In Nārada Pañcarātra it is recommended . . . we are explaining these things in Devotional . . . Nectar of Devotion. The basic principle of purification is smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇuḥ, always one has to remember Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu the same. When you speak Kṛṣṇa, it includes Viṣṇu. So smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇu vismartavyaḥ na jātucit.
We shall not forget Viṣṇu even for a moment. This is the basic principle of devotional life. Some way or other, we have to remember always Kṛṣṇa. Then whatever condition we may be, we are pure. Sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. This chanting helps us always remembering Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, hear, immediately we remember.
So, so long I remember, I am śuciḥ, I am pure, no material contamination. Therefore if I continue my life in that pure stage, then I am eligible for going back to Godhead. Because nobody can enter in the kingdom of God without being completely pure. Completely pure means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11), no material desire. Here in the material world, we manufacture so many plans to be happy, material desires. Somebody's thinking, "I shall be happy in this way." Somebody's thinking . . . "There is no question of happiness here". The place is contaminated. In a contaminated . . . just like in an infected place you cannot be happy. The medical officer will ask you to leave that place that, "This quarter has been infected by the disease. Better you leave, you go somewhere else." That is the treatment. Infected place must be left immediately.
So similarly, this world, this material world of three modes of different qualities, you have to keep yourself always antiseptic, pure, by remembering Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. As soon as you forget Kṛṣṇa, immediately the infection, māyā, immediately affects you. Kṛṣṇa bhūliya jīva bhoga-vāñchā kare (Prema-vivarta). What is that māyā? Māyā means to plan how to become materially happy. This is māyā. All the people of the world, they are simply making plan how they will be happy within this material world. That's all. This is māyā.
The history of the whole world studied, it is experience that the Roman Empire planned, the British Empire planned, the . . . so many empires, they flourish sometimes, all fail. The Britishers, they were, two hundred years ago, they were planning to rule over this vast land of America. George Washington declared independence; their plan failed. Similarly, in India they were planning to exploit.
Now Gandhi's movement made it fail. So this is bigger plan. Similarly smaller plan also. There are many . . . individually, we make so many plans that, "I shall be happy in this way, in that way, in that way." So this plan-making business is māyā, because that will never be successful. Trace out the history of the whole world. Nobody has become happy. Hitler made a plan, so great a plan. You see? He was frustrated.
So the sane man, intelligent man . . . therefore Bhagavad-gītā says that a person who is actually intelligent, wise . . . how a man becomes wise? After being baffled or frustrated many, many times, he can understand this is not the process. And the Vedānta-sūtra also places the first, athāto brahma jijñāsā.
When one is frustrated in all plan-making business, for him, the Vedānta-sūtra gives him the opportunity, "Now your all plans have failed. Come here." Athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now try to understand what is Brahman." This is the first aphorism of Vedānta-sūtra. "Just try to understand Brahman."
So in this way . . . this initiation also. Initiation means the first beginning, how to become purified. This is initiation. Because this devotional service means the process of purification. Now every one of you, individually you can understand how you are becoming purified from your past life. That is practical. Yes.
How you are becoming purified. So this initiation means the beginning of purificatory process. And the purificatory process, what is that? This mantra, yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. Anyone who always remembers, or whenever he remembers, if not always, as soon as he remembers, puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ, he becomes immediately purified internally and externally.
So those who are going to be initiated today, they should remember that . . . not only they, all of us should remember. It is not that we have passed all examination. No. Māyā is very strong. Any moment she can catch up. (chuckles) As soon as . . . just like a virulent type of disease, as soon as there is little negligence, there is relapse immediately, typhoid.
So the doctors take very much precautionary steps in the, what is called, convalescent stage of cure, because there is chance of relapse. Similarly, we are trying to be purified. This initiation means, do accept the path of purification. Now we have to continue that path of purification, and then, if you are strong enough, then we can very easily make progress to achieve the ultimate result. There is no doubt about it.
So bhakti-mārga, this devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means to remember always Kṛṣṇa. Smartavyaḥ satato viṣṇuḥ vismartavyaḥ na jātucit. This is the basic principle, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should always remember Kṛṣṇa and we shall never forget. And the very simple method, that we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa has given us tongue, so we can utilize it, and this is the beginning of spiritual life. This is the beginning of understanding God, or Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise we cannot understand what is God.