Nandarāṇī: When householder women raise their children in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this seems to be an indirect service for Kṛṣṇa. Should they try to serve Him more directly by, you know, maybe cooking in the temple or painting, or something like this, more directly, or is raising children and just having the household function, is that enough service? Is that enough service?
Prabhupāda: Yes, the thing is we should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Just like electrification. Touching electricity by one wire, another joining another, another wire, if the touch is there factual, then the electricity is everywhere. Similarly, if our Kṛṣṇa consciousness is rightly connected, then there is no question of direct or indirect. Because absolute world there is no difference.
As soon as it is touched with the direct connection . . . that is called disciplic succession. Because the connection is coming down one after another, so if we touch here, the spiritual master who is connected by the same way, then the electric connection is there. There is no question of direct or indirect. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Simply we have to see whether the connection is disconnected. If the connection is there, tight, then the electricity come without fail.
So in our conditioned stage there will be so many doubts, so many implication. But the same thing as I gave you example, that don't be very much hasty to receive the result immediately. Simply we have to follow. We have to follow. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt (Upadeśāmṛta 3). This is advised by Rūpa Gosvāmī: the six things we have to take particular care, and six things we have to avoid in order to be perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So utsāhād dhairyān niścayāt (Upadeśāmṛta 3).
The first principle is one must be very enthusiastic. He must believe that Kṛṣṇa has said that na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31), "My devotee will never be vanquished." So "Let me become Kṛṣṇa's devotee sincerely. I must become Kṛṣṇa's devotee sincerely." This is called enthusiasm. Then dhairyāt. "I have become Kṛṣṇa's devotee, but still I'm not feeling happy. How is that?"
So therefore you have to become patient. The enthusiasm must be there; you must be patient also. And niścayāt. Niścayāt means you must be confident, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa has said that His devotee will never be vanquished, so surely I shall not be vanquished, even though I don't feel now. Let me do my duty."
Utsāhād dhairyān niścayāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. But you have to do your duties as they are prescribed. Sato vṛtteḥ. You should not . . . there should be no duplicity. Sato vṛtteḥ means plain dealing, straight dealing. Sato vṛtteḥ, and sādhu-saṅge, and in the company of devotees.
So one must be enthusiastic, one must be patient, one must be confident, one must execute the duties, one must associate with devotees, and one must be very honest in dealing. Six things. If these six things are there, sure success. Similarly, there are six things which should be avoided. What are those?
- atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca
- prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ
- laulyaṁ jana-saṅgaś ca
- ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati
- (Upadeśāmṛta 2)
Atyāhāra, too much eating or too much, I mean to say, keeping bank balance or money, or collecting more than the necessities. Atyāhāra. Generally, too much eating is prohibited. We have to eat simply, just to keep the body and soul nicely to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca. Prayāsa means taking some risky work which will require too much endeavor. We should avoid that.
Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ, prajalpa, nonsense talking, which has no connection with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ: following the rules, but actually I'm not very much careful in executing the work. So niyamāgraha. Niyamāgraha means not to accept the rules and regulation, and another meaning is simply to accept the rules and regulation without good effect. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ laulyam, greediness, and jana-saṅgaś ca, and associating with nondevotees.
These things are against execution of devotional service, and the first thing, the patience, enthusiasm and confidence, these six things are favorable. So we have to take notice of the dont's and do's. Then it will be all right. Do this, don't do this. There are six kinds of "don't do this" and six kinds of "do this." So that will be nice.
Yes?
Madhudviṣa: Prabhupāda, when you say we must be honest in our dealings . . . if we have an advantage to . . . to take advantage of somebody else for Kṛṣṇa, for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is this permissible? Like if we have a chance to take advantage of somebody, like, to get money from them, not by stealing but by means. (Prabhupāda chuckles) Is this permissible?
Prabhupāda: Yes, but that is not by your discretion. You have to consult your spiritual master. Just like what Kṛṣṇa says Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, "Yudhiṣṭhira, My dear brother Yudhiṣṭhira, you go and tell," I mean to say: "Droṇācārya that, 'Your son is dead.' " Because this gentleman would not die unless he hears the message of the death of his son. So he was not dying.
So Yudhiṣṭhira was commissioned to speak this lie that, "You go and say that, 'Your son is dead.' " And he says that, "I never spoke lie. I cannot do that." Now here the order is coming from Kṛṣṇa; therefore he should have executed the order immediately. Although speaking lie for common man is sin, but because it is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, it is not sin.