And not that in modern days the fighting takes place—the poor soldiers, they come to fight, and the leaders, they remain in safety place. It is not like that. All of them came out, kṣatriya. Bhīṣmadeva came, Duryodhana came, Arjuna came. And face to face, they had to fight. Not that the poor soldiers would fight and they would remain in a secure place, no. So tasya sañjanayan harṣaṁ kuru-vṛddhaḥ. Kuru-vṛddha, the oldest man in the dynasty, Kuru dynasty, pitāmaha, he's the grandfather of Arjuna and Duryodhana. The Dhṛtarāṣṭra's elder uncle, his father's elder brother. He was very old man, brahmacārī, and in that old age also, he was taking the risk of fighting. This is kṣatriya spirit. Not that only... Dhṛtarāṣṭra was escaping. Not escaping, because he was physically incapable, blind, therefore he did not come in the battlefield. Otherwise even Bhīṣmadeva, in such old age he also came. This is kṣatriya spirit.
Risk (Lectures, BG)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
That is also another responsibility of kṣatriya. If a girl proposes, "I want to marry you," a kṣatriya cannot refuse, he cannot refuse. He must marry that girl, even at the risk of life. This is kṣatriya spirit. One rākṣasī, she wanted to marry Bhīma. So Bhīma refused, she was a rākṣasī. So she complained to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira that I wanted to marry Bhīma but he has refused. And Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja compelled Bhīma, "You must marry. Even though she is rākṣasī, you are kṣatriya you cannot refuse." This was the system, very nice system, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Don't work now, you should hear. You cannot divert your attention.
No women can live at night. They can come and go. But I defend myself that this is the system of the country, the women and men, they intermingle. How can I check it? Then the women, shall I not give them any chance for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? No, I shall do this chance, I shall give this chance to woman even at the risk. That is my reply.
A master. Paricaryātmakaṁ karma śūdra-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). Śūdra's business is to find out a master. Just like a dog. A dog must find out a nice master. Otherwise it is a street dog. Its condition is not very good. Similarly, a śūdra means he must have a nice paying master. Otherwise his life is at risk. So if you consider in that way, the śāstra says, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In this Kali-yuga, everyone is a śūdra. You hardly find a real brāhmaṇa or real kṣatriya or vaiśya. Because they are after service. In the śāstra it is said that a brāhmaṇa, if he is in difficulty, he may take the profession of a kṣatriya or up to a vaiśya, but never take the business of a śūdra like a dog. That is prohibited. And nowadays we are claiming to become brāhmaṇa and going here and there with application, "If there is any vacancy, sir?"
That is the superficial... Actually, the gopīs are eternal associates of Kṛṣṇa. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37). They are expansions of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency expansion. They are meant for Kṛṣṇa's pleasure. They are not ordinary women. But superficially, just to teach us how to love Kṛṣṇa at the risk of anything... Therefore gopīs, when they were attracted by Kṛṣṇa at midnight... Kṛṣṇa was playing flute, and they became attracted and they left home. Some of them were locked up. They gave up their life even. They were so much attracted. Now this kind of behavior, if youngs girls...
Either you drink this or that, it doesn't matter." Karma-kāṇḍa—according to karma you'll get a different body. Jñāna-kāṇḍa also. If you actually become very much advanced in knowledge, you can get a body in a brāhmaṇa family, in a very educated family. But I'll have to go through the transmigration of the soul, repetition of birth and death. There is risk. I do not know what I am going to get. It is not guaranteed. Little mistake. Little mistake... Just like Bhārata Mahārāja, little mistake. At the time of..., he was thinking of a deer. Next life he got the life of a deer. Little mistake. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajanty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Because nature is so perfect, at the time of your death, what is the mental condition, you will get a similar body, next life.
This is Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is like that. Bhakti-pareśānubhava-viraktir anyatra syāt. This most attractive feature in this material world is sex. That is the foundation of material life. All these people are working so hard day and night only for that sex enjoyment. Yan maithunādi-gṛha... They are taking so much risk. They are working, karmis, they are working so hard. What is their pleasure of life? The pleasure of life is sex. Yan maitunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham. Very abominable activities, but that is their pleasure. This is material life. So Kṛṣṇa is not like that. But the rascals, they paint picture, and that pictures are very much appreciated, that Kṛṣṇa is embracing gopīs. Somebody was telling me that... Last... Who came?
So in spite of all my difficulties, all my inconveniences, I am here because I am in duty. I, I... That is my personal convenience, if I go and sit down at Vṛndāvana, I shall be very comfortable there. And I'll be, I'll have no anxiety, nothing of the sort. You see? But I have taken all the risk in the old age because I am in duty-bound. I am in duty-bound. So I have to execute my duty in spite of all my inconveniences. That is the idea.
"You go and say that 'Your son is dead.' " And he says that "I never spoke lie. I cannot do that." Now here the order is coming from Kṛṣṇa, therefore he should have executed the order immediately. Although speaking lie for common man is sin, but because it is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, it is not sin. So that telling lie should not be taken risk of at one's own discretion. It must be ordered by Kṛṣṇa or by His representative. Telling lie is always sinful. That's all right. But if Kṛṣṇa says "Tell lie," it is not sinful. That is the secret.
Oh, we don't care for anyone. (laughter) We are on the supreme government. (laughs) But don't take the risk. No, that should be not our policy. But the basic principle is that if some way or other you can engage a materialistic person's money into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is good for him. It is good for him. You may take some tactics, that doesn't matter. But not... We cannot take anything for our personal consideration. Yes?
The Supersoul is simply witness. That is stated in the Bhagavad... Anumantā upadraṣṭā. Anumantā means without God's sanction, without Supersoul's sanction, you cannot do anything. But because he persists, the soul persists to do something, Supersoul says, "All right, you do at your own risk." Just like a thief is going to steal. The Supersoul is ordering, "Don't do it," because without God's sanction he cannot steal. But when the thief persists, then He says, "All right, you do at your risk." This is the position of the Supersoul and the soul.
Prabhupāda: So that is the practice. You should simply come to the thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. And if you become embarrassed with so many things, then there is risk of becoming a cat, dog, deer, or demigod, anything.
Indian: Mahārāja, why you...?
Prabhupāda: Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Your, at the time of death, whatever you desire, you get the next body. That is the nature's law. (break) ...had been in Russia, in Moscow, many young men there are, very much anxious to accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And some of them were initiated by me. And they are going on. Just like these boys are going on.
Devotee: "However, since he was not risking rebirth of the soul, Arjuna had no reason to be afraid of being affected with sinful activities due to his killing grandfather and teacher. But at the same time, Kṛṣṇa sarcastically addressed Arjuna as mahā-bāhu, mighty-armed, because He, at least, did not accept the theory of the vaibhāṣikas which leaves aside the Vedic wisdom. As a kṣatriya, Arjuna belonged to the Vedic culture, and it behooved him that he continue to follow its principles." Twenty-seven.
Prabhupāda: He is, as a friend, He's criticizing that "You are professing to be followers of Vedic culture, and you are accepting some nonsense culture.
Yes. He not only took, accepted spiritual master, but He took all the risk to go into the jungle to bring wood for the spiritual master. Fuel wood. One day it so happened the whole day they were in the forest, and Sudāmā Vipra and He, they both of them were entrapped. There was heavy rain, they could not come out, and the whole night they remained within the forest. So not that because He was Kṛṣṇa, He did not accept any spiritual master or work for him. He took so much risk. He went to the forest. Otherwise who will accept spiritual master if He does not show us the way? He comes to teach us. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7).
Yes. Kṛṣṇa said that devotees, that you should not disturb them. But devotees are so kind that taking all risk. Just like Nityānanda Prabhu took all risk, Lord Jesus Christ took all risk. Therefore a devotee is more kind than God. A devotee is more merciful than God Himself. We should always remember this.
And therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhaktaḥ pūjyābhyādhika. "Anyone who worships My devotee, he worships more than what he can do for Me." That means He appreciates the worship of His devotee than to Himself.
And therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhaktaḥ pūjyābhyādhika. "Anyone who worships My devotee, he worships more than what he can do for Me." That means He appreciates the worship of His devotee than to Himself. So actually, devotees are so kind. Kṛṣṇa says, "Those who are absorbed too much in material consciousness, don't disturb them." But devotees take the risks, even at the cost of life. Therefore devotee is so dear to Kṛṣṇa. That will be explained in the Eighteenth chapter. "The person who takes all risk for preaching God consciousness, nobody is dearer than him in the human society." Kṛṣṇa says like that. Go on.
You forced Kṛṣṇa to allow you to come. Just like sometimes a child forces his father. Father says, "My dear son, do not do this. Do not go there." But he insists, "Oh, I must go. I must go." "All right, you go at your risk. That's all. And you suffer. What can be done?" Because you are son of God—God has got independence, full independence, almighty—therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. You have got little independence. So God does not interfere with your little independence. If you persist that "I must go and enjoy independently," so God says, "All right, you can go." This is the position.
"All right, here is the chance. You can do it." But actually, Kṛṣṇa does not want it. But we want it. We want it. Just like a father says, "My dear boy, you do not do this. You do this." But the son insists, "No, I'll do this." So therefore father also says, "All right, do it at your risk."
Similarly, this material enjoyment is not required because we are spiritual entity. We have nothing to do with this... Asaṅgo 'yaṁ puruṣaḥ. We have no connection with this material world. But somehow or other, we are attached to this material enjoyment and we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, we have forgotten our home, we have forgotten our real identity.
Just like we are meeting in this meeting face-to-face, similarly, you can also meet the Supreme Personality of Godhead face-to-face, but you have to be qualified for that purpose. If you want to understand Kṛṣṇa in His impersonal Brahman feature, there is risk also. I will explain that. The Brahman feature is impersonal.
Just like... Try to understand that there is sun, the sun globe, and within the sun globe, there is the sun deity, and outside the sun globe, there is sunshine. All of them are light.
The process of going to the spiritual world is knowledge and austerities. That is for everyone, either he is jñānī, yogi or bhakta. But even going to the spiritual platform, there are differences according to the angle of vision.
So risk of impersonal realization is that because in the impersonal feature you cannot enjoy that blissfulness eternally, therefore sometimes—not sometimes, mostly—they come back again into the material world. Because by nature we are jubilant, in the impersonal feature of brahma-jyotir, we cannot enjoy life. Therefore again we come back to this material enjoyment.
Now we are very much enthusiastic to become good nationals. Suppose I am American, a very good national. Now, after death, suppose that if I become a cow. Then even I am national of this country, oh, I am destined to be sent to the slaughterhouse. You see? So we should not take the risk of next birth. In this life, in this birth, we should make a permanent solution of all miseries. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Let us become Kṛṣṇa conscious in this very life and make a solution.
Suppose you are doing, going to do something which is not very good. The conscience is beating, "No, no, you should not do this. You should not do this." But because without the sanction of the Supreme, I cannot do anything, so if we persist to do something, then the sanction is given, "At your risk." That is going on. God does not give you sanction for doing anything criminal. But if we persist to do something criminal, then God gives sanction, "All right, do. Do it at your risk." That is going on. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Now, when we act something on account of my persistence by the sanction of the Lord, then I become subjected to the fruits of such resultant action.
To be highly rich, that is also due to previous pious activities. But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that Karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, kebala biṣera bhāṇḍa. Karma-kāṇḍa vicāra, fruitive activities for getting better position of life, better body... (break) ...though I get my birth in a good family, there is still risk of degradation. Because sometimes we get our birth in rich family and due to opulence we are associated with bad company. Then we begin to act sinfully. That means again degradation. Therefore the Vaiṣṇava philosophy does not very much approve even pious activities. What to speak of impious activities, they do not approve pious activities also.
You should simply take so much as will keep your body fit, that's all. You should sleep so much as will keep your body fit, that's all. Nothing more. Yuktāhāra vihārasya yogo bhavati siddha. This is called yukta. We should eat simply for keeping healthy condition. We shall sleep simply for keeping healthy condition. But if you can reduce, that's nice. But not at the risk of becoming sick.
Because in the beginning, because we are accustomed to eat voraciously, so don't try to eat less artificially. You eat. But try to minimize. Therefore there are prescription of fasting. At least two compulsory fastings in a month.
Even in your rebellious condition Kṛṣṇa is giving you protection. Without Kṛṣṇa's protection you cannot live even for a second. He's so kind. But when you admit it, when you recognize it, then you become happy. Now Kṛṣṇa is giving you protection but you do not know it because you have taken your life at your own risk. Therefore He has given you freedom, "All right, do whatever you like. As far as possible I will give you protection." But when you fully surrender, the whole charge is to Kṛṣṇa. That is special. That is special protection. Just like a father. The child who has grown up doesn't care for the father, he's acting freely. What the father can do? "All right, do whatever you like." But the child who is fully under the protection of the father, he takes more care.
Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious but he was not satisfied in himself. If he would have continued his God consciousness alone, he would not have met crucification. But, no. He wanted to take care of others also, the others should be God conscious. Others should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was forbidden by the king not to do that. So at the risk of his life he did it. That is the nature of devotee. Therefore the preacher devotee is the most dearest devotee of Lord. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. They are going outside, they are preaching, they are meeting opposing elements.
Prabhupāda: How He can become out of sight? He sees everything in Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa in everything. Everything in Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa in everything. Then how can he lose sight of Kṛṣṇa? Yes.
Viṣṇujana: "To merge in Kṛṣṇa is spiritual annihilation. The devotee takes no such risk. It is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: 'I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Śyāmasundara situated within the heart of the devotee.' "
You are situated in the Goloka Vṛndāvana in the spiritual sky. So we should try not to come back again. Because if I come back again, suppose I have got very nice chance. I have got birth in a very good family, in rich family. But if I cannot utilize it properly, then again I degrade myself to other sort of life. So why should we take this risk. Better complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life. It is very simple. It is not very difficult. Simply to keep yourself in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. That's all. It is very simple thing. Then you are assured to your next birth in the spiritual sky in the kingdom of God or in the Goloka Vṛndāvana. Yes.
If he has maintained a dog mentality, then he'll get a dog's body. All this property he made in this life goes to hell. He becomes a dog if he has maintained a dog mentality. And if he has maintained a god's mentality, then he becomes a god also. But that will depend on his work. But generally the karmīs, they are not very good mentality. So there is risk. You do not know. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). The judgement will be done by the superior authority, and he'll be given a particular type of body, as he has maintained the consciousness.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching this education, that perform... You cannot escape it. You cannot say that "You are interested. You can do. We are not interested." If you are not interested, then you are living a very risky life because you have to change your body. Dehāntaram. You can see. There are examples of so many types of body. Now, suppose if you live at the risk of your life and next life you become a tree, stand up for five thousand years in the snow, scorching heat, scorching, blasting and so many disturbances, and you cannot move an inch, and people may cut down you, your leaves, your trunk, or you, they are cutting so many...
What is that life? And if you think, "No, I am living for five thousand years," what is the use of living such five thousand years? No. Don't risk life. Karma-bandhanaḥ. If you don't perform yajña, if you don't try to satisfy the Supreme Lord... Just like if you don't try to satisfy the government, then it is your risky life. You cannot say that "I am living very happily." Because you are cheating government or do not following the laws of the government, that is very risky life. Similarly, if you do not perform yajña, you cannot avoid it. Saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā. You are, you have got this human form of life for performing yajña.
When we want to do something wrong, there is conscience: "Don't do it." "No, no, let me do." There is struggle. So this is the struggle between the soul and the Supersoul. But when you're persistent, that "I must do it," then the Supersoul orders, "All right, you can do at your own risk." That is called karma-phala. We have become subjected to the resultant action of our karma. That is called karmaṇā. By the activities, daiva-netreṇa, by the superior authorities' superintendence, daiva-netreṇa, jantur deha-upapatti, the living entity gets a type of body. What is this body? The five elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. Eight elements.
If you think... At the time of your death, whatever you think, you carry the idea with your mind and you get the immediately a similar body." That means you are put into the womb of a mother to get a similar body. So instead of thinking of Kṛṣṇa always, if we think of our dog, as Bharata Mahārāja was thinking of the deer, oh, there is risk of getting a dog's body.
So the rest is required. In the impersonal form the rest is uncertain, uncertain. Therefore in the Bhāgavata says that āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). Even after so much endeavor, if he gets into the spiritual world and remains in that impersonal form, the risk is that patanty adhaḥ: he comes down again into this material world. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ, because he has neglected to serve in love and devotion the Supreme Lord.
So, so long we are here, we have to practice to love Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord. Then we can enter. This is the training. And if we are not trained up in that way, then, by impersonal endeavor, we can enter into the spiritual kingdom, but there is risk of falling down again. Because that alone, that loneliness, will create some disturbance, and he will try to have association. And because he has no association of the Supreme Lord, he will have to come back into this material world and associate with this material association. So better that we should know the nature of our constitutional position.
So if you are kept alone, you cannot have pleasure. Then you'll feel uncomfortable. And for want of pleasure, you'll accept any kind of pleasure: "All right, material pleasure." That's all. That is the risk.
Therefore this Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll have full pleasure, full pleasure, the same pleasure. Not the same pleasure. Just like here the highest pleasure of this world is sex life. That is also perverted, so diseased. So even in the spiritual world there is sex pleasure in Kṛṣṇa, but that's not... We should not think that this is something like this. No. But janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Unless that sex life is there, it cannot be reflected here. It is simply perverted reflection.
The yogis and the jñānīs, they are generally impersonalists. So for them, the process—at the time of death, they vibrate the transcendental sound om, oṁkāra, and by that way they transfer to the spiritual world, but they do not enter into the spiritual planet. This point we have discussed. And the risk is that if we do not have any rest in the spiritual planet, if we remain in the outer space only, then there is risk of coming down again in this material world.
Therefore the devotees are described as titikṣavaḥ. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also teaches, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. A devotee should learn this śloka of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that he should be tolerant more than the trees. Kāruṇikāḥ. And they take the risk of preaching amongst the demons, nondevotees, because they are kāruṇikāḥ, very merciful, more merciful than Kṛṣṇa. More merciful than Kṛṣṇa.
Where does, do they remain? Mṛtyu-saṁsāra, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani, this life: birth, death, birth, death, birth, death. Vartmani means this life: birth, death, birth, death. Go on like that. And that birth, death, does not mean that next birth you'll have similar facilities or similar life, human being. No. Birth-death means you have risk also. You can get your next birth not exactly a human being. You... Not exactly in America or not exactly in India. Oh, you may be transferred to any other country or any other planet or any other species of life. There is no certainty. That will depend according to your work. So this is the... This is called the path of birth and death.
Have your birth, remain for some time, enjoy or suffer. Then again give up this body and enter into the womb of another mother, human being or animal. Then prepare your another body. Then come out. Then begin your work. This is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani.
If anyone wants to avoid this path of birth and death, this risk, then they must take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not my version. The Lord says Himself. If you want to study Bhagavad-gītā seriously, then here is a point. Here is a point. If you read Bhagavad-gītā as a matter of relaxation, that is different thing. But if you want to take benefit out of Bhagavad-gītā, this instruction is very much important.
Then you are that smallest, fragmental portion. So you are just under the material atmosphere, so under the mercy of the material nature. And that material nature will give you some kind of body for which you are fit. Then again begin your work. This is the position. So if we want to take that risk, then go on. Kṛṣṇa says. But if you don't, want to avoid this risk, then take Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no alternative.
Because in the beginning it has been said that rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam. It is very confidential, the most confidential part of knowledge of the Bhagavad-gītā. Unless one accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it will be difficult. They will think, "Oh, why? If Kṛṣṇa, if I do not accept Kṛṣṇa, then why there will be so much risk? Oh, this is all exaggeration." But actually, it is not. Therefore this rāja-guhyam, the most confidential part of this knowledge, means that one who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme and has become a devotee, has engaged himself in His service, actually, seriously, for them, rāja-guhyam, most confidential.
The ultimate suffering is mṛtyu, death. So death, again birth. That is also suffering. Although we forget, but to take birth is a great suffering. Great suffering means you have to enter the womb of the mother and you have to grow your body and there is risk of being killed also. Especially at the present moment they are killing the child in the womb. So just imagine how much suffering it is. And if he is killed, if the child is killed, then his term of imprisonment in that body is not finished. Therefore he has to enter again another body, again enter into the mother's womb. And, it may be, many hundreds of years may pass on before he can again see light. So it is great suffering.
I'll give you facility to fulfill your desire, that you will get, but that is not good. You will suffer again, again and again." Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). To fulfill your some desire, if this desire is not fulfilled in this life, then you have to accept another body. So another body means you have to enter the mother's womb with so much risk and so much suffering. So so long you'll desire you'll have to accept, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3), one body after another. And to accept one body, leaving one body, that is very, very miserable condition. That we do not understand but we should understand. Therefore bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-stho mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ. So as the living entity is desiring, Kṛṣṇa is giving him the facility.
Therefore the heart is the office, sitting office, of both the soul and the Supersoul. Ātmā and Paramātmā.
That is described in the Upaniṣad, that two birds are sitting in one tree. This one tree is this whole body and the two birds—one the individual soul and the other is the Supersoul—both of them are sitting as friends. One bird is eating the fruits of the tree, and the other bird is simply onlooker. Upadraṣṭā anumantā. The one bird who is eating the fruit is asking, "Shall I eat the fruit?" And the other bird says, "No." But he says, "No, I shall eat." "All right, you eat at your risk." This is going on.
This subject matter was written, I think, by Milton, the Paradise Lost. So the Paramātmā is sitting within your heart to guide you. And without His permission, you cannot enjoy anything. But He gives permission. When you are persistent He gives permission, "All right, you can do it—at your own risk." And when He is fed up, he may come to God again, "What shall I do?" But God's open declaration is that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). The Supersoul bird is always expecting when this individual soul bird will turn towards Him. He is so merciful. He is going, "My dear friend, why you are trying to become happy by enjoying this material fruit produced by your work in this body?"
He can give you permission, but the enjoyment and suffering will have to be taken by you. You insist permission, "I want to do this." And without permission, you cannot do it. Therefore Kṛṣṇa gives you per..., "All right, you do it, but at your risk." Kṛṣṇa does not want that you should do it, but you want to do it. Therefore He gives permission.
He wants sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66). That is His demand. But your demand is different, that "I shall not surrender, Sir. I want to do this." "All right, you do it at your own risk." But if you follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then He takes charge of you. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. So you do pāpa or puṇya, you enjoy the effect, but when you follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, there is no such pāpa or puṇya. It is transcendental. Brahman. That is called Brahman. And above the guṇas. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). Kṛṣṇa says, "Anyone who is engaged in rendering service unto Me," bhakti-yogena, sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate, he is not affected by the activities. He is immune from the result of all activities." Many places it is said. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9).
Daivī sampad vimokṣāya nibandhāyāsurī matā. And if you develop demonic qualities, then you become more and more entangled in this material existence. It is very risky. We are thinking that "Let me enjoy this life to my best capacity," as the atheist class of people think, but they do not know how much risk they are taking. If I develop my characteristics like cats and dogs, then my next life is becoming bound up in the body of cats and dogs. But they do not know the science. How the transmigration of the soul is evolving in 8,400,000 species of life, the modern science they do not know. They do not know, but there is, there is law.
So far the Vaiṣṇava is concerned, sometimes they come forward to fight with us: "Why we should be vegetarian?" No, no, we have no quarrel with the nonvegetarian. Let them eat at their risk. But because we recommend, "You take Kṛṣṇa's prasādam," therefore we must be satisfied with this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), nothing more than that.
But unfortunately, instead of taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, we have taken shelter of lusty desire. This is demonic. Therefore it is said, kāmam āśritya duṣpūram. Duṣpūram... Duḥ. Duḥ means very difficult, and pūram means satisfaction. Duṣpūram. We have taken shelter of lusty desires which will never be satisfied. This is our position. Kāmam āśritya duṣpūram.
Because he has not undergone penance and austerities and not has become a devotee, how he can understand Kṛṣṇa? Therefore He's warning, "Don't talk this thing, this surrender unto Me, or surrender to Kṛṣṇa, to the rascals and nonsense. They'll not accept it." Therefore He has warned. But if you say, "Why you are preaching?" we are taking the risk. We know that ordinary person, they'll not understand, but it has become our duty because we are servant of Kṛṣṇa. The servant of Kṛṣṇa, we are going from country to country, from door to door, and flattering them, falling them, falling down on their lotus feet.
"No, I have to drink tea in the morning, at least, so big cup. (laughter) And then smoking gāñjā. And I become God." This is going on. This is going on. Therefore it is warned: "Don't talk this, the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā, to the rascals who has no austerities, who has no devotion, who is not prepared to hear." But the servant of Kṛṣṇa, they take all risk for Kṛṣṇa's sake. Just like Rāmānujācārya. Śrī Rāmānujācārya, his spiritual master said, "My dear son, the mantra which I am giving, you shall silently chant and you'll be delivered. It is so powerful. Don't chant this mantra loudly so that others can hear." So Rāmānujācārya thought, "If the, this mantra is so powerful, that if others hear they'll also be delivered, so why not?"
Although we are warned not to speak to the rascals, but still, we are flattering, "My dear sir, please hear, please hear, please hear. Please give up this habit. Please do it." So to turn one man to Kṛṣṇa consciousness we have to shed hundred tons of blood. So therefore it is warned. We are not easy-going, that not to preach. We have taken the risk to preach. And it has, it is becoming successful. People will take it. So although Kṛṣṇa warns, "Don't speak to these classes of men," we take the risk. Because our philosophy is that—not my philosophy; that is Vaiṣṇava philosophy—that others may go, they may be delivered. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "My dear Lord, for my personal self, I do not bother. I have no problem. I am simply thinking of these fools." Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān: (SB 7.9.43)
And next śloka He says: na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ: (BG 18.69) "Anyone who tries to preach this Bhagavad-gītā philosophy, nobody's dearer than him to Me." So we, our business is to become a little recognized by Kṛṣṇa. So we shall go on preaching like this at all risk.
| Page Title: | Risk (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 10 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=54, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 54 |