Prabhupāda: Kaurava, oh. Yes. No, not that they are not Kṛṣṇa conscious; they may be. That's all right. My business is to execute what Kṛṣṇa says. That's all. That is bhakti.
- sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
- tat-paratvena nirmalam
- hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa
- sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
- (CC Madhya 19.170)
Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam jñāna-karmādy anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇanu (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). We have to act to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is bhakti. We cannot make our choice that, "This is good, this is bad." Whatever Kṛṣṇa says is all right. Then it is bhakti. Arjuna proposed that, "Kṛṣṇa, why shall I fight with my brothers? After all, they are my brothers. They are enjoying the kingdom. Let them enjoy. I shall better live by begging. Why shall I fight with them?" It is a very good proposal, very gentlemanlike. But Kṛṣṇa said: "No, you must fight." Kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam anārya-juṣṭam—"You're talking like anārya. Fight." This is the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. And when he understood that, "Kṛṣṇa wants it," he said, "Yes"—kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73). "Yes." So we cannot discriminate what is good or bad. We have to act according to the order of Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. But you cannot do independently also. When Kṛṣṇa orders, you do it. And Kṛṣṇa will order when you are faithful servant. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam.
This is the process. If we manufacture our own ways, that is nonsense. That will not help us.
Mr. Sharma: When one person surrenders to God, surrenders to Lord Kṛṣṇa, so does māyā automatically vanishes?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa says . . .
Mr. Sharma: If I say, I pray to God, "O Lord Kṛṣṇa, I surrender unto You." So is . . . māyā will not touch me? I will not be affected by this material infection?
Prabhupāda: Yes. If you fully surrender, māyā will not touch you.
Mr. Sharma: How one surrenders? What is meaning of surrender?
Prabhupāda: Surrender as He says, sarva-dharmān . . . you have nothing to do. You have simply to do what Kṛṣṇa says. That is surrender. You cannot reserve anything that, "I do it something for me and something for Kṛṣṇa." That is not surrender. You have nothing to do except what Kṛṣṇa says. That is surrender.
Mr. Sharma: If that is surrender, means I now surrender.
Prabhupāda: Otherwise, it's not surrender.
Mr. Sharma: Only saying is not surrender?
Prabhupāda: You have to act, become active.
Mr. Sharma: So one who has surrendered, what is his thinking, his acting? How he lives in the world?
Prabhupāda: He's active only on Kṛṣṇa's business. That's all. He has no other business.
Mr. Sharma: So he does no other work. He does only what Kṛṣṇa has said.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Mr. Sharma: Preaching and this and that. So it means we people who work . . .
Prabhupāda: Yes, just like we are doing. Kṛṣṇa said that, "Surrender unto Me." And what we are preaching? We are preaching, "Sir, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa." So what is the difficulty? Is there any difficulty? Kṛṣṇa said: "Surrender unto Me." And if I go to you, "Mr. Sharma, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa." So what is my difficulty?
Mr. Sharma: Suppose I want to surrender to God, to Kṛṣṇa. How I will do it?
Prabhupāda: No, no, first of all my position, because I am working on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa says: "You surrender unto Me." So if I say that, "Sir, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa," so where is my difficulty?
Mr. Sharma: I see. Yes, I say I surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: You surrender, not surrender, that is you business. But my business is that I am requesting you that you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. So where is my difficulty? You surrender, not surrender, that is your business. But my business is to canvass, "Sir, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa." So I am representing. And Kṛṣṇa says, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ (BG 18.69). I have to be recognized by Kṛṣṇa. That is my business. So if I do agree, then I become recognized by Kṛṣṇa. You do or not do, that is your business. My only business is to request you.
Mr. Sharma: That I should surrender.
Prabhupāda: Yes. But if you accept it, it is good for you; you don't accept it, that is your misfortune. But my business is finished.
Mr. Sharma: So fortune comes very much into it.
Prabhupāda: Fortune you create. Man is the architect of his own fortune. If you don't accept Kṛṣṇa's advice, then unfortunate. But my business is not difficult. We are simply going door to door and asking, "Sir, you become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa." If he is inquisitive, "How can I become?" "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So where is my difficulty? Haven't got to pay you something. I simply carry the message of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa says, na ca tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya (BG 18.69). "He's My most beloved person, who does this thing." So why shall I give up this simple job and become recognized by Kṛṣṇa? It is very simple thing. That is the advice of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128): "All of you become guru and deliver these persons where you live." So "How can I become guru? I have no education, I have no knowledge." No, no. You haven't got to—yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128): "You go and simply instruct him what Kṛṣṇa has said, you become guru." So Kṛṣṇa has said, "Surrender unto Me," I say: "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa," I become guru. Even though I am a fool number one, I become guru, because I am repeating what Kṛṣṇa has said. That's all. I don't require any education. Very simple thing. Everyone can become guru if he simply repeats what Kṛṣṇa has said, that's all.