The cow dung is the stool of an animal. According to smṛti or Vedic wisdom, if one touches the stool of an animal he has to take his bath to purify himself. But in the Vedic scriptures the cow dung is as stated as pure. Rather, impure place or impure things are purified by touch of the cow dung. Now if one argues how it is that in one place it is said that the stool of the animal is impure and another place it is said that the cow dung which is also the stool of an animal, it is pure, so it is contradictory. But actually, it may appear to be contradictory, but because it is Vedic injunction, therefore for our practical purposes we accept it. And by that acceptance we are not committing mistake. It has been found by modern chemists, modern science, one Dr. Lal Mohan Gosal, he has very minutely analyzed the cow dung and he has found that cow dung is a composition of all antiseptic properties. So similarly, he has also analyzed the water of the Ganges out of curiosity. So my idea is that Vedic knowledge is complete because it is above all doubts and all mistakes. So, and Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of all Vedic knowledge. The Vedic knowledge is therefore infallible. It comes down through the perfect disciplic succession.
Vedic injunctions (Lectures, BG)
Expressions researched:
"injunction of the Vedic literatures"
|"injunction of the vedas"
|"injunctions of the Vedic literature"
|"injunctions of the vedas"
|"vedic injunction"
|"vedic injunctions"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
This is the conclusion. Nānā-śastra-praharaṇāḥ sarve yuddha-viśāradāḥ. No, not a single person inexperienced was there. Yuddha-viśāradāḥ. Viśārada means very expert, fighting. Still, they would have to lay down their life because it is Kṛṣṇa's plan that all these fighting men, they were not ruling properly according to the tenets of Vedic injunctions. Therefore they were demons. Military strength for self-aggrandizement is demoniac. Military strength is required to rule over the kingdom but not to misuse them for aggression to others' country or others' kingdom. That was not allowed.
According to Vedic system, therefore, there is forced renunciation. Nobody wants to retire from family life, but the Vedic injunction is that after one has passed fifty years, he must leave his family life. Pañcāśordhvaṁ vanaṁ vrajet. In the beginning, as a student life, he's trained up, brahmacārī, undergoing severe austerities, penances, and taking instruction from the spiritual master about the temporary existence of this material world. In this way, he's trained up very nicely. And even after training, if he appears to be attached to this material world, he's allowed to go home and marry.
So acceptance of spiritual master means to accept anything, whatever he says. Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whom he can completely surrender. That is the technique. Veda-vākya. Just like in the Vedic injunction, nobody can deny. Similarly, spiritual master is also representative of Veda. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. So similarly, it is just like Vedic injunction. So spiritual master has also got the great duty. He has to instruct the disciple in such a way that he may not be misled, and that is not possible because a spiritual master is he who will simply speak from authoritative sources. He'll speak from Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavata, or what was spoken by Nārada, Vyāsa, that is his authority. He does not say, "In my opinion it is..." No. Therefore it is perfect, it is coming from the disciplic succession, and if one agrees to such instruction, then he's also perfectly advancing. It is not difficult to understand. So he's accepting. "Now I accept You as my spiritual master. You teach me." Is that the statement? Yes. What is that?
There is no sin; it is all right." This is going on. No. Brāhmaṇa is not meant for becoming a slaughterer, a killer. No. Brāhmaṇa should be truthful, brāhmaṇa should be cleansed, no sinful life. Brāhmaṇa should be controlling the senses, controlling the mind. Brāhmaṇa must be well-educated, jñāna, and he must apply the knowledge in practical life and believe in the Vedic injunctions. These are the qualifications of brāhmaṇa. Similarly, there are qualification of kṣatriyas, vaiśyas. We should follow that. And it is the duty of the government to see that "This man is claiming as a brāhmaṇa, whether he is actually executing the duties of brāhmaṇa?" That is government's duty. Not that they should simply fight that "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." No. The government's duty is to see that actually whether he is as he claims to be.
So this is called Vedic injunction—perfect. If you control your tongue, then you control your belly, then you control your genital. Rūpa Gosvāmī gives instruction,
- vāco-vegaṁ manaso krodha-vegam
- jihvāvegam udaropastha-vegam
- etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ
- sarvām apīmāṁ sa pṛthiviṁ sa śiṣyāt.
- (NOI 1)
This is instruction, that anyone who has become competent to control the tongue, to control the mind, to control the anger, to control the belly and control the genital..., if six kind of control is there, he is fit for becoming spiritual master; he can make disciples all over the world. And if you cannot control your tongue, if you cannot control your anger, control your mental concoction, then how you can become even a spiritual master? That is not possible. Pṛthiviṁ sa śiṣyāt. One who did... That is called gosvāmī, gosvāmī or svāmī, master of the senses. Master of controlling these six kinds.
Ordinary jealousy or enemy, that is natural. But even to God. Just like yesterday night, evening, somebody came to see me. He was arguing that "Why Kṛṣṇa should be accepted as God?" That was his argument. So Kṛṣṇa has enemies. Therefore Kṛṣṇa... Not only He, but everyone who is in the material world is enemy of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone. Because they want to be competitor of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says that bhoktāram: "I am the supreme enjoyer." Sarva-loka-maheśvaram: (BG 5.29) "I am the Supreme proprietor." And the Vedas also confirm, īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). "Everything is the property of the Supreme Lord." Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. These are Vedic injunctions. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante: "From whom everything has come." Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). These are Vedic versions. But still, we, because we are enemies, "No, why Kṛṣṇa shall be the proprietor? I am the proprietor. Why Kṛṣṇa shall be God only. I have got another God. Here is another God."
By hearing from superior authority. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ (BG 4.2). So here we have to learn from Arjuna that when we are perplexed, when we forget our real duty, and therefore we are puzzled, then our duty is to approach Kṛṣṇa as Arjuna is doing. So if you say: "Where is Kṛṣṇa?" Kṛṣṇa is not there, but Kṛṣṇa's representative is there. You should approach him. That is the Vedic injunction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). One must approach guru. And guru means Kṛṣṇa originally. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). Janmādyasya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāt. You have to approach. That is guru. So we consider, we take Brahmā... Because he's the first creature within this universe, he's accepted as the guru. He imparted... Just like we belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. There are four sampradāyas, Brahma-sampradāya, Śrī-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya and Kumāra-samapradāya. They're all mahājanas.
That one, singular number eternal, person, He is supplying all the needs of other eternals. These things are clearly said in the Vedas. And actually we are experiencing. Just like in Christian theology, the individual goes to the church and prays God, "Give us our daily bread." Why he's asking God? Of course, this atheist class of men are now teaching them, "Where is bread? You are going to church. You come to us; we shall supply you bread." So this Vedic thought is there also. The Vedas say, eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. That supreme one eternal, He's supplying, He's maintaining all other individual eternals. And Bible also enjoins that "You go, ask for your bread to God." So unless God is maintainer and supplier, why this injunction is there? Therefore He is the leader; He is the maintainer. And the Vedas clearly says this is the position. He is the Supreme. And by knowing this one can become in peace. That is the Vedic injunction.
The Vedic injunction is uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata, that "You wake up. You have got this chance of human form of body. You take advantage of it." These are the Vedic instructions. Uttiṣṭhata, "Get up, be awake." Jāgrata, "Be awakened to understand your identity." Therefore one who is not trying to understand his identity, spiritual identity, he's sleeping.
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. You know that here nothing like political meeting is going on. Here something spiritual matter is being discussed. Therefore you have come. This inclination is the beginning of spiritual life. This is called śraddhā. Śraddhā means faith.
So God is eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful; therefore our position is also the same but in minute quantity. His knowledge is great. Therefore God is great. Our knowledge is limited. And because we have got limited potencies, therefore we are called living entities. And God has got unlimited potencies, therefore God is great and we are small. This is conclusion of the Bhagavad-gītā. And we are in this material world being contaminated by the material nature. We are suffering because anything material, it has got limited period of existence. Anything you take, it is asat. Asat means "which will not exist," and sat means "which will exist." The Vedic injunction is asato mā sad gama: "You are sat. You revive your eternal life. Don't be entangled in this asat."
Now, how to understand that which is beyond our conception? The scriptures says like this, acintyaḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet: "Anything which is beyond our conception, beyond our reasoning power, beyond our approach of the material senses, such things we should not try to have conception simply by arguments." So in the Vedic injunction it is said that tarkaḥ apratiṣṭha: "By... What should be the... What should be our real understanding, that we cannot establish simply by argument." Tarkaḥ apratiṣṭhaḥ smṛtayo vibhinnāḥ: (CC Madhya 17.186) "If we consult different scriptures, then we'll find that one scripture is speaking something, another scripture is speaking something else." Just like cow-killing. Take, take it for example.
We accept Vedic knowledge like that. For example, just like stool of an animal. It is stated in the Vedic literature that it is impure. If you touch stool... According to Vedic system, even after passing my own stool, evacuating, I have to take bath. And what to speak of others' stool. That is the system. So stool is impure. One, after touching stool, he must take bath. This is Vedic injunction. But in another place it is said that the stool of the cow is pure, and if cow dung is applied in some impure place, it will be pure. 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.
That is the system. In India still they are..., not in the city, but in the villages, you will see even ordinary man, he goes to pass stool in the field, and just after passing stool he will take bath just to purify himself, change his cloth. That is the śāstric injunction. In one place it is said that the stool of the cow is pure. Now if you argue that one place you say that the stool of an animal is impure, even your own stool if you touch you have to take bath, how is that another animal's stool is pure? This is superficially contradiction. But those who are following strictly the Vedic principles, they will accept that the stool of cow or cow dung is pure. Now, if you argue, "Why it is pure?" then you come to a modern chemical analysis, and you will find the cow dung is full of antiseptic properties. It has been examined in Calcutta by one doctor, Rajmohan(?) Bose. Therefore, the Vedic injunction is so perfect.
So that sampradāya begins from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master of Lord Brahmā, of Lord Śiva, Nārada, so many other authorities. There are twelve authorities, svayambhur nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Svayambhu means Lord Brahmā; Nārada; and Śambhu, Lord Śiva; Kumāra; Kapila; Manu. They are all authorities. So that is the indication of the śāstra, that if you want to understand the transcendental science, the science of God, then tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That is the injunction of the Vedas, that if you really interested to learn the transcendental science, you must approach. Abhigacchet. This is vidhilin. Vidhilin. This form of verb is used in Sanskrit grammar when it meant "You must." You cannot say "I may accept or may not accept." That will not do. You must accept. Tad, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). These are the injunctions of the Vedas.
So in the human form of life therefore, in every society, the system is that the children are sent to school, colleges, to understand things. Similarly, for spiritual understanding, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Abhigacchet means one must. There is no alternative. One cannot say "I'll..., I may not go." No, if you do not go, then you are cheated. That is our Vaiṣṇava system. Ādau gurvāśrayam. The first thing is to take shelter of the bona fide spiritual master. Ādau gurvāśrayaṁ sad-dharma-pṛcchā. Not that I'll, as it has become a system: "I'll make a guru. Now my business is finished. I've got a guru." No. Tattva-jijñāsā. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. Guru means, to accept guru means to inquire from him about the Absolute Truth. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. These are the Vedic injunctions. One who is jijñāsu, means inquisitive. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Śreyaḥ. Śreyaḥ means beneficial. So uttamam, the prime benefit. One who is inquisitive to know about the prime benefit of life, for him there is need of accepting a guru.
So in order to advance in spiritual life we have to become dhīra. And that is said here, sama-duḥkha-sukhaṁ dhīram. As soon as one become dhīra, sober, these so-called material pains and pleasure does not disturb me (him). Then he is fit for becoming immortal. Everyone is immortal, but he is fallen in such material condition that he thinks himself as mortal. Because I am spirit soul, therefore the Vedic injunction that feel:(?) ahaṁ brahmāsmi, so 'ham, means "I am as good as the Supreme Being," means "He is eternal; I am also eternal. He is also living being; I am also living being." That means qualitatively we are one, God and me. But quantitatively, He is great; we are small.
When the cloud comes, it has got some activities, there is rainfall and, on account of rainfall, on the ground there is some new vegetation, new flowers, everything looks very green. In the rainy season we get some products. So we cannot say it is false, but we can say it is temporary. Similarly, material world, matter, is not false. But it is nonpermanent. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). You'll find it in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Māyāvādī philosopher says brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. The spirit is truth, and jagat, this material world, is untruth, mithyā, false. We say that everything is emanating from the Supreme. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. Everything is emanating from Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. So that cannot be false. Because Absolute Truth, how from truth, false will come? This is our philosophy. The matter may be temporary, but it is not false. The Vedic injunction is mā asataḥ. Mā asato sad gamaya. Don't try to be entangled with the asat. Sad asat. But try to come to the platform of sat.
So if you want to stop the danger of death, then you have to understand what is that Absolute Truth. Just like I have given already the example of sunshine. If you come to the sunshine, there is no darkness. But if you keep yourself within closed door, do not like to see the sunshine, that is your own choice. So everyone should try to come to the light. That is Vedic injunction, tamaso mā jyotir gamaya, means "Do not remain in darkness, come to the light." Light means knowledge, and darkness means ignorance. So every one of us now in the ignorance that we do not know "What I am." Everyone is in darkness in the concept of body. Ask anyone what you are. He will say, "I am this body. I am Mr. Such and such." "I am Indian." "I am American." This is all bodily description. And we have already discussed. This body is temporary, but I, the spirit soul, I am permanent.
We cannot accept without it is not mentioned in the Vedas." That's a, that's nice. But there is another class who are described in the Bhagavad-gītā by Kṛṣṇa Himself: veda-vāda-ratāḥ. They are simply unnecessarily fight on the basis of so-called Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge must be understood from the guru. That is injunction. They defy that. They... The Vedic injunction is... Kaṭhopaniśad. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). You... To understand the Vedas, you must approach a guru. Otherwise, you cannot understand. Just like it is forbidden that without becoming a brāhmaṇa, nobody should read Vedas. Because he cannot understand. Unless one is qualified brāhmaṇa, unless one has approached another qualified brāhmaṇa who knows, there is no question of understanding Vedas. Just like Max Muller translated Veda.
He is also great, the great soul. So unless one takes shelter of the lotus feet or the dust of the lotus feet of a great personality who has no material affection, nobody can understand what is God. Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ (SB 7.5.32). As soon as one understands the spirit soul and the supreme soul... That can be understood only when one is taken shelter of a great personality freed from material contamination. This is the version of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Otherwise, it is amazement. To understand about soul is amazement. To understand about God is amazement. So Vedic injunction is therefore that if you are at all serious to understand tad vijñānam, that science, transcendental science... Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). The Veda says, "Then you must find out a bona fide spiritual master." Tad vijñānārtham, if you are seriously interested.
Now why the kṣatriyas... It is said in the śāstra if a kṣatriya dies in the fight, then he is promoted to the heavenly kingdom to take birth because he is fighting for the right cause so he is promoted. As in this world also, if you fight for some right cause, you are rewarded. Even after your death, your memory is commemorated. Just like in your country so many brave soldiers, leaders, they have died, but you have honored them by keeping their statues because they fought and died for right cause, whatever we think, right or wrong. So the kṣatriyas, this is the Vedic injunction, who dies for the right cause, he is promoted to the heavenly planet. Now Kṛṣṇa says "Now it is a great opportunity for you. Suppose either you or your grandfather, the opposite party, die in this fight, so your promotion to heavenly planet is sure. And if you gain, then you get the kingdom. Both ways it is profitable for you."
Devotee: 35: "The great generals who have highly esteemed your name and fame will think that you have left the battlefield out of fear only, and thus they will consider you a coward (BG 2.35)." 36: "Your enemies will..."
Prabhupāda: A kṣatriya... It is the custom of the kṣatriya that if they are wounded on the back side, he is considered a coward, but if he is wounded on the chest, he is accepted as real kṣatriya. That means he has fought face to face. That is the injunction of military art in Vedic injunction.
Devotee: "Your enemies will describe you in many unkind words and scorn your ability. What could be more painful for you (BG 2.36)?" 37: "O son of Kuntī, either you will be killed on the battlefield and attain the heavenly planets or you will conquer and enjoy the earthly kingdom. Therefore get up and fight with determination (BG 2.37)." 38: "Do thou fight for the sake of fighting without considering happiness or distress, loss or gain (BG 2.38)."
Prabhupāda: This is duty. One has to execute duty without any consideration of loss and gain. That is duty, observing duty. Just see. "You are kṣatriya. There is necessity of this fighting. So you should not consider whether you are gaining or losing. It is your duty to fight."
You see, you have to accept the Vedic injunction as it is. There is some meaning which may not be explained immediately, but because it is so enjoined, we have to accept it. Just like the conchshell. The conchshell is the bone of an animal. Now in the Vedas it is said that if you touch the bone of an animal or human being, you have to take bath immediately to purify yourself. Now, this conchshell is also a bone of an animal. Now, it is kept in the Deities' room. Now, if you say, "The bone of an animal is impure. How it is that it is kept in the Deities' room?" So actually it is being done. Why it is being done? Because it is injunction of the Vedas. Similarly, all such injunctions we have to accept, but there is meaning. There is meaning, and that may not be understood immediately. That doesn't matter. So if, instead of red garment, if you take this saffron, what is harm to you? So you should accept the injunction.
Some of them are considered as inferior and some of them are considered superior. Even two hands. According to Vedic civilization, right hand is the superior hand, and left hand is the inferior hand. When you want to give somebody something, you must give it with the right hand. If you give it by the left hand, it is insult. Two hand are required. Why this hand is superior, this hand...? So we have to accept the Vedic injunction. So although both the nature, the spiritual nature and material nature, is coming from the same source, Absolute Truth... Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Everything is emanating from Him. Still, there is inferior nature and superior nature. What is the difference between inferior and superior? In the inferior nature or the material nature, God consciousness is almost nil. Those who are in the modes of goodness, they have little God consciousness. And those who are in the modes of passion, they have got less degree; and those who are in the modes of ignorance, there is no God consciousness. Completely absent. Degrees.
So similarly on the strength of Bhagavad-gītā, if one wants to prove his foolish philosophy, that is a great offense. That's a great offense. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā cannot be interpreted by foolish commentators. It must be studied through the paramparā system, ācārya upāsanam. One must worship the ācārya and learn from him what is Bhagavad-gītā. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. This is the Vedic injunction. Who knows things as they are. Ācāryaṁ māṁ puruṣa, one who is under the guidance of ācārya. So you won't find this foolish nonviolence theory from any ācārya. Many ācāryas have commented on Bhagavad-gītā. There is Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, even Śaṅkarācārya. But never said that Bhagavad-gītā is proof of nonviolence. Nonviolence is good but when there is dharma-yuddha, righteous fighting, there is no question of nonviolence. Violence is approved.
There is Vedic instruction also. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya. Don't remain within this darkness. This material world is darkness. Therefore there is need of sunlight, need of moonlight. Just like just now, night. What is this night? Night means this is the real appearance of this material world. It is dark. And when the sunlight will be visible, we shall think that it is daytime. But actually it is dark. But there is another nature. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ (BG 8.20). Another spiritual nature where there is always illumination. Jyoti. Jyoti means illumination. So Vedic injunction is that don't stay within this dark material world. Just come to the illuminated world. Jyotir gamaya. The same thing Kṛṣṇa also advises, that don't be allured to stay in any nice planet of this universe. Come out of it. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). "That is My eternal abode, or the best abode, where going you'll never come back again."
Similarly, to learn this art, "Whether I am acting on the spiritual platform or on the material platform," you require a spiritual master, guide. And this is called dvija, or the second birth. When you catch hold of a bona fide spiritual master just to guide you to act on the spiritual platform, then your second life begins. It is called dvija. So this life is so important that one must begin it. One must begin it. There is no alternative. If a man is intelligent enough, if at all he wants to make his life successful, this must he do. That is the injunction of the Vedas. The Vedas says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This abhigacchet is the form of verb which is imperative, "You must." Abhigacchet. This, this form of verb is used when the sense is "You must." So the Vedic Upaniṣad directs that tad-vijñānārtham: "In order to be situated, or in order to learn how to act on the spiritual platform, you must seek out a bona fide spiritual master who can guide you." So Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna has selected Kṛṣṇa as the spiritual master.
This Vedic injunction is also like that, that "You do sacrifice for the Supreme. Then you will never be unhappy. You will never be in want." Now, mind that, that the work is not stopped. The work in which you are engaged, that is not stopped. We have discussed in the previous verse that niyataṁ kuru karma tvam. The work which is entrusted to you, or the work in which you are now engaged, that is not to be undone. You work as you are doing. But you engage your, the result of your work or life for the matter of sacrificing for the Supreme Lord.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We should not think how it is that Lord gave His laws through breathing. Because with breathing we cannot speak anything. That means I am calculating the strength of God with my capacity. The Brahma-saṁhitā says no. Aṅgāni yasya sakalendriya vṛttimanti. The every part, or every limb, of the body of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality, can act of other limb. Just like I can see through the eyes only. But Kṛṣṇa can see through His finger also. That is His omnipotency. Omnipotency means every limb has got the potency of all other limbs. That is called omnipotency. We speak of omnipotency, but we do not know the meaning of omnipotency. This is omnipotency, that by His glance God created this world by His glance. Sa īkṣata sa asṛjata. These are Vedic hymns. So we can say that how is that, simply God saw and there was creation? Yes. That is omnipotency. Why do you think in terms of your capacity? That is materialism. As soon as you think of God in my capacity, that is materialism. You have to accept as it is said in the Vedas. Then you understand what is God. Otherwise you cannot. Go on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The Lord, being potent, can speak by breathing air as is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā, for the Lord has omnipotence to perform through each of His senses the actions of all other senses. In other words, the Lord can speak through His breathing and He can impregnate by His eyes. It is said that He glanced over the material nature and thus fathered all the living entities. So after impregnating the conditioned souls into the womb of the material nature, He gave His direction in the Vedic wisdom as to how such conditioned souls can return home, back to Godhead. We should always remember that the conditioned souls in material nature are all eager for material enjoyment, and the Vedic directions are so made that one can satisfy one's perverted desires, then return to Godhead, having finished his so-called enjoyment. It is a chance for the conditioned souls to attain liberation. Therefore the conditioned souls must try to follow the process of yajña by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Those who have not followed Vedic injunctions may adopt the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and that will take the place of performance of Vedic yajñas or karmas."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Purport: "A person who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and by his acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is fully satisfied, no longer has anything to perform as his duty. Due to his becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious all the dirty things within are instantly cleansed, ordinarily an effect of many, many thousands of yajña performances. By such clearing of consciousness one becomes fully confident of his eternal position in relationship with the Supreme. His duty thus becomes self-illuminated by the grace of the Lord and therefore he no longer has anything to do in terms of the Vedic injunctions. Such a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is no longer interested in material activities and no longer takes pleasure in material arrangements like wine, women and similar infatuations."
Eighteen: "A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being (BG 3.18)."
Nineteen: "Therefore without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme (BG 3.19)."
Purport: "This Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees and liberation for the impersonalist. A person acting for Kṛṣṇa or in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, under proper guidance and without attachment to the result of the work is certainly making progress towards the supreme goal of life. Indirectly Arjuna is told that he should fight the battle of Kurukṣetra without attachment in the interest of Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa wanted him to fight. To be a good man or a nonviolent man is also a personal attachment, but to act on behalf of the Supreme..."
Prabhupāda: Yes, to be good man, this consciousness is, "I am very good man." Or to bad man, "I am very bad man." But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, "I am neither good man or bad man. I am Kṛṣṇa's man." That's all. Finished. Finished. All business. "I am Kṛṣṇa's man." That's all. If Kṛṣṇa wants to kill you, I'll kill you. If Kṛṣṇa says you do that, I'll do that. That's all. So I am Kṛṣṇa's man. So he's immediately transcendental to all goodness or badness.
Karma brahmodbhavam. And how to work, that is described in the Vedic injunction, that "You should work like this." We have all discussed. Niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ. So everyone has some prescribed duties. There are different classes of men. The intelligent class of men, the administrative class of men, the productive class of men, the laborer class of men—everyone has to work. And by working, by the result of the work, one has to perform yajña. And by regular performance of yajña, there will be regular rains. And by regular rains, there will be production sufficient to supply your necessities of life. So that is the circle. That is the circle.
Now, this watch, this name of this watch... This name of this article is "watch." Now, "watch" and the thing, watch, there is difference. If I want to see watch and if I sound, "Watch, watch, watch," no, my purpose of watch—seeing will not serve. I want the actual substance, which is watch. If I am thirsty, if I simply speak of "Water, water, water," my thirst will not be quenched. I want actual water. If we want something else for my enjoyment, the name will not do, because nothing in this... This is dual world. This world is of duality. But in the absolute world there is no such duality. Everything is everything. One plus one equal to one; one minus one equal to one. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). These are Vedic injunction, that "If you take the whole thing from the whole, still, the balance is whole. The balance is whole."
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.
Now, at the present moment, there are so many gurus. How we will understand who is perfect? That is also another problem. So that perfection is... That I have already explained, that the child who has heard from his father that "This is microphone" and if he speaks that "This is microphone," then his knowledge is perfect. The child is not perfect, but because he has heard from the perfect authority, what he is speaking, although he is child, that is perfect. Similarly, this guru means who has heard from the perfect person. Therefore his knowledge is perfect, because he has heard. This is called paramparā system or disciplic succession.
Yes, God is person, like you and me. You can go and talk with Him, he qualified for that pur... Nitya nitya... This is Vedic injunction. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God is eternal among all other eternals. We are all eternal, and God is the chief eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. We are also cognizant and God is also cognizant. The difference is that I am cognizant with a limited space and God is cognizant throughout the whole universe. But He is also cognizant. He is also person. I am also person. What is the difference? Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. That one maintains all these innumerable living entities. Therefore in the Bible you go and ask God give us our daily bread, He is maintaining. That is the difference between God and ourself. We are maintained and God is the maintainer. We are predominated and God is the predominator. That is the difference. Otherwise He is a person, we are also persons. He is eternal, we are eternal. He is cognizant, we are cognizant.
But when India was too much addicted for animal slaughtering under the plea of Vedic sacrifice, the Lord Buddha appeared. Why? They misused the Vedic injunctions. They misused the injunctions of the Vedas. So he, he proclaimed, "No, this animal slaughter should be stopped." He did, he did not agree even with the Vedic injunction. Therefore Lord Buddha's preaching was not accepted. It was... Once it was accepted, whole of India accepted. Under the king, under the Emperor Aśoka, the whole of India became Buddhist. But later on, Śaṅkarācārya appeared and he made against them, Vedantists. So India, Buddhist religion from India was practically banished. So these are historical facts.
Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). Durāśayā, with the hope against hope which will be never fulfilled. Therefore it is called durāśayā. Why? Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are interested with this external energy. So this is our problem. But the rascals, they do not know. Śāstra... Therefore we have to consult śāstra. What is our problem, we have to consult śāstra. And śāstra, how we can consult śāstra. Śāstra, we have to go somebody who knows śāstra. Therefore the Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, śrotriyam (MU 1.2.12). If you want to know what is your actual interest, then you have to approach a guru. And who is guru? Śrotriyam, who knows śāstra. Śrotriyam. And not only knows, but the result must be there, brahma-niṣṭham, means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Brahma-niṣṭham means fully dependent on Kṛṣṇa.
This is the process. We must know, we must find out guru who knows śāstra, the essence of śāstra, Vedic, Vedas. What is the essence of Vedas? Vedānta. Vedānta means to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa says. All... There are different types of Vedas. Sāma, Yajur, Ṛk, Atharva. Then one-hundred-eight Upaniṣads. Then Vedānta-sūtra. Then Purāṇas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata. And the viṁśati, twenty kinds of dharma-śāstra, Manu-saṁhitā. So many things.
So here Kṛṣṇa is giving you the idea, how you can get out of this material entanglement. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56). In the material life we are attached to four things: āhāra-nidrā-bhaya... Bhaya means fearfulness. So the fearfulness must be there. Because we accepted this material body, there must be always, we must be always afraid. Not only we, even a small ant or birds and beasts, everyone. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Always full of anxiety. Why? Asad-grahāt. Because we have accepted this body, asat. Asato mā gama, sad gama. That is the Vedic injunction. "Don't keep yourself in this asat material world." Sad gama. Jyotir gama. Tamasi mā. These are the Vedic injunctions.
"Any person who is devoutedly, is attached to Me and is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious with love and faith, unto him, I give dictation in such a way that he will come to Me. He will come to Me." How He will give me dictation? Oh, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati: (BG 18.61) "The Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion, He is situated within your heart." Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati. That we individual souls and the Supreme Soul, both of them are sitting in this tree of body. That is the Vedic injunction. The Veda says that two birds, just like friends, they are sitting on the same tree. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other bird is not eating the fruit but is simply observing the activities of the other bird.
The full knowledge is brahmeti bhagavān iti, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti (SB 1.2.11). The three things one must know. That is full knowledge. But if you understand partially, either Brahman or Paramātmā... But if you understand Bhagavān... Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. This is Vedic injunction. If you understand Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you understand Brahman and Paramātmā. But if you simply understand Brahman or Paramātmā, you do not understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, intelligence is not yet pure. Ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninas tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). They, after undergoing severe penances and austerities, they approach the Brahman effulgence, param... Patanty adhaḥ. Again falls down.
Anyway, Vedic injunction is there. So when Lord Buddha started this nonviolence, ahiṁsā paramo dharmaḥ, the Vedic scholars approached him that "How you can prescribe this ahiṁsā? There is already sanction in the Vedas, paśavo vadhāya sṛṣṭāḥ... How you can stop it?" So Lord Buddha said, "I don't care for your Vedas." Therefore he is considered as atheist. Anyone who doesn't care for Vedas, they are technically called as atheist. Veda nā māniyā bauddha haila nāstika. Nāstika means atheist.
Anyway... Then Śaṅkarācārya came. Śaṅkarācārya wanted... Because by the propagation of Lord Buddha, whole India became Buddhist. And Śaṅkarācārya wanted to establish Vedas again. So they were temporary necessities, for certain reason. Because people were addicted so much in violence, in killing the animals, therefore Buddha philosophy was needed. Again, this Buddha philosophy was driven out. The Śaṅkara, impersonal philosophy was established. But again, the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya and other Vaiṣṇava ācāryas.. . At last, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They established that brahma satyam means brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). Both, three, Absolute Truth.
Mleccha means unclean, without any Vedic culture. They are called mleccha. Anyone. It does not mean that any particular class of men is called mleccha. Anyone who is unclean and does not abide by the injunction of the Vedas, they are called mleccha, yavana. That is the shastric term.
So Kṛṣṇa says for the upkeep of the society, there must be this cultural division of the society, namely varṇa and āśrama. But at the present moment people do not know what is the aim of life. They do not know.
- na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
- durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
- andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās
- te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni-baddhāḥ
- (SB 7.5.31)
Uru-dāmni-baddhāḥ. Te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni-baddhāḥ, andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. People are.... Because the Vedic culture is lost, the system of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, is no longer existing, neither there is training. One politician, minister in Calcutta, he came to see me, I was talking. "Why there is chaotic condition?" And the simple reason is there is no this cātur-varṇya system is lost. Practically without any brahminical culture, kṣatriya culture, people remain śūdras, the fourth-class man. Or fifth-class men.
The brahmacarya is very strictly enjoined in the Vedic śāstra. Brahma, to maintain brahmacarya, it is advised mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā nāviviktā... Mātrā svasrā duhitrā vā (SB 9.19.17). So one should not sit down with woman in a secluded place, even though the woman is mother, sister of daughter. So much restriction. And why? Balavān indriya-grāmaḥ: "The senses are very powerful." Vidvāṁsam api karṣati. "Oh, senses may be powerful for the fools and rascals." No. Vidvāṁsam api karṣati: "Even one is very learned, advanced, still, senses are so powerful that it can be agitated even before the mother, sister and daughter." This is Vedic injunction, brahmacarya. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa damena śamena (SB 6.1.13). These are the human life. To accept brahmacarya life, tapasya, controlling the senses, controlling the mind, tyāgena, by giving in charity whatever you possess. These are the different processes.
So there is great need of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. People are so fallen. They are reluctant even to hear about this Bhagavad-gītā, where everything is explained. They are living like animals. So it is our duty to awaken them. That is the Vedic injunction. Vedic injunction is to awaken. They are sleeping. Ignorance... Just like when a man sleeps, he is ignorant of everything, what is going on outside. He is sleeping, deep-sleeping. So therefore the Vedic injunction, Upaniṣads says, uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata: "Please get up. You have got this human form of body. Now you get up and get out of these clutches of cycle of birth and death." Unfortunately they have become so dull that they cannot understand. So people should be trained up how to live conscientiously, especially in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will solve the problems of life. Otherwise he is committing suicide. That is the verdict of the śāstra.
Brahmārpaṇam brahma havir. And the thing which we are sacrificing, we have to understand that the things belong to the Supreme Brahman. Brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir brahmāgnau. And the fire which is on the altar, that is to be understood as the energy of the Supreme Brahman. And brahmaṇā hutam. And the person who is offering the sacrifice, he is also part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman. In this way, if we offer sacrifice, then brahmaiva tena gantavyam. The person who is offering such sacrifice is sure to attain spiritual salvation. This is brahma-karma-samādhinā. And the performance is just according to the Vedic injunction. So in this way, if we, I mean to say, execute the duties of our living condition, then the result will be that at the end we shall be attaining Brahman. And the whole process is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śakti-śaktimator abheda. This is the Vedic injunction. Śakti, śakti means energy, and śaktimat, śaktimat means the person who has got the energy. So abheda, they are nondifferential. You cannot differentiate between the energy and the energetic. Just like electric powerhouse. The energy is electricity. Now, from the electricity energy we are working so many things. So far our household affairs are concerned, by the same electric energy we are getting heat and we are getting also cold. In the refrigerator we see everything is cold. In the heater we find everything is hot, warm. But the same energy is working. So one who knows that this is the electrical energy that is working in a different way, for him, there is no superior or inferior. That is called jñāna. If we are on the platform of knowledge, then there is no distinction between matter and spirit.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is suhṛt satām. Satām. Satām means those who are trying for having eternal life. Because in this material world we don't get anything eternal. All, everything, temporary. Therefore it is called asat. Asato mā sad gama. The Vedic injunction is "Don't try to remain in this temporary world." Sad gama: "Just try to go to the eternal world." Tamaso mā jyotir gama: "Don't try to remain in this darkness. You go to the kingdom of light." These are Vedic injunctions. So Kṛṣṇa, He is within our heart. Hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ. Therefore, as soon as we become a little inclined towards Kṛṣṇa, then from within our heart He gives us favorable instruction so that we can gradually make progress, gradually.
Here truth means the Absolute Truth, not relative truth. Or even if you want to know relative truth, you have to approach a particular expert. But here, it is indicated, truth means the Absolute Truth. So Kṛṣṇa indicates that "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master." Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That is the Vedic injunction. In the Kaṭhopaniṣad the Vedas says that "If you want to learn transcendental science, so you have to approach a bona fide spiritual master."
And who is bona fide spiritual master? That is also described, śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham: "One who has heard from his spiritual master." This is... Spiritual master becomes by disciplic succession, ascending process. Just like we learn "Man is mortal" from higher authority, from my father, from mother or any other authority.
Yes, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Not by academic qualification. We have to acquire the grace of Kṛṣṇa. Then we can see Kṛṣṇa. Then we can talk with Kṛṣṇa, then we can do everything. He is a person. He is the Supreme Person. That is the Vedic injunction. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the Supreme Person, or the Supreme Eternal. We are all eternal. Now we're being encaged within this body. We are meeting birth and death. But actually we have no birth and death. We are eternal spirit soul. And according to my work, according to my desire, I am transmigrating from one kind of body to another body, another body, another body. This is going on. Actually I have no birth and death. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter you have read: na jāyate na mriyate vā. The living entity never takes birth or never dies. Similarly, God is also eternal, you are also eternal. When you establish your eternal relationship with the eternal, complete eternal—nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. He's the supreme living entity amongst the living entities. He's the supreme eternal amongst eternals.
Now, suppose you have to find out a sacred place. In this age, how many people is prepared to find out a sacred place. For his livelihood he has to live in a congested city. Where is the question of sacred place? so if you don't find a sacred place, then how you can practice yoga? That is the first prescription. Therefore this bhakti-yoga system, the sacred place is this temple. You live here, it is nirguṇa, it is transcendental. The Vedic injunction is that the city is the place of passion. And the forest is the place of goodness. And the temple is transcendental. If you live in a city or a town, that is a passionate place. And if you don't want to live in a passionate place, you go to a forest. That is place of goodness. But a temple, a God's temple, is above this passion and goodness. Therefore temple is the only secluded place for this age. You cannot go in a secluded place in a forest. It is impossible. And if you make a show of yoga practice in a so-called class and indulge in all kinds of nonsense things, that is not yoga practice. Here is the prescription how to practice yoga.
So my appeal is to you, and especially the two Justices, please try to understand, serious vicāra, not that whimsically to accept by sentiment. No. Vicāra. Vicāra means śāstra-vicāra. We have to accept the Vedic authorities, what the Vedic injunction is there. The Vedic injunction is,
- harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalaṁ
- kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
- (CC Adi 17.21)
So that is Vedic injunction. Just like from lawbook when you give evidence before the Justice, it is accepted law. That is in the law. Similarly, whenever there is reference in the Vedic literature, we have to accept. And practically we have seen people did not know the name of Kṛṣṇa three, four years ago, they are mad after Kṛṣṇa, the European, American. This is the practical fact. Therefore through the grace of Lord Caitanya, through the method given by Lord Caitanya, if we approach Kṛṣṇa it becomes very easy. That was the..., detected by Rūpa Goswāmī. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Kṛṣṇa-prema. To attain Kṛṣṇa, to understand Kṛṣṇa is very difficult. Kṛṣṇa Himself says so.
These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. One who is completely free from the resultant action of sinful activities, they can be engaged fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So these students are being trained how to become free from sinful activities. They are forbidden not to have illicit sex. These are four pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā. These are exactly to the injunction of the Vedas. So if we purify ourself... In the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna appreciates Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). How you can approach the pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān without being pavitra? So there is a process to appreciate whether Kṛṣṇa or God has form. Unless we adopt the form, superficially it is not possible. I see otherwise there are... Why so many process of bhajana-sādhana if it is so cheap that we can immediately understand what is God? No. And the Veda says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That was our system. First of all, they used to become brahmacārīs, to become most obedient servant of the spiritual master before becoming gṛhastha. Celibacy, brahmacārī, then gṛhastha. So these things are all lost now.
The spiritual form is there. That is realization of Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Vedic injunction is just to understand that I am not this body. If anyone is under the concept of this body—"I am this body," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am American," "I am Indian"—in this way, with the bodily concept of life, we are thinking we are different from one another. At the same time, we desire that there may be unity of the human society, of the human being, and we can live peacefully. That is very desirable thing. That is the thing we require to understand. But so long we are on the bodily concept of life, this goal cannot be achieved.
So all of a sudden to transfer the attachment to Kṛṣṇa and give up our all attachment for this material world, that is called renounced order of life. But Kṛṣṇa says, "You do this," but it is not so easy. It is not so easy. Therefore we have to go to the person... Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). This is the śāst..., Vedic injunction, that in order to learn that art, how to transfer your attachment to Kṛṣṇa, you must approach to guru. He will teach you. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that we are teaching people how to give up this material attachment and become attached to Kṛṣṇa. Attachment cannot be given up. That is not possible. Attachment should be purified. That is wanted.
One of the qualification of Bhagavān is aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47), jñāna. He has got full knowledge. He hasn't got to take knowledge from anyone else. Svābhāvikī jñāna. Bhagavān means svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇam, this is Vedic injunction,
- na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate
- na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate
- parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate
- svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca
(Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport)
Svābhāvikī jñāna, all full knowledge He has got. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), He is the creator of everything. So how He got this knowledge to float these big, big planets in the air? That is knowledge, that is art. Just like when you float a big aeroplane in the sky, it requires knowledge, it requires technology, art. It is not flying automatically; that is a mistake. So if to float an ordinary airship it requires so much knowledge, so much technology, how much knowledge is there when you see that the biggest planet, the sun is floating in the air, and it is lying in one corner of the sky and exactly in time it is rotating, yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ? There is knowledge. There is art who has fixed it. Therefore in the Vedas it is said yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. He is also rotating in the orbit by the order of Govinda. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **.
So to inquire about Brahman and to understand Brahman by proper inquiry and by proper answer from the proper source, the cultivation of this knowledge is the business of human being. Therefore a class of men in the society known as brāhmaṇa, brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ, there is need. There is, necess... The Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to understand tad-vijñāna, brahma-vijñāna, one must approach the proper guru or spiritual master. Unfortunately we have rejected at the present moment the persons who are actually brāhmaṇa. On the other hand, in the name of brāhmaṇa, some persons claiming as brāhmaṇa, they are ruling over the society. But that is not the way. The brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya, śūdra, they are ascertained by the symptom. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: (BG 4.13) "I have created these four divisions of society, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra. So that should be divided according to the qualification and work." Just like if you are qualified as a medical man and if you are practicing as a medical man, then you are medical man. Simply by posing yourself that "I am the son of a medical man; therefore I am medical man," this is useless. In the śāstras, a person born of a brāhmaṇa family or a person born of a kṣatriya family but his qualities are not brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, he is called brahma-bandhu, kṣatri-bandhu, not brāhmaṇa.
Brahman is sad-aṁśa, the part which is eternal, and Paramātmā is cid-aṁśa, and Bhagavān is ānanda-aṁśa. And Bhagavān is full, sac-cid-ānanda. And we are all seeking after ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The Vedānta says that a living entity, or Kṛṣṇa... Any living entity... Kṛṣṇa is also the supreme living entity, and we are small living entities. So every one of us are seeking after ānanda, transcendental bliss. So when we join together, the living entities and the Supreme Lord, that becomes ānanda, rāsa-līlā. That is wanted. That we are seeking. But we are seeking in a different way, in the material world. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa therefore says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī also, in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, he says, ādau gurvāśrayam. "If one is interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness, he must approach a spiritual master." Kṛṣṇa also says, mad-āśrayaḥ. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). These are all Vedic injunctions. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12).
So yaj jñātvā, "If you can understand this knowledge, then," yad jñātvā na iha bhūyaḥ anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate, "then you will finish your all knowledge." Kasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. The Vedic injunction is that if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then all knowledge becomes revealed to you. Kasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. That is stated here. Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyaḥ anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate. Then it is very nice to understand Kṛṣṇa. If by understanding Kṛṣṇa... One may say, "Oh, I have understood Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was born at Mathurā as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī, and then He went to Vṛndāvana. And He became a friend of the cowherd girls or the boys, and He was playing there. So I have understood Kṛṣṇa." Anyone can say like that.
Every one of us acquiring knowledge. That is called experience, one after another. So Kṛṣṇa says that "If you understand this science," sa-vijñānam, "then your knowledge will be complete. You have nothing to hanker after any further knowledge. Knowledge is complete." That is also Vedic injunction. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. Yasmin vijñāte, if you can understand the supreme knowledge, the Supreme, then sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, everything becomes known to you. Just like in arithmetic, if you simply learn 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, then you learned all the arithmetic process. Because in the arithmetic there is nothing but 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6... That's all. Whatever you see, big, big calculation, that is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9... That's all.
So this is the injunction of the Vedas, that "If you want real knowledge, you must go to guru." "Now, there are so many gurus. So whom shall I...? Where shall I go?" No. You shall go to a guru—samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). You shall go to a guru who is brahma-niṣṭham, a great devotee. He is guru, not a so-called guru, gold-making guru. (laughter) Then another cheater. You see? So the Vedic injunction is brahma-niṣṭham. That is guru, one who has full knowledge in Brahman. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So here also in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find who is guru. Tattva-darśinaḥ. Tad-vijñāna... Tattva-darśinaḥ, one who has seen the truth. Never says this magic player, no. Tattva-darśinaḥ. This is the greatest magic, brahma-niṣṭham. That is the greatest magic, how to become fixed up in Brahman. That is called brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). As soon as you become brahma-niṣṭham, fixed up in Brahman, then all your miserable condition finished. Prasannātmā. That is the sign. Everyone is trying to be very happy. So that you can be by brahma-niṣṭham, by understanding that you are Brahman.
So guru means... Vedic injunction is you must go to a guru. Now, it may be difficult, who is guru. That is also Kṛṣṇa showing a..., "I am guru." Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya: (BG 7.7) "There is no more any better person than Me." And He has proved it. He has proved it. Kṛṣṇa, so long He was on this platform, on this earthly planet, He proved that He was the greatest personality, greatest persons... Read history and you will see. He proved Himself from His childhood. When He was three months... He is neither old nor... But He was playing just like human child on the lap of Mother Yaśodā. The Pūtanā came to kill Him. So that child... You will read all this from Bhāgavatam, how He killed that big Pūtanā, when He was seven years old how He lifted Govardhana Hill. So although He was playing just like ordinary human child, human boy or hu..., but sometimes He was showing His almightiness. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is God.
So the process is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12), in the Vedic injunction. If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, Vedas, the ultimate knowledge of Veda... Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Vedic knowledge means to understand Kṛṣṇa. So if you want to understand Kṛṣṇa, tad-vijñānārtham, vijñāna... Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). It is vijñāna, it is science. Sa-vijñāna. So if you want to know that vijñāna, then you should approach: tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet. You must accept guru. Who is guru? Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12). Guru's qualification is that he's śrotriyam: he has heard from his guru perfectly. That is guru. Śrotriyam. And brahma-niṣṭham: and firmly fixed up at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. These are two qualifications. You cannot move from that firmness. You cannot move. And he has heard about Kṛṣṇa from the authorities of guru. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). That is guru.
So Vedic injunction is tamasi mā jyotir gama. "Don't remain in darkness." This is darkness. Darkness means "I am this body, and the, to fulfill the necessities of the body is the highest perfection of my life." Everyone is trying for that, competition. Everyone is trying to have a skyscraper building and three Rolls Royce cars and so on, so on. They think that this is perfection of life, durāśayā, durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31), this material energy's production. But you do not think that "How many years I shall enjoy this skyscraper building? And what is my main business? My main business is how to become perfect." There are many animals within the skyscraper building. There are human being, there are dogs, there are cats, there are worms, rats, so many things. So to live in the skyscraper building, that facility is there even to the worms, cats, rats, everyone. That... Then what is the difference between these animals and me? The difference is how to become perfect, siddhi, svarūpa-siddhi. "What I am? Am I this body?" This should be the question. Athāto brahma jijñāsā.
Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is our position, not to be puffed up, that "I am God, I am Kṛṣṇa, everyone is Kṛṣṇa." This is māyā, the last snare of māyā. Māyā dictates that "You become the biggest man of the world. You become the biggest, richest man of the world." And you are struggling. And there is struggle. Just like there is struggle is going on in Pakistan. The Bangladesh is trying that "We shall be leading Pakistan." And the Western Pakistan is trying that "We shall be leading." Nobody is leader. Actually, Kṛṣṇa is leader. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām, eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). This is the Vedic injunction. Kṛṣṇa also says clearly: bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). Bhoktā aham. Kṛṣṇa does not say that "You are also bhoktā, you living entities." He never said Arjuna that "You are bhoktā, I am bhoktā." So you have to accept that position, prakṛti, all dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Then Kṛṣṇa takes charge. Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). He will give us protection. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). These are the statements of Bhagavad-gītā.
Tathedam akhilaṁ jagat or sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma, the Vedic injunction. The energy and the energetic cannot be separated. If there is no energy, there is no meaning of the energetic. And there is no meaning of energetic if it has, if he has no energy. So those things are simultaneously present. The example, as we have given several times, that the sun and the sunshine and the heat of the shine, sun, they are always present. Wherever there is sun, there is light and there is heat. So heat and light is the understanding of the presence of sun. Sometimes sun is covered, but still we experience heat and light. Therefore we understand the sun is there. Similarly Kṛṣṇa, or God, is there. You have to understand by the energies, the material energy and the spiritual energy. That is already explained in two verses.
So simply we have to bring Kṛṣṇa in every activities. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that for, for that purpose. And there will be no problems. You bring Kṛṣṇa. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad dadāsi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27). Kṛṣṇa says, "Whatever you eat..." Just like we are eating prasādam. Others will see, "They are eating ḍāla-bhāta, and they are calling prasādam." Because he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And one who has got Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he eats the same ḍāla-bhāta... It is not ḍāla-bhāta. It is spiritualized, because it is offered to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has eaten it. Kṛṣṇa eats. Don't think that "The things are there. Kṛṣṇa has not eaten." No, Kṛṣṇa has eaten. But Kṛṣṇa's eating and your eating is different. If I give you something to eat, you'll finish the whole thing, but Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam eva avaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). This is the Vedic injunction. He can eat, and He can leave. Otherwise, is He speaking false?
Loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantor na hi tatra codanā. Everyone has got natural, natural instinct for sex life, for meat-eating and for drinking. This is natural instinct. But they are restrained. They are co-ordinated by the Vedic injunctions: "Yes, you'll have sex life, but you get yourself married." So there are so many paraphernalia for marry. The subject matter is sex life, everyone knows. Therefore in Western countries they say "legalized prostitution." But actually it is not prostitution. It is regulating their sex life. So Vedas describe, "Yes. Sex life you have, but marriage." And then drinking: "Yes. Drinking you may have by worshiping Candi, offering him liquor," that is all. Not that you go to the liquor shop and drink. No. Restricted. Similarly, eating meat also: "Yes. You can eat meat. Just worship Goddess Kali and have a goat sacrifice." So many rules and regulation. Everything is regulated. But they have avoided this. These Vedic injunctions they have avoided. Now they have open slaughterhouse, liquor house, prostitution. That is sinful. It is actually sinful, either you do this way or that way. But if you act according to the Vedic injunction, the sinful activities are restrained. The sinful activities are restrained, so that gradually you come to the spiritual platform. This is the Vedic principle.
This is Vedic injunction. If you want to be elevated to the, your real constitutional position, then you have to take these principles, guru-kṛṣṇa.
Whatever we are seeing, they are simply expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Just like a big merchant, a big industrialist, he has got big, big factories. So these factories, he, one can say that this is Mr. Birla's factory or Mr. such and such gentleman's factory, Tata's factory. But still, although the factory belongs to Tata, the factory is running on by the energy of Tata, but you cannot find, if you want to see where is Tata here, Mr. Tata, that you cannot see. Tata is seen sitting in his room and is pulling button and everything is going on. Similarly, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto (Bs. 5.37). Kṛṣṇa in His place, He is with Rādhārāṇī. He is enjoying playing on His flute. Why He has to do anything? Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). This is Vedic injunction. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. He has nothing to do. If we can see ordinary, a Mr. Tata or Mr. Birla, has nothing to do, everything is being done by his energy, so how great energy has got the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just we can imagine.
The another example is just like sunshine. Sun is fixed up. You can see, everyone can see that it is lying, stationed, in one insignificant corner of the sky, but his sunshine is distributed all over the universe, and everything, all planets, all vegetation, all seasonal changes, they are depending on the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa has got His rays of the body, brahma-jyotir, yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40), prabhā. Brahmajyoti is described as prabhā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato (Bs. 5.40). As soon as there is brahma-jyotir... Brahmajyoti is always there. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. In the brahma-jyotir, innumerable universes are coming out, anywhere. In another place it is said, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vila-jā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ means Brahman. So everything is coming from Him. But the same thing, that is the Vedic injunction. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. These are the Vedic injunction. Yato vā imāni, sa aikṣata, sa (Sanskrit). So, sa vai..., raso vai saḥ: everything, all, reservoir of all rasas. Same, same thing is explained here, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4).
No, everything First of all we have to understand that everything is expansion of God's energy. So if you understand God, then the energies are automatically understood. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. This is the Vedic injunction. If you try to understand God, then His energies also will be understood by you. If you know the root, if you water on the root of the tree, then the tree, whole tree, becomes luxuriantly flourished. So our proposition is: you take the root, Kṛṣṇa, and you will understand everything properly from the root. If you want to understand the tree, whole tree, you try to understand it from the root, not from the top. So disease, any disease, if you understand the root cause of the disease you can give proper medicine and he's cured.
So simply by knowing how Kṛṣṇa, He is unborn, how He's taking birth, and the Supreme, how He's working like us—these two things, if you know, simply, about Kṛṣṇa... How do we know? Therefore the Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you must approach a person who knows Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to know Kṛṣṇa by your own imagination. People are trying to know Kṛṣṇa by his faulty imagination. In that way Kṛṣṇa cannot be known. So if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, then you have to know Kṛṣṇa as Arjuna knows. Because Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa, what He is. Otherwise, he would not have changed his decision. His decision was not to fight, but he changed his decision. He fought because he understood Kṛṣṇa. Understood Kṛṣṇa.
Now, if you inquire something, then you have to ask somebody. You cannot go on inquiring and answering yourself. That is another foolishness. If you inquire, then you have to inquire from a person who is bigger than you. Is it not? Can you inquire yourself when... Suppose you may cross a street. You have forgotten which way to go. Then you have to inquire some police standing there or some gentleman, "Where is this way?" So similarly, this inquiry, if this inquiry comes into you, that "What I am?" then you have to go to an authority. The Vedic injunction therefore asks you, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "If you are actually seriously an inquirer, then you must go to a spiritual master."
So six things he's questioning. First of all, prakṛti, one, puruṣa, two, kṣetra, three, kṣetra-jña, four, knowledge, five, and the knowable object of knowledge, six. These are the subject matter, Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna is asking from Kṛṣṇa. Because he has accepted Kṛṣṇa guru. So for bona fide inquiries, transcendental inquiries, one must approach a guru. That is the Vedic injunction. That Arjuna has already done. When he was he was to fight or not to fight, But he could not make solution. So to make a solution we must approach Kṛṣṇa as guru, or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's representative... In, they are the same.
Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. By pleasing guru, you can please Kṛṣṇa. Even Kṛṣṇa is not pleased, if the guru is pleased, Kṛṣṇa has to be pleased. Because he's representative.
Suppose you have given somebody power of attorney to do some business. So after finishing the business, if you see the paper, not very favorable, it has not been done very nicely, still you have to accept. Because your representative has signed it. Yes. Therefore yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. Kṛṣṇa not satisfied, but if your guru is satisfied, then Kṛṣṇa must be satisfied. This is Kṛṣṇa's obligation. Because He has sent representative. Kṛṣṇa has... ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān (SB 11.17.27). Kṛṣṇa says: "ācārya, that is I am." Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit. "Never try to neglect ācārya. Nāvamanyeta. Neither think of ācārya as ordinary person. Vedic injunction is one must approach understand all this subject matter.
This is the fact because we get it from Vedic information that nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13) "God is the chief living entity amongst all living entities. God is the most intelligent personality than all of us. He is supplying the necessities of life to everyone." These are the Vedic injunctions. That is the difference between God and ourself.
This is the Vedic injunction. That one Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, He is giving us satisfaction. Whatever we want to enjoy. He's given us full facility within this material world. But because we do not know what is actual enjoyment, therefore the so-called enjoyment is turning to be distressed condition.
Arjuna is disciple, and Kṛṣṇa is the teacher. The disciple submissively inquired from the teacher about knowledge. That is the Vedic injunction. You cannot have knowledge, I cannot have knowledge, without teacher. By speculative advancement, one cannot come to the real platform of knowledge. At the present moment, so many philosophers, scientists, they are trying to advance in knowledge by speculation. "I think," "In my opinion," "Perhaps," like this. These things are going on. Big, big philosophers, scientists, they give their opinion. "I think like this." Everybody is thinking, "I think..." And it is being supported. Knowledge means anyone can think in any way, and at the present moment that is being accepted as knowledge.
So this is going on. 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?
So therefore the Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Abhigacchet, "must." Gacchet. This form of verb, vidhilin, is used when there is the meaning "must. Abhigacchet. So it is not optional that "I may go or I may not go." No. You must go. That is Vedic injunction. So here is the perfect teacher, Kṛṣṇa, real jagad-guru. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it appears in due course of time. There is a time when Kṛṣṇa appears. Everything is there in the calculation of the śāstras.
Just like we have got a fixed time for the sunrise. Everyone knows that in the morning at 6:30 there will be sunrise. That is certain. Similarly, in the śāstras there is description when Kṛṣṇa comes down, descends in this universe. In one day of Brahmā at the end of Dvāpara-yuga... Brahmā's days are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ (BG 8.17). Forty-three lakhs of years multiplied by one thousand becomes one day of Brahmā. So forty-three lakhs thousand times, add another forty-three lakhs times thousand—this is the period after which Kṛṣṇa comes.
But that is going on, especially in India. I have no qualification of a brāhmaṇa, but still, I say, "I'm brāhmaṇa." But they are called dvija-bandhu, dvija-bandhu. You cannot say. Brahma jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ. If you have got full knowledge of Brahman, then you are a brāhmaṇa. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). And Nārada Muni says that these qualifications can be acquired by others also. As a son of a brāhmaṇa can, by bad association, disqualify himself, similarly, a son of a non-brāhmaṇa, he can qualify himself. It is education. It is not that it is monopoly by a certain section, no. That is not the Vedic injunction.
Vedic injunction is, as it is in the Bhagavad-gītā: catur-varṇyaṁ māyā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Guṇa-karma. You must have the qualities of a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or a vaiśya or a śūdra. There are four divisions of the society. So if you have the qualification of a brāhmaṇa, guṇa, and if you act as a brāhmaṇa, then you are a brāhmaṇa. You have no qualification, you don't act as a brāhmaṇa—how you claim yourself as brāhmaṇa? No. That is not allowed. This is śāstric injunction.
Nārada Muni says, yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiśet (SB 7.11.35). Every has got qualification. That is very natural. That is very natural. Yasya hi yal-lakṣaṇaṁ syād varṇābhivyanjakam. To ascertain which class a man belongs, whether he is a brāhmaṇa, or a kṣatriya, or vaiśya, there are qualifications. Just like ordinarily we know. We understand an engineer by qualification, a medical practitioner by qualification. We don't ask, "Whose son you are, Mr. Engineer?" No. If you have got engineer's qualification, you are engineer. Otherwise, how can you be engineer? Similarly, yasya hi yal-lakṣaṇaṁ syād varṇābhivyanjakam. Varṇa. This is brahminical quality.
Now if you say, Kṛṣṇa is in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, far, far away from here. How He accepts?" That is the answer is here, that sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādam. He has got hands. That is the Vedic injunction. Apāṇi-pādo javana-gṛhītaḥ. The Absolute Brahman has no hands and legs, but He can accept anything, He can walk everywhere. Just contradictory. Paśyaty acakṣuḥ. He has no eyes. but He can see everything. This is the difference. He has got His form. That is spiritual form, that is not this material, limited form, but He has got His form. One who does not understand His unlimited form, Brahman form, sarvataḥ... Everywhere He can go, everywhere He can see, everywhere He can accept whatever you offer. Everywhere He can walk. That is His form, but He is not formless.
These are the Vedic injunctions. He takes whole foodstuff, still He remains full. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). These are the Vedic injunctions." So that is, Kṛṣṇa is teaching, sarvataḥ śrutimal loke. He can hear. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, far, far away, therefore we are chanting His glory here, He cannot... (break)
...sarvataḥ śrutimal loke. He can hear everywhere. Sarvataḥ śrutimal loke. Sarvam āvṛtya tiṣṭhati. Because He is Brahman, He is covering everything. He is everywhere. Bṛhatyad bṛhanatvat(?). Therefore He is Paraṁ Brahman. This is knowledge. You have to understand... Don't think Kṛṣṇa is limited because he appeared before us, He has appeared here in the form of a stone. He's not stone. Stone is His energy.
Everything we can know. This human form of body is specially meant for that purpose. You can understand what you are, what is this material nature, what is God and how we are related, how things are going on. Everything is there, but we are so foolish that we do not take care. We live like cats and dogs, eat something and sleep and have sexual intercourse and then we are afraid always and then die. This is cats' and dogs' life. Real life is to know, athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is real life, human life. One must be inquisitive to understand the Absolute Truth, brahma-jijñāsā, not inquiring in the market, "What is the rate of share? What is the rate of rice? No, not for this inquiry. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. To inquire about the Absolute Truth, uttamam, beyond this material nature. Udgata tamam. This material nature is called tama. Tamaso mā jyotir gama. These are the Vedic injunctions.
Similarly, so long we are in ignorance, that is our sleeping stage. Therefore the Vedic mantra is uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata. "Now you have got this human form of life. Do not sleep like animals, cats and dogs. Get up!" That is Vedic injunction. Tamaso mā jyotir gama: "Don't remain in this darkness. Just come forward to the jyoti." Jyoti means... That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
- na tad bhāsayate sūryo
- na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ
- yad gatvā na nivartante
- tad dhāma paramaṁ mama
- (BG 15.6)
Everything is there. Here you require the sunlight, the moonlight, the electricity, but there is another nature, paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). There there is no need of sun, there is no need of moon, because each and every planet is illuminating. Yad gatvā na nivartante. And if you go there, then you do not come back again in this material world, which is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ (BG 8.15).
Janma sārthaka kari. First of all we have to make our life perfect by following these principles. Not that we shall remain all along gṛhastha. No. That is not Vedic injunction. At a certain age you must give up your gṛhastha life. Whatever is done is done. That's all. Finished. That is Vedic civilization. Brahmacārī, vānaprastha, uh..., gṛhastha, vānaprastha, then sannyāsa. Four orders of spiritual life and four orders of material life, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. This is called varṇāśrama-dharma. So India, it is especially practiced, India. This bhārata-bhūmi specially. Therefore bhārata-bhūmi is called puṇya-bhūmi. But we are giving up all this. We are becoming allured by something else. That is our misfortune. (end)
So there are... Because king would take responsibility. If the head man is taught very nicely everything about society, economic development and religion, if he is taught very nicely, then he can, I mean to say, introduce the ideas in the country. Therefore there was monarchy. The king would learn from the brāhmaṇas how to rule over the citizens. That was perfect. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. Rāja and ṛṣi. Or rāja means king and ṛṣi means saintly person. So either the ṛṣis did know or the kings did know. Or a king who is not less than a ṛṣi, he could know and he could rule over. That is the Vedic injunction. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. But without being rājarṣi, without being highly qualified, nobody can understand.
Similarly, our position is dog. We must understand it. We cannot live independently. It is not possible. Every living being. Therefore, in the Vedic injunction is nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). God and the living entities, they're... Both of them are living entities, being. But what is the difference between God and living entities? The living entities are maintained by God, and God is the maintainer. That is the difference. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. We cannot maintain ourself. God maintains. Therefore, according to the Christian principle, they go to the church to beg bread from God.
That degree will not help us. Unless one is God consciousness, he cannot have any good qualification. That is the Vedic injunction. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). As I have given the example of the hunter: before becoming God conscious, he was a cruel hunter, and after being God conscious, he was not ready to kill even an ant. This is the result. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām (BG 18.54). Then he's entered in the devotional service of the Lord. Not abruptly one can become devotee. The symptoms must be there, the qualities must be there. Suppose if somebody comes and says, "I am very rich man." So I shall have to see his symptoms, whether he has got a nice car, nice dress, or, there are so many symptoms. Similarly, simply by speaking that "I am God conscious" will not do.
| Page Title: | Vedic injunctions (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 19 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=91, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 91 |