years. So what tapasya he'll do? What meditation he will do? In the Satya-yuga, by meditation one could get perfection.
The present position of the civilization, that there is no question of security, even on the lap of the mother, and what to speak of otherwise. But the business of human life is to solve the problems of life, but we have increased the problems of life. This is the civilization. Why? Because we are not taking to the process of human life. The process of human life is mentioned here: tapasya, austerity. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena ca (SB 6.1.13). This is the process to make solution of the problems of life. And if we do not do that, then we implicate ourself in more problems. But they do not know. They are so foolish that they do not know the problems of life, how to solve it. And here in the Śrīmad-Bhagavat, Śrīmat Śukadeva Gosvāmī has given you that "You do this." Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa: (SB 6.1.13) "Accept austerities, penance. Observe brahmācārya, celibacy. Control your mind. Control your senses, God consciousness." Dharma-jñā: "Become dhīra, sober." These are the things to be learned in human life. And if we simply, like animals, jump like dog, then what is that civilization?
So our mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt, position is like that. Teṣām ahaṁ anukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ. Teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt (BG 12.7). So we should understand our position. Nobody wants to die, but he is slaughtered. Again he is given another chance, another body. Again he is slaughtered. This is the laws of nature, going on. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). We should seriously understand this, that how to stop this slaughtering process of material nature. That is intelligence. Otherwise, to become happy like cats and dogs, "Oh, I am very nicely eating and jumping. I don't care for being slaughtered," that is not very good intelligence. Intelligence is how to stop this slaughtering process of nature. That is intelligence. That is being discussed.
The Vedic civilization, the brāhmaṇas, they used to live in the forest, and the king would offer them some cows. So they will draw some milk. And in the forest there are fruits, so they will eat fruits and milk. And if the disciples go to the village, beg some food grain, then sometimes they cook some food grains. Otherwise the brāhmaṇas used to live in the forest, drink milk and take fruit. That is sufficient. There was no need of jumping here and there. Anywhere you keep cows. And what cows to maintain? No expenditure. The fruits? The skin thrown away, and the cow will eat. And in exchange it will give you nice foodstuff, milk. Or it will eat in the grazing ground, some grass. So there is no expenditure of keeping cows, but you get the best food in the world. The proof is that the child born simply can live on milk. That is the proof. So anyone can live only on milk. If you have got the opportunity to drink one pound milk maximum, not very much—half-pound is sufficient; suppose one pound—then you don't require any other foodstuff. Only this cow's milk will help you. It is so nice. And it gives very nice brain, not pig's brain. So it is so important thing. Other..., why Kṛṣṇa says go-rakṣya? He did not say that "pig-rakṣya." No. "Dog-rakṣya." No. Now they are interested in dog-rakṣya instead of cow-rakṣya. This is the civilization. They'll spend millions of dollars for dog, not for cow.
Ah. Avidyā vināśa jāte, kṛṣṇa-prāpti haya... So these are the things. Avidyā vināśa jāte. Avidyā means ignorance. We are full of ignorance. So guru's duty is to open the eyes, and by opening your eyes he will give you Kṛṣṇa. So this is the process. So you should be very much careful not to cheat Kṛṣṇa, not to cheat guru, and become very sincere and follow. Then it is guaranteed. Guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). Two things required. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṇa, neglecting guru. Then it is finished. If you want to jump over Kṛṣṇa without favor of the guru, Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. So these things should be very carefully observed, no offense. Sincerely follow. Then Kṛṣṇa will protect, and your progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to go back to home, back to Godhead, will be assured, insured.
So these are the explanation in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And it is situated above the sun planet, and above, the distance is also given there: 1,600,000's of miles. And above that, similarly, 1,600,000 miles, there is Mars, there is Jupiter, there is Venus, like that. So universe is not so small that you can ride on your 747 and go. (laughter) It is not so easy. It is not so easy. So therefore, from the circumstances, we can conclude that they could not approach the moon planet. And now they are saying that "It is useless. There is no need of going there. The grapes are sour." (laughter) The jackal jumping, jumping, jumping. When he could not get the grapes, then he is rejecting, "Oh, this is sour. It is no use." So after jumping so many years and spending so much money, they are now rejecting: "The moon planet is not habitable." But we get there. This is one of the heavenly planets, and it is habitable by the most advanced pious men. So these are the difference. Now it is your business to believe the so-called scientist or the śāstra, as you like. But we cannot believe. Because we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, we have to believe what is stated in the śāstra.
So he planned something. So he went to the lion a little late. So lion was very angry that "Why you have come late? I am very hungry, and you did not come." (laughter) So the rabbit said, "Sir, there was a danger in the way." "What is that?" "There is another lion, and he wanted to kill me and eat, so I protested, 'No, sir, you cannot kill me. (laughter) I am destined to be killed by such and such lion, so you cannot do it.' " So he was very much pleased: "Where is that lion?" "Please come. I will show you." So he took him near one well. So he... The rabbit said, "He is living within this." (laughter) The lion immediately... "Come on. Make a how!' " So there was vibration, still higher sound, and he saw his photo, yes, shadow. So he thought it, "Yes, there is lion." He immediately jumped over him. (devotees laugh) Finished. So how the lion was killed by the rabbit? Now, buddhir yasya balaṁ tasya: "One who has got intelligence, he has got power." The foolish... So everywhere you will find.
So therefore it is very confidential. There are ten cantos in Bhāgavatam. Nine cantos are devoted to understand Kṛṣṇa, nine cantos. Then tenth canto begins. Then Kṛṣṇa's birth and pastimes are mentioned there. So we should not jump over the tenth canto all of a sudden. People are very much anxious to jump over the tenth canto. No. Tenth canto is the mukhāravinda. It is the face of Kṛṣṇa, smiling. But Kṛṣṇa worship begins from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Nobody offers flowers and tulasī on the face of Kṛṣṇa. They offer on the feet. That is the beginning, the first and second canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, two lotus feet. So we have to go by and by. And when we are actually experienced devotional servant, then you try to understand the tenth canto. This is the way. Otherwise there may be fall down, as this Ajāmila fell down. He was neophyte, and as soon as he saw the śūdra and śūdrāṇī embracing, he became victmized.
So many troubles they had to undergo due to the political intrigues by the cousin-brothers. Still, while he was in front of fighting, he thought, "What is the use of fighting and killing my cousin-brothers? Better let them enjoy. I retire. Kṛṣṇa, I cannot fight," he said. Why? Because he was a devotee. He was prepared to forego his claim. It is not that he was a coward. He was a great warrior, fighter. He could fight immediately. But because he was devotee, he was avoiding, trying to avoid fight, "No." This is godly quality. So in order to induce him to fight, Kṛṣṇa had to speak to him the whole Bhagavad-gītā. When he understood that "Although I do not wish to fight, Kṛṣṇa desires," then he took: "All right. Then I change my decision because Kṛṣṇa's desire is my first duty." That is devotee's duty. If Kṛṣṇa says, God says to devotee, that "You jump on the fire," he will do immediately. That is devotee: without any argument. So there is no consideration. Just like commander in the military active field. The commander says, "You jump in this fire," he jumps. He knows that "I'll surely die." Similarly, a devotee, fully surrendered devotee, means he is prepared to do anything for God. That is pure devotee.
So how it is spiritual, that we have to understand through the teachings of Rūpa Gosvāmī, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Nectar of Devotion. Without reading all these books, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Bhagavad-gītā, if we jump over Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, that is not good, and therefore it is not effective. Nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kāriṇau, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau... The Gosvāmīs... You'll find in The Nectar of Devotion. So many Vedic literatures are quoted. So that is required, śāstra-vidhi. Then we'll be fixed up. Vidhi-bhakti is very important, then rāga-bhakti, then prema-bhakti. So we should not imitate prema-bhakti without going through vidhi-bhakti. This is vidhi-bhakti. Just like we rise early in the morning, perform maṅgala-ārati, all regulative principles, then wash the temple, dishes, and then dress the Deities, then again ārati, then class. In this way, according to... Because we have no natural..., we have not awakened yet our natural love for Kṛṣṇa, so it requires practice, practicing this vidhi-bhakti, compulsory. Vidhi-bhakti means the injunction of the śāstras and the order of spiritual master, one has to follow. Not whimsically we can do anything. Vidhi-bhakti is required. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ na sa siddhi... Na siddhim... (BG 16.23).
So sva-pāda-mūle patitaṁ tam arbhakam. Very innocent child. If an innocent child like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he can get so much mercy of Nṛsiṁha-deva, so pierceful appearance of the Lord that even Lakṣmī could not approach... Aśruta. Adṛṣṭa aśruta pūrva. There was no such form of the Lord. Even Lakṣmī did not know. But Prahlāda Mahārāja, he's not afraid. He knows, "Here is my Lord." Just like the cub of a lion, he is not afraid of the lion. He immediately jumps to the head of the lion because he knows, "It is my father. It is my mother." Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja is not afraid, although Brahmā and others, all demigods, became afraid to approach the Lord. He simply as an innocent child came and offered his obeisances. Tam arbhakaṁ vilokya. So, so God is not impersonal. Immediately he could understand, "Oh, here is an innocent child. He has been harassed by his father so much and now he's offering his obeisances unto me." Vilokya devaḥ kṛpayā pariplutaḥ. He became very much, I mean to say, melted with mercy. So thing, everything is there. Don't think that God has no feeling, thinking, feeling. No. Everything is there. Unless He has got sympathetic feeling in Him, where we have got it? Because everything is coming from God. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).
He is guru. One who is strictly following the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and after following Him, he is just delivering the instruction as Kṛṣṇa has said, then you become guru. It is not difficult. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has ordered everyone. Therefore our process is to follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and then try to understand Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Just like here in our temple. First of all there is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Through His mercy we are trying to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. You cannot understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa directly. That is not possible. That will be like that sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payaḥ yathā, milk touched by the lips of a snake. There are so many Bhāgavata reciters in India. They jump over to the rasa-līlā without understanding Kṛṣṇa through Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, you know?
They have been helped to jump over the transcendental platform. How? Viddhi-bhakti, avyabhicāriṇi-bhakti. Avyabhicāriṇi-bhakti. Vyabhicāriṇi means some day I do something, some day I do not do that. That is called vyabhicāriṇi, not fixed up. But if you follow regularly the rules and regulation, viddhi-bhakti, to rise early in the morning, to offer maṅgala-ārati, then read granthas, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then dress the Deity, then again offer something, in this way that there is regular routine work, that is called viddhi-bhakti. Viddhi, viddhi means he must, he cannot neglect it. Just like your legislative assembly is called Vidhansabha(?). Vidhansabha means whatever is enacted there, you must follow. That is the state order. Similarly, there are rules and regulation which one must follow. Then viddhi-bhakti. As soon as he accepts these rules and regulation and offers Kṛṣṇa service under that rules and regulation, immediately he is in the transcendental platform, immediately.
So ugra-jāteḥ means demonic family, passionate. Ugra. There are three qualities within this material world. Therefore it is said guṇa-mayī. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī (BG 7.14). Guṇa-mayī means three guṇas, three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. So our mind is jumping. Everyone knows the nature of the mind, sometimes accepting one thing, again rejecting it, saṅkalpa-vikalpa. This is the quality of the mind or nature of the mind. Sometimes the mind is jumping over sattva-guṇa, sometimes on the rajo-guṇa, and sometime on the tamo-guṇa. In this way we are getting different types of mentality. In this way, at the time of death the mentality which is just at the moment of leaving this body will carry me to a different body of sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. This is the way of transmigration of the soul. Therefore we have to train up the mind until we get the another body. That is the art of living. So if you train up your mind simply to think of Kṛṣṇa then you are safe. Otherwise there is chance of accidents. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of leaving this body, if we have not practiced the mind to fix up at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then there is... (break) A particular type of body we get.
There is one story in this connection. Not story; these are facts. A hunter spread his net. So some little birds, they fell down in the net and they are crying. They are crying. So the father, mother, when they came, they saw that their children are in danger: "It is caught by the net of the hunter." So mother immediately jumped over it to save the children, and she was also captured. Then the father saw, "Now if I go to save them, I'll be captured. Let me go away. Let me take sannyāsa. That's all." (laughter) That is intelligence. (laughter) You cannot give protection to your family, to your society. To your... No, you cannot give. That is not possible. They must die. They must be captured by the network of māyā. You cannot save them. If you want to save them, then make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the only remedy. Unless you are expert in saving your children by giving them Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are not, you should not become father and mother. That is real contraceptive method, that "I shall... We are married, undoubtedly, husband and wife, but unless we are competent to give protection to my children—no more death—we should not beget children." This is real contraceptive.
So we have to go through the Gosvāmīs and the paramparā system. Then we can understand. Rūpa-raghunātha pade, haibe ākuti, kabe hāma bujhabo, śrī yugala-pīriti. Generally some professional men, they chant Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir. That is not the way. You cannot understand the loving affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa without understanding the path given by the Gosvāmīs. If you surpass in this way, avoid the way of approaching Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa by reading Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, The Nectar of Devotion, the Teachings of Lord Caitanya—all of a sudden if you become an upstart to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love—then you'll misunderstand. That is the way. And people, they try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love affairs, jumping all of a sudden. This is not the way. One should be very much eager to understand. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir āhlādini śaktir asmād ekātmānāv api deha-bhedaṁ gatau tau, śrī caitanya-prakaṭam adhunā tad-dvayaṁ caikyam āptaṁ rādhā-kṛṣṇa-bhāva-dyuti. There is a... This is the verse by Jīva Gosvāmī that "Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is one. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa." Parasya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate sva-bhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. When He wants to enjoy pleasure, no material things can supply that. That is not possible. He expands His own energy, and by His own energy He gets the pleasure. So Rādhārāṇī is not ordinary, as the sahajiyās, those who take Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa love affair very easily... No. Then you'll misunderstand. Rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir āhlādini śaktiḥ. It is the expansion of pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa.
We should not jump over. There are so many literatures. They place Rādhārāṇī as ordinary baladar(?) woman because they do not understand. So therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī has forbidden strictly that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam: "Don't hear from the professional men who are not situated in the Vaiṣṇava behavior." One must be..., behavior in Vaiṣṇava. Sadācāra-sampannaḥ. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has warned that "Don't mix it with Vaiṣṇava who is not well trained up, well behaved." You can offer him respect. A Vaiṣṇava offers respect even to the ant. That is another thing. But he has warned, "Don't mix with them, these professional, so-called Vaiṣṇava, sahajiyās." This is warned. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūta-hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam: "You should not hear." "Eh? Huh? What is the wrong there? The Kṛṣṇa-kathā is there." No, Kṛṣṇa-kathā is there just like milk is there, but if it is touched by the lips of a serpent, it is no more to be taken. It has become poison. Unless one is situated as pure Vaiṣṇava in his dealing, in his behavior, inside and outside, he should not become a preacher because it will not be effective, neither one should hear from such person. But people in general, they can not understand, but those who are preaching, they must be very sincere, the same way. Rūpa-raghunātha pade, haibe ākuti. They should read the literatures, the instruction, just like Upadeśāmṛta, The Nectar of Instruction. We should follow, strictly follow. Then pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt. Then you'll be able to preach and make disciples all over the world. This is the injunction. That is called gosvāmī. Don't be cheap preacher, cheap guru. No, no. That is not good. It is not possible.
We should take up only simple things which is possible. Of course, a devotee takes the risk. Just like Hanumān. He was servant of Lord Rāmacandra. So Lord Rāmacandra wanted information of Sītādevi. So he did not consider, "How I shall go to the other side of the sea, Laṅka?" He simply, believing in Lord Rāmacandra, "Jaya Rāma," jumped over it. Rāmacandra had to construct a bridge. Of course, that bridge is also wonderful because these monkeys were bringing stone and they are throwing on the sea, but the stone was floating. So where is your law of gravitation? Eh? Stone floats on the water. It cannot be done by the scientists, yes. But Lord Rāmacandra desired; a stone became floating. Otherwise how many stones we shall throw in the sea that it will come to the level of becoming a bridge? Oh, it was not possible. It was possible, everything was possible, but Rāmacandra, Lord Rāmacandra, wanted, "Let it be simplified. So let them bring the stone and it will float. Then we shall go." So without stone He could go, but He wanted some service of the monkeys. There were many monkeys. Baro baro badare, baro baro peṭ, laṅka diṅgake, mata kare het. There were many other monkeys, but not exactly capable like the Hanumān. Therefore they were also given some chance that "You bring some stone. You cannot jump over the sea like Hanumān, so you bring stone, and I will ask the stones to float."
So best thing is that always try to seek favor of Kṛṣṇa. And you cannot seek Kṛṣṇa's favor directly. That is also another point. Kiṁ tena te priya-janān anusevatāṁ naḥ. You cannot jump over to Kṛṣṇa without the favor of His devotee. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. You cannot seek favor of Bhagavān directly. That is another foolishness. You must go through the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. This is our process. We don't approach Kṛṣṇa directly. We must begin our service to the Kṛṣṇa's servant. And who is Kṛṣṇa's servant? One who has become the servant of another Kṛṣṇa's servant. This is called dāsa-dāsānudāsa. Nobody can be independently servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is another foolishness. Kṛṣṇa never accepts anyone's service directly. No. That is not possible. You must come through the servant of the servant (CC Madhya 13.80). This is called paramparā system. As you receive knowledge by the paramparā system... Kṛṣṇa spoke to Brahmā, Brahmā spoke to Nārada, Nārada spoke to Vyāsadeva, and we are getting this knowledge. Just like Kṛṣṇa... Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna.
So they take pleasure. I have seen in my own eyes in Calcutta. One hotel man was cutting the throat of a chicken and half-cut, and the half-dead chicken was jumping like this, and the man was laughing. His little son, he was crying. I have seen it. He was crying. Because he's innocent child, he could not tolerate. He was crying. And the father was saying, "Why you are crying? Why you are crying? It is very nice." Just see. So without being devotee a man will become cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel, cruel, in this way go to hell. And devotee cannot tolerate. We have studied in the life of Lord Jesus Christ. When he saw that in the Jewish synagogue the birds were being killed, he became shocked. He therefore left. Jes... He inaugurated the Christian religion. Perhaps you know. He was shocked by this animal-killing. And therefore his first commandment is "Thou shall not kill." But the foolish Christians, instead of following his instruction, they are opening daily slaughterhouse.
So if we are sincerely Kṛṣṇa conscious, if we believe Kṛṣṇa... We have to believe. You believe or not believe, the words of Kṛṣṇa cannot be false. That's a fact. You may be rascal, you do not believe, but those who are dhīra, they believe. They believe. If you have love for Kṛṣṇa... There is no question of love or no love. This is the fact. So one has to become... This is the ultimate goal of life, that one has to become dhīra, not like cats and dogs, jumping here and there. That is not human life. That is dog life.
- yasyātmā-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ
- yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicit
- janeṣu abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
These classes of men, yasya, whose life is bodily conception... "I am body." "I am a Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am..." The whole world is fighting on this because they are all crazy, not dhīra. This is the modern civilization. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape. This is a bag of bones and flesh and blood, and they are thinking that they are, they are this body. So wherefrom the living force coming if you are this body? Because as soon as the living force is gone, the body is useless, a lump of matter. So do you think this lump of matter is giving life? But they are not dhīra. All rascals, they cannot understand.
This chance is there in the human form of life. If you want to be elevated to the higher planetary system, you can do that. Yānti deva-vratā devān. Why you are jumping with a jet plane to go to the moon planet? If you prepare yourself... There are methods; otherwise, why Kṛṣṇa says, yānti deva-vratā? "If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you prepare yourself in this life. You'll be next life..." Tyaktvā deham: "You shall go there. Or if you want to remain, go to the planets of Pitrloka, you can go there. And if you prepare yourself to come to Me, back to home, back to God, you can do that." So what should be our aim of life? We shall go to the higher planetary system or back to home, back to Godhead? "Back," we say, because we have come from God. Just like one man is put in the prison house. He has come from his free home. By his work he is criminal; therefore he is put into the prison house. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of God. Our real home is Vaikuṇṭha. But we have come here. How we have come, that is a very mysterious thing; but we are part and parcel.
So these rules and regulation, as it is prescribed, guru, arka, agni, and then Bhagavān... You cannot jump over directly to Bhagavān. Then you will never be able to be successful. You have to go through guru, agni, śāstra. Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete kariyā aikya. This is the way. Then ubhe sandhye ca yata-vāk. You should not talk nonsense. Mahāprabhu has very strictly forbidden, grāmya kathā nā karibe. We talk. That has become our training. As soon as we assemble, a few persons, immediately we talk all nonsense-politics, this politician, that politician, this is that, this is that—and waste our time. You talk something substantial. You talk about the śāstra. Talk about the aim of life, the problem of life. But they are described in the śāstra as the croaking of the toads, "Kakaka kakaka kakaka." Don't talk nonsense. Simply be engaged in talking about Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). Our talking should be engaged about vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇana. Vaikuṇṭha means the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, about Him. We can talk so many things about Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we require to read books. Bhāgavatam means it is full of topics of Kṛṣṇa and His devotee. That is Bhāgavatam. And Bhagavad-gītā is full of instruction given by Kṛṣṇa. Why don't you talk about that? Caitanya-caritāmṛta... We have got so many books.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
"So I am sacrificing my life for God, and you just help me in this service. And not only that, you get some material profit also. I have got this, that, about..." First of all, he offered five thousand, five thousand gold mudras (?). But when he was not very happy, then he offered ten thousand. In this way, it was settled and the superintendent of jail let him go. And he inquired from Sanātana Gosvāmī, "What I shall explain to the Nawab when he'll ask me explanation, call for explanation? You are going." So he gave him a trick that... Formerly, people used to evacuate on the field. So he was imprisoned. So he wanted to evacuate in the field. And the superintendent of jail was accompanying him. In this way, he fabricated story and he told that "When he was evacuating, immediately he jumped over the river and the river's waves were so strong, he was carried away. I could not find him." So in this way, Sanātana Gosvāmī escaped after bribing.
Yes. We cannot work unless we derive some pleasure. Just like the, in the Ahmedabad, the dramatic performance, he was killing animal, and he was attracted by killing, that's all. The butchers... I have seen in Calcutta, while passing through, one hotel man was cutting the throat of a chicken, and the chicken was, after being cut, the throat, it was jumping like anything. You see. And he was laughing. He was taking pleasure. It was for me so horrible, but he was taking very nice pleasure: "This half-cut chicken is jumping." And his son was crying. And he was asking, "Why you are crying? Why you are crying?" So it is the question of different qualities. One is attracted, and one, he finds that, that they are detracted. Go on.
The material world, because everything is temporary, so sometimes when we are fed up with material activities, we stop to do it and become a renouncer. Bhoga-tyāga. "Grapes are sour." You know the story. A jackal entered into a vine orchard, and it was very high. It began to jump to get the grapes, but when he failed, he said, "Oh, these grapes are sour. It is nonsense." (laughter) The karmīs are like that, that they work very hard, but they cannot relish any permanent happiness. That is not possible. Therefore they give up. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. They give up these worldly activities as false. Jagan mithyā. But they do not relish anything. Actually they do not relish what is Brahma-sukha. Therefore again they fall down. Many... The jñānī sannyāsīs, they give up this world as jagat mithyā, "This world is false." They take sannyāsa. Then, after working for some time, they again take to political activities, philanthropic activities. They see that "The people are suffering for want of education, for want of food. So let me engage in providing food, shelter, education." But this education, food problem is there in the material world. The Māyāvādī sannyāsīs, if they think that this world is false, why he is agitated by the sufferings of the world? It is false. But the thing is that in the spiritual field, because they have no engagement, advanced engagement... (aside:) Come this side. Or do it in this. From the back.
The difference is that a devotee relishes a particular type of mellow, rasa, in this material world. But the, those who are not devotees, they do not feel any relish from this material world. They feel for some time, but when it becomes stale in their taste, they say, "It is false." Just like the same example: The jackal first of all tried to get the grapes, jumping, jumping, and when it was a failure, he said, "Oh, the grapes are sour. I don't require." So except devotee... The nondevotees, the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, they actually do not relish the sweetness of the creation of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Bhāgavata says, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. "So persons who are thinking that they have become liberated by their own ways," ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa, ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ tvay asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32), "actually they have not tasted the Absolute Truth. Therefore their intelligence is not yet purified." Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. Anyone who has not reached to the point of surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, it is to be understood that his intelligence is in, still incomplete. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Actually one who is wise—actually, not falsely—then after many, many births of struggling in karma, jñāna, yoga, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. When he actually becomes wise. Jñānavān.
That treatment is to invoke your dormant love for God. That is the treatment. We have got love for God. We want to love somebody, either man or woman, even animals. You'll find between the two dogs, there is love. They are jumping over one another, playing very nicely. Sometimes the mother dog is pretending to bite the cub, but it actually it is not biting.
So this is the test. If actually one understands Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa līlā, then they'll forget forever this sex life of the material world. This is the test. So our request is that don't try to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Just worship Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa according to the arcana-vidhi. Then gradually Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa will be pleased, Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be pleased, and svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). When They are pleased by your sevā, then They will reveal. Don't try to jump over to understand Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That will not help us.
So, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī is first offering his respect, obeisances to Sanātana Gosvāmī who is his elder brother, at the same time, guru. So we offer our respect in that way, vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau. That is the way. We cannot jump over the highest authority directly. That is not possible. That is not the etiquette or rules, regulations we have to go. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). So He presents Himself as the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. So in order to become Kṛṣṇa's servant, we have to become the servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. So, my Guru Mahārāja is servant of Kṛṣṇa, his guru, his guru is servant of Kṛṣṇa, his guru is servant of Kṛṣṇa. I am also servant of Kṛṣṇa, but I have to approach through the other servants, not directly. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa will not accept that service.
There are so-called pseudo devotees. They say, "What we have to do with Bhagavad-gītā?" They think that they are so advanced that they will jump over immediately to the Kṛṣṇa's rasa-līlā. That means Kṛṣṇa's līlā in the Kurukṣetra is not very much important for them. But no. Kṛṣṇa's līlā, either in the Kurukṣetra or in Vṛndāvana, the same thing. We should know. Abhinnatvād nāma-nāminoḥ. So better, first of all, read Bhagavad-gītā, the preliminary study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Try to read, or try to learn. Of course, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is everything. But for ordinary persons, because Bhagavad-gītā is the ABCD of spiritual knowledge... People even commit mistakes in studying the ABCD of spiritual knowledge. People have become so much degraded that they cannot understand even ABCD of spiritual knowledge. They'll make their own interpretation. Such is the horrible condition. They'll try to make minus Kṛṣṇa Bhagavad-gītā, go on reading Bhagavad-gītā for millions of years, setting aside Kṛṣṇa. That is scholarly.
We are wandering, life after life, in different species of life, different forms of life, in different planetary system. And that is going on. This is not progress. Where is progress? You are conditioned within this universe. Where is your progress? Suppose you... Just like if I jump with a limited space, where is my progress? Real progress is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If we actually want to make progress, then we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that after leaving this body there is no more coming down to accept a material body. That is real progress. Otherwise, there is no progress. It is simply wandering with a limited space. That is not progress at all. But because we are in illusion, we are thinking it is progress. It is not progress.
Bhaja vāsudeva. There is a verse like that, that as by taking shelter at the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can get released from all kinds of material tribulations, such kind of immunization is not possible by practicing yoga, tapasya, jñāna. This is the statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In all ways, it is recommended that we have to, we should take shelter...
- samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
- mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
- bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
- padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām
- (SB 10.14.58)
If one takes shelter of mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ... Murāri is Kṛṣṇa's another name. So puṇya-yaśo, His name is famous as piety. Puṇya-yaśo murāri. If anyone takes shelter of His lotus feet, then the great ocean of nescience becomes a small pit, and one can jump over it very easily.
There, there are three kinds of so-called spiritual happiness, brahma-sukha, brahmānanda... Three kinds of ānanda, jaḍānanda, brahmānanda. Jaḍānanda means material. As karmīs are trying to possess more and more, more and more—"Let me possess, let me possess"—this is jaḍānanda. Today I have got, say, one lakh of rupees. Idam adya mayā labdham imaṁ prāpsye punar dhanam. This is stated, the asuric vicāra. "Today I have got so much money. And tomorrow I am going to increase it to so much." Ko 'sti āḍhyo 'yam. "I am the richest." This is karmī's conception. And jñānīs, because they're fed up, so they say, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "This world is false." Grapes are sour. You know the story, jackal? He wanted to take the grapes, jumping, jumping, jumping. When he could not get it, he says, "Oh, grapes are sour. I have no necessity. I have no necessity." Similarly these rascals, they renounce the world. What renouncement? What you had? You are renouncing? This is also wrong. The real happiness is sevā. "This is Kṛṣṇa's, and it must be used for Kṛṣṇa's purpose." That is real happiness. Actual, that is the fact. The same example: If you pick up one hundred rupees' note, if you pocket it, then you are a thief. If you don't touch it, then it will be lost; somebody will take it. You pick up and give to the original proprietor, that will be satisfaction. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. We do not say anything bad. We do not say. That is Rūpa Gosvāmī's formula. That is Vaiṣṇava formula.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
And Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is written for this purpose so that a person who is serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness may understand Kṛṣṇa through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This is wanted. You cannot jump over Kṛṣṇa consciousness without going through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And to go through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu means to go through the six Gosvāmīs. This is paramparā system. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says,
- ei chay gosāi jār-tār mui dās
- tā-sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grās
This is paramparā system. You cannot jump over. You must go through the paramparā system. You have to approach through your spiritual master to the Gosvāmīs, and through the Gosvāmīs you will have to approach Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu you have to approach Kṛṣṇa. This is the way. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said, ei chay gosāi jār-tār mui dās. We are servant of servant. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (CC Madhya 13.80). The more you become servant of the servant, the more you are perfect. And if you all of a sudden want to become master, then you go to hell. That's all. Don't do that. This is the teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If you go through the servant, servant, servant, then you are advanced. And if you think that you have now become master, then you are going to hell. This is the process. Dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. So servant, servant, servant, a hundred times servant now, that means he is advanced. He is advanced. And one who is becoming directly master, then he is in the hell.
So Kṛṣṇa says, the ācārya... Here it is said that advaitaṁ hariṇā advaitād. So of course Advaita Ācārya is expansion of Viṣṇu-tattva, but any ācārya, he is to be considered identical with the Lord. The Lord says that, that ācāryam māṁ vijānīyāt (SB 11.17.27): "One should understand the ācārya..." Ācārya bhakti-śaṁsanāt. Ācārya means who is spreading pure bhakti cult. "That ācārya," Kṛṣṇa says, "you should consider such ācārya as Myself." Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt nāvamanyeta karhicit, that... You cannot consider, "Yes, he's ācārya, but not as good as Kṛṣṇa." No. Na avamanyeta. Don't deride in that way. Then there will be falldown. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt nāvamanyeta karhicit. And in the Vedas also it is said, yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau: (ŚU 6.23) "Anyone who has got unflinching faith in the Supreme Personality and the similar faith in guru..." Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau, tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ: "All the Vedic literature," prakāśante, "becomes revealed simply by these two principle." Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpā pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. We should not jump over Kṛṣṇa without the help of guru. That is not possible. You must go through.
Agni is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Mahī, the earth, it is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Agni, mahī, gagana, the sky, it is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Ambu, water, is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Agni mahī gaganam ambu... Marut, air, is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Because it is coming from Kṛṣṇa, it is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Everything is Kṛṣṇa. But when you taste the air breezing and the water and the earth and the fire, you cannot say, "Because the air is coming from Kṛṣṇa and water is coming from Kṛṣṇa, so either I may be in the air or in the sea, it is all the same." We are living in air, but if I think that air and the water is the same, I jump over the ocean, that is not very good idea. But actually, air is also Kṛṣṇa, water is also Kṛṣṇa, earth is also Kṛṣṇa, fire is also Kṛṣṇa, because they are all Kṛṣṇa's energy.
In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find this knowledge, kṣetra-kṣetrajñaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says that "This body is called kṣetra." Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa "What is kṣetra, what is kṣetrajñaḥ, what is jñāna, and what is subject matter of jñāna?" So Kṛṣṇa answered that kṣetra means this body, and kṣetrajñaḥ means one who knows that "This is my body." He is kṣetrajñaḥ. You study your own body. You study your finger, you'll never say "I finger." "My finger." Nobody says. Even a small child, you ask him, "What is this?" He'll say, "My finger." He'll never say, "I finger." I am not finger. I'm not this. So one who knows that this body is mine, that is kṣetra, ah, kṣetrajñaḥ. And the body is kṣetra. Ksetra means the field of activities. We have got this body, field of activities. We are very much proud of civilized... But subject matter is the same. The dog is thinking, "I am this body." He is jumping with four legs, and you are jumping with four wheels, that's all. Because the knowledge is the same, that "I am this body." There is no improvement. So we are thinking that "Dog is running on the street without any car, and we have got a nice car we are running, so therefore we are civilized." No. This is not civilization. This is the same civilization as the dog and cat has got. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).
So this is called struggle for existence. Avidyā-karma-samjñānyā. They are trying to be happy. You'll find in the New York City, they are simply struggling. What is the aim? The aim is how to become happy. Somebody is drinking, somebody is gambling, somebody is going to the restaurant, somebody is going to the Times Square, and somebody is going here, there. Their real aim is how to become happy. But because in avidyā, ignorant, they are unable to become happy. That is the position. Avidyā-karma-samjñā anyā tṛtīyā śaktir. This avidyā is illusion, illusion. Just like we are now enwrapped, covered with this body, and I am thinking I am this body. This is avidyā. I am not this body. So again he has to brought to this knowledge, that "You are not this body. Because you wanted to dominate over the material nature, therefore you have got this material body. Because you wanted to eat stool, you have got this hog's body. Because you wanted this, jump over unnecessarily, creating trouble, you have become monkey. Because you wanted to drink fresh blood, you have got the body of a tiger." This is called avidyā. He's not either tiger nor pig nor monkey nor this so-called human being, nor American, nor Indian. He's spirit soul. That knowledge one has to come. From that avidyā, from ignorance, one has to come to the knowledge. Then his life will be successful.
Festival Lectures
As soon as he heard, "Oh, what this nonsense boy is speaking?" he became so angry that sphuritādharaḥ. When one becomes angry, his lips vi..., I mean to say, jumps. What is called? Quiver, yes. So he became so angry that it is said, sphuritādharaḥ. (He) immediately called his teacher. He's king... Because he thought, "The rascal teachers, they have taught him like this. I have entrusted the boy to the teachers, to brāhmaṇas, and they have taught this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So call him. Otherwise, how is that this small boy, five years old only, he's talking just like a great saint? So call his teacher!"
So try to receive Kṛṣṇa's grace through the disciplic succession, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then you will understand everything. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). This is the process, Vedic process. One should have unflinching faith in God and spiritual master. Don't jump over God, crossing the spiritual master. Then it will be failure. You must go through. We are observing Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony, the birth anniversary of our Guru Mahārāja. Why? We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa without spiritual master. That is bogus. If anyone wants to understand Kṛṣṇa, jumping over the spiritual master, then immediately he becomes a bogus. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). That is Vedic injunction. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). Nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa without going through His most confidential servant. This is the meaning of this Vyāsa-pūjā. You cannot surpass. If you think that you have become very learned and very advanced, now you can avoid the spiritual master and you understand Kṛṣṇa, that is the bogus. That is the meaning of this Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony. We should always pray, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Yasya prasādād, only by the grace of spiritual master we can achieve the grace or mercy of Kṛṣṇa. This is the meaning of this Vyāsa-pūjā, offering obeisances by paramparā system.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Prabhupāda: Kāmasya nendriya-prītiḥ. Purport?
Nitāi: "The completely bewildered material civilization is wrongly directed towards the fulfillment of desires in sense gratification."
Prabhupāda: Simply wine, women and beach, and sporting and jumping like monkeys, this is the... We require little satisfaction of the bodily demands. That's all right. But not for this purpose. The bags have come?
Harikeśa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Oh, then that's all right. There is oil.
Harikeśa: Upendra's getting ready for your massage.
Prabhupāda: Read it.
Nitāi: "In such civilization, in all spheres of life, the ultimate end is sense gratification. In politics, social service, altruism, philanthropy and ultimately in religion or even in salvation, the very same tint of sense gratification is every-increasingly predominant. In the political field the leaders of men fight with one another to fulfill their personal sense gratification."
Prabhupāda: In India, these are all foreseen. I have already discussed all this. Then?
General Lectures
So these things are already arranged. That is no problem. In every form of life your eatables are there by nature's supply. Similarly sleeping. The bird is sleeping, the dog is sleeping, the cat is sleeping, and you are also sleeping. But you have got a very nice apartment. Does it mean that you have solved the problem of sleeping? No. Then defending. The birds, the dogs, the cats, the animals, everyone knows how to defend in their own way. You go every day in the, what is called, Stowe Lake path. And as soon as you go, the swans immediately jump to the water because that is their defending. As soon as they go to the water, they know that "These human beings, they cannot come to the water. We are now secure." So that defending process is there even in the swans, in the birds, in everything. You don't think that because we have manufactured atomic bombs, therefore we have become very good. What is this atomic bomb? Killing. Killing is going on. Have you manufactured anything by which you can save from death?
Ato gṛha-kṣetra-suta āpta. Āpta means relatives. Gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair (SB 5.5.8). Vittair means wealth, some bank balance. In this way go on increasing. Janasya moho 'yam. This is the moha, this is illusion. So this illusion is so strong that we are going on increasing, increasing, increasing, increasing. Nobody is thinking that "I am increasing the requisites of the body, but I am not this body; I am soul. What is the requisition of the soul?" This is conclusion. They have forgotten. Real interest they have forgotten. The superficial interest. The same example can be given. Just like if you simply soap your shirt and coat and do not take care of your real body, or do not feed your body, then how long we shall exist? My Guru Mahārāja used to give one nice example that a man was drowning. Another man came, that "I shall save this man." So he jumped on the water, and when coming out of the water he brought the shirt and coat: "Now I have saved the man." The so-called service, or any service which is going on, that is serving the shirt and coat. Nobody is serving the soul. That is the mistake of modern civilization. There are many hospitals to cure the bodily diseases, but there is no hospital to cure the disease of the soul.
Anudinam ādareṇa śṛṇvan iti śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ dhyānaṁ harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ. Here also, explicitly mentioned, harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ. Kṛṣṇa's activities are all wonderful. As you read from the Kṛṣṇa book, He is fighting with many demons, and His activities are wonderful. Just like Kāliya-damana. A boy of five years old or six years old jumping in the Yamunā, and the great snake immediately coils Him, as if it will devour Kṛṣṇa. And from the shore, all the members of Vṛndāvana, they become fainted: "Now Kṛṣṇa is gone." But He was fighting with him and kicking on the head, and blood was oozing out from the mouth of the serpent. So these things are wonderful things—Bakāsura, Aghāsura, Śiśupāla, Kaṁsa. Kṛṣṇa was boy of sixteen years old when He was combating a very powerful wrestler, Cāṇūra. Everything... Everyone present, they thought it unlawful that "Kṛṣṇa is so young, and such a big stalwart and strong wrestler is engaged with Him for wrestling. This is not good. This is not good." In protest, so many people left the arena. And Nanda Mahārāja began to think, "I should have locked up Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana instead of allowing Him to come here. Oh, so much injustice." But Kṛṣṇa killed them.
We have to face so many questions sometimes, "Why Kṛṣṇa did like this?" Because due to this professional Bhāgavata readers, when they read Bhāgavata, they immediately open the rasa-līlā chapter. Because they have no other knowledge, they cannot explain. Bhāgavata begins from the very beginning, janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca arthe (SB 1.1.1). They have no brain to explain all these intricate verses in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, what is Kṛṣṇa, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). They jump over to the spiritual rasa-līlā, and people misunderstand. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says
- manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
- kaścid yatati siddhaye
- yatatām api siddhānāṁ
- kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
- (BG 7.3)
One has to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, then his Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help him how to become budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. Then he'll be fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who knows..., but how one can know, understand, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness in truth, that is stated by Kṛṣṇa.
So try to understand the Bhāgavata. Try to understand Vedānta philosophy. Unfortunately, when we study Bhāgavata we immediately jump over Kṛṣṇa-līlā with the gopīs. That is not the process. The process is first of all you try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Without understanding Kṛṣṇa, which is very difficult subject matter... Kṛṣṇa says that yatatām api siddhānām kaścid māṁ vetti tattvataḥ (BG 7.3). So the preliminary study of Kṛṣṇa is Śrīmad, er, Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa explains Himself. (aside:) Give me water. (coughs) In the Seventh Chapter, we shall begin from tomorrow morning, the study of this Bhagavad-gītā in the morning. Please try to come. Kṛṣṇa is giving personally instruction. You cannot understand God, Kṛṣṇa, by your mental speculation. (coughs) That is called Kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya, Dr. Frog philosophy. A frog from within the well, he's trying to study Atlantic Ocean. This is a logic given in the Nyāya-śāstra. Kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya. What he'll study about the Atlantic Ocean? One who has got knowledge, three-feet knowledge in the well, what idea he'll get about Atlantic Ocean or Pacific Ocean? As it is not possible simply by imagination, simply, similarly, if you try to understand about God, or Kṛṣṇa, by your mental speculation, it will be simply a waste of time. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo (Sanskrit).
It is only perverted reflection. It is not false. It is temporary, perverted. Just like the example is sometimes given to mistake a rope as snake. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they give. They say it is māyā. But it is not māyā. When you mistake a snake as..., mistake a rope as a snake, that is not māyā. That is illusion. You can call it māyā. But the snake is there. You cannot say, because it is rope, therefore there is no snake. No. Snake is there. Otherwise, how it comes to the idea of snake? The snake is a fact, but you are mistaking the rope as snake. That is your mistake. But snake is not illusion; snake is a fact. Similarly, another example is given. Just like in the desert, the mirage... In the desert sometimes, the animals find that water, there is a vast mass of water, and when they're thirsty, they jump over and go farther, farther, farther. But because there is no water, he dies. But no sane man goes after that water. But water is not false. That water is being sought in a false place. Similarly, the pleasure, the pleasure between two sexes, man and woman, that is not false. But we are seeking that pleasure in a false place in this material world. Therefore you have (indistinct). It is a great science.
Generally we do business for my satisfaction, for my family satisfaction, for government satisfaction, for income tax satisfaction and so many satisfaction. But when you try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa or increase your attachment for His satisfaction, then your business is perfect. Mayy āsakta-manaḥ pārtha, svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhi.. Everyone wants perfection; otherwise what is the use of jumping like cats and dogs? That is not meant for human being, unnecessarily jumping and dancing. You must dance for satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is... There is tendency for dancing, for chanting, for singing. They are holding ball dances, and musical instruments. The same thing we are propagating—chant and dance Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. This is satisfaction. This is satisfaction. Our movement is not dry. We are simply asking people, "Chant, dance, eat nice foodstuffs, take prasādam and go home." It is not dry, because the same tendency is there. Everyone goes to the hotel, everyone goes to the nightclub, eats sumptuously and dances with musical instruments, enjoys the same thing—but in connection with Kṛṣṇa. You take prasādam, you chant, you dance and enjoy life, but in connection with Kṛṣṇa. Then it is successful.
So people cannot understand. That means the modern civilization is not sober. It is just like cats and dogs. You cannot make a cat and dog sober to understand the philosophy of life. They have degraded so much. That is described in the śāstra. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Ātma-buddhiḥ, thinking "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am black," "I am white," "I am fat," "I am thin," "I am this." No, no. You are not this body at all. That is knowledge. That is knowledge. Knowledge begins when you understand that you are not this body. That is the beginning of knowledge. Otherwise, "I am this body," this knowledge is there in the cats and dogs also. The dog also jumping, because he is thinking, "I am very nice dog," or "Nice cat." So śāstra therefore says, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). This body is a bag of three elements—kapha, pitta, vāyu—according to Ayurveda system. This physiological condition, anatomical condition of this body, is made of kapha, pitta, vāyu. So it is a bag of kapha, pitta, vāyu, or flesh, bones, blood, urine, stool, and mucus. If you dissect this body, you will find. Do you mean to say combination of these things can make a life, so nice brain? If you are so competent, then take these ingredients, bones, flesh. They are easily available in the slaughterhouse. Make a good brain. But that is not possible.
We are conditioned in every step by the laws of material nature. Still, foolishly we are thinking we are free. This is foolishness. We are so much controlled by the material nature, exactly like a small child is pulled by the ear by its mother. "Come here"—he comes here. "Go there." Just like a dog. A dog may feel very freedom jumping, but as soon as the master says, "Come here," he comes and immediately chained. This is our position.
So that is our position, that we are completely under the clutches of material nature, and according to the modes of material nature, we are acting and changing our body in different species of life. So our real business in this human form of life is to get, try to accept the process by which we can get free from this conditioned life. The process is that we have to give up all our false consciousness. We are under false consciousness. I am thinking, "I am Indian," you are thinking you are German, and the dog is thinking, "I am dog," and cat is thinking, "I am cat." So this bodily consciousness, bodily concept of life, will keep us conditioned within the material nature. Therefore our first business is how to get free from all these designations. Just like I am putting on this saffron cloth, but I am not saffron cloth. Or you are putting red cloth or black coat; you are not black coat. Within the coat, you are the person. Similarly, within the dress, I am the person.
Departure Talks
So this philosophy, to merge into the big Brahman, Supreme Brahman, or effulgence, brahma-jyotir, that is not very secure position. It is said in the śāstra that āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ: (SB 10.2.32) they fall down. We have seen that many Māyāvādī philosophers or sannyāsīs, they give up this world as mithyā, false, but after some time, they again come to this false material world for some philanthropic work, humanitarian work, because they could not get Kṛṣṇa. If you have left this world as false, then why you are coming again to give service to the world? No. They could not get. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). Paraṁ padam means Brahman. Patanty adhaḥ: "They fall down." Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Because they neglected the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa." They did not get any shelter. Just like if you go very high in the sky but if you don't get a shelter, then again you come back. Just like these moon-planet-goers, they attempted many times jumping, but they could not get any shelter. They have come back again. Now they have I think left off. What is that? "Grapes are sour." After jumping, jumping, the jackal, when he could not get the grapes, then he says that "Grapes are sour." That is... (laughter) "No need." So these so-called scientists, after jumping like the jackal, could not get any place in the moon planet, and they have come down again. It is not possible. You cannot go to any of the planets, although they are material. You cannot... Just like you cannot go to any country without getting the visa permit, similarly... There are many planets. They are open for your entrance, but not in that way, that by force you will go. That is not possible.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: How is that?
Prabhupāda: How is that? That you have to learn. (laughter) You practice yoga and you learn. Just like Hanumān, he jumped over the sea. So it is a question of becoming bigger. Just like you can jump over this space, but if you have got bigger body, then you can jump bigger space. That is called mahimā-siddhi. So if you increase you body proportionately, then you can cross the sea from here to here. Your legs become bigger and your jumping becomes more bigger. This is the process. It is called mahimā-siddhi. Again he carried the hill. Rāmacandra asked him, "You bring Me that medicine from there." He could not find it so he got up the whole hill. So those are yogic siddhis.
Śyāmasundara: Ring master? Trainer. Trainer. Animal trainer.
Prabhupāda: Trainer, yes. So the raw tiger is kept in the cage and the trainer comes for several days, he simply whips. Then for several days whips and gives some food, and then he comes with the whip and food. So he does not whip, he gives some food. In this way tiger becomes tamed by him. So he plays before the trainer only. He has got that whip. Because he is animal, he has got that impression, "He will kill me." Therefore he plays. As soon as this man goes away, he will immediately attack, anyone comes. Just like dog, he fears the (master); for others he jumps over. So it is a question of training. So he has got the conscience. My point is that he has got the conscience, "Oh, here is my trainer. He will kill me." He has got this conscience. This is good. "If I attack, oh, he will kill me. But here is an ordinary man, I can kill him." So he has difference of conscience. Even the tiger, even the cats, and the dogs. This discrimination, power of discrimination, is there in the animals also. But that is not consciousness. Real consciousness is to accept Kṛṣṇa. That is real consciousness.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. That's his distinction. The "I" feeling is, that would be the conscience which is made up of the data, day to day, that I observe, which is my world, the stream of consciousness, that "I think I am." So I may be allowed to...
Prabhupāda: No. At every moment I speculate my mind-accept something, reject something—then I am, "What is to be done?" Then something dictation is there. That is transcendental ego.
Devotee: How did we get into the conception of transcendental ego?
Śyāmasundara: Well, that we haven't come to yet. That's later. We're still... I mean, if you want to jump to that we can, but we're missing a lot that goes between.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. That will come gradually. But we accept that transcendental ego.
Śyāmasundara: Yes. But now he's discussing the phenomenological ego, or what we would call the false ego, the sense of "I." He says that this ego is an act, an activity—of doubting, understanding, affirming, denying, ruling, refusing, imagining, feeling...
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is called in Sanskrit language saṅkalpa and vikalpa: You accept something and reject something. That's all. You can make a different branches of these two words.
Prabhupāda: He is a, he is a crazy fellow. That's all. And all these rascal philosophers, they are more or less crazy. One who does not know what is God, what is the value of his knowledge? But our criterion of knowledge is one who has known God. As long as you do not come to that point, your knowledge is useless. Simply misleading. And that is not knowledge. It is a fact that there is some supreme controller. Now if one give education how that supreme controller is working, how He is Supreme, that is real education. And you cannot understand how the Supreme is working, you simply deny the Supreme, that is not knowledge. Supreme is there because you are controlled. How can you avoid the control? How you can say there is no supreme controller? You make a plan and it is frustrated. There is supreme controller. You are making arrangement to live here very happily; next day you die. So you are under controller. How can you deny it? So there is supreme controller. Now, knowledge means, "Who is that supreme controller? How He is controlling?" Not that deny it, "Grapes are sour." Jumping, jumping, jumping, jumping, when he could not reach the grapes, he said, "Oh, there is no need of them. It is sour." Their position is like that. They cannot understand... God is there, that's a fact-supreme controller. But they cannot explain, neither they can understand. There is jackal struggle. Jackal jumping, jumping; when he cannot get the, reach the grapes, he says, " Why (indistinct)? It is sour." Their conclusion is like that. They cannot understand what is God, how He is acting, what is religion, and they are defying, "There is no need of religion, there is no need of God." Jackal struggling, that's all. Jackal struggling is no philosophy. (end)
Śyāmasundara: He would say also that every human being may draw a circle to represent something which is whole and complete.
Prabhupāda: That is religion. These four principles are similar to every living entity. But when you come to the human platform, there is religion. That is not in the animal. That is the distinctive function of the human being. So if human being (is) without any religious principles, he is similar to animal. Dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ. Therefore in every group of civilized human society, there is some sort of religion. It may be Hindu religion, Christian religion, Buddhist religion, but tendency is to accept some religion. And religion means understanding of God and our relationship with Him. So the modern civilization, according to Darwin's theory, they are advancing to become animal. That's it. Therefore they are claiming their forefathers are coming from monkeys. That somebody said on the other day, Vivekananda was asked that "Why your Indian forefathers did not come, long years ago?" He answered, "Because your forefathers were jumping in the tree." (laughter) It is very nice answer. "Our forefathers did not come because your forefathers were jumping in the tree."
Śyāmasundara: Supposing someone else is in danger and you go and rescue them. Isn't that being a hero? Or you decide not to and you go away.
Prabhupāda: But you cannot rescue. You rescue... Just like one man is drowning, and you become hero and jump over the water and take out his shirt and coat, and you come on the shore that "I've saved him." (laughter) This is not saving him. Similarly, you have no eyes to see whom to save. You are simply seeing the dress. So saving the dress, that is not heroism, neither it is protection.
Śyāmasundara: So the real heroes are the devotees, who save actually.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: His idea is that in any situation you have to be the hero. If you're a businessman you have to valiantly do your business and make a good business, and then you are a hero.
Prabhupāda: So a real hero, one can be, when he is fully empowered or he is fully protected. So that hero is a devotee, who is fully protected by Kṛṣṇa.
Śyāmasundara: We can train anyone to become anything.
Prabhupāda: Anything. Just like there is a story, the Tarzan. Tarzan. And he was living in the society of monkeys, and he learned how to jump from one tree to another. (laughter)
Devotee: If someone has a natural kṣatriya tendency, he cannot become a Vaiṣṇava?
Prabhupāda: No. There is no such barrier. Anyone can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Anyone. Just like...
Devotee: What about brāhmaṇa? Brāhmaṇa too? Someone who is naturally a (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: By coming...
Śyāmasundara: Everyone has become śūdra now. You say everyone is born śūdra.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Indian man: Not only that, you know. Gandhi told the same thing. He said when Kanjulatem(?) went to London, he was told that "Your religion is ancient. Why did you not come to teach us?" He said, "Whom to teach? Your fathers and grandfathers were jumping off trees."
Prabhupāda: That's it. Darwin's theory.
Indian man: He said, "Whom to come and teach? You were not there."
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Very good answer. Yes, Darwin says that all monkeys. "So you are monkey. How to teach you?" It is a very good answer, yes.
Śyāmasundara: So he said that God does not create man, that man creates God.
Prabhupāda: That is another nonsense. He is a nonsense rascal. That is being proved by his talks. Tāvac ca śobhate mūrkho yāvat kiñcin na bhāṣate. You cannot understand a rascal fool unless he talks. Now he is talking. And sooner I did not know that he is so fool, but I can understand now he is a great fool. This is the test. Tāvac ca śobhate mūrkho yāvat kiñcin na bhāṣate. Mūrkha, you can... A mūrkha can dress himself very nicely, like gentleman sitting amongst the gentlemen, but a learned man and a fool will be understood as soon as he speaks. As soon as talks like a foolish man, one can understand, "Oh, he is a rascal." And as soon as one speaks great subject matter, then one can understand, "Oh, he is learned." So by his talking, now we can understand he is a great fool.
Śyāmasundara: Your idea is more that certain individuals will attain that point, but not the world as a whole.
Prabhupāda: No. World as a whole will... Just like we are... Kṛṣṇa is teaching that "Surrender unto Me," but who is taking Kṛṣṇa's teaching? That is independence. If Kṛṣṇa is assuring that "You just surrender unto Me, and I give you protection from all resultant action of sinful activities,"... People suffer for sinful activities. Just like we are keeping the account nicely so that when we present to the government they may not see any flaw. So we are keeping account nicely. That means we are trying to save ourself from sinful activities. And if there is discrepancies in the account, that is sinful activity. So as soon as there is discrepancy, one has to suffer. So Kṛṣṇa says... But the material world is so made that even if you do not want to act sinfully, unconsciously you will act so many things sinfully. Unconsciously. Even you have no desire. Just like we had done that. Unconsciously we did not take the certificate, and we are suffering. There was no intention to violate this rule, but unconsciously we did not do it. Now we have to suffer. So similarly, unconsciously or consciously, we are acting so many things sinful. Just like when you are walking on the street, you have no desire to kill animals, but on account of your walking, so many ants are being killed. So you are responsible for that. Therefore that vyādha, that hunter, he was jumping. He knows. He has become devotee. So he knows that "Any creature may not die." So he was jumping. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that "I cannot kill even an ant." But unconsciously or consciously, we kill. Suppose we are drinking water. There are so many germs we are killing. And when you rub the spices, there are so many germs are killed. When you ignite fire, so many germs are killed. Therefore Vedic injunction is that pañcasuna-yajña. You must perform yajña daily so that you may be saved from the sinful activities you have committed unconsciously. So that cannot be saved. But Kṛṣṇa says that "Just surrender unto Me and I will give you protection from the resultant action of any kind of sinful activities, consciously or unconsciously." And why the people are not taking advantage of it?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Cygnets?
Hari-śauri: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: So we have seen it practically, this big swan is moving and the, they are also moving behind. The big one is jumping with water, and they are also jumping. They do not know where we are jumping, but they are jumping. The mother is swimming and they are swimming. This is natural.
Hayagrīva: But in Kṛṣṇa consciousness isn't knowledge rather than faith the basis for action?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). They are giving up everything: "Yes, I give up everything." So it's faith, full faith. "Now I shall have to consider whether I shall give up everything and take to Kṛṣṇa"—that is not faith; that is speculations. Why he should consider? That is explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The faith is described, śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścaya. Faith means believing firmly. And what is that believing firmly? That kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If you have got faith, then you believe firmly that "Simply by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa I become perfect." That is faith. If you have still reservation, that is not faith, that is not faith. Here is faith. That faith, how it comes?
| Page Title: | Jumping (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur |
| Created: | 08 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=160, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 160 |