That is the message of Lord Caitanya that, "Anyone who has taken birth as a human being in the land of India, Bhārata-varṣa . . ." "India" is given by foreigners, a name to the country, but actual name is Bhārata-varṣa. Not only that portion, the whole, this whole planet is called Bhārata-varṣa. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that, "Anyone who has taken birth on this land of Bhārata-varṣa, India," janma sārthaka kari', "just become, yourself, liberated, and then make others liberated." Para-upakāra. "Just make yourself first liberated."
Unless you are liberated, how you can make others liberated? If your hands are tied up, how you can open the hands of others? That is not possible. So therefore Nārada Muni, he said the same thing that, urukramasya, urukramasya akhila-bandha-muktaye: "You just become yourself liberated and make others liberated."
Next verse is:
- tato 'nyathā kiñcana yad vivakṣataḥ
- pṛthag dṛśas tat-kṛta-rūpa-nāmabhiḥ
- na karhicit kvāpi ca duḥsthitā matir
- labheta vātāhata-naur ivāspadam
- (SB 1.5.14)
Now, Vyāsadeva can say: "Yes, I have already thought about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I have inserted the activities of Kṛṣṇa in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra—His teachings, Bhagavad-gītā—in the Mahābhārata." So Nārada Muni says: "Yes, that you have done. I admit. But that will not help much." Just like Bhagavad-gītā is being read practically all over the world, but they cannot understand. Why?
The reason is, here it is said that, na karhicit kvāpi ca duḥsthitā matir labheta vātāhata-naur ivāspadam: "The little idea of God is there, certainly, in every literature, every scripture, but those who are too much disturbed, they cannot accept it." Vāta. Just like if your ship is on the ocean and it is being tossed by heavy wind, you cannot sit very nicely.
I have got experience when I was coming to your country. (chuckles) So it is moving like that. "Similarly, those who are too much disturbed by these material affairs . . . Mahābhārata is the history. So there are politics, sociology, intricacy, so many nonsense things, in which you have given Bhagavad-gītā, little portion. That's all right. But that will not help very much."
The idea is that one has not only to understand little about God, but one has to live in God. Then his life will be successful. Not that, "Yes, God is great, and I go weekly in the church or in the temple. I offer my respect." No. That will not make you liberated. You have to be very serious to understand your relationship with God and go back to Godhead. Then your life will be successful.
Not that simply by understanding little. No. That is the same position. Just like you cannot derive any benefit or you cannot sit down very nicely in a tottering ship, so if you keep your life always tottering . . . that tottering, that stage, or, I mean to say, what is called, tilting stage of life can be stopped only by devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ (SB 1.2.20). One has to make his life tranquil. How this is possible? By this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, it is not possible. We have to disinfect us, counteract all result of sinful activities. Asat. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that sat-saṅga chāḍi' kainu asate vilāsa, te-kāraṇe lāgila ye karma-bandha-phāṅsa (Prārthanā). If we give up sat-saṅga, association of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness, and if we simply take pleasure in the materialistic way of life, then we shall be entangled, simply entangled. Sat-saṅga chāḍi kainu asate vilāsa.
So people, generally, even though they have some kind of religion, all over the world, religion has become a secondary thing. Understanding of God, it is something like recreation, weekly recreation. That sort of life will not help. Of course, that is the beginning. That's nice.