This manifestation becomes magnificent at a certain interval, and again it disappears. That is the work of the prakṛti. But it is working eternally; therefore prakṛti is eternal. It is not false. Because the Lord has accepted, mama prakṛti, "My prakṛti." Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parām (BG 7.5). Bhinnā prakṛti, bhinnā prakṛti, aparā prakṛti, this material nature is a separated energy of the Supreme Lord, and the living entities, they are also energy of the Supreme Lord, but they are not separated. They are eternally related. So the Lord, the living entity, the nature, material nature, and time, they are all eternal. But the other item, karma, is not eternal. The effects of karma or activity may be very old. We are suffering or enjoying the results of our activities from a time immemorial, but still, we can change the result of our karma, or activity. That will depend on our perfect knowledge. We are engaged in various activities undoubtedly, but we do not know what sort of activities we shall adopt that will give us relief from the actions and reactions of all activities. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Perfect knowledge (Lectures, BG)
Expressions researched:
"perfect knowledge"
|"perfected knowledge"
|"perfection of acquiring knowledge"
|"perfection of knowledge"
|"perfection of our knowledge"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Therefore Vedic knowledge is not a thing of research. Our research work is imperfect because we are searching everything with imperfect senses. Therefore the result of our research work is also imperfect. It cannot be perfect. We have to accept the perfect knowledge. The perfect knowledge is coming down, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, just we have begun, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). We have to receive the knowledge from the right source in disciplic succession of spiritual master beginning from the Lord Himself. So Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Lord Himself. And Arjuna, the, I mean to say, the student who took lessons of the Bhagavad-gītā, he accepted the whole story as it is, without any cutting. That is also not allowed, that we accept a certain portion of Bhagavad-gītā and reject another portion. That is also not accepted.
This body is asat. Instead of being sat it is asat. Antavanta ime dehā (BG 2.18), Bhagavad-gītā says that this body is antavat, perishable. And... Sac-cid-ānanda. Instead of becoming sat, it is asat, just the opposite. And instead of becoming cit, full of knowledge, it is full of ignorance. We have no knowledge of the spiritual kingdom, neither we have got any perfect knowledge of this material world. So many things unknown to us, therefore this body is ignorant. Instead of becoming full of knowledge it is ignorant. The body is perishable, full of ignorance, and nirānanda. Instead of becoming full of bliss, it is full of miseries. All the miseries that we experience in this material world, it is all due to this body. The Lord says that anta-kāle ca mām eva smaran muktvā kalevaram (BG 8.5).
In Bengali it is called, dekhā-śunā. In India it is called. The two kinds of experience: one by seeing, practically experiencing, hand to hand; another by hearing. So one who is intelligent, he gets his experience simply by hearing from the right source. That is nice.
So our process is that we are getting experience about the perfect knowledge, the destination of life, simply by hearing from Kṛṣṇa. So we are the most intelligent person. It is not possible to experience directly, but if one has got intelligence, then simply by hearing and considering and thinking over it, he gets the experience. So those who are very sinful, they get experience by hearing and by direct, directly seeing also; still, they cannot check from sinful activities. So Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, by his sinful activities he became so much fallen that he did not hear anybody's advice, Vidura's advice, Bhīṣma's advice, that "Don't plan like this. They are rightful owners. The Pāṇḍavas, they are rightful owners.
The Māyāvādīs they are after liberation. So this liberation is granted even to the enemies of Kṛṣṇa. They are also enemies. The Māyāvādīs, they are also enemies. Kṛṣṇe aparādhī. They are offender to Kṛṣṇa because they do not accept the form of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are offender. So everything studied in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect knowledge, and that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. So it is not that like sahajiyās that we are interested in Kṛṣṇa's rāsa dance, not with this fighting in the Battlefields of Kurukṣetra. This is sahajiyā-bhāva. This is not wanted. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
They will say, "Probably," "Maybe." This is the so-called scientists' language. That means imperfect knowledge. Still, they want to teach. This is cheating. Knowledge must be perfect. Then you can teach others.
So our process is to receive the perfect knowledge from the perfect source and distribute it. We don't manufacture knowledge. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, as it is. The Bhagavad-gītā is already perfect. Why shall I interpret with my imperfect senses? This is cheating. But people want to be cheated. Vañcita-vañcaka-sampradāya. The whole world is full of cheaters and cheated. Because we want to be cheated, there are so many cheaters. They don't want real thing. Here is the real thing, Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead speaking personally about Himself. Why should we interpret?
That is eternity portion. And Paramātmā-jñāna is the cid-aṁśa, knowledge or personally seeing God as the four-handed Viṣṇu. So that is also imperfect knowledge. That when He comes to know Bhagavān, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), then there is perfect knowledge. Ānanda. Because when one comes to the understanding of personal God, there is ānanda. In other features, there is no ānanda. There is eternity, there is knowledge, but there is no ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). That is the Vedānta-sūtra. One is by nature ānandamaya. We are searching after ānanda, bliss, but we do not know where to get bliss. We are trying to get bliss in this material world by eating meat, eating wine, drinking wine, by sex. They are trying to get ānanda. That is not ānanda. Ānanda is what is satyānanda. These ānandas, these pleasures—flickering, for few minutes, for few hours. That is not ānanda.
He does not know, he does not understand Kṛṣṇa. So many big, big professors, learned scholars, they do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. And they talking about Kṛṣṇa. They are taking the position of instructing about Kṛṣṇa. Just see how rascaldom. You do not know something perfectly, and still, you are talking about it. This is going on. Puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. What is Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyante (BG 7.19). We have to know Kṛṣṇa. Because as soon as you know Kṛṣṇa, you become immediately liberated.
So knowing Kṛṣṇa is not so easy thing. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). First of all you become siddha, perfect. Perfect means perfect knowledge. That is called siddha. And another siddha means very powerful, master of all yogic perfection. That is also siddha.
So knowledge received from a person who is infected with four kinds of deficiencies is not perfect. So when you receive knowledge from a person who is transcendental to all these four kinds of defects, that is perfect knowledge. Modern scientists, they theorize that "It may be like this. It may be like that," but that is not perfect knowledge. So if you speculate with your imperfect senses, what is the value of that knowledge? It may be, I mean to say, partial knowledge, but that is not perfect knowledge. Therefore our process of receiving knowledge is to receive it from the perfect person. And therefore we are receiving knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, the most perfect, and therefore our knowledge is perfect. Just like a child. He may be imperfect, but if his father says, "My dear child, this is called spectacle," so if the child speaks, "This is spectacle," that knowledge is perfect.
A conditioned soul... Just like we are, I am different from my soul. "I am" means my body, or I am soul, different from the body. So Kṛṣṇa has no such differentiation. He does not know that. Because he's not following Kṛṣṇa, the perfect spiritual master. He's following some rascal spiritual master. Therefore he has this mistake. But if we follow Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa, then we get the perfect knowledge. We may not be cent percent perfect, but as far as possible, if we follow the instruction as it is, that much perfect. In this way one will get perfection.
So one has to follow. The same example, try to understand, that a perfect, expert technologist or technician or mechanic is working, and somebody is working under his instruction. So this somebody, because he is strictly working under the instruction of the expert, he's also expert. He may not be cent percent expert, but his work is expert. Is that clear? Because he is working under the expert. Do you follow? So if you follow pure devotee, then you are also pure devotee.
Just like modern-day scientists and philosophers, they propogate so many branches of knowledge, but when, on the crucial point, they are caught, they say, "I do not know perfectly. I do not know perfectly. We are trying to know. In future, we shall tell you the perfect." But if you are not in perfect knowledge, why should you take the post of a teacher? If your knowledge is imperfect, then whatever you speak, that is imperfect. Therefore with imperfect knowledge, why you should become a teacher? That is cheating. That is cheating. Therefore purposefully Vyāsadeva is writing, sri-bhagavān uvāca, where there is no cheating, no imperfection, no illusion, no mistake. Four things. No mistake, no illusion, no cheating and no imperfection. This is Bhagavān. Why we are taking Bhagavad-gītā so seriously? There are so many other books we can read, so many theories, so many philosophers, big, big philosophers. But we cannot take them because they are defective. The author is sure to commit mistake.
Because we cannot take any instruction from a conditioned soul. So the spiritual master, even if you take that he is conditioned soul, but he does not speak anything from his own side. He speaks from Kṛṣṇa's side. So unless... The Vedic principle is that unless one is not liberated from the material conditions, he cannot give us any perfect knowledge. The conditioned soul, however he may be academically advanced, educated, he cannot give us any perfect knowledge. Only one who is above the condition of these material laws, he can give us the perfect knowledge. Similarly Śaṅkarācārya, he's also impersonalist, but he accepts Kṛṣṇa the supreme authority. Sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa is that Supreme Personality of Godhead." The modern Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not disclose this statement of Śaṅkarācārya. To cheat people. But Śaṅkarācārya's statement is there. We can give evidence. He accepts Kṛṣṇa as the supreme authority. He has written so many nice poems praising or worshiping Kṛṣṇa.
The four defects are that we commit mistakes, we are illusioned, and our senses are imperfect, and therefore sometimes we cheat others. Although I know, I do not know a subject matter very clearly; still, I say something as authority. That is cheating. We should not cheat. If we want to give knowledge to the people, we must give perfect knowledge.
So perfect knowledge, how it can come? The perfect knowledge can come from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the process of acquiring knowledge, so far we are concerned. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The knowledge, perfect knowledge, is coming from Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if we receive that knowledge in cool head and assimilate, then our knowledge is perfect. Just like we are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is perfect knowledge. If you inquire whether I am perfect or my disciples who are preaching this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, they are perfect, we may be imperfect. We are imperfect.
This is perfect knowledge. If you inquire whether I am perfect or my disciples who are preaching this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement, they are perfect, we may be imperfect. We are imperfect. We accept we are imperfect. But we are distributing the perfect knowledge. Kindly try to understand. We may be imperfect, but perfection means one who assimilates the perfect knowledge, he is perfect. I shall give you one example. Just like a post peon delivers you one hundred dollars. The post peon is not rich man. He cannot deliver you the hundred dollars. But he... The money is sent by some, your friend. He is honestly carrying that money and delivering you. That is the post peon's business. Similarly, our duty to receive perfect knowledge from Kṛṣṇa and distribute it. Then it is perfect. This knowledge, what we are distributing, it is not that we have created this knowledge by research work or by so many other ways, by inductive process. No.
So Kṛṣṇa says that "You are talking like learned man, but you do not know your identity. You are not this body."
This is the summary information. Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajña-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (BG 2.11). So anyone who is not in perfect knowledge, he should not take the position of talking like a learned man. That is cheating and that is foolishness. First of all you know things as they are. Then talk. Otherwise, it is said that it is better not to talk than to talk foolish. It is better to stop talking. Therefore, sometimes in spiritual advancement there is a process, maunam. Maunam means not to talk. Those who are too much foolish, the spiritual master orders him, "Don't talk. Please remain silent." That's all. Because if you talk, you'll talk simply nonsense. Why should you spoil your energy by such nonsense talking?
One has to learn by surrendering, praṇipāta. So first of all there must be a strong impulse to inquire about the transcendental subject matter. Then one requires a guru. Not that, to follow a fashion, that one has guru. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Unless one becomes under the control of ācārya, he has no perfect knowledge. Therefore the Vedas says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "For understanding that transcendental science, one must approach a guru." And what is the symptom of guru? Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham: Guru means one who has complete knowledge of Vedic version, and not only that, he is a staunch or fixed-up devotee of the Supreme Lord. These are the qualification. The guru strictly follows the Vedic injunction and teaches the same thing to his disciple. That is guru. So first thing is: one must be inquisitive to understand about the spiritual subject matter. Just like you have come here in this temple.
Similarly, what is life, what is soul, what is our, this body, what is the ultimate goal of life, why you are suffering—all this knowledge you have to take from the higher authorities. That is called Vedic process, not to endeavor by research. What you can research? Our fund of knowledge is very, very poor, limited. You cannot have perfect knowledge unless you hear from the authority. So Kṛṣṇa is the authority. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means you take knowledge from the best authority. Don't manufacture knowledge. That will not help you. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
So here Kṛṣṇa says that "My dear Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned man." That is our disease. Everyone will talk as if... We manufacture, but that is useless. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre... You cannot make any solution. Therefore the whole world is in chaotic condition. We speak of our own country, India. Not only India, everywhere the chaotic condition is because they have no real knowledge.
Similarly, if Śrī Kṛṣṇa is in full knowledge, He cannot say that in future also we shall all remain individuals. He says that in the future also we shall continue to be individuals. Now, He cannot give us misdirection. Suppose we, in the future we shall not remain. After liberation, we shall not become, remain, individuals. Then that sort of misguidance cannot be given by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Just like a sane man cannot direct you that "Just go there. There is water in the desert." A man with perfect knowledge cannot give you that direction. A animal may go there. That is a different thing. Similarly, when Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that "In future also, we, all these, yourself, Myself, and all these, they will keep their individuality," so that is not a misdirection. You want to say anything?
Somebody will say some cat must be there, somebody will say that some man must be there. In this way, we can go on speculate. This is also one process. This is called ascending process. And descending process means if there is one person on the roof, he says, "This sound is due to this," then that is also perfect knowledge. So we get knowledge from the higher authorities, that is perfect knowledge and that is easier.
So if you study yourself, what I am, am I this body, I am this hand, I am this finger, I am this hair? Go on studying, one day it will, you will come to the point of understanding, but it will take many, many years. But if you take from the authority, just like Kṛṣṇa says that the living force within the body, that living force is changing from one type of body to another. Just in our life experience, everyone of us knows that I was a child, I was a boy. Just like I am an old man.
So things which is beyond our experience, we can hear about. Even though we cannot see, it does not mean there is no existence of things. The same example: even though I cannot see what is mind, what is intelligence, what is ego, but I can hear about it. Therefore perfect knowledge is acquired by hearing. So we accept knowledge, perfect knowledge, by hearing. Another example: suppose a man is sleeping. At that time, if somebody is coming to kill him, he's sleeping, he does not know. But if some of his friend warns him, "My dear Mr. Such-and-such, somebody is coming to kill you. Wake up!" he can hear, and he can wake up and take precaution. Therefore, when our other senses cannot work, our ear is very strong. Therefore it is recommended that you try to hear from the authoritative person. That is also... Educational system is also like that. Why do you come to university, school, and college?
Now, by your argument, you can say that "The stool of an animal is impure. Why it is said in one place pure and in another place impure? This is contradiction." But this is not contradiction. You practically make experiment. You take cow dung and apply anywhere, you'll find it is pure. Immediately purified. So this is Vedic injunction. They are perfect knowledge. We... Instead of wasting time arguing and putting forward false prestige, if you simply accept the perfect knowledge, as they are stated in the Vedic literature, then we get perfect knowledge and our life is success. Instead of making experiment on the body to find out where is the soul... The soul is there, but it is so small that it is not possible to see by your these blunt eyes. Any microscope or any machine, because it is stated it is one ten-thousandth part of the top of the tip of the hair. So there is no machine. You cannot see. But it is there. Otherwise, how we can find distinction between the dead body and the living body?
Any microscope or any machine, because it is stated it is one ten-thousandth part of the top of the tip of the hair. So there is no machine. You cannot see. But it is there. Otherwise, how we can find distinction between the dead body and the living body?
So here, the perfect knowledge is spoken by Kṛṣṇa:
- dehino 'smin yathā dehe
- kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
- tathā dehāntara-prāptir
- dhīras tatra na muhyati
- (BG 2.13)
Dehinaḥ, of the living soul, the body is changing. Similarly, after death, after so-called death... Because there is no death.
That means we cannot see very distant place—or nearest. Even we cannot see our eyelids, which is just a smear over the eyes. Packed, the packing material of the eyes, we cannot see.
So we have to accept these things that we are prone to commit mistake, we are illusioned, we cheat, and our senses are imperfect. Then how I can give you perfect knowledge? That is not possible. But if you accept the Vedic knowledge... Just like I gave you the example: Vedic knowledge says sometimes contradictory. Just like cow dung, stool of an animal, is pure. And if you analyze, you will find it is pure. So our process of acquiring knowledge is from the Vedas. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). And what is the purpose of the Vedas? Why Vedic knowledge is perfect? Because it is spoken by God. God is perfect, and whatever He speaks, that is perfect. Therefore God is called "God is good." All-good. Whatever He does, whatever He speaks, everything is good, perfect.
What Kṛṣṇa says. I have already explained that... (aside:) Why they are talking? I have already explained that our process of accepting knowledge is the paramparā system. Avaroha-panthā. There are two ways of acquiring knowledge, āroha-panthā and avaroha-panthā. Knowledge coming from the authorities, that is perfect knowledge. And knowledge acquired by experimental knowledge, that is not perfect. Because we are imperfect. Suppose a big professor, just like that Russian Professor Kotovsky, they are trying to understand things by so-called inductive process, or āroha-panthā, going up by one's speculation, by speculative method. But our process of knowledge, Vedic process of knowledge: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Their knowledge should be taken from the authority. Do not manufacture knowledge. Because how you can manufacture perfect knowledge? You are imperfect. Your senses are imperfect. You are defective in four ways.
And people are taking knowledge from that book. So if his knowledge based on "Perhaps; maybe," what is the value of that knowledge? So things are going on like that. The senses are imperfect. He has got a cheating propensity. Cheating propensity means he has no perfect knowledge; still, he wants to give knowledge, to become famous in the world, famous in the community. So what is the value of your writing books if you have no perfect knowledge? But because we have got a cheating propensity, we do like that. So Vedic knowledge is not like that. There is no cheating. There is no imperfection. There is no illusion. There is no error. That is Vedic knowledge.
So there... The author of Vedic knowledge... Who is the author of the Vedic knowledge? Not Lord Brahmā. The author of Vedic knowledge is Kṛṣṇa.
Madhudviṣa: "In either case there was no cause for lamentation. Any man who has perfect knowledge of the constitution of the individual soul, the Supersoul, and nature, both material and spiritual, is called a dhīra or a most sober man."
Prabhupāda: Dhīra. Dhīra means sober, is not disturbed. A person who is not disturbed by paltry causes, he's called dhīra. Another example of dhīra is given by poet Kālidāsa. He was a great poet, mundane poet. So he said that dhīra is one who is not disturbed even in the presence of disturbance. When there is no disturbance, one may not be disturbed, but in the presence of disturbance, one who is not disturbed, he is called dhīra.
That is animal thinking. But a person... Learned thinking is that "I am not this body; I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi." And when you are farther advanced from Brahman knowledge... The knowledge begins from there. When you make further advancement, then you can understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." This is perfect knowledge. First of all knowledge begins that "I am not this body."
- sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
- tat-paratvena nirmalam
- hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
- (CC Madhya 19.170)
So long we have got this bodily concept of life—"I am Rolls Royce car," "I am rickshaw," "I am American," "I am Englishman," "I am this," "I am that"—so long we are in ignorance. The same example: The man is not rickshaw, I am not motorcar, but I am thinking like that. I am asking that poor fellow, rickshaw wala, scornfully, because I am sitting in a very nice car. This is going on.
In order to understand subject matter which is beyond our perception, you have to approach such authority who can inform you. Exactly in the same way: to understand who is my father is beyond my perception, beyond my speculation, but if I accept the authoritative statement of my mother, this is perfect knowledge. So there are three kinds of processes to understand or to advance in knowledge. One is direct perception, pratyakṣa. And the other is authority, and the other is śruti. Śruti means by hearing from the Supreme. So our process is śruti. Śruti means we hear from the highest authority. That is our process, and that is very easy. Highest authority, if He is not in default... Ordinary persons, they are in default. They have got imperfection. The first imperfection is: the ordinary man, they commit mistake. Any great man of the world, you have seen, they commit mistake. And they are illusioned. They accept something as reality which is not reality. Just like we accept this body as reality. This is called illusion.
Guru means Kṛṣṇa. As Arjuna has selected guru, śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam: (BG 2.7) "I am, I become Your śiṣya, disciple, and I surrender unto You." So to get perfect knowledge, we have to find out Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's bona fide representative. Then there is perfect knowledge. Then we can become immortal. Unless we get perfect knowledge. So Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), immortal. Kṛṣṇa is full of bliss, full of knowledge, and we are also part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. So we have also the same quality, sac-cid-ānanda, the spiritual body. But because we have contacted this material nature, our blissfulness, our eternity, our knowledge, everything is now disturbed. Everything is now disturbed. We cannot be completely blissful. Anything you take, any pleasurable thing you take, it cannot give you always pleasure. It is not possible.
"The consciousness, or the spirit soul, is never killed, never annihilated, on the destruction of this body."
So this is a great science. Unfortunately, the so-called scientist, he has no idea. He does not know. They simply say that "We do not know, but we are trying to know." That's all right. But here is the knowledge, perfect knowledge, in the Bhagavad-gītā. Why don't you take it? That they will not take. They'll go on speculating and promise falsely that "In future we shall be able to inject some matter within the body and the body will again become alive." That is their dream. In the past history, it was never possible; at present also, it is not possible. How you can expect in future? But they are under illusion. They think like that, that "We are making progress." At all, no progress, practically. They have no knowledge.
The system is whatever is mentioned in the Vedas, that is authoritatively accepted. That is the Vedic understanding. If there is some evidence in the Vedas... Just like in law court, if there is some section in the lawbook, then the lawyers, the judge, accept it. "Yes, it is like this." Similarly knowledge. Vedas means knowledge. So perfect knowledge is there. Therefore if the evidence is there in the statement of Vedas, that is the proof. Śabda-pramāṇa. There are three kinds of evidences. Pratyakṣa, direct sense perception, and śabda-pramāṇa, evidence from the Vedic statement, and anumāna, aitihya, historical or hypothesis. So out of all evidences, the evidence which is called, derived from Vedic statement, that is accepted as most authoritative. Therefore Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad and Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad, they are Vedas.
Real knowledge, real seeing power, should be through the śāstras. And śāstra means infallible, not theory. Not theory. Just like a conditioned soul writes some book on some thesis. What is the value of it? It has no value. Because the man who is putting forward the thesis, he is blind. He's imperfect. So how you can get perfect knowledge from him?
So our proposition is that to receive knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, the perfect person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We accept śāstra, means which is infallible. There is no mistake. Just like when I was walking near the cowshed, heaps of, piles of cow dung was there. So I was explaining to my followers that if such heaps of animal, I mean to say, man stool was heaped up here, nobody would come here. Nobody would come here. But the cow dung, there are so much heaps of cow dung, still, we find it pleasure to go through it. And in the Vedas it is said, "Cow dung is pure." This is called śāstra. If you argue, "How it can, it has become pure?
So as the spiritual world does not annihilate, similarly the soul, the spirit, by any such disturbances, the soul is never annihilated. Avyayam indestructible, immutable. So Kṛṣṇa is explaining in different ways the nature of the soul. We have to take it seriously, then we get perfect knowledge.
So, next verse you can...
- acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam
- akledyo 'śoṣya eva ca
- nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ sthāṇur
- acalo 'yaṁ sanātanaḥ
- (BG 2.24)
"This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same."
So those who are less intelligent, they simply can see that light; therefore they say light. But in the Vedic literature there is information that you have to search out the Supreme Person penetrating the light. In the Īśopaniṣad it says, "My dear Lord, please wind up this effulgent light so that I can see Your face actually." That is stated in the Vedic literature. So originally the Absolute Supreme Truth is a person. If you want proof from Vedas, there is proof. Bhagavad-gītā is proof. Why should we accept a third-class man who is speaking something against? Is that man greater than Kṛṣṇa? Then why shall I talk about him? He's not important even ordinary man. We shall treat all these persons less intelligent, foolish. They have no perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth. What do you think?
After many, many births when a person is actually wise, jñānavān, perfectly in knowledge... What is that symptom of perfect knowledge? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. Kṛṣṇa is everything. That is perfection of knowledge. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), prapadyate mām. If I find out somebody supreme, then it is my duty to surrender unto him. Yes. But as soon as I surrender, I become mahātmā, liberal, not miser. Miser is thinking on his own account, "How much I'll get? How much in my share?" And liberal means he has no more share, everything Kṛṣṇa's. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That sort of mahātmā, liberal person, is very rare. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you cannot find many, it is not possible. Everyone is miser. He's always thinking, "How much share is mine? How much I can collect for my personal?" And Kṛṣṇa conscious person is simply trying: how much he is giving to Kṛṣṇa. This way. One this way, and one this way. This is miser and liberal.
A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always steady in his determination." 57: "He who is without affection either for good or evil is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge (BG 2.57)." Purport: "There is always some upheaval in the material world which may be good or evil. One who is not agitated by such material upheavals, who is without affection for the good or evil, is to be understood as fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As long as one is in the material world, there is always the possibility of good and evil because this world is full of duality. But one who is fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not affected by good and evil because he is simply concerned with Kṛṣṇa, who is all-good absolute. Such consciousness in Kṛṣṇa situates one in the perfect transcendental position called, technically, samādhi."
And knowledge." Knowledge also. Without knowledge, there cannot be detachment. Without knowledge, one cannot be detached. And what is that knowledge? The knowledge is that "I am not this matter; I am spirit soul." So... But this knowledge is... Although it is very easy thing to say, that "I am not this body, but I am spirit soul," but actually to have perfect knowledge, that is a great job. It is not very easy. For getting that supreme knowledge so many, I mean to say, transcendentalists, they were trying life after life, just to get detached. But the easiest process is that if one is engaged in the devotional service. That is the formula given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vāsudeve bhagavati. Vāsudeve bhagavati, "in the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa." Vāsudeva is Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). Bhakti-yoga means devotional service.
We simply know that there are some fishes and crocodiles or sharks in the water, but śāstra, Vedic śāstras, they give definite information, how many forms and varieties of life are there within the water: 900,000. How many we have seen? Our scientists, our botanists, how many they have seen? So actually you cannot have perfect knowledge by the experimental method.
Now, if I say... I don't say, but the śāstra says there are 900,000 forms of aquatics. So you cannot say no because you have no experience. You have no experience. But from the śāstra, Vedic literature, we get this information, Padma Purāṇa. We are not speaking unauthorizedly. The śāstras are accepted by the ācāryas, the great teachers. And we get knowledge from the śāstra. I may be imperfect, but I get knowledge from the perfect source. That is perfect knowledge.
So machine is imperfect and my seeing power is also imperfect. Then how you can have perfect knowledge? The machine is created by a person who has got imperfect knowledge, and the seer is also a person; he is also imperfect. The imperfect person is seeing through the imperfect machine. Then how we can conclude perfect knowledge? This is not possible.
Therefore the method is, according to the Vedic knowledge, that if you want perfect knowledge, then you should approach the perfect person. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is the Vedic injunction. If you want perfect knowledge, then you must approach a perfect person, guru.
Kṛṣṇa is explaining to Arjuna. You will find these statements in the fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa said that "This perfect knowledge of yoga system as I am explaining in this..."
Now it is known, Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā means the, generally in this Western world they say, "Song of God." So Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So He said that "This is not a new literature. Millions of years ago I spoke about this yoga system, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān... (BG 4.1). Proktavān means, "I said." Whom? Vivasvān. Vivasvān is the name of the sungod or the president of the sun planet.
Yes. What is Vedic wisdom? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Knowledge. Veda means knowledge. What is perfect knowledge? Perfect knowledge is that "My constitutional position is to serve." Bring any man in this world. Who can say that "I am not servant"? Is there any man or woman within this world, within this universe, who is not a servant? Can anyone of you say that you are not servant? Is there anyone? Everyone is servant. Somebody is servant of the society, somebody is servant of the country, somebody is servant of his wife or family, or some cats and dogs, ultimately. One must be a servant.
So when a man comes to this knowledge, that "I am serving. Why not serve the Supreme?" this is knowledge. This is perfection of knowledge. Nobody can be freed from being a servant. Either you become a servant of God or you become a servant of dog, you must be a servant. So the intelligent person, a wise person, he prefers to servant of God instead of becoming servant of dog.
There is no escape, that one cannot..., one is master. Nobody is master. Everyone is servant. "Therefore one who executes his duties according to My injunction," God's injunctions, "and who follows the teachings faithfully becomes free from bondage." As soon as you become servant to somebody besides God, then you are in bondage. You are in obligation.
So the intelligent person is he who knows that "I am servant, so why not become servant of the greatest?" Just like somebody wants to be worker in government service. Why? Because government is very big establishment, great establishment. He has got many facilities. That is not bondage. Similarly, why not become the servant of the supreme government? That is perfection of knowledge. So long we are not servant of God, that means we are deficient in knowledge. And perfect knowledge is to become servant of God. Because you cannot escape by not being a servant. Everyone has to become a servant, this side or that side.
Somebody is in goodness; somebody is in passion; somebody is in ignorance. So in ignorance, somebody, say, he is intoxicated. He is servant of some intoxication. But he is thinking, after being intoxicated, "Oh, I am God. I am master." You see. This is called befooling him. He is befooled. He is servant of intoxication, and he is thinking, "I am God." Just see. Is it not a farce? By meditation, he will become God. If you are God, why you are meditating? Therefore they are befooled. The direct process is: take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness—"I am eternal servant of God. Let me take to this business. Finish." Perfect knowledge.
Tattvataḥ means in truth. You can imagine something of God, but that is not truth. Just like, for example, somebody very big, very rich. So you can imagine this man is so big, so big merchant, he has got so much money. Imagination, by discussion amongst your friends, but that is not perfect knowledge. But somehow or other, if you make friendship with that big man, and if he tells you that "My position is like this," then you understand very easily. You cannot speculate. By speculating, you cannot understand God. That is not possible. He's so great, our speculating power is very poor.
In Sanskrit there is a logical conclusion, Dr. Frog. A frog within the well. You know, well, a three-feet circumference, and there is a frog. Another frog friend comes and informs the frog in the well, "My dear friend, today I have seen a very big span of water, Pacific Ocean." So the frog in the well, he considers that Pacific Ocean may be four feet.
And imperfection of senses. So we are all infected with these four deficiencies of life, material condition of life. Therefore mukta means one who is liberated from these defects. Those who are infected with these defects, they cannot give you perfect knowledge. That is not possible. Imperfectness of senses—how he can gather perfect knowledge? They can simply say, "Perhaps," "It may be," "Most probably." That's all. Theories. Nobody can say, "It is like this." Just like in the Vedas it is said how many different varieties of lives are there. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Exact number, that so many varieties of lives are there. Nine hundred thousand species life in the water. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Two million varieties of trees, plants, like that. Kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Eleven lakhs varieties of insects. Pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. There are ten, one million types of birds.
Eleven lakhs varieties of insects. Pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. There are ten, one million types of birds. Similarly, three million types of animals, and four hundred thousand different types of humankind. Everything is exactly calculated. That is called Vedic knowledge. Because it is... How the perfection of knowledge comes? Here it is said, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham (BG 4.1). Kṛṣṇa says. Aham avyayam. The knowledge is perfect. Avyayam. Avyayam means "that cannot be diverse or deviated." Perfect. Avyayam. Without any deviation. Therefore if you want to know perfect knowledge, then you have to hear from Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān means the most powerful, most influential, the supreme wise, most beautiful, most learned, most renouncer. Just see Bhagavān's renouncement.
That's a subtle way, but no university teaches how the soul is transferred from one body to another, what kind of body you are going to get next. There is no such science. But that is the real problem. Therefore we have to hear from Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, the Supreme, the person who can give you perfect knowledge. That is the process. If you really want knowledge, you have to hear from Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He came personally.
- yadā yadā hi dharmasya
- glānir bhavati bhārata
- abhyutthānam adharmasya
- tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
- (BG 4.7)
He comes. He's so kind. He comes, He gives personally instruction, and He leaves the instruction recorded. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. This Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna, and it was recorded by Sañjaya, by the grace of Vyāsadeva. And then Vyāsadeva put the conversation in the Mahābhārata. Mahābhārata means "The History of Greater India." That is Mahābhārata.
The whole planet is called Bhārata, Bhāratavarṣa. And the history of the whole planet is called Mahābhārata. In this Mahābhārata, this Bhagavad-gītā is set in for the knowledge of the all human being. It is not meant for the Hindus, for the Indians, for the brāhmaṇas, for the... No. It is meant for everyone to take perfect knowledge from Kṛṣṇa and be happy. If you want to become happy actually, then Kṛṣṇa's instruction you accept. We are already fallen. Now if we want to save ourselves from this fallen condition, take instruction from Kṛṣṇa and do not try to deviate, do not try to interpret in your own whimsical way, in a rascal way. Simply try to understand what Kṛṣṇa says. That's all. Then your life will be perfect.
Prabhupāda: Therefore, if we try to understand God by our limited knowledge, it will be a failure. We have to understand God from God. Then that will be perfect knowledge. So this Bhagavad-gītā is the science of God where God is speaking about Himself. And it is accepted by all great scholars, philosophers, and, I mean to say, religionists, everyone. Go on.
Madhudviṣa: "Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
That is mistake. We are not concerned with imperfect knowledge. We want perfect knowledge. Therefore we are going to Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise what is the use? If it is an ordinary book—you can interpret in your own way, I can interpret in my own way—then what is the value of Bhagavad-gītā with other books? No. It is not like that. Therefore the words of Kṛṣṇa should be understood through the devotees: perfect channel. As Kṛṣṇa..., Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Avyayam, the... It is eternal. It is spiritual, avyayam. Avyayam means "that does not perish." Anything material, it perishes. But spirit soul, or spiritual anything, everything, that is imperishable, avyayam.
Therefore one has to learn this science from the paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). You have to go to the right person who knows Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā... Just like Sūrya, the Vivasvān, he was instructed by Kṛṣṇa. So if you take instruction from Vivasvān, from the sun-god, then you get the perfect knowledge. But you cannot go to the sun planet and ask Vivasvān, "What Kṛṣṇa spoke to you?" Therefore Vivasvān transferred the knowledge to his son, Manu. This age is called Vaivasvata Manu, this age. Now, Vivasvān, because he's the son of Vivasvān, therefore this Manu is called Vaivasvata Manu. Vaivasvata Manu. Now the age is going of Vaivasvata Manu. Manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt. So Manu also spoke to his son. So in this way, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2), He's giving some examples, but the knowledge has to be received by the paramparā. But some way or other, the paramparā being lost... Just like I have spoken something to my disciple.
This answer will be in the next verse. Bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi. "I understand. I know everything." In another place Kṛṣṇa..., that "I know the past, present, future." That is knowledge.
Knowledge means, perfect knowledge means past, present, and future. There are many foretelling in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about this Kali-yuga. They are stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Future.... Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written five thousand years ago. Still, what was stated at that time, they're coming to be true. That is called śāstra. Past, present, and future. So Kṛṣṇa knows everything. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). He says that "I know everything, past, present, and future." That is perfect knowledge.
We cannot acquire knowledge by sense perception perfectly. So with so many imperfectness, if we try to become a teacher, then I am a cheater. I am not a teacher. We must know first of all. So we are receiving knowledge from Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead and with perfection of knowledge.
So here the matter is being clarified, and Kṛṣṇa is answering also that bahūni me janmāni vyatītāni. Kṛṣṇa appears.... Kṛṣṇa says, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7). He comes on this planet or in this universe. When He comes in this universe, He comes on this planet. There are innumerable universes. Not one, but innumerable. So there is a rotation of Kṛṣṇa's coming here.
And the material process is āroha-panthā, ascending process, research. This is āroha-panthā, find out whether this, what is this, what is this, neti, neti, neti, neti, analysis, dissection, and so many. This is called āroha-panthā. Trying to ascend by dint of one's material knowledge. Then spiritual knowledge, you cannot have perfect knowledge... Why spiritual knowledge? Even material knowledge. Now there are so many attempts to go to the moon planet. They are trying to go there by so many ascending processes, sputnik, airplanes, and so many things. Still, we do not know what is this planet.
But you read Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you understand immediately what is this moon planet. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā nakṣatrāṇām ahaṁ śaśī. Śaśī means this moon planet. You immediately understand that this moon planet is one of the stars. Just like the constitutional position of other stars, you understand the moon is like that.
The soma-rasa, you have heard this word. The soma-rasa is beverage in the moon planet. So everything is there. And who can go there, and how one can go there. So this is perfect knowledge, to hear from the authorities. Otherwise...
So even for material things we have to hear from authority. Just like this moon planet or sun planet or any planet, you can understand. The Brahmaloka also. Brahmaloka, that is also described in the Bhagavad... Brahmaloka means the topmost planet within this universe. You'll find in this Bhagavad-gītā that sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Brahmaṇo viduḥ. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).
He comes and He sends His own, I mean to say, confidential sons or servants to give us information of the spiritual world of God, or everything, both material and spiritual. This knowledge is perfect knowledge. We have to receive from the authority.
In the material world also. Now some students, they come here to learn scientific knowledge because it is understood Western countries, they're advanced in scientific knowledge. So why they come? Because they think that Western scientists are authorities. The process is there, to receive knowledge from authority. Similarly, some serious students, they go to India, they try to search out some saintly persons to receive knowledge about the spiritual world.
I have explained already. We forget because we change body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ, we do not know what kind of body I had in my last life or what kind of body I am going to accept next life, but there is the law: tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. But Kṛṣṇa does not forget. He knows. That is perfect knowledge. And because we are imperfect, we do not... When we'll be perfect also, we'll remember. But that is, means, spiritual life, no more material body. That can be also possible.
It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). So when we go to Kṛṣṇa, we get the similar body. Although we are subordinate, still, the facility is almost the same, seventy-eight percent.
Generally, they compare the living entities to the bubbles of the ocean which merge into the ocean. That is the highest perfection of spiritual existence attainable without individual personality. This is a fearful stage of life, devoid of perfect knowledge of spiritual existence. Furthermore, there are many persons who cannot understand spiritual existence at all. Being embarrassed by so many theories and by contradictions and various types of philosophical speculation, they become disgusted or angry, and foolishly they conclude that there is no supreme cause and that everything is ultimately void. Such people are in diseased conditions of life. Some of them are too materially attached and therefore do not give attention to spiritual life, some of them want to merge into the supreme spiritual cause, and some of them disbelieve in everything, being angry at all sorts of spiritual speculation out of hopelessness.
So far necessities of the body, material body, is concerned, the demand is there; demand is here. You can accept from that type of body, by this body, simply by understanding, by advancing in knowledge. And the perfection of knowledge is to know who is God. Or where is God. That is perfection. So long one does not understand what is God or the Absolute Truth by whom everything is being emanated, the knowledge is imperfect. Knowledge is not finished. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births of cultivating knowledge, one comes to the understanding of accepting God is the prime source, fountainhead of everything." That is perfection of knowledge.
At the present moment people are denying the existence of God, or they are thinking that God is dead. That means imperfection of knowledge. They have to still make progress to the perfectional point. And that test is to understand, "Here is God, and He is the fountainhead of everything." That perfection of knowledge you will have simply by reading... Any scripture you can read. The same conception is there. But in the Bhagavad-gītā it is more clearly explained so that you can understand with all reason, arguments, and scrutiny too. It is not dogmatic. That is the beauty of Bhagavad-gītā.
Just like in some dictionary the word is explained in one word. In some dictionary it is explained that "The history of this world is like this. This word can be explained like this, like that, like that," some pages like that.
Kṛṣṇa is explaining how one can very easily enter into the spiritual world, or the kingdom of God. The simple formula is that anyone who understands the appearance, disappearance, activities of the Lord as divyam, transcendental, with perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth... Simply by this understanding one can immediately enter into the spiritual kingdom.
To know the Absolute Truth is not possible by our present senses. That is also another fact. Because at the present moment we have got materially affected... Not material senses. Our sense are originally spiritual, but it is covered by material contamination. Therefore the process is to purify, to purify the coverings of our material existence. And that is also recommended—simply by service attitude. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234).
"After many, many births, when one is developed in his real consciousness, he can understand." What? What he understands? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ: (BG 7.19) "That Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. He is all in all, so I have to surrender unto Him." That is the perfection of knowledge. This stage one has to reach. Never mind whether he is following a principle of philosophical research, whether he is following the yogic principle, or whether he is following philanthropic work or political leadership or... So many things are going on, but the whole thing is targeted toward Kṛṣṇa. How it is targeted? That is explained. I shall try to explain.
Now, the whole material world is working under two energies: the lower energy and the higher energy. And the both of the energies, they have got different dimensions. Just like in this atomic age, you know, the material energy ends in the atomic portion, atoms, paramāṇu.
I am spirit, consciousness. As soon as I am out of this body, I can distinguish or... I cannot distinguish because I will go away. You can distinguish that "Now this real Swamiji's spirit is gone; the Swamiji's material body is here." So it is very plain thing. Therefore we should not only have perfect knowledge of this matter, but we should have perfect knowledge of the spirit also, if we are actually intelligent. Therefore the brāhmaṇas... Why they are called brāhmaṇas? Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. Brahmin, it is English transcription. But real word is brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇa. And wherefrom this brāhmaṇa word comes? Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. That means one who knows the spirit, the spiritual. One who has got complete knowledge of the spiritual world, he is called brāhmaṇa.
How one becomes brāhmaṇa? Now you will find distinctly that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: (BG 4.13) "The four divisions of qualitative divisions is set by Me according to quality and karma."
There are so many. Just like you can see so many planets. In each and every planets and stars there are living entities. Sarva-ga. Don't think that only God has favored this planet full with living entities and others are simply empty showbottle. That is not the fact. They do not know it. They have no perfect knowledge. They say that only this earthly planet is full of living entities. No. Everywhere. That description you'll get from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto. There is vivid description of all the planets and what kind of living entities are there. So some of them are described in this Bhagavad-gītā.
So Bhagavad-gītā is the perfect knowledge. We are now materially contaminated. So you can say, "What is the wrong? If you are materially contaminated, what is the wrong?" That is our lack of knowledge. We cannot understand what is the wrong. The wrong thing we take as pleasing.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting) Translation: "One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every act is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge."
Prabhupāda:
- yasya sarve samārambhāḥ
- kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ
- jñānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇaṁ
- tam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ
Paṇḍita, paṇḍita means one who knows. Generally, in India the learned brāhmaṇas are called "Panditji." Brāhmaṇa's honorable, I mean to say title is "Panditji". And vaiśya's honorable title: "Sethji." Panditji, Sethji. Even the śūdras, they are given some honor, "Choudhuri." This is Indian system. Everyone is given some honor. Especially in upper India, the brāhmaṇas, even at the present moment, they are addressed as Panditji. And the kṣatriyas, they are addressed as "Thakur Saheb". And vaiśyas, they are addressed as Sethji, and the śūdras, they're addressed as Choudhuriji. They're also given some honor.
Devotee: "Transcendental Knowledge." Text number nineteen. "One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every act is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge."
Prabhupāda: "One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every act is devoid of desire for sense gratification." The opposite is ignorance. Those who are in knowledge of sense gratification they are devoid of knowledge. Yes. "He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge." "He is said by sages to be a worker whose fruitive action is burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge." This is very common thing. Everyone has to act but if he acts in full knowledge then that is perfection of activity.
The Absolute Truth is also, in the same way, manifested in three phases: Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. So either of these three, we have to find out; then gradually we make further promotion.
Those who are in the Brahman conception... Just like Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He was in the Brahman conception, but by his further development, he became a devotee. He became a devotee. There are many instances. The Sanaka-Sanātana sages, they were in Brahman conception. So to... As it is stated in totee(?). There are many instances. The Sanaka-Sanātana sages, they were in Brahman conception. So to... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate... (BG 7.19). This mām means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So anyone who comes to that Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is in the highest perfection of knowledge.
Even you can get purīs and halavā from the tree. that is called desire tree. So the Vedic literature is called nigama-kalpa-taru. Nigama, Vedic literature, desire tree, kalpa-taru, taru, kalpa-taru. In the Vedic literature every knowledge is there. Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge, either material or spiritual. The Vedas are there for the benefit of the human society.
Because the living entity has come here in this material world to enjoy, so direction is there, "All right, you have come here to enjoy. So you enjoy materially under direction. Then gradually you become spiritual and then take liberation." That is the purpose. Karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa. Jñāna-kāṇḍa is the path of liberation. Then upāsanā-kāṇḍa.
That is also progress. Suppose if you have gone to the eighty-fifth story, that is also progress from the downwards. That's all right.
But the highest, highest perfection of knowledge is, so far we study from the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. Bahūnām means after many, many births of culturing knowledge, when he comes to the real knowledge, real, perfect knowledge. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān. Not the fools, but jñānavān. He especially mentions jñānavān. Jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. Jñānavān the sign is that jñānavān surrenders unto the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest stage of knowledge.
Because I cannot see what is happening beyond this wall, oh, that does not mean there is nothing beyond this wall. So everyone wants to see God immediately. God you can see when you are perfectly qualified. When you are in perfect knowledge, you can see God eye to eye just like you are seeing me, I am seeing you. But that requires qualification. You have to wait. That qualification is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That qualification means Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins with śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23). Śravaṇam, hearing. We have to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Just like the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of understanding or hearing about Kṛṣṇa. Hearing about Kṛṣṇa.
Just like suppose I came to your country, United States of America.
Jñāninaḥ means jñānī, or a man who is in perfect knowledge. Perfect knowledge means one who has perfect vision or the perfect, not theoretical, but actual vision of the spiritual subject matter. He is called jñānī. Jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ.
Tattva. Tattva means the Absolute Truth. Now, so far tattva is concerned, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme tattva, Absolute Truth.
Now, He explains that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye: (BG 7.3) "Out of many, many thousands of people, a few people may try how to get spiritual salvation." Not all. Everyone is not expected to hanker after spiritual salvation. That requires also many, many years qualification. So manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu. After many... Out of many, many thousands of people, one is very much anxious for spiritual realization. And then Lord Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3).
"My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I am just fallen in the ocean of ignorance." So we are in the ocean of ignorance. Now, in the ocean, if you get a very good boat or very good ship, as you can cross over, similarly, if we have the ship or the boat of perfect knowledge, then there is no fear. We can cross the ocean very easily. We can cross this ocean very easily.
Now here Kṛṣṇa says, api ced asi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛttamaḥ. If, if a person is the most sinful, the, and the, I mean, the supermost sinful man, but if he gets this knowledge, this knowledge of Kṛṣṇa science, then he can cross over this ocean of ignorance very easily. That means it does not matter what was our past life. Either... Any Vedic literature, especially Bhagavad-gītā... Bhagavad-gītā does not take into account what was you in the past life. That doesn't matter.
Therefore knowledge, we must seek knowledge. And the perfection of knowledge, as we have several times explained in this meeting, the perfection of knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That's all. As in the Seventh Chapter you'll find, that, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Now, after culturing many, many births knowledge, one comes to Kṛṣṇa and he understands, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa is everything, all causes of causes. He's the cause of all causes. Always remember. When I speak of Kṛṣṇa, He's God. God. God is the cause of all causes.
The distribution is... There is fallacy, distribution: one is taking is more and the other is starving. Therefore, the starving population, they are making protest, "Why we shall starve?" But that is also defective.
But here is the perfect knowledge, that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). We have to take everything as God's property, nobody's property. And we can use things which are available by the nature's product. Suppose there is iron ore, mine. So everyone has got the... Whatever iron he requires, he can take. But if somebody makes the, the iron mine as his own property, then he, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavata and, it is, he becomes a thief. He becomes a thief, and he's punishable because that is God's property. Nobody can create the iron mine. We cannot create anything. Even in the economic laws, we cannot create anything.
Revatīnandana: "...of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is can very easily understand these two important divisions of spiritual knowledge. For him there is no difficulty in obtaining perfect knowledge of the self as part and parcel of the Lord."
Prabhupāda: Because the subject matter of Bhagavad-gītā is to know five things, to know what are these living entities, what is God, what is nature, and what is time, and what is work. These five subject matters are there: God, the living entities, the nature, the time, and the work. These things are there.
Everyone is engaged in some sort of work, and there is time control. Your life, my life, everyone's life is controlled by time. We have to live for so many years, no more than. So to study time, to study our work, then what is God, "what I am," and what is this material nature—these five things are very nicely explained.
Similarly, the impersonalists, they think that "I am Brahman, but I am not this matter." That is a fact. I am spirit. I am not this matter. But that understanding is not sufficient. What is my position as spirit? Then, when we come to the supreme spirit, the all-spirit, that is perfection of knowledge. So impersonal conception is simply a negation of these material varieties. But above that, there is spiritual variety. And that is real knowledge. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Negation... Just like there is no fever. In diseased condition one is trying to get out of the feverish condition. So by medicinal treatment one gets out of fever. But that is not healthy condition. That is not final. There is negation of fever. That's admitted. That's all right. But that is convulsion (convalescent) stage. You may relapse again. When you actually come to the healthy state, that is your life.
That is accepted. So here Kṛṣṇa gives us a prescription, and if we try to follow, then surely we shall achieve the stage of perfect knowledge and the result will be that we shall be perfectly peaceful in life. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). That is the perfect knowledge when we understand that the Supreme Lord, He is the supreme enjoyer—bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram—He is the supreme proprietor. And if we think very, I mean to say, scrutinizingly with cool head, then we can understand that everything, whatever there is in our presence, the actual proprietor is God, or Kṛṣṇa. We are not proprietor. We have got the right to use them, the things which are given by God to us. We shall have the right to use them, but we are not proprietor. So that is real knowledge.
So paśyañ śṛṇvan spṛśañ jighrann aśnan gacchan svapan śvasan. These are our activities. Paśyan, we act by seeing. We act by hearing. We act by touching. We act by smelling. We act by going. We act by dreaming. We act by breathing. So many our activities are... So in all these, going on. But a tattva-vit, one who is in the perfect knowledge and is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he, although he is doing all these things he knows, "I'm not doing." This is tattva-vit. Although he's doing all these things he knows that "I am not doing. Kṛṣṇa is doing. I am simply instrumental. I am simply instrument." That is the perfection.
Indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu. There are senses. They have got use. So even the tattva-vit who is in perfect knowledge, he is also using his senses, but he knows that Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of the senses, and he's instrumental only. "As He is directing, my senses are working." Or, in other words, when our senses work in that direction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we gradually make progress to back to Godhead, back to home, back to liberation.
- brahmaṇy ādhāya karmāṇi
- saṅgaṁ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ
- lipyate na sa pāpena
- padma-patram ivāmbhasā
- (BG 5.10)
There is a very good example here, that lotus, lotus flower and leaves of the lotus stem. So if you put some water, that water does not stick into the lotus leaf. By natural way. It will not touch. It will then never be moist.
"Then why shall I serve the unreal illusion? Let me serve the reality. If my business is to serve and nothing to be...never to be master, always to serve, then why I shall serve the illusion? Let me serve the reality." That sense is called knowledge. So anāśritaḥ karma-phalam. Sannyāsa, renounced order of life, means one who is in perfect knowledge, he can take sannyāsa. Otherwise, if he takes all of a sudden the renounced order of life, he will create misery for himself and misery for others. In full knowledge, that sannyāsa. So here, how that full knowledge is exhibited after sannyāsa, that is explained here by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What is that? Kāryam. "It is my duty to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and to serve the cause of Kṛṣṇa. Oh, that is my duty. That is my real duty." When we come to this knowledge, then we become mahātmā, or the great soul. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā.
This devotee, Bali Mahārāja, is surrendered everything for the service of the Lord. So he became a famous king. Sarvātma-snapane abhavad balir vaiyāsakiḥ. So now, anyone who thinks that "Service of Kṛṣṇa, or service of the Lord, is my duty, duty," he is the man in perfect knowledge. Sa sannyāsī. Sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca. And he's actually yogi. We have heard the names of so many yogis, but here Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, "He is actual yogi." Who? "Who has surrendered himself fully unto Me and he is engaged in My service as a matter of duty." That's all. Sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca na niragnir na cākriyaḥ. Na niragniḥ. Niragniḥ means "those who have left home." In the varṇāśrama-dharma, one who is a householder, he has to perform daily yajña. So there is fire. Fire. Still we find in the Parsis, they are fire worshipers.
Devotee: A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has realized knowledge by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Because he is satisfied with pure devotional service. By realized knowledge, one becomes perfect. By such perfect knowledge one can be steady in his convictions. But by academic knowledge one is easily deluded and is confused by apparent contradictions. It is the realized soul who is actually self-controlled because he is surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He is transcendental because he has nothing to do with mundane scholarship.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Even one is illiterate. Even he does not know what is ABCD, he can realize God provided he engages himself in this submissive transcendental loving service. And one may be very learned, high scholar, but he cannot realize God. God is not subjected to any material condition. He is supreme spirit.
Devotee: Purport: "In the first six chapters of the Bhagavad-gītā, the living entity has been described as nonmaterial spirit soul who is capable of elevating himself to self-realization by different types of yogas. At the end of the Sixth Chapter it has been clearly stated that the steady concentration of the mind upon Kṛṣṇa, or in other words, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the highest form of all yoga. By concentrating one's mind upon Kṛṣṇa one is able to know the Absolute Truth completely, but not otherwise. The impersonal brahma-jyotir or localized Paramātmā is not perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth, because it is partial."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Impersonal... Just like sunshine and the sun disc and the inhabitants of the sun globe. In one sense, they are one unit. You cannot separate sunshine from the sun disc or the sun disc from the inhabitants or the predominating deity of sun planet. They are all in light, but still there is difference. Sunshine is coming within your room. Although the sun disc and the sunshine is not different, still, when you realize what is sunshine, that does not mean you realize what is the sun disc. This is very practical.
You can have some idea: "The sun disc is also light, and it has got heat. It is illuminating." These ideas you can get, but not exactly what is the temperature of that sun disc, how you can live there. There are so many things to learn. Therefore, impersonal Brahman, understanding of impersonal Brahman, is not perfect knowledge.
Exactly... Knowledge of sunshine is not perfect knowledge of sun. That you can understand very easily. Suppose daily you are having sunshine within your room. Does it mean you know what is sun disc or what is the inhabitants of the sun globe? No. Nobody knows. Similarly, impersonal knowledge of the Absolute Truth is like that. That is not complete knowledge. Although it is light, sunshine is also light, sun disc is also light and the inhabitants there, they also must be light.
Lying in one side, he is getting pain. He thinks, "If I lie down on the other side I will be relieved." That he is thinking, but so long he is diseased, there is no question of relief. He is thinking like that, this way or that way. Just like in the materialistic way they are... Their last point of happiness is sex life. That's all. So they have enjoyed sex life in this way; now they are trying to enjoy sex life in that way. But the enjoyment is the same. There is no more enjoyment. That is finished. You can eschew in so many ways, but the result is the same. Similarly, unless you have got perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth, if you think of the Absolute Truth as something opposite of your present status, that is not perfect knowledge. The impersonal knowledge is like that, something opposite of this material world.
In the first six chapters of Bhagavad-gītā, the living entity has been described as nonmaterial spirit soul, which is capable of elevating himself to self-realization by different types of yogas. At the end of the Sixth Chapter, it has been clearly stated that the steady concentration of the mind upon Kṛṣṇa, or in other words, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the highest form of all yoga. By concentrating one's mind upon Kṛṣṇa, one is able to know the Absolute Truth completely, but not otherwise. Impersonal brahma-jyotir or localized Paramātmā realization is not perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth because it is partial. Full and scientific knowledge is Kṛṣṇa, and everything is revealed to the person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness one knows that Kṛṣṇa is ultimate knowledge beyond any doubts. Different types of yoga are only stepping-stones on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
He cannot say, "I am perfect in health." That is not possible. Similarly, if we are defective in so many ways, and if I want to become teacher or preacher to give you the truth, then how can I give? This is not possible. So we cannot hear from anyone who is defective. That is not pure knowledge, that is not perfect knowledge. If we hear from some defective, who theorize, "I think," "In my opinion," "Maybe," "Perhaps..." These are nonsense speaking. So almost everyone, the so-called scientists, philosophers, they simply theorize, "I think." Who are you, you are thinking like that? You are imperfect.
So we cannot accept the theories or the statement of some defective person. We should hear from the person who is not defective, perfect. Therefore our process of hearing or getting knowledge is from the perfect person. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are hearing Bhagavad-gītā, we are getting knowledge from Bhagavad-gītā, because Bhagavān Himself speaking.
That is perfect. If you simply conjecture, guess, that "Swamiji may be like this," another may say "Like this, like that." But if I say unto you, "I am like this," that is perfect. So here in the Bhagavad-gītā we have got this advantage, followers of Vedic literature, that the Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is speaking Himself about Himself. That is perfect knowledge. Therefore it is said, bhagavān uvāca. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is speaking Himself.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to educate people on this principle. We are not manufacturing anything. That is not our business. Because we know we are imperfect. Even if we manufacture something, that is imperfect. We have got four faults in our conditional life: we commit mistake, we become illusioned, we cheat others, and our senses are imperfect. So how we can get perfect knowledge from a person who is, I mean to say, possessing all these faults? Therefore we must get knowledge from the Supreme Person, who is not affected with these faults, mukta-puruṣa. That is perfect knowledge.
So our request is that you take knowledge from Bhagavad-gītā and act accordingly. It doesn't matter what you are. Bhagavān is for everyone. God is God. Just like gold is gold. If gold is handled by Hindu, it does not become Hindu gold. Or the gold is handled by Christian, it does not become Christian gold.
Dehātma-buddhi. "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. But I am thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am South African," "I am black," "I am white," "I am fat," "I am thin." This is bodily. This is called illusion. And we invent our ideologies by mental speculation, without having perfect knowledge. We are accustomed to say, "I think." But "I think"? What I am? All my senses are imperfect. I commit mistake, I am illusioned, and when I say, "I think," what is the use of my thinking? This is cheating. This is cheating.
So any conditioned soul... There are two kinds of living entities: the liberated and the conditioned soul. So we should not receive any knowledge from conditioned person. We must receive knowledge from the liberated. So Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead—who can be more liberated than Himself?
We have to approach. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We have to approach a superior person, guru, and take knowledge from him. The most superior person is Kṛṣṇa. You may doubt others, that may be, but when you come to Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect knowledge. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
So Kṛṣṇa is so kind that he comes, in, once in..., we were calculating yesterday, what is, how many years after? You were there? Aḥ, some billions of years after. We can calculate from the śāstra because He comes once in the day of Brahmā. The Brahmā's duration of life is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Forty-three lakhs of years multiplied by a thousand becomes twelve hours of Brahmā, and similarly twelve hours at night, that is one day and night.
"There was a chunk, and it was burnt into pieces. Then the planetary systems came into existence." But if we inquire, "Wherefrom this chunk comes?" that they cannot answer. Therefore the so-called scientific knowledge always remains in doubt. Darwin's theory... There are so many passages: "It may be, perhaps."
So these things, "Perhaps, it may be," that is not certain. Therefore they have now accepted the theory of uncertainty. But here we, if we hear from Kṛṣṇa, then it is perfect knowledge. Samagram. How this material world is created, how this earth, five elements of gross elements come into existence, and everything will be explained. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ mām (BG 7.1). To understand Kṛṣṇa means to understand everything. Therefore tattvam.
Like cats and dogs, dying. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge, mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. And if one is interested for spiritual life, they are also captured by so many pseudo spiritual things. Pseudo. Manda. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ, mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. They have got a different views. They do not like to take knowledge from the Vedic, perfect knowledge from the Vedic literature or from Bhagavad-gītā. They manufacture their own way of life, this mandaḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. And manda-bhāgyāḥ. And unfortunate, mostly they are unfortunate. And hy upadrutāḥ. And distributed by so many things. Sometimes earthquake, sometimes famine, sometimes scarcity of water, sometimes war, or sometimes fight. So many things, problems, simply problems. This is the position of this age.
By the imperfect senses speculating, that is not perfect. Therefore all the speculators, they, so-called scientists, philosophers, they put forward theories: "Perhaps," "It may be," like that. That means it is not perfect knowledge. But if we receive knowledge from the supreme perfect God, that it is actually perfect. Our process is like that.
In the Fourth Chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā you will find, Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). Kṛṣṇa said this philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā first to the sun-god, and he spoke to his son Manu, he spoke to his son Ikṣvāku. In this way, disciplic succession, this Bhagavad-gītā has come down to this earthly planet, and if we accept that disciplic succession, do not unnecessarily interpret, then we understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. That is the process.
Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna that "I am giving you perfect knowledge." This is our process. We receive knowledge from the perfect person. There is no use getting knowledge from imperfect person. That is useless waste of time. And who is perfect person? Who does not commit any mistake, who is never illusioned, whose senses are not imperfect, and who is not a cheater. These are the qualification. (aside:) The children... These are the symptoms of perfect person. First thing is he does not commit mistake. Throughout the whole world you study big, big men. They committed mistake. Hitler committed mistake. Gandhi committed mistake. Churchill committed mistake. Because "To err is human," however big you may be, you cannot avoid mistakes because you are not liberated.
So Vyāsadeva giving the history. Mahābhārata is also Vedic literature. Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, the eighteen Purāṇas, Vedānta-sūtra, four Vedas, and then Upaniṣad, they're all Vedic literature. So Mahābhārata is authorized Vedic literature. And within the Mahābhārata this Bhagavad-gītā is there. Therefore it is Vedic literature. So unless it is authorized perfect knowledge, why Vyāsadeva should put in his Mahābhārata? Therefore it is perfect knowledge. Because it is spoken by the most perfect personality, Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of mistake, there is no question of illusion.
You can attain this also, state of life, liberated life. We have heard so many times, "liberation," or "mukti." Mukti means one who has no defects as mentioned. That is mukti. Mukti does not mean one thinks himself that "I have become Bhagavān. I have become now..." Vimukta-māninaḥ.
That is the first step of realization, self-realization. But that is not final. The final realization is that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is final realization. So long you do not come to this position, the final constitutional position, that "We are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," the knowledge is lacking; there is no perfection of knowledge.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births," jñānavān, "when one actually self-realized, in awareness, fully in knowledge, then he understands," vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), "Vāsudeva is the supreme everything. I am simply part and parcel of Vāsudeva, eternal servant of Vāsudeva." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That kind of perfect person, mahātmā, is very, very rare, to understand that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. My only business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is my constitutional position.
"This is this." I accept it. And then that will be... That we shall be benefited. Just like a child. If he accepts the instruction of the parents, he gets knowledge. Parent will not cheat. If a child does not know a small watch, he asks, "Father, what is this?" Father can explain, "My dear child, this is called watch. You can see time, what is the time now." That is perfect knowledge. So that knowledge is perfect. Therefore in the beginning of this chapter and in the Fourth Chapter we said, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). If we get knowledge by the pure paramparā system, pure disciplic succession, that knowledge is perfect. Then our life is perfect. And if we want to try to expound knowledge by our limited power, that is imperfect knowledge. That knowledge is not perfect. That is concoction. If you want to take perfect knowledge, then you must get from the authorities. Evaṁ paramparā. That is Vedic knowledge.
Out of many millions and millions of persons, actually they are serious to understand, "What is the aim of life? What is God? What is my relation..." Nobody is interested. Just like... Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Everyone is interested with this bodily conception of life like cats and dogs. This is the position. Not only now, always, this is the material condition. But somebody, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu, out of millions, one tries to understand, to make his life perfect. And out of such perfection...
Perfection means to understand his real constitutional position, that he is not this material body; he is spirit soul, Brahman. That is perfection, perfection of knowledge, brahma-jñāna.
So the Vedic knowledge is called śruti. You have to learn things beyond your perception simply by hearing from the authorities. So Vedic knowledge is the authority. Why we accept Vedas as authority? Because there is the perfect knowledge. I have discussed so many times the authority of the Vedas, accepting cow dung as pure although animal stool is impure. But Vedas accept that cow dung is pure; we accept it. Cow dung is pure. This is called śruti-pramāṇa. Śruti-pramāṇa means the real knowledge, perfect knowledge, is coming from the supreme perfect, Kṛṣṇa. That perfect knowledge after creation... Brahmā is the first created being, so Brahmā was instructed the śruti, perfect knowledge, by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master. Vedānta-vit.
"That I cannot say." But if you know that these chemicals composes life, so when I give you the chemicals, why don't you produce? So simply theorizing. Simply theorizing. Panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ (Bs. 5.34).
So we cannot decide by theorizing. But if we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, here is the perfect knowledge, that aham, "I am the background." Otherwise, how we can explain? Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Just like if you have to paint one flower or if you have to create some scent, you have to mix so many chemicals. But He's so powerful, His energies are so perfect, that svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca, simply by His willing, immediately, everything is there. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). That is the appreciation of the energy of God. If you are not appreciating, that is your fault, but there is brain, there is work. But the energy is so perfect... Just like nowadays, electric, electronic energy.
So Kṛṣṇa is life. He's not dead stone. Therefore the conclusion is: from life, life has come and matter has come. Not that matter has come from life. Oh, what is that? Life has come from matter. That is not the conclusion. That is wrong conclusion.
So if you actually require perfect knowledge, then we have to accept knowledge this, like this way. It is called avaroha-panthā. Avaroha-panthā means a descendence or deductive process. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we claim that we have got perfect knowledge of everything because we are taking knowledge from the perfect person—Kṛṣṇa. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). And that is the real process. If you simply speculate to arrive at the conclusion, inductive process... Just like if you want to study whether man is mortal or immortal, there are two processes. Deductive process, you take the idea from superior person that man is mortal. If you accept, then your knowledge is perfect.
Therefore your conclusion remains always defective. You cannot do that. Therefore the best process is knowledge is to receive from the person who is authorized. Actually, you do that. We go to a school, we go to college, to receive knowledge from the superior person. That is our process. That is perfect knowledge. You cannot manufacture knowledge.
Therefore real knowledge of everything can be had from the Bhagavad-gītā. If you study it nicely, it is very easier and perfect. Bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ viddhi pārtha sanātanam (BG 7.10). Sanātanam. Sanātanam means eternal. It is not that bīja, that which is produced and again it is vanquished. Sanātanam. In another place Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā.
So when Mahā-Viṣṇu exhales, innumerable universes come out. And when He inhales, all these universes go into His body. So just imagine how great He is, how big He is. That is not conceivable with our limited sense. But if we believe, then you get the perfect knowledge. There is no doubt. If you don't believe, there is no other way. You cannot understand what is God, or what is His length, what is His breadth.
So whenever in the scripture it is said that God is without form, that means He has no form which we have got experience. But He has got form. Just the same example. When you cannot measure, you say a point has no length, no breadth. But actually, it is not a fact. The point has length and breadth. We have no instrument to measure it, that's all. Similarly, when as soon as we say "form," we understand this form. Just like I am seeing your form, you are seeing my form.
Because in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find that a person who is learned, who is actually in knowledge, his symptoms will be that he has surrendered unto God. That is the symptom of knowledge. So long we go on speculating about God but do not surrender, that is not perfection of knowledge. Perfection of knowledge is bahūnāṁ janmanām ante: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births' mental speculation, philosophical speculation, when one understands what is actually God, God, then he surrenders there. He surrenders there." So long we do not surrender, we cannot understand God. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. The Lord says, "One who is actually in knowledge, that knowledge is achieved after many, many births, not all of a sudden."
So Vāsudeva, that Kṛṣṇa's another... Kṛṣṇa has many names. Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva means "all-pervading." So vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). After many, many births, if one comes to this understanding that "Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is everything," that is his perfection of knowledge. That is his perfection of knowledge. And at that time he surrenders. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That sort of, I mean to say, great soul, mahātmā... Mahātmā means great soul. You have... Perhaps you have heard mahātmā, the word, Indian word. Mahātmā is a designation of a person who is a surrendered soul to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He's called mahātmā. He's not... Mahātmā means "great," "expanding, expanded." Ha. So one who becomes a devotee of the Lord, automatically he becomes expanded. Therefore mahātmā means one whose heart is expanded.
Kṛṣṇa says, jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2), so Kṛṣṇa is the authority. He is the opulent, most opulent, the wisest. So if we receive from Him knowledge, then that is perfect. I may not be perfect, but the knowledge I receive from Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect. That is perfect. Therefore we should receive from Kṛṣṇa knowledge. That is perfect knowledge. A small child, he does not know what is this watch, and the father explains to him, "My dear child, this is called watch. It is moving by this machine," and as far as the child can understand, it is explained. So when the child says, "This is watch, and it is working like this. I have heard it from my father," that is perfect knowledge. That is perfect. He may be imperfect, but his knowledge is perfect because he has received the knowledge from the perfect person. This is a crude example. Similarly, any knowledge you receive from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is perfect.
Do not do anything. So out of that many, millions of people like that, somebody are religious, really religious, who perform this sacrifice, charity, and penances. So Lord Caitanya says, "Out of many millions of persons who are actually engaged in charity, and," I mean to say, "penance and sacrifice, some of them become in perfect knowledge what he is." So this knowledge is... Just see how He's making analytical study of the living entities. Beginning from eighty-eight, er, eight hundred, 8,400,000 species of life, He's selecting only few human civilized life; then addicted to the, I mean to say, certain kind of faith; then extracting them who are actually believing; and then those who are actually believing. Out of them, those who are sacrificing, making charities and adopting penances, out of many millions of like, persons like that, some of them are actually in knowledge what he is.
What is this knowledge, devotional, rāja-vidyā? What is the symptom? Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. This is the symptom: that one has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. That means he is in perfect knowledge. So long he is not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, he is trying to become Kṛṣṇa, or he is posing himself as equal to Kṛṣṇa or sometimes above Kṛṣṇa. There is a very well advertised yogi. They say, at least his disciples say, that he is above Kṛṣṇa. That is not knowledge. That is ignorance. Real knowledge, jñānavān, is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That is real knowledge. Bahunam janmanam ante (BG 7.19). If one is actually intelligent, he should not wait for many, many births. If he believes in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the statement of Bhagavad-gītā, then, immediately after hearing this verse, that bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, he should immediately surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Every miserable condition is beyond your control, but especially adhidaivika, famine, pestilence, overflood, no rain, scarcity. This is called adhidaivika. So this is called conditioned life.
So if you have got perfect knowledge, that is described here that jñānaṁ vijñāna-sahitam, if you have got perfect knowledge, then the result will be yaj jñātvā. If you possess that perfect knowledge, then mokṣyase aśubhāt. These conditions we don't want. That is the real fact. We don't want any miserable condition due to my mind, due to my body, or due to other living entities or natural disturbances, birth, death, old age, disease. We don't want. These are inauspicities of life. But if you have got perfect knowledge, then Kṛṣṇa says that you become liberated from all these inauspicities. That is the subject matter of this chapter.
"This is Indian land, it is our land," "This is Chinese land," "This is American land," and you are fighting. This is due to want of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. We belong to Kṛṣṇa. My body belongs to Kṛṣṇa. I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa; therefore my only duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is perfect knowledge. Otherwise all nonsense.
- This is the...
- yathākāśa-sthito nityaṁ
- vāyuḥ sarvatra-go mahān
- tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni
- mat-sthānī
Sarva-bhūtāni, "Everything," mat-sthānī, "they are My part and parcel." Therefore the part and parcel duty is to serve the whole. Just like this finger, part and parcel of this body, its duty is to serve the whole body. When it is..., there is some defect, then it cannot serve. Then anyone, any living entity who is not engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, he is in abnormal condition of his life.
Therefore śāstra says that gurur na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt pitā na sa syāt, in this way, that na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. This is the perfect knowledge, perfection of life. Samupeta-mṛtyum. We have got a situation in this material world, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. But śāstra says, "One should not become a guru, one should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a relative, one should not become a friend," in this way, he says, "if one cannot give relief to his friend or son or disciple, relief from the impending birth, death, old age, and disease." This is real contraceptive method. If you think that "If a child is born, I shall educate him in such a way that this birth will be his last birth. Next he is going to back to home, back to Godhead," then produce a child. Otherwise don't produce. This is spiritual contraceptive. This is real father and mother. Otherwise a dog is also becoming a father.
First of all in the beginning of the instruction one has to learn what he is, in the Second Chapter. Now, this is Ninth Chapter, far away. If we read chapter after chapter very nicely, then we come gradually to the perfection of knowledge. Now, here Kṛṣṇa says, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. Everything, whatever you see, material or spiritual, that is Kṛṣṇa. Sarvam means everything. So Kṛṣṇa said that "I am spread all over the universe." Or, if you expand more, "That is my avyakta, nonmanifested form." Nonmanifested form.
The example is given just like the sunshine. What is the sunshine? The sunshine is illumination and the heat also, heat and light, sunshine. Now if you go to the sun planet, then what is there? Heat and light. And if you enter into the sun planet and see the person, the supreme personality within the sun... There is a supreme person. We do not know, but we understand from Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa says, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). He talked with the sun-god, so there is sun-god. There is god, or the president, you may say, president of the planet. And if the president is there, the government is there.
So we have to learn. You cannot by your tiny effort with limited power, limited sense, I mean to say, perception, you cannot speculate. You have to understand from authoritative statements. That is called Veda. Vedas means knowledge which is perfect knowledge and if you study Vedas, then you get perfect knowledge of everything. And the cream of the Vedic knowledge is here in the Bhagavad-gītā. So if you read Bhagavad-gītā carefully, then you get all the knowledge very perfectly. Here it is said, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. And that expansion, that impersonal expansion, avyakta, not manifested... You cannot see God in person in this expansion. Therefore sometimes we foolishly say that "Can you show me God?" God is there. You have to make your eyes to see. Just like God is here in the temple but somebody is thinking that "This is not God. This is a statue or an idol. They are worshiping idol." Supposing it is idol, but if God is everywhere, why He is not in the idol? What is the argument? If God is everywhere, then why He is not idol? God has the power. And actually this is not idol. This is God's energy. The same example: The sunshine is everywhere, so originally sunshine is the cause of everything.
Who can take sannyāsa, renounced order, unless he has got full knowledge? As Śaṅkarācārya explains, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Unless one understands fully that "Our these material engagements, they are simply waste of time." He can attain perfection knowledge. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya (SB 1.2.12). Unless there is perfection of knowledge, jñāna, there cannot be vairāgya. And unless there is vairāgya, unless you become detestful of this material existence, there is no question of liberation. Jñāna-vairāgya-yuktāya.
So this jñāna and vairāgya can be achieved simply by becoming a devotee of Vāsudeva. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ, janayaty āśu vairāgyam (SB 1.2.7). Āśu vairāgya, very soon. Just like these boys, these American, these European boys, they are young men. Now they have taken sannyāsa and dedicated their life for service of Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find in a very nice verse, kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura. Catura means very intelligent. One who worships Kṛṣṇa directly, he's very intelligent. Why he's very intelligent? He does not take so much round about way. He goes directly. If it is a fact that one has to come to this point for perfection of knowledge, why not take it immediately? I may not understand anything. I accept it. Let me accept it blindly. Some scientist, and some layman... And the teacher says, "This is fire." Oh, scientist says, "Oh, I'll see the characteristics of fire. I must see. Then I shall accept." All right, you can see. And somebody says, "All right, you are teacher. You are saying it is fire. All right, I accept it." But the scientist who, after studying the characteristics fire may come to the fire, he'll also feel the warmth of the fire, the heat of the fire, the light of the fire. He'll also understand. And this man, blindly or by devotion, by love, accepts...
And as soon as I have got this material body, then all of the material miseries are along with it. So those who are serious about, that "I do not want any more..." But we have become callous. We don't think that "What is miseries of...?" But those who are actually in knowledge, those who want to live, those who want to have perfect knowledge, those who want to have blissful life, they understand that "This material existence, either this Svargaloka or the heavenly planet or this planet or that, will never give me happiness. I will have to... As Kṛṣṇa informs herein, that yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), I will have to enter the kingdom of God, spiritual planet, where going I will have not to return back again to accept this material body."
So if we want to become freed from all encumbrances of this material world, then we have to understand God. There is no question of neglecting. It is the prime duty.
Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, manuṣyeṣu, sahasreṣu. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). This understanding, this perfect knowledge, is possible... Out of many, many millions of human beings or living entities, one may be enlightened. Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye. Martyeṣu yatamāneṣu api sahasreṣu madhye yo yadṛk ca mat-tattva-vit.(?)
Oh, generally we are born all fools, because as soon as I take my birth, I am nourished by my parents very nicely, and I am educated in such a way that I falsely claim some land as my land, I falsely claim something which is not at all... But we are educated in that. This is called national education. That means to make you more foolish.
Therefore Arjuna is asking the... (aside:) What is that sound?
Arjuna is asking the Supreme Personality of Godhead that "You teach me." That is perfect teaching. If you learn something from Kṛṣṇa, or from His representative, that is perfect. That is perfect knowledge. All other knowledge that you gather, that cannot be perfect. Because unless you are perfect, how you can give perfect knowledge? So every one of us is imperfect. Because we have got imperfect senses. So with imperfect knowledge...
Just like the so-called scientists, philosophers, they propose their theories; "I think," "It may be like this," "Perhaps..." These are not knowledge. These are all nonsense. You must speak definitely if you know. Just like the śāstra says: jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. Definitely. Nine hundred thousand species of life within the water. Why? You could say: "About nine lakhs." No. Nine lakhs. Not about.
There cannot be any ignorance on the part of Arjuna. But he's asking this question just for our benefit. Kṛṣṇa will answer this question.
Why Kṛṣṇa's answers will be taken so seriously? Because He is the supreme authority, Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we receive knowledge from the Supreme, then it is perfect knowledge. Just like if you get some knowledge from the superior, one who is more educated than you, one who is more experienced, that knowledge is perfect. So in this material world there may be somebody supreme, but he is not ultimate supreme. But ultimate supreme is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1). So if we receive knowledge from the ultimate supreme, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, then our knowledge is perfect. If we receive knowledge secondary, second-hand knowledge, that is also good. Second-hand knowledge means one who has received knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. That knowledge is perfect.
Second-hand knowledge means one who has received knowledge from Kṛṣṇa. That knowledge is perfect. But one who speculates, "It may be like that, it may be like this," that knowledge is not perfect.
So in the modern world every knowledge is speculative, hypothetical. There is no perfect knowledge. So if you want to be perfectly in knowledge, then you have to take knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is here delivered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa in the form of Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore Arjuna is asking this question so that people may receive the perfect knowledge from Kṛṣṇa and their life may be perfect in that way.
This is not possible. Because the proprietor has withdrawn the power of this hand for activity, therefore it is no more workable, although I am claiming, "This is my hand." This is not "I hand;" this is my hand. Actually, it is not my hand. It is Kṛṣṇa's hand. That is knowledge.
So long we are thinking that I am this body or my body, that is not perfect knowledge. When you understand that it is Kṛṣṇa's body, then it is perfect knowledge. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu. Not that Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor or kṣetrajñam only of the human form of body. Sarva-kṣetreṣu. There are eight million four hundred thousand different types of body. Kṛṣṇa is present there. That is also explained in the fourteenth chapter:
There is full of knowledge. The knowledge is given by the most perfect, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no deficiency. In the knowledge received from imperfect person there are four deficiencies: illusion, mistake, cheating and imperfectness. So from so many deficiencies... You cannot get full knowledge, perfect knowledge from an imperfect person. You have to receive knowledge from the perfect. Then your life will be successful.
Therefore Arjuna is putting so many questions to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa will answer these things in the thirteenth chapter. In all the chapters Kṛṣṇa's answers are there. Especially in the Thirteenth Chapter, Kṛṣṇa is giving the knowledge, the knowable objective, the subject matter, and what is this body, who is the owner of the body. So Kṛṣṇa, here it is said that kṣetrajñaṁ cāpy māṁ viddhi, He is also there.
The Māyāvādī philosopher (says) that there is only one spirit. No, there are two.
He may be imperfect. He is imperfect. I am imperfect. Every one of us is imperfect. But we are not spreading the imperfect knowledge because we are simply spreading what Kṛṣṇa has said. We are repeating. That's all.
So this is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to distribute perfect knowledge, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that will make the whole world happy. So try to distribute this knowledge to your best capacity. Kṛṣṇa will recognize you, that you are trying your best to work on His behalf because He comes down to distribute the knowledge. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham (BG 4.7).
Because we are all His sons—we are suffering—so He wants to see that our sufferings are mitigated immediately. But we are obstinate. We don't accept the supreme father's advice. That is our difficulty.
So this kṣetra means this body, kṣetra, the field of activity. We have got different field of activities. So kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñaṁ ca, kṣetram eva etad veditum icchāmi: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, I want to know from You." Why he wants to know from Kṛṣṇa? Because Kṛṣṇa is infallible. Whatever knowledge we get from the infallible, that is perfect knowledge.
Ordinary human being, they are not perfect. Ordinary human being, they are subjected to four deficiencies. We are ordinary human being; we commit mistake. That's a fact, every one of us. We are illusioned. Our senses are imperfect, and with all this paraphernalia, when we want to teach, that is not teaching; that is cheating. Because I am imperfect, how can I be teacher? That is not possible. Therefore we have to learn from a person who has no defects in his life or a liberated person. Liberated person means he does not commit mistake, he is not illusioned, he does not cheat and his senses are not imperfect.
These are the Vedic statement. And our process of knowledge, Veda... Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda vido jñāne. Supreme knowledge, perfect knowledge, that is Veda. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme person. He is the speaker of Vedas. The subject matter of Vedas is to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). If you are a student of Vedas, then you must have clear conception of God. That is real knowledge, no vague idea, but clear conception. That is knowledge, Vedic knowledge, ultimate... Therefore the Vedānta philosophy. Veda means knowledge, and anta means the ultimate. Everything has got ultimate. So Vedānta means the ultimate knowledge of Vedas. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You will find in the fifteenth chapter.
Timi is also another fish. That is Sanskrit name. The English name is whale fish. It is very very big, just like one small house. And there is another fish which is called timiṅgila. These timiṅgila fish swallow up these whale fish like, like this. (laughter) Such a big fish. These informations are there. Therefore try to understand how much perfect knowledge is there in the Vedas. So similarly, right information is there.
Sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. Sthāvarāḥ means the living entities who cannot move. That means trees, plants, like that. They cannot move. Here by the side of wall, this house, there is a tree. It has grown. Just see that tree is not even within the jungle. In a small space it has grown all sides surrounded by house, and it is alone. Just see how much condemned life. Other trees, they are at least in the jungle in the society of trees. (laughter) But this tree is alone. We have to consider this, how this tree has been so much condemned. Tree is condemned life because...
"Nobody is better expert or craftsman than God." Adhika, sama: "neither equal to Him, nor greater than Him." Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport) "His energies are working in so many ways," svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca, "that it appears that he has got perfect knowledge and perfect workmanship." Everything is perfect.
You see. Either a flower or anything, nature's product, it is perfectly done. In this way you have to develop your God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are books. There are explanations. There are teachers. So the human life is meant for this purpose, to understand how God is working, what is God, even what is His name, where does He live, what is our relationship with Him, how things are being managed. These are...
Of course, so long we have got this body, we have to be seeking after eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. But not that we shall waste our time simply for these four things. There is a fifth platform which is brahma-jijñāsā, inquiry about the Supreme. And there are information, perfect knowledge. If you want to consult, you want to take it, then your life will be perfect.
Otherwise if we simply waste our time for the animal propensities of life, then again we glide down to the animal life. That is a great loss. After many, many births, we have got this human form of life. If we simply waste like cats and dogs, then again we become cats and dogs or tree or anything. There are so many species of life. That will be great mistake, great loss. Havoc it will be.
There is kṣetra and kṣetrajñam. So Kṛṣṇa says kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor jñānam. One who knows how this kṣetra and kṣetrajñam is working... Not only in individual body, in gigantic body, in everything.
There are two things: kṣetra and kṣetrajñam. If one knows this secret of knowledge, that means he is in perfect knowledge. Taj-jñānam. That is jñānam. Not that a big professor says that after the finishing of this body, everything is finished. He's a rascal. He's identifying... Everyone is identifying, just like cats and dogs, with this body. The body is kṣetra. Body is not the person. A child in ignorance may say that this fine, nice motor car is running automatically. But it is not running automatically. There is a driver. He does not know it. Similarly, the whole universal activities is going on. Don't think it is going on automatically. No, that is foolish knowledge, that nature is working automatically. No. There is kṣetrajñam, Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. Everywhere Kṛṣṇa is working.
And we have also bowed down to Kṛṣṇa and we have sold ourselves to Kṛṣṇa. So on principle, where is the difference?" There is no difference. You have to select one leader. We have also selected one. Now if the leader is perfect, then my life is perfect. If the leader is wrong, then your life is wrong. So he could not answer this.
The principle is there. You have to select one leader and you have to act by his order. That is, that is our nature. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109). Every living entity is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. When he forgets Kṛṣṇa he becomes servant of māyā. That is our position. We have to serve. Therefore self-realization means to understand oneself that "I am dependent on Kṛṣṇa. I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, let me engage myself to the service of the Lord." That is perfection of knowledge. Thank you very much.
What you do not know exactly—simply theoretically you put some theories and speculate—that is not knowledge. But our process, we are getting knowledge from the perfect personality. That is Vedic system. You acquire knowledge from a person who is perfect in knowledge. Perfect in knowledge and imperfect in knowledge. So long we are imperfect, we cannot give perfect knowledge. Therefore we must find out knowledge from the perfect person. That is Vedic injunction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Guru. Guru means one who has got perfect knowledge. One who hasn't got perfect knowledge, he cannot become guru. How he can? Guru means heavy. So if I am light and I take knowledge from another light person, then what is the use of such knowledge?
He is the original source of everything, still, He appears like a human being, becoming the son of His devotee like Vasudeva or Nanda Mahārāja, like that, or Mahārāja Daśaratha. That is his option. He can appear from anywhere.
So Kṛṣṇa is perfect. If we take lessons from Kṛṣṇa, instruction from Kṛṣṇa, then we get perfect knowledge. That is the process of studying Bhagavad-gītā. If you accept Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being, then we are befooled. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). We should accept Kṛṣṇa. Why should we accept? Because all the śāstras accept. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sādhu-śāstra-guru—that is the evidence. According to our Vedic knowledge, we shall accept a thing when it is proved by Vedic evidence. Therefore Veda means knowledge, perfect knowledge.
So sādhu-śāstra. Śāstra means Vedas, and sādhu, saintly persons, and guru. Saintly person means who abides by the śāstra, Vedic knowledge.
So to some extent we have discussed from where we have to receive knowledge, perfect knowledge, without any mistake, without any illusion. Our knowledge... We are possessing four defects: we commit mistakes, we are illusioned, our senses are imperfect, and we have got a cheating propensity. We are possessing these four defects. However great a man may be, he makes mistake in calculation. "To err is human."
Then we are illusioned. Illusioned means we accept something for something. Just like we are accepting this body as myself. This is illusion. The whole world is illusioned. Everyone is thinking in terms of the body. And according to Vedic knowledge, anyone who is under the concept of this body as self, he is no better than the cow and the asses. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).
We get this information from Vedic literature. So Nārāyaṇa... And we are also expansion of Nārāyaṇa, vibhinnāṁśa. We are called vibhinna, separated particles, part and parcel of Nārāyaṇa. And Nārāyaṇa has got personal expansions. So we are to get knowledge from Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa. That is perfect. That is perfect knowledge. The Vedas means the knowledge from Nārāyaṇa. Therefore it is perfect. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). He imparted the Vedic knowledge. Lord Brahmā is not independent. He received knowledge from Nārāyaṇa. So if you receive knowledge, that is perfect knowledge. That Nārāyaṇa, sa bhagavān svayaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ nārāyaṇaḥ. If you receive knowledge from Kṛṣṇa, that is perfect.
Therefore Arjuna is putting question, these questions, that "What is this material nature?" Prakṛtiṁ puruṣam. "What are these living entities who are trying to enjoy this material nature?" Puruṣa wants to enjoy prakṛti.
Aham ādir hi devānām (BG 10.2). Brahmā is one of the demigods, Lord Śiva is one of the demigods, but Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣinām ca sarvaśaḥ. So if we understand Kṛṣṇa—vasudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), He is the origin of everything—that is all perfect knowledge. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. But such kind of mahātmā is rarely seen. Koṭiṣv apy mahāmune. Koṭiṣv apy mahāmune. Amongst the crores of men, you'll find one man may know Kṛṣṇa.
- manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
- kaścid yatati siddhaye
- yatatām api siddhānāṁ
- kaścin vetti māṁ tattvataḥ
- (BG 7.3)
So if you try to understand Kṛṣṇa, tattvataḥ, in reality, that is perfection of life. That is perfection of life. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Simply to know, "Kṛṣṇa was born at Mathurā, He was the nephew of Kaṁsa and son of..." That is also nice. But you should try to understand tattvataḥ.
He is not only within this universe, but He is also within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara... Paramāṇu means atom. In this way Lord Viṣṇu is expanded, and He is jñeyam, He is to be understood. Jñāna, knowledge, simply material knowledge, is not perfection of knowledge. Real knowledge is to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth, Viṣṇu. That is real knowledge. That is explained here. Jñeyaṁ yat tat pravakṣyāmi: "I shall now explain to you what is the ultimate goal of knowledge." In other place, in the Fifteenth Chapter also, Kṛṣṇa said,
- sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
- mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
- vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ...
- (BG 15.15)
Kṛṣṇa is within everyone's heart, sarvasya ca ahaṁ hṛdi. This place, the particular place is also mentioned there. Hṛdi, in the heart, He's there. Sanniviṣṭaḥ.
This is knowledge. And here also Kṛṣṇa says again, anyone who comes to the ultimate goal of knowledge, then he becomes immortal.
Anādimat paraṁ brahma. Brahma, brahma-jñāna. The brahma-jñāna without knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is not perfect knowledge. Generally, people are interested... (aside:) Give me water. In the impersonal Brahman, but without knowledge of Kṛṣṇa that impersonal feature of Kṛṣṇa, brahma-jñāna, is also insufficient. They do not... That is not sufficient knowledge. Tattva-jñānārtha-darśanam. Philosophical speculation or discussion should be to reach the ultimate goal of life. Tattva-jñānārtha-darśanam. That is already explained. And what is that tattva? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, what is tattva. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). Tattva-vid, one who knows tattva, he can speak about tattva.
So his body must be fiery; otherwise how he can live there? And the inhabitants there also. So we are thinking from here that nobody can live there, but that's not the fact. We are calculating via our own experience. Therefore we cannot have perfect knowledge by speculating our experience. It is not possible. We must go to a person whose experience is beyond our experience. That is called guru. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Guru means heavy. If guru is as good as I am, then what is the use of taking knowledge from him? Guru must be heavier.
So who can become more heavier than Kṛṣṇa? Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). There is nobody heavier. And Kṛṣṇa proved it when He was a child.
We may be Brahman... Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are Brahman. Now we are identifying with this matter. So mukti means when we stop identifying with this matter and we learn how to realize ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Simply realization not. To act as Brahman, Brahman, that is perfection of knowledge. Not to simply realize. Just like for example a person he feels that "I am Indian." That is very good. But Mahatma Gandhi, he also was Indian, but he acted as a first-class Indian. Therefore Mahatma Gandhi is so much adored.
So simply to realize that "I am Brahman," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is not perfection. That is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, uncleansed intelligence. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32).
Even, what is that? Macmillan Company. Their trades manager, statistics, he has said that our Bhagavad-gītā sale is increasing, other Bhagavad-gītā decreasing. In America also, they are seriously studying how this movement is being spread so quickly. People ask me also how it is wonderfully increasing. Because there is no adulteration. That's all. (speaks to someone in Hindi) (break) ...before the public. And that's a fact, if you don't accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you will never be happy. This is fact. Everything is there, social, political, economical, philosophical, religious—all perfect knowledge. So what goes on next?
Therefore material nature is the cause of this manifestation, and there is no other cause. They do not believe in the words of Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) 'Under My direction the whole material world is moving.' In other words, amongst the demons there is no perfect knowledge of the creation of this world; every one of them has a particular theory of his own. According to them, one interpretation of the scriptures is as good as another, for they do not believe in a standard understanding of the scriptural injunctions."
If I ask you what you are, if you say "I am black coat," or somebody says, "I am white coat," that is not your identification. Similarly, we living entities, we are neither American or Indian nor African nor Englishman. We are all spirit soul. That is our position. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This is perfect knowledge. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am spirit soul. When you come to this understanding, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), then your position will be different from this material understanding. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Prasannātmā means jubilant. You'll find all our boys and girls, they're always jubilant. Unless they are jubilant, they cannot dance in this way. It is not dancing dogs. They are not dancing dogs. They're feeling jubilant, and therefore they are dancing. This is the position of brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). Prasannātmā, unless one is very satisfied he cannot be jubilant. He should be morose, he cannot dance, he cannot chant.
When one understands Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, as everything, as the origin of everything, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), then his knowledge is perfect. And so long he's hovering here and there, without any understanding of Kṛṣṇa, his knowledge is not perfect. That perfection of knowledge is attained, as it is described by Kṛṣṇa: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19).
So Bhagavad-gītā is to be understood by the paramparā system. Śrī-bhagavān uvāca. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Bhagavān, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa. He has no defects because He is in full knowledge. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ jñāna (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47). He has got full knowledge. Vedāhaṁ samatītāni... (BG 7.26). He says that "I know past, present, future—everything." This past, present and future, knowledge, how Kṛṣṇa knew, that was also proved. When Kṛṣṇa said that "I spoke this philosophy to Vivasvān..."
Guest (2): Can understand Lord Kṛṣṇa. It is... This knowledge of Him, perfect knowledge, is very difficult because...
Prabhupāda: Yes. But that is the standard of perfect knowledge, to surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Guest (2): Yes, but He is so easy that api cet su-durācāraḥ, it means we must surrender in one way(?) but...
Prabhupāda: Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk. Ananya-bhāk, without deviating to any other thing, if one is simply sticking to worship Kṛṣṇa, that is called ananya-bhāk. Not that "I am worshiping Kṛṣṇa sometimes, sometimes worshiping this, sometimes that." No, not like that. Ananya-bhāk. One, concentrated. Such a person, even if he's found su-durācāraḥ, due to his past habits... Just like these European boys and American boys. They have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously.
| Page Title: | Perfect knowledge (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 06 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=146, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 146 |