Hṛṣīka means senses, upādhi. Just like my hand is now covered by this shirt. So when there is no more shirt, that is naked.
So when you come without any designation, without any understanding, false understanding that, "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am Indian," "I am brahmin," "I am kṣatriya," in that stage the senses, the senses remain. Suppose if I take my dress out of my body, my real senses are there. So similarly, when we become free from the designation of this material body and we come to the pure stage of original, spiritual senses, that senses, when applied to the service of the supreme master of senses, God, that is called bhakti. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje.
So if we actually want peace or happiness, yayātmā suprasīdati, without any designation, then that peace and happiness can be achieved. Otherwise it is not possible. So long we remain designated, it is not possible to come to that stage of pure, unalloyed devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Any question? (break)
Devotee: Are there any questions?
Prabhupāda: Is there any question? You can ask.
Indian man: (asks question) . . . (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: Ātma, as I have already explained, ātma means this body. That rūpa, you can see. My body you can see, I can see your body. This is one of the rūpa of . . . gross. Gross rūpa, form. Another: I know you have got mind and you know I have got mind, but you cannot see; you can simply perceive. Is it not? And another rūpa, the soul, that is so fine that it is not possible at the present time. It is described in the śāstra one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of the hair. But it has got a rūpa. Not that there is no rūpa. There is rūpa.
- keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya
- satadhā kalpitasya ca
- jīvo bhāgasya vijñeyaḥ
- sa anantāya kalpate
- (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9)
There is magnitude. Just like we say, geometrically, point has no length, no breadth. But actually that is not fact. It has got length and breadth, but we cannot measure it. Similarly, ātma, the soul, has got length and breadth, but it is beyond our perception.
Therefore we have to accept śruti. This is called Vedas, Vedic injunction. Vedas said, "Here is the magnitude." That is Vedic understanding. Those who are followers of Vedas, they will not argue. Whatever is stated in the Vedas, they will accept. That is Vaidic. There are many examples; I can give one example:
Just like in the Vedas it is stated that the stool of animal is impure, and if one touches stool, he must take bathing. But in the Vedas it is also stated that the cow dung, which is also the stool of an animal, that is pure. And still, at least those who are Vedic followers, they take cow dung as pure. Anywhere impure, they smear with cow dung. And that is fact also. Cow dung is full of antiseptic properties. It has been analyzed.
So the Vedas gives us injunction both ways—that stool is impure but this stool is pure. And those who are followers of Vedas, they accept both. When they touch the stool of another animal they take bathing, but the stool of cow is taken to the Deity worship room. Similarly, śaṅkha, conchshell. Conchshell is the bone of an animal. It is said that if you touch the bone of a dead animal you have to . . . you become impure. But conchshell is also the bone of an animal, it is taken to the Deity room for vibrating.
Therefore there are so many things which is beyond our perception, knowledge; we have to take shelter of the Vedic injunction. That is called Vedic. Therefore our method, Vedic method, is as soon as we speak something, we immediately give evidence from the Vedas. Then it is perfect. There is no question of arguing. Just like in the law court the lawyer pleading something, but if he gives quotation from previous judgment and section of law, it is accepted.