So there are so many questions that if we actually, philosophically study, then we can see vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19), how Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa is acting. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). So here the living entity is described as sanātana. And the process by which we can understand our sanātana nature, that is called sanātana-dharma, not that having a big tilaka and considering this rascal lump of matter as "I am brāhmaṇa. This body is brāhmaṇa, and sanātana-dharma." This is all nonsense. Sanātana-dharma means you first of all you must know what you are. That is sanātana-dharma. Is it... Is sanātana-dharma is limited to a certain area? How it can be? Sarva-gataḥ. Sanātana-dharma must be there everywhere. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everywhere, Kṛṣṇa's kingdom, Kṛṣṇa's property. How is that you are simply claiming that "India, there is sanātana-dharma"? "In India there is brāhmaṇa"? What Kṛṣṇa creates, that is for everywhere. Because Kṛṣṇa is the father of everyone. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). So this rascaldom, that sanātana-dharma is only in India, and that is also cut off... "Now, the Pakistan is cut off, and therefore there is no sanātana-dharma. Simply in here." If you remain foolish like that, then andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31), that means you are being led by some blind leaders. You do not know what is what. If living entity's sanātana, and if the process by which one can realize his sanātana nature... That is called sanātana-dharma.
Tilaka (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So this brāhmaṇa's prayer that kāmādīnāṁ kati na katidhā pālitā durnideśās teṣāṁ jātā mayi na karuṇā na trapā nopaśāntiḥ, sāmprataṁ labdha-buddhiḥ, labdham. "My dear Lord, I have served my senses so long, but I see they are not satisfied, nor they are pleased, nor there is end of their service. Therefore now I have got good sense. I have come to serve You. Kindly accept me." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that "You are engaged in service, but you are thinking as master. This is foolishness. Give up this foolishness and just become a servant of Kṛṣṇa, as you are constitutionally positioned." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And the every living entity is sanātana. And Kṛṣṇa is sanātana. And there is place, sanātana. So our business is how to transfer ourself in that sanātana-dhāma. Sarveṣu vinaśyatsu na vinaśyati: Everything being destroyed, that place, that sanātana-dhāma is never destroyed. Kṛṣṇa is never destroyed. You are also not ever, ever destroyed. So therefore when these three combination will be there, that will be happy. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Tad dhāma paramaṁ mama. So we have to return to that sanātana-dhāma by executing our sanātana-dharma, to approach the supreme sanātana. Nityo nityānām. He is the greatest sanātana amongst the many other sanātanas. Nitya and sanātana, the same thing. Here it is said, nitya, or sanātana. So Kṛṣṇa is also nitya, and I am also nitya. You are also nitya. So our business is to approach Kṛṣṇa and be engaged in His service for nitya, eternally. That will make us happy. Otherwise, what is this tilaka, and considering, "I am this body, brāhmaṇa, I am this, that." That is not sanātana-dharma. Here is sanātana-dharma. Try to understand. And this sanātana-dharma should be spread all over the world for all living entities. Because all living entities are sanātana, they should be informed that "Here is your position. Here is your sanātana master. Why you are traveling, serving your senses?" This is sanātana-dharma. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is sanātana-dharma, real. Not so-called sanātana-dharma.
Prabhupāda: (answering question:) Then gradually we can understand. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). If you associate with devotees, hear them, then gradually everything will be cleared, and you'll understand your position. Then you understand: "Oh, I am not this body." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is the beginning of knowledge. Otherwise, so long you are under the bodily concept of life, you are in the animal platform. That is the difference. (break) But bhakti's such a nice thing that kṛṣṇākarṣiṇī. Bhakti attract Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa attracts everything, but bhakti attracts Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have to adopt the bhakti means. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti, yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. (Hindi)
- bhaktyā mām abhijānāti
- yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
- tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā
- viśate tad-anantaram
- (BG 18.55)
If you want to know Kṛṣṇa in truth, then you have to take this devotional line. Then gradually Kṛṣṇa will be attracted by your devotion, and then you will know Kṛṣṇa and you'll be allowed to enter into Kṛṣṇa's place. Otherwise, sarva-gataḥ, sthāṇur acalo 'yam. Although we are eternal, we have to wander within so many forms of life within this brahmāṇḍa and waste our time. That's all.
Indian: (Hindi) (break)
Prabhupāda: Yes. (Hindi) Tilaka mantra hai, bhagavān kahe, Vāmanadeva, Keśava, Govinda. So a devotee is protected from all sides by Kṛṣṇa. So you remain safe. Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). So bhakta hai (Hindi) So you are protected. That's it.
Indian: Yes, but even we put that tilaka on Lord also.
Prabhupāda: Hmmm?
The brāhmaṇa is called therefore śuci. He is always clean, taking three times bath, cloth washed, mouth, hands, legs, all clean, with tilaka. That is brāhmaṇa. Śaucam. This is externally. And internally you have to become also śaucam. Bāhyābhyantaram. Bahya mean externally you have to cleanse yourself with water, soap or earth. And internally you have to be cleansed by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Ceto-darpana-marjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Because if you remain unclean within the heart, simply by washing your external body and cleansing your cloth, that is not complete cleanliness. That may be called hygienic. But real cleanliness is internally and externally. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantaraṁ śuciḥ. So you have to cleansed yourself externally and internally.
Just like vicāra prati. The high-court judge is called vicāra prati. Two opposite party presenting their grievances and he will consider and give his judgment. So vicāra-paṇḍita. Unless one is very learned, he cannot consider things. But ācāra. Ācāra everyone can do. Ācāra means just like to rise early in the morning, to take bath, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, have tilaka, observe maṅgala-ārati. This is called ācāra. Then there is hygienic. And vicāra means consideration. So in the asuras, both things are lacking. Neither there is ācāra nor vicāra. Therefore it is said, na śaucaṁ nāpi ca ācāraḥ. Ācārya, you have heard the name ācārya. Ācārya means he teaches by personal behavior. Just like I teach you, "no intoxication." So if I am addicted to intoxication and if I say that "You don't take any intoxication," then who will care for me? This is therefore ācāra. Ācārati. Practically you have to behave; then you can preach. Otherwise you cannot become ācārya. Ācārya means one who practices the ācāra and then teaches. He is ācārya. So ācāra. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyam. Satyam means truthfulness. He is preaching something and doing something. That is not truthfulness. Truthfulness means what you preach, you must do. So these things are lacking in the asuric life, so we have to be careful that we must be very neat and clean. We must behave according to injunction of the śāstra and guru. Then we can get out of the jurisdiction of asuras. Then we can come to the platform of sura, or devatā. Then we can make advance in spiritual life.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Pure devotion is described here that, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. That is first class. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. You can adopt any means. There are different kinds of religious system all over the world. You can become Hindu, you can become Muslim, you can become Christian, you can become something else. But the test is how much you have learned to love God. That's it. Not that "I am Hindu. I have got such a big tuft and so much tilaka, and I take bath daily in the Yamunā, Ganges. I am strictly vegetarian," and so on, so on, so on. But the result? "I am simply attached to my family." That's all. (laughter) Finished. (Hindi) "I am doing all things, but my center of gravity is my family." Gṛhamedhī. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). Gṛhamedhī, those who are attached only to the home life, their happiness is sex. That's all.
So to attempt vāsudeva-bhakti means perfection of life. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). If we execute pure devotional service into the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then jñānam, janayaty āśu vairāgyam. This is the test of bhakti. Janayaty āśu vairāgyam. A man is tested how much he has advanced in bhakti-yoga by his detachment from material enjoyment. If you, if one is attached to sense enjoyment, at the same time, he poses himself as a great devotee, that cannot work. Just like if you are eating something, then there will be no hunger. A man is hungry so long he does not eat something. So if, if he, if you say, "Yes, I have eaten so much, and still, I am feeling hungry," that cannot be. Actually if you have eaten, then you must not feel hungry. Similarly, if you have actually tasted bhakti-yoga, then there will be no more material attachment. This is the test. Not that artificially keeping a big tilaka on forehead and thinking within always "How to get money, how to get woman?" That kind of is not... They, there..., there will be no more hunger for these material things, especially woman and money. That is the test of bhakti.
We have got many students also, they are Doctor of Science. So we talked. So we flatly say that "This advancement of education making you narādhama, lowest of the mankind." So they are convinced. And some of them are very serious student. So actually this education, as Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said, jaḍa-bidyā jato māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. You, you'll see, the more a person is materially educated, he has no interested. Just like our whole state has become secular state. No more interested. Here is our Bhagavad-gītā. Gandhi started his movement with Bhagavad-gītā. The big, big politician, Aravinda, he studied Bhagavad-gītā. And Tilaka, he studied Bhagavad-gītā. Now, in our schools and colleges, if there is question of studying Bhagavad-gītā, the state will not allow. Is it not? They... So māyayā apahṛta-jñānāḥ. Such a cultural book, such a book of knowledge, great book of knowledge, Bhagavad-gītā, they're banned. It is banned. And if you present Bhagavad-gītā with some nonsense commentary, that will be sold. And when you speak Bhagavad-gītā as it is... Of course, factually, now we are getting ground. Our Bhagavad-gītā is selling more than other editions, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.
Prabhupāda: Where is your tilaka? No tilaka. Hm. Why there is no light? You can open it. Cannot open? All right. Recite.
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)
- nara-devatvam āpannaḥ
- sura-kārya-cikīrṣayā
- samudra-nigrahādīni
- cakre vīryāṇy ataḥ param
- (SB 1.3.22)
Translation: "In the eighteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as King Rāma. In order to perform some pleasing work for the demigods, He exhibited superhuman powers by controlling the Indian Ocean and then killing the atheist King Rāvaṇa, who was on the other side of the sea."
Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). To kill the miscreants and to protect the devotees, He descends. That is avatāra. They have two business. Not that avatāra means keeping some long beard or having an artificial helmet. Rascals may be allured by them, but those who are sensible, who have got sense, they will see with reference to the śāstra, the avatāra, every avatāra...
Prabhupāda: ...you have no tilaka.
Devotee: Oh. Sorry, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda:
- om ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
- cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave-namaḥ
(I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.)
- śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
- svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ dadāti sva-padāntikam
(When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?)
- he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate
- gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te
(O my dear Kṛṣṇa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherdmen and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.)
- tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari
- vṛṣabhānu-sute devi praṇamāmi hari-priye
(I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.)
So, Vyāsadeva is submitting himself to his spiritual master Nārada Muni, that "Yes, what you say is right, that I have tried to understand the Absolute Truth through your grace, and I have tried to explain also the Absolute Truth in so many books, Vedas, Purāṇas, Upaniṣads, Vedānta-sūtra, but still I am not happy.
The guru must be mahātmā and muni. Muni means thoughtful, philosopher. Not foolish rascal, manufacturing some philosophy. And mahātmabhiḥ. Not only self-realized, but by his character, by his behavior, by his understanding, he must be a mahātmā. What is that mahātmā? There are so many mahātmās, simply by changing the dress. No. Not that kind of mahātmā. Our Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung a song, eita eka kalir celā: "Here is a disciple of Kali." What is that? Nāke tilaka galai mālā. "He has got tilaka..." Nata nara nāke tilaka galai mālā. He sings that, sahaja bhajana kache namu saṅge laiyā pare dala. (?) Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings that "He's dressed like a bābājī. He has shaven his head, and has got tilaka and kaṇṭhi. But he has got at least half a dozen women, and that is his bhajana." So not that... That is not mahātmā. That is durātmā, a cheating... Of course, in this Kali-yuga... Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, eita eka kalir celā. Kalir celā means the disciple of Kali. Dressed like a sādhu, or Vaiṣṇava, but within, all rubbish things. That will not help us. He must be mahātmā, real mahātmā. We want guru like that. Then it will be a... We must be also qualified, and guru also qualified. Therefore it is said in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa that one year should be taken to study one another, the guru and the disciple. The guru also will see whether the person is fit to become a disciple, and the disciple also will see "Whether this gentleman can become my guru."
So you should be very, very careful. Don't go to hear any Māyāvādī. There are many Māyāvādīs in the dress of Vaiṣṇavas. Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has explained about them, that ei 'ta eka kali-celā nāke tilaka gale mālā, that "Here is a follower of Kali. Although he has got a tilaka on the nose and neck beads, but he's a kali-celā." If he's Māyāvādī, sahaja-bhajana kache mama saṅge laya pare bala. So these things are there. You have come to Vṛndāvana. Be careful, very careful. Māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile (CC Madhya 6.169). There are many Māyāvādīs here, many so-called tilaka-mālā, but you do not know what is there inside. But great ācāryas, they can find out.
- śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi
- pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
- aikāntikī harer bhaktir
- utpātāyaiva kalpate
- (Brs. 1.2.101)
They create disturbance only. Therefore we have to follow the Gosvāmīs, Gosvāmī literature, especially Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which we have translated in The Nectar of Devotion, every one of you should very carefully read and make progress. Don't be victimized by the Māyāvādī so-called Vaiṣṇava. It is very dangerous.
So it was the system... Still that is going on, but a very small scale. That everyone, after taking bath, he should smear over the body with sandalwood pulp. It will keep the body whole day nice, cool and calm. So that was the cosmetic. Now, in the Kali-yuga, that is called prasādhanam. Just like, every country, the system is, after taking bath, you dress your hair, add something scented. So in India it was the system that after taking bath, having tilaka, going to the Deity room, offering obeisances, then the prasādam, candana-prasādam was taken from the Deity room and it was used. This is called prasādhanam. In Kali-yuga, in the, it is said that: snānam eva hi prasādhanam. If one can take bath nicely, that is prasādhanam. So much. No more this cosmetic or sandalwood oil or rose scent or rose water. These are finished. That snānam eva prasādhanam (SB 12.2.5).
Just like a big politician, Gandhi, he also has Bhagavad-gītā in his hand, but he never spoke throughout his whole life that Kṛṣṇa is worshipable. He never spoke. Have you seen that he has advised that Kṛṣṇa is worshipable? Never. Dr. Radhakrishnan, he is also so big scholar. He has commented on Bhagavad-gītā. Rather, he says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." When Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), Dr. Radhakrishnan says, "It is not to Kṛṣṇa." That is the difficulty. Because they have no mercy of Kṛṣṇa upon them, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. But they are not bhaktas. Tilak, he has described Bhagavad-gītā as a karmī, never said that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You'll find like that, so many, what to speak of others? There are about six hundred commentaries on Bhagavad-gītā, all misleading. Therefore we have presented Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, without any misinterpretation. And it is acting. These six hundred editions of Bhagavad-gītā was being advertised in the Western countries, and so many scholars and swamis went there—not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, not a single for the last two hundred, three hundred years. Before that, there was no such attempt, but for the last at least hundred years, or more than that, many Indians went to the Western countries to preach our philosophy, and they referred to Bhagavad-gītā and so on, but unfortunately not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, not a single person. But as we presented Bhagavad-gītā as it is, within five years, thousands and thousands have become devotee of Kṛṣṇa. One can compare this.
Snānam eva prasādhanam. Snānam eva prasādhanam. Cosmetic. Simply if one can take little shower bath, then everything is finished. Actually, snāna means sandhyā. You have to take bath nicely. Then you have to put tilaka and candana. Then perform your gāyatrī-mantra. This is called snāna. Tri-sandhyā-snāna. Now they are simply taking somehow or other bath, and finished. No more. But Kali-yuga, this will be snānam eva. And then dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrthaṁ lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. Just see how future tell. At the present moment, Kali-yuga, a man will think himself, he has become very beautiful by keeping long hair. You have got very good experience in your country, long hairs. Just see how future. Who knew that people would be interested for keeping long hair? But that is stated in the Bhāgavata. Keśa-dhāraṇam. Keśa means hair, and dhāraṇam means keeping. Dūre vāry-ayanaṁ tīrtham. And pilgrimage, it must be far away. Just like in Calcutta there is Ganges. So nobody cares for Calcutta Ganges. But they go to Hardwar. The same Ganges. The Ganges is coming from Hardwar down to the Bay of Bengal, but people will like to go to Hardwar, taking so much hardship, to take bath there, because that becomes tīrtha. In every religion they have got tīrtha. The Muslims, they have got mosque. What is that? Mecca, Medina. The Christians, they have got, where? Jerusalem. Similarly, the Hindus. Then they must travel very long. That will be tīrtha. But actually tīrtha means tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni. Where there is saintly person, that is tīrtha. Not to go ten thousand miles and simply take a dip in the water and come back.
I have seen many scholars, they cannot understand Bhāgavata. Sanskrit scholars, they will read, but they will not be able to understand. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā also. If anyone studies Bhagavad-gītā from scholarly point of view, a-b-c-d, he'll not understand. Kṛṣṇa therefore says that "Arjuna, I shall speak the lessons of Bhāgavata unto you because you are My very dear friend and you are My devotee." Kṛṣṇa did not want to speak Śrīmad-SB.. Bhagavad-gītā to a scholarly student. No. These books are not to be understood by mundane scholarship. That is not possible. All the Vedic śāstras, all the Vedic śāstras. There is a big commentary on Bhagavad-gītā by a great scholar and political leader, Lokamanya Tilak. So one of his devotees, he's also politician. When I was in London in 1968... So he has got a society there. They're preaching the Tilak's political view, like that. He has got a... So he came to see me, and he was very much eulogizing Lokamanya Tilak, that he has written his big commentary, Karma-yoga.
So he wanted to invite me in talk on Tilak's great task. So I told him that "Tilak does not understand Bhagavad-gītā." So immediately he was surprised. Then we had a talk, and I convinced him that "Tilak was a politician, maybe a big scholar, but that does not mean he can understand Bhagavad-gītā." Bhagavad-gītā is understood by devotee. He may be illiterate. It doesn't matter. Still... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu certified the illiterate brāhmaṇa who was reading Bhagavad-gītā in Raṅganātha temple... You know the story. The brāhmaṇa was illiterate. His guru ordered him that "You read Bhagavad-gītā daily, eighteen chapters." So he could not refuse the order of guru mahārāja; so he was taking the book and simply seeing. So those who knew that he was illiterate, they were criticizing, "Well, brāhmaṇa, how you are reading Bhagavad-gītā?" He could not answer because he knew that "I am illiterate. I do not know." Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw this fun and approached him, "Well, brāhmaṇa, what you are reading?"
Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "My dear Dhanañjaya, there is no more superior power than Me, or greater than Me." So if we accept the statement of Kṛṣṇa, then we understand Kṛṣṇa immediately. Otherwise, by speculation, it is not possible. That is the fact. There are so many... Such a person, such a big, who is estimated as very, very big person, Mahatma Gandhi, he could not understand Kṛṣṇa. From his writing we see. He said, "I don't believe that there was any person Kṛṣṇa living ever." Just see. He could not understand. Similarly, Dr. Radhakrishnan, Tilak, so many big, big scholars, they have written comment on Bhagavad-gītā, but they, still they have proved that they're rascal number one. Because they did not follow the process of understanding Kṛṣṇa, therefore they could not understand. And here even a child, our Śyāmasundara's daughter, (s)he used to go to somebody and ask him, "Do you know what is Kṛṣṇa?" He says, "No, I do not know." "He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Just see. And all these boys and children, they are learning so easily Kṛṣṇa, and a person like Mahatma Gandhi, he said that, something different. You see? Just see. This is the position.
The six Gosvāmīs, they were always engaged, kṛṣṇotkīrtana, loudly chanting. The same process we are following: loudly chant always; be engaged in arcanā. Always there is possibility of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The facilities are there. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Then prekṣanīya, "He is worth seeing." We are accustomed to see so many things. That is our bondage. Akṣnoḥ phalaṁ. If by the eyes you see the Deity, the Vaiṣṇavas... The Vaiṣṇavas, with tilaka, with kunti, with chanting beads, as soon as you see... And practically you know. As soon as they see these Hare Kṛṣṇa movement people, they also chant, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," giving a chance to the others. The dress is also required. You should be always equipped with tilaka, kunti, and śikhā, sūtra. Then, as soon as a common man sees, "Oh, here is a Hare Kṛṣṇa man. Hare Kṛṣṇa," he'll chant. Automatically you give a chance to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Devotee (3): Prabhupāda, you said that the greatest offense is to chant thinking that "My sins will be washed away" and commit sins, or wants to.(?) So what is the result that that person gets if he dies in that condition?
Prabhupāda: He dies a sinful. Because he does not want to go back to Godhead, he wants to make some profit, so he dies sinful, and he has to be punished for that reason, in spite of his false this tilaka and false mālā. He'll be punished. Yes?
Karttikeya: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Even if a person is completely engrossed in material activities, but somehow or other, they utter the name of Kṛṣṇa... Like you said my mother attained Kṛṣṇa's kingdom, although she was completely absorbed in material activities...
Prabhupāda: That was due to your grace. You reminded your mother at the time of her death, "Kṛṣṇa." You were a good boy of your mother, and she got the opportunity, remembering Kṛṣṇa, and got all the profit due to having a good son like you. Yes, his mother... I do not wish to discuss. But we are not at all... Just like European ladies there. So he was visiting his mother and inspiring her, "Mother, you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," whatever he has learned from me. She got some idea of Kṛṣṇa, later on developed little affection for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So at the time of death, by seeing him, she simply inquired from him, "Is your Kṛṣṇa here?" and died immediately. So she was fortunate to have a good son like him who reminded, by his presence, "Kṛṣṇa," and she became liberated. Therefore these things are required, Vaiṣṇava symptoms. People will immediately remember Kṛṣṇa by this tilaka, by this beads, by their fearures. Immediately they will know, "Here are the groups of Kṛṣṇa consciousness."
This is very nice challenge. Suppose if somebody, if you say that "We are Kṛṣṇa conscious persons." So one may challenge you, "First of all, explain what do you know about Kṛṣṇa?" That is quite natural. If you do not know about Kṛṣṇa, you have no right to say that "I belong to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement." You have not right to say. So your position is like that, simply if you have a tilaka and a kaṇṭhi, that does not mean that you belong to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Any cheater can do that. You must know the philosophy. If one challenges, you must reply. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung a song indicating these cheaters. He says, ei oto ek kalir cela(?). "Here is a servant of Kali." What kind of cela? Na te tilal golai mālā (?). "He has got a tilaka and golai mālā, bās, that's all." He does not know what is the philosophy. If you do not know the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you simply mark your body with tilaka and kaṇṭhi, then you are not proper servant, you are not qualified. So tilaka, mala, is necessary. Just like a policeman. A bogus man, if he dresses like a policeman, he is not a policeman. He must know what is the police law, criminal law, who is to be punished, who is not to be punished, what is criminality, what is innocence. All these things he must know.
So here we must know what is dharma and what is adharma. Simply rubberstamp, "I am Christian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am this...," like the tilaka and mālā. No. You must know the science. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, ye kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei 'guru' haya. Any person who knows about Kṛṣṇa perfectly well, he is guru. That's all. He is guru. So we have to learn this science, what is dharma, what is religion, what is irreligion, what is God. That is human life. Simply talking all nonsense, "There is no God and there is no creation," don't waste your time. Don't waste your time. The human life is very, very valuable. This is the time. In cat's and dog's life... We cannot invite the cats and dogs in this temple and take this lesson on Bhāgavata and Bhagavad-gītā. We invite human beings. We invite human beings because there is chance. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. A human being can understand what is God, what I am, what is my relationship with God. And if we act according to that, our life is successful. Simply denying God and manufacturing atom bomb and killing, is that civilization? No.
Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit. As soon as he saw that one man was trying to kill a cow, immediately with his sword: "Who are you? You are killing a cow in my kingdom?" So if the state does not take steps in maintaining religion, then religion will fall down. Just like a father. If he does not take care of his son to be a man of character, he becomes a debauchee. That is natural. So according to Vedic principles, the kings were very much highly trained to see how the people are advancing in the spiritual knowledge. Just like one king... You will find in The Nectar of Devotion. There was law that... He said that, (chuckles) "If I do not find any one of my citizens with tilaka, then I shall punish him." So everyone, out of that fear, they used to have this tilaka. And they were looking all Vaiṣṇavas. (laughs) Although they had no very much faith in Viṣṇu, but out of fear of the state orders, they were having tilaka. So sometimes authority orders are accepted in that, out of fear.
Sāṅketya. Just like sometimes on the street some outsider, seeing you, they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa only by the symbolic, sāṅketya. Because they see: "They have got tilaka, kunti." Therefore these things are required. Don't become immediately paramahaṁsa—no tilaka, no kunti and no bead bag. This is not good. Sāṅketya. So that others may understand, "Here is a Vaiṣṇava. Here is a Kṛṣṇa devotee..." And if he is simple, he'll chant, "Hare Kṛṣṇa." This chance should be given. Therefore it is necessary, how people can utter. That chanting may save him from the greatest danger. Therefore it is said, sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyam. If somebody jokes... Sometimes they do that. "Hare Kṛṣṇa" means he is not seriously chanting, but he is trying to joke the other party who is engaged in chanting. And that is also good, pārihāsya. During Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, the Muslims, they used to joke the Hindus, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." So the practice made them chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And the police officer was informed by the constables that "These Hindus are chanting 'Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " The police officer asked him, "Then why you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa?" By imitating, they became practiced to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so nice, even joking, symbolic. Sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ stobham. Or prema. Helanam eva vā. Without any care, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," any way, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then vaikuṇṭha-nāma grahaṇam aśeṣa agha-haram. Agha. Agha means sinful activities.
Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His servant, they are dear both to the sober and rascals. Dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau. Because in their mind there is no such discrimination that "Here is a rascal. I shall not talk to him," or "Here is only good man. I shall talk to him." No. Nityānanda Prabhu, He first of all selected, "Oh, here is Jagāi-Mādhāi. All right, first..., My first business is with them," and delivered them. These are the examples. Sādhu. What is sādhu? Sādhu is not with a tilaka and in a secluded place chanting and not coming out and very, imitating Haridāsa Ṭhākura. And as soon as the throat is dry, "Oh, biḍi. Give me biḍi." You see? These imitations are going on. You see. Showing just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, but chanting, chanting, the throat becomes dry, and immediately assistance of cigarette or biḍi is required, or a gāñjā, (laughter) still more.
Last night in the television, one boy was asking me, "Swamijī, you are all after spiritualism. Why you are using this clay as tilaka and so many things you are using which is matter?" So I explained to him... Perhaps you have known. Actually, there is no matter, actually, in this sense, because everything is emanating from the Supreme Spirit. Everything is emanating... Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). What is the Absolute Truth? The Absolute Truth is that from which everything is emanating—the source, the fountainhead, the fountainhead of everything. So whatever we see... Now, of course, we are in condition, material condition. We see everything material. But even this material energy is also spiritual because it is coming from the spirit, the Supreme Spirit. Suppose anything comes from the fire, it is hot. Fire, anything coming from... Anything you take. You are cooking daily, and as soon as you cook something it becomes very hot, and you take it from... It is hot. You cannot touch it. So by nature, everything is hot or everything is spirit because it is coming from the spirit, by nature. Just like sunshine. Sunshine has got all the qualities of the sun. Sunshine has got temperature. Sunshine has got illuminating power as the original sun has got. Similarly, although the whole creation, whole manifestation, is the display of the energy of the Supreme Lord, they are not different in quality. In quality there is no difference.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, although He was God Himself, but His behavior and His etiquette was excellent. At once He saw the sannyāsīs, He offered His respect. Pāda prakṣālana kari vasilā sei sthāne. And it is the system that when one comes from outside, he has to wash his feet before he enters room, especially for the sannyāsīs. So He washed His feet and sat down outside where the other sannyāsīs were sitting, a little off, just the place where He washed His feet.
- vasiyā karilā kichu aiśvarya prakāśa
- mahātejomaya vapu koṭi-sūryābhāsa
And while He was sitting in that place, He was so nice and beautiful. He was only twenty-four years old, and, or twenty-five years old, and very beautiful, very fair complexion, and He has accepted the sannyāsa order, the saffron cloth, and with tilaka. Everything looked so very nice that other sannyāsīs became attracted, "Oh, very nice." Prabhāve ākarṣila saba sannyāsīra mana: "The other sannyāsīs who were sitting, they were all attracted, 'A very nice boy sannyāsī.' " So uṭhila sannyāsī saba chāḍiyā āsana: "Automatically they were so pleased that they stood up to show Him respect, Lord Caitanya."
Our guru, out of the Six Gosvāmīs, one of them, he has given his direction in the Bhakti... What is that? Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, that avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. A person who is not Vaiṣṇava... Vaiṣṇava means kṛṣṇa tattva vettā. If he's not well versed in the science of Kṛṣṇa, if his behavior is not Vaiṣṇava... Sadācāra-sampanna. Vaiṣṇava must have dvādaśa-tilaka, śikhā, sūtra, kunti, and there are many things, description. Sadācāra-sampranna, Vaiṣṇava. If he's not that, simply by education if he speaks about Kṛṣṇa, one should not hear. One should not hear. These are professional men. If you pay him something, he'll speak for some time, but his behavior is not Vaiṣṇava. So from such person it is forbidden to hear about Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or anything about Kṛṣṇa. Avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam, śravaṇaṁ na kartavyam. So one may say that "He's speaking about Kṛṣṇa, so what is the wrong there? He may be misbehaved, but he's speaking about Kṛṣṇa." So that Sanātana Gosvāmī says, pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam. Hari-kathāmṛtam is always pure. That's all right. But avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛta, śravaṇam... Why? Sarpocchiṣṭaṁ payo yathā. Everyone knows milk is very nice and nutritious food, but if it is touched by the lips of a serpent, it is spoiled, no more to be... So it is forbidden, that we should not try to understand about Kṛṣṇa from a person who is not Vaiṣṇava. Explain.
Vāsudeva, according to the symbolic representation of the hands, They are differently named. Vāsudeva is divided into three: Keśava, Nārāyaṇa, Mādhava. Similarly, Saṅkarṣaṇa is divided into three: Govinda, Viṣṇu, Śrī Madhusūdana. Similarly, Pradyumna is divided into three: Trivikrama, Vāmana, Śrīdhara. Similarly, Aniruddha is divided into three: Hṛṣīkeśa, Padmanābha, Dāmodara. So all these, three into four, twelve, They are named in different months. Mārga-śīrṣe keśava. Mārga-śīrṣe means October. In the month of October He is known as Keśava. Then November, not exactly November, October, November. November, Keśava; and December, Nārāyaṇa. And then January, Mādhava. Then Govinda. Just take twelve names. Govinda, then Viṣṇu, then Madhusūdana, then Trivikrama, then Vāmana, then Śrīdhara, then Hṛṣīkeśa, then Padmanābha, then Dāmodara. Similarly, we have got dvādaśa tilaka. The same names are there. Lalāṭe keśavaṁ dhyāyet. When dvādaśa tilakas are made, these twelve names are remembered. Lalāṭe keśavaṁ nārāyaṇam athodare: Nārāyaṇa on the belly. Then vakṣaḥ-sthale, then here, then here, then here, then here. In this way, twelve names there are. In this way... Of course, these are very technical. It may be not very interesting, but there are similar names of Kṛṣṇa-Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa—and how they are divided, it is an artistic... The Vāsudeva name, the four hands... How you can distinguish? The four hands you will find everywhere, and the symbolic representation in the hand, that lotus flower, club, and the wheel, and the conchshell. Now, according to the different position of these four symbolic representation, the name are different.
Initiation Lectures
So in every demigod worship there are drum beaters. So a party of drum beaters were engaged, and when the fees, bill, of the drum beaters was to be paid, the demigod Mansa(?) was sold. They could not pay the bills. Similarly, we may print our books, but the binding charges are so high, then it will cost more than getting it from Japan. (chuckles) Jayānanda looks like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (laughter) Yes. He was tall and stout and strong, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (laughing) Yes. Very good. And in Vṛndāvana, when Kīrtanānanda was given sannyāsa, he was looking so nice with this dress and daṇḍa, oh, practically all the devotees of Vṛndāvana came to offer him respect. Yes. On Janmāṣṭamī day I offered him sannyāsa. So many devotees came to see in the temple. So there was a big crowd. He was looking very nice. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was also very fair-complexioned. So with this dress, persons with fair complexion looks very nice, very attractive. People are not attracted with this dress in kīrtana party? (laughs) This bare head with tilaka and this dress, they will know that they are coming from, directly from the kingdom of God. (laughs) Actually it is so. They have forgotten God; otherwise they would have received these brahmacārīs so nicely. In India, oh, you'll be received just like gods with this dress. Hundreds and thousands of people will come to receive you. Yes. That is sufficient.
General Lectures
So the conclusion should be that sanātana-dharma means that the living entity is eternal, he must seek out his eternal service. That is called sanātana-dharma. Sanātana-dharma does not mean that having a great big tuft, and tilaka, or dressing in a certain manner, or... Then everything are changing. That is not sanātana-dharma. Whatever is changeable, that is not sanātana-dharma. Sanātana, try to understand sanātana. Sanātana means eternal, and the living entity, being eternal, he must have some eternal engagement. That is called sanātana-dharma. Here, in the Bhagavad-gītā, the word sanātana has come in many places. In one place, Second Chapter, twenty-fourth verse, it is said,
- acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam
- akledya aśoṣya eva ca
- nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ sthāṇur
- acalo 'yaṁ sanātanaḥ
Nitya, nityaḥ sarva-gataḥ sthāṇur acalo 'yaṁ sanātanaḥ. There are many other symptoms of the living entity. They are described in the Bhagavad-gītā very nicely, positively and negatively.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: So we cannot judge what is desirable. Only...
Prabhupāda: No. Therefore our philosophy is mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). The great personalities, what do they desire? Therefore we accept spiritual master, higher authority. Whatever he desires, that should be standard of desire, not my desire. Just like Kṛṣṇa desired the fight, not Arjuna's desire. Arjuna desired not to fight, but he changed his desire not to fight, to fight, because Kṛṣṇa desired, wanted it. Therefore our standard of desire should be that which is desired by greater personalities, not by me. What I am? I should always think of me as fool. Just like the same, when I was child, I was not desiring to take medicine, but my parents desired. That desire should be forced. Similarly, this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, if actually the state is serious to do the best desirable thing, they should make a law that anyone who is not chanting sixteen rounds, he will be hanged! Then everyone must chant: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa—the whole world. (laughter) Yes. There was a king. Yes. He wanted to see that everyone must have tilaka and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So he was inspecting silently "Whether my subjects, they are chanting?" So one day he was... How you say? What is called? Incognito, in disguise, he was going. So one householder he was asking "Oh, bring them the beads. I will not forget, or they did not do. I have to abide by the laws, so Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." Then the king could understand that "My order is being carried out in this way. A whole day he forgot, now he may be captured by law; therefore he's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." It happened so.
| Page Title: | Tilaka (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Serene |
| Created: | 27 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=35, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 35 |