76/12/17 Hyderabad, Bhagavad-gita 3.25
Prabhupada:
saktah karmany avidvamso
yatha kurvanti bharata
kuryad vidvams tathasaktas
cikirsur loka-sangraham
[Bg. 3.25]
There are two classes of men: vidvan, learned, and the fools, not learned, known as the fool. Human being, they are, of course, very intelligent than the animals. But amongst themselves there are more intelligent, less intelligent. On the whole, they are more intelligent than the animals.
So far intelligence is concerned, in the matter of considering eating, sleeping, sex, and defense, that is equal either in the animal or in the human being. It doesn't require any education. Even the dog knows how to use sex life. It doesn't require a Freud's philosophy. But the rascal human society, they are thinking that "Here is a big philosopher. He is writing about sex." This is going on. Eating, simply eating... Here is land. You work little, get your food grains produced and you can sumptuously eat. But it doesn't require a scientific slaughterhouse for bringing big, big cows and live in the city at the cost of the lives of the poor animals. This is misuse of intelligence. This is not intelligence.
Therefore a devotee who is actually intelligent, they should show the way how our intelligence can be utilized. That is explained here, saktah karmany avidvamsah. Avidvamsah, fools, men with poor fund of knowledge, they have discovered so many lines of activities, simply foolishness.
So modern civilization, the so-called advancement of civilization, is, I mean to say, planned by the avidvamsah, men with poor fund of knowledge. They are not advancement of civilization. Therefore they do not believe in the transmigration of the soul. They do not believe, avoid the major issue and they are planning. In this life they will live for fifty or sixty years, making big, big plans, saktah, being materially attached, saktah karmani, and discovering new, new methods of engagement. Avidvamsah. They do not know how to engage one brain and talent.
That we have discussed the other day, that pravrttim ca nivrttim ca na vidur asura janah. In which way we have to engage our brain and talent they do not know. That is the difference between a devata and an asura. Asura does not know. Asura thinks that he will live forever and let him prepare big, big plans for material comforts. This is asuric civilization. He'll not be allowed to stay here. Duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. It is the place for suffering so that we can understand our position.
But these fools, they do not take the suffering into consideration. They are making plans for more suffering. This is foolish civilization. They cannot... The so-called scientists, they are talking in jugglery of words, advancement. And as we were discussing this morning, any intelligent can ask, "So what you have solved? What kind of solution you have made of this problem of birth, death, old age and disease? Have you solved this problem?" That they will not say, "Yes." "Yes, we are trying after millions of years it may be possible." That is also... "It may be that we shall live forever." They say like that. Now, who is going to live for millions of years to see, to confirm your proposal? Everyone will be finished within fifty, sixty years. You will be... You rascal, you also will be finished. And who is going to see your resultant action?
So this is going on. Therefore it is the duty of the intelligent person to show the way of living.
saktah karmany avidvamso
yatha kurvanti bharata
kuryad vidvams tathasaktas
cikirsur loka-sangraham
[Bg. 3.25]
Just like we are, taken to Krsna consciousness, the plowing or producing foodstuff because our business is that we can go anywhere, ask or begging a half capati or one-fourth capati. In four or five houses we can collect. Especially in India still, they will be glad. If a sannyasi goes to a householder house and asks, "Give me something, a little bit of capati," they will immediately give. So there is no need of making a big plan of agricultural activities.
We have no need, but still, we have to do that. That is, it is said, kuryat: "He must do it." Kuryat, this word is used that "You must." I can say that "What is the necessity of my big agricultural program? I can go anywhere, ask a little capati." No, we have to do it. Why? Kuryad vidvams tatha asaktah. A learned person, they'll do that, but asakta, no attachment. The karmis, they do... Even nonsense things, they are very much attached to it. But one who is vidvan, he shall do exactly like that, but the difference is no asakti, no attachment. Kuryad vidvams tatha asaktah.
Why? Cikirsur loka-sangraham: So that others may follow that "You... Why you are making big, big plan of big, big factories? You take to this process for your economic problem solved." Krsna advises, krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. This is the agriculture, cow protection, trade. No industry. Krsna never says industry, trade. Trade means... Suppose here we are attempting to grow food stuff. So after eating for ourselves, if there is excess, then we can take this food grains or anything which we have produced to a place where there is need. That is called trade. Trade in exchange also. There is exchange. That is also trade. So that is recommended by Krsna, and because we are Krsna conscious, we must abide by the order of Krsna, krsi-go-raksya-vani...
Not for all, but a class of men, they are in the third category. The first category is the brahmana, the man in knowledge. He knows what is the value of life, how life should be directed this way and that way. They know, themselves, and they give guidance to the other who have no such knowledge. Therefore brahmana is the guru of all other classes of men, ksatriyas, vaisyas.
Just like our position is brahmana, but we are anasakta. Without any attachment we shall try to give them the direction how one can live very peacefully and save time for Krsna consciousness. That is stated here. Kuryad vidvams tatha asaktas cikirsur loka-sangraham. The idea is how to direct common men to live peacefully and become Krsna conscious. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 3.25 -- Hyderabad, December 17, 1976
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
"How To Become An Ideal Person"
66/05/30 New York, Bhagavad-gita 3.21-25
Prabhupada: All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees.
Yaj-jihvagre nama tubhyam. Aho bata sva-paco 'to gariyan yaj-jihvagre nama tubhyam: "A person, whatever he may be, even he is very low born, but if he utters the holy name of God by his tongue, he becomes the glorious person." Sva-pacah atah. Sva-paca. Sva means dog, and pacah... Pacah means one who eats dogs. In India the dog-eaters are considered to be the lowest class of men, dog-eaters. So sva-pacah. sva-pacah means the dog-eaters. So even the dog-eaters, even if he is a dog-eater, it doesn't matter. If he can chant the holy name of Lord, then he becomes glorious. Aho bata sva-paco 'to gariyan yaj-jihvagre nama tubhyam. So this Hare Krsna chanting is glorious, and anyone who chants this, he becomes glorious.
So Lord Krsna says that
yad yad acarati sresthas
tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
[Bg. 3.21]
Yad yad: "Whatever is practiced by the principal or the superiors..." In every society, in every country, there are certain class of men who are considered the leaders or the superior men. So Lord Krsna says that whatever is practiced by the top list men, that is followed by the ordinary class of men. Sa yat pramanam kurute. And the top list man, whatever he adopts or whatever scripture or whatever instruction he admits, lokas tad anuvartate. Ordinary class of men, they generally follow. The whole idea is that Krsna wants Arjuna to become an ideal person, ideal person, so that ordinary men can follow. And generally the practice is also the same. Any leader, if the leader of the people, they are ideal, he is ideal... A leader of the man, if he is ideal, the followers also become ideal. And if the leader of the society or country is not an ideal man, then the followers or the countrymen or the members of the society, they are also of the same type.
Now, Krsna says,
na me parthasti kartavyam
trisu lokesu kincana
nanavaptam avaptavyam
varta eva ca karmani
[Bg. 3.22]
"Now see, Arjuna. I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I have nothing to do in this world for gaining something." Everyone does some-thing with the purpose of some gain. Without gain nobody works -- either spiritual gain or material gain. Somebody works for material gain, and somebody works for spiritual gain. There must be some gain. But Lord Krsna, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Supreme Personality of Godhead means He is full with opulence, all opulence. Now, what are the things we, generally, people aspire after? People, generally they want wealth. They want riches. They want to be very highly rich man, accumulate wealth, millions and millions of rupees. Then somebody wants to become very strong man. Somebody wants to become very beautiful man. Somebody wants to become very learned man. Somebody wants to be very famous man, so on. There are six opulences. I have discussed in this hall many times.
Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah (Visnu Purana 6.5.47). There are six kinds of opulences -- means wealth, strength, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation. Renunciation is also considered as opulence. Somebody has got immense money, immense wealth, but at once he renounces everything and becomes a mendicant, for some cause, of course. There are many instances in political field. Somebody, for political emancipation, he gives up everything, all homely comforts, and everything renounces and becomes a very famous man in the political field. Similarly, there are men in the spiritual field also. They renounces everything for achievement of spiritual perfection. So renunciation is also one of the opulences. So wealth, strength, beauty, knowledge, renunciation -- so these things are opulences. Now, Lord Krsna, He says that "I have nothing to gain, all these opulences." But because the definition of God is one who has got in full all these opulences, He is God. The definition of God is like that in the Vedic literature. Everything has got a definition. So the definition of God is that aisvaryasya samagrasya. One who possesses full wealth, full wealth, and full strength, full fame, full beauty, full knowledge and full renunciation -- He is God.
So Lord Sri Krsna proved. When Lord Sri Krsna was present amongst ourselves, from the history we can see that... If we have to believe the history, then He was in full in everything. He was full in everything. So far as a householder also, when Lord Krsna displayed His capacity as a householder... You will be surprised. Perhaps most of you know that He married 16,108 wives. Sixteen thousand... So somebody may be surprised that "How a person can marry 16,108 wives?" Yes. A ordinary person like us or a little more strong person, that is not possible. But when the word omnipotency is applied... God is called omnipotency, so for Him nothing is impossible. So if we have to believe the history, then Lord Sri Krsna married 16,108 wives, and He built 16,108 palaces also, well-decorated, fully equipped, all-marble palaces. And there was no need of light. The palaces were so nicely decorated with jewels that the light focused by the jewels, that will illuminate the house. And another thing -- He was present in every house simultaneously. Sixteen thousand wives and sixteen thousand houses -- He was present in sixteen thousand expansions by Himself. So that is called opulence. These are the opulences. So Lord Krsna was full.
Now, when Lord Krsna was present on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, He was very old man. He was very old man, although you see His picture just like a young man of twenty years old. But you have seen. Some of you must have seen the picture of Krsna of battlefield. Arjuna is sitting on the chariot, and Krsna is the chariot driver. Arjuna and Krsna was of the same age, but Arjuna looks older; Krsna looks younger. And Krsna at that time had great-grandchildren. His grandchildren and His grandchildren's children were present at that time, and the whole family extended to about ten millions.
So this may be astonishing, but for God is nothing astonishing. If it is a fact that everyone is the son of God... Sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayo yah [Bg. 14.4]. You will find in the Bhagavad-gita that "In every species of life, in whatever form you may see them, I am the father of all of them." Now, if He is the father of all living beings, just calculate how many living beings there are throughout the whole universe or in the creation. In comparison to that, if He displayed that He had only ten millions of sons and grandsons and grandchildren, that was nothing more. So these are things. Krsna was equipped in that way.
So He says that "Partha, My dear Arjuna, I have nothing to give. Don't think that I am here in the battlefield to assist you just for some remuneration or for some gain because I can have anything and everything at My will only." Na me parthasti kartavyam: "Therefore I have no fixed duty." In the Upanisad you will find the definition of Brahman. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate: "The Supreme Brahman has nothing to do." That is the distinction. We have got everything to do. Suppose we want spiritual perfection. So we have to do something. We have to perform something. We have to act practically. We have to go, accept penance, we have to accept... Just like we are trying to chant
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
So the idea is that "I may be elevated to the perfect position." So anything, if we desire, we have to do something. But the definition of Brahman and God is that He has nothing to do. The Veda, Upanisad, say. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate: "He has nothing to do." Still, He is God.
Not that one becomes God by doing something. Nowadays it has been practiced to say that "I have meditated so many years, I have undergone so much penance. Then I have become now God." Oh, God is not manufactured in that way. God cannot be manufactured. Now, Krsna, when He was in the lap of His mother, He was God at that time also, not that He had to grow up and undergo some penance and austerity and vows and go to the jungle or Himalaya or accept some very great spiritual master and so on, so on; then He became God, as it has been now the practice, that anyone who... He's a little advanced in spiritual life, and if he can display some wonders, oh, he at once becomes God. So God is not so cheap thing. Simply by playing some wonders...
Just like the other day I narrated the story of Durvasa Muni. Durvasa Muni was a great yogi. The yogis can display many wonders, many wonders. In my childhood I had got one tutor. So he was telling about his spiritual master. He was a yogi. That... He said that when he visited his spiritual master who was a yogi, his spiritual master asked him, "What do you want to eat?" And because my teacher knew that his spiritual master was a great yogi, he wanted to have a taste of pomegranate of Kabul. In India pomegranate of Kabul, Afghanistan, that is very famous. So his spiritual master said, "Yes, you will find it in this room. You can see it." So he saw that just it has been taken from the tree of pomegranate, and the juice was falling down. You see? So these wonders can be played by a yogi. You see? There are many yogis still living; they can manufacture gold. They can manufacture gold. The process is that they can eat, I mean to say, what is called? Para. What is the English of para, that liquid metal, white?
Rayarama: Mercury?
Prabhupada: Mercury. Yes. (chuckles) Yes. Mercury. They eat mercury. They eat mercury, and after, the next morning, they pass urine, and in that urine they put some copper coins, just like you have got, cents. And when it is heated, the copper coins becomes gold. And it is a chemical, theoretical truth that the mercury, molecules of mercury, the molecules of gold are almost similar. Only one molecule is different. So mercury can be turned into gold. That is a chemical fact. And we have got information from Vedic scripture that formerly gun metal, gun metal mixed with mercury, could be transformed into gold. So these are some of the chemical process, physical process, which is being done by scientific advancement of knowledge. There are many yogis who can do by yogic power. Just like by physical process...
Now people are trying to travel in the space, but the yogis can travel in the space very swiftly, more swifter than any sputnik. Just like the other day I narrated, the Durvasa Muni traveled all over the space in the universe and outside the universe, and he came back within one year. So therefore Krsna's another name is Yogesvara. Yogesvara. There are many yogis and many yogic principle, but Krsna is the master of all yoga. So if ordinary yogis, they can display some wonders, so why not Krsna? He is the Yogesvara; He is the lord of all yogis. So by performance of this yoga-prakriya(?), or the yogic mystic powers, one cannot become God. God is different from all of them. So Krsna was that God. So His manifestations, His work...
Now, here He says which I was going to explain from Vedic scripture. So Krsna says, na me parthasti kartavyam: "I have nothing to do." He has nothing to do; still, He is so powerful? Yes. That is confirmed in the Vedic scripture, that Brahman, the nature of Brahman, is described like this, na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate: "The nature of Brahman is that He has nothing to do." He has nothing to do. That is the difference between God and ourself. We have to do everything to achieve a certain aim, but God has nothing to do. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate: "And nobody is found who is equal to Him and or greater than Him." Nobody is found. These are the definition in the Vedic literature, that "God has nothing to do. Nobody is equal to Him, and nobody is greater than Him."
That means everyone is below Him. Everyone is below Him. Nobody can be equal with God. Even such great demigods like Siva and Brahma... They are considered to be the highest demigods. Still, in the scriptures it is said that nobody should place all these demigods, even Siva and Brahma, on equal footing with Visnu, Visnu the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Krsna. So Krsna has nothing to do. God, who is actually God, He has nothing to do. He has nothing to do. He is God from the very beginning. And He is all-powerful with all opulences. That is the God. So Krsna says, "I have nothing to do," trisu lokesu kincana, "not only in this earth, but in the three worlds, anywhere, anywhere I can go, anywhere I can work, anywhere I can see. But still, I have nothing to do."
Na anavaptam avaptavyam: "It is not that I am deficient in My possession." We work because we find deficient ourself. In any power, in any, either spiritual power or material power, we have to work because we are deficient. So Krsna is not deficient so that He has to fill up the deficiency. No. Na anavaptam. So still, varta eva ca karmani. Now, He says that "Arjuna, you see that still, I have engaged Myself in the worldly duties." Why? Just to become the ideal man. Although He was not man, He was God, because He was playing the part of a man, therefore He was...
Why He was taking part in the battlefield? He had nothing to gain out of it personally, but why He was taking part in the battlefield? Just for the right cause. So He wanted to establish that for right cause there must be fighting. You cannot abolish violence from the world. This is the instruction of Krsna in Bhagavad-gita. If required, violence will be taken. And Krsna induced Arjuna to be violent. Arjuna wanted to be nonviolent, but He wanted that "You should. You must fight. This fight is arranged by Me." So these examples.
These are the examples. Nothing is bad... Nothing is good if it is not purposeful. That is the whole purpose of teaching Bhagavad-gita. Nothing is good; nothing is bad. Everything is good, everything is bad, in this material world, but we have to see. Just like the common phrase goes, "The end justifies the means. The end justifies the means." So that is Krsna teaching here that He has nothing to gain. He is full in Himself. But just to set examples in the world He was taking part in the fighting because He wanted to establish it that fighting for good cause should not be avoided. That was His mission.
Then further He says,
yadi hy aham na varteyam
jatu karmany atandritah
mama vartmanuvartante
manusyah partha sarvasah
[Bg. 3.23]
Manusyah. Now just see. Here it is said. Manusyah means all men. All men. So Krsna is not for a particular society or particular religious community or particular country or particular time. No. Krsna is the leader of all men for all the time in all the countries in all the worlds and all the universes. So He is not a sectarian Personality of Godhead. We should know. Manusyah. Manusyah, it is plural number: "All men." All men. So He said, "If I do not set example by My practical work, then because I am the leader of all men, all living entities, they will be wrongly directed." Wrongly directed.
Now, actually we see also. At least in India we have got this experience. Now, this Bhagavad-gita... The Bhagavad-gita, we always... We must always remember that it is being taught in the actual battlefield. Now, a great personality like Mahatma Gandhi, he wanted to prove from Bhagavad-gita nonviolence. He was... He was in favor of the doctrine of nonviolence. Now, you have seen Mahatma Gandhi's picture that he is always standing with Bhagavad-gita like this. So Bhagavad-gita was his life and soul practically. And in the morning he was having Bhagavad-gita class; in the evening he was having Bhagavad-gita class. So that was his life and soul. But unfortunately he interpreted Bhagavad-gita in his own way. Although he took Bhagavad-gita as his life and soul, so, but he interpreted it in his own way. That is not the way of understanding Bhagavad-gita. Therefore such a great man and such a good man... He was not only a great man; he was very good man in the worldly estimation. His character, his behavior, his dealing -- everything was good. He was ideal personality. But just see. He was killed by violence. He could not stop violence.
Rupanuga: He was killed by violence?
Prabhupada: Yes. He was killed by violence. And his idea... He wanted to make Hindu-Muslim unity in India. The British government fabricated the Hindu-Muslim riots, and lastly, at last also, their purpose was fulfilled by partition of India, Pakistan and India. Now, Mahatma Gandhi worked throughout his whole life just to make a unification of the Hindus and Muslims. Unfortunately, at last, he had to see that the Hindus and Muslims of India were divided into Pakistan and India. And his nonviolence also failed.
So, because if we do not follow the right person, mahajana -- mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186] -- then however I may be great in the estimation of the innocent public, that is wrong path. That is wrong path. Therefore the right thing is to follow the succession. Now, we have to follow the principle which Krsna sets. Krsna is not advocating, I mean to say, nonviolence. You cannot eradicate violence from this world. That is not possible because Krsna Himself is on the battlefield and He is trying to induce Arjuna. Arjuna is declining and He is inducing, "No, you must fight." Yad yad acarati sresthah. So we have to follow the footprints of great personalities. Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam. Mahajana. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam you will find that it has been advised that religious principles should be followed by taking the life examples of great personalities. Religious principles...
It has been described in the Bhagavata that tarko 'pratisthah. If you want to establish religious truth, you cannot establish it by your logic and argument. It is not possible because I may be a very perfect religious man, but I may not be a very good arguer; another strong man who can argue very strongly, who knows logic very nicely, he can defeat me. He can make my all conclusion null and void. So therefore, simply by argument or logical conclusion one cannot reach to the truth, to the religious truth. It is not possible. Tarko 'pratisthah srutayo vibhinnah. Srutayah means revealed scriptures. Revealed scriptures. Just like in the world there are many revealed scriptures. There are Vedas, Puranas, the Bible, the Koran, and there are so many religious scriptures also. And if you go on reading them, although the aim is one, still, you will find some discrepancy from one to another. Srutayo vibhinnah. Vibhinnah means they are diverse. They are diverse. Srutayo vibhinna nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam. And so far philosophers are concerned, one philosopher tries to defeat another philosopher. That is the philosophical way. So nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam, dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam. Therefore this truth of religion is very confidential. Nihitam guhayam. Guhayam means it is very confidential.
Now, how to know it? Now, mahajano yena gatah sa panthah: [Cc. Madhya 17.186] "You just try to find out great men, great men of religious life, and you just try to follow." Now, you may have in your own ideal some great men. No. They are also checked. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam twelve different personalities have been described that "These persons are great men." So we have to follow their principle and, or their, in the principle in their disciplic succession. Then we can fulfill. The same thing is here also described. Yad yad acarati sresthas lokas tad anuvartate. And Sri Krsna Himself... Undoubtedly Sri Krsna is the greatest personality in those days and still now also. Still, in all, not only in India, in all parts of the world, Sri Krsna is accepted as the greatest leader of philosophical presentation of this Bhagavad-gita. Every nation, every country reads it very minutely. So undoubtedly He is a great leader. Now, if we follow Krsna, not only we are chanting
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
But we have to follow the principles laid down in the Bhagavad-gita. That will make our life successful. Practically we have to apply this, have to apply the principle. Otherwise the whole attempt will be failure.
That is explained in the next verse.
utsideyur ime loka
na kuryam karma ced aham
sankarasya ca karta syam
upahanyam imah prajah
[Bg. 3.24]
"If I do not place idea before the living entities, praja..." Praja means those who have taken birth, they are called praja. Ja means birth. Janma, janma. And praja, prakrsta-rupena ja. Anyone, praja... Just like in a state it is called praja, or citizens, who have taken the birth in that particular place. So similarly, Lord Krsna says that "If I do not set example in My life, then there will be unwanted population." Unwanted population. And actually that has become now in the present world. By not following the principles of God consciousness or Krsna consciousness we have got now unwanted population. Unwanted population. Here it is plainly written, sankarasya ca karta syam. Sankarasya ca means cross-breeding, sankarasya.
According to Vedic rites, the breeding of child is very nicely enunciated. That is called garbhadhana-samskara. Garbhadhana-samskara. Before begetting a child, one has to perform some ceremonies just to make his mind completely pure and sanctified. Both the husband and wife become sanctified, and then they take part in sex life, and that child becomes, comes out a very nice child. So from the very beginning of the birth there are systems how to beget good population. So these things are there.
Now, Krsna says that "If I do not place the ideal life, then the population will be sankara." Sankara means unwanted, creating disturbances always. There will be no peace in the world. And actually we are feeling that there is no peace in the world. Why? Because the population has become unwanted. And by increasing such population the natural sequence will be... There must be. There will be some disease, there will be some famine or there will be some war when the population will be vanquished. That is the law of nature. That is accepted in economics also, Malthusian theory. Perhaps most of you know that whenever there is unwanted population these three things will naturally, by nature's course will appear -- famine, pestilence, and war -- and the population will be finished. So there was some unwanted population at that time also for which Krsna arranged the war, battlefield of war. Battlefield of war. So we have to follow. If we want very good population, very good generation, then we have to follow the principles of Bhagavad-gita.
The principles of Bhagavad-gita is ultimately described, as we will find in the last state,
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
[Bg. 18.66]
That is the real religion. Now, in the Fourth Chapter you will find that Lord says that "I come down in this, as incarnation." Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata: [Bg. 4.7] "I come down whenever there is some flaw in the religious principles." Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, abhyutthanam adharmasya. The flaw in the religious principle means advancement of irreligiosity. Abhyu tthanam adharmasya. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8].
Paritranaya sadhunam. Sadhu. Sadhu means who are actually following the religious principles. They are called sadhu. Sadhu means good men. There is description of sadhu also,
titiksavah karunikah
suhrdah sarva-dehinam
ajata-satravah santah
sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah
[SB 3.25.21]
Sadhu, one who is called sadhu... Sadhu means titiksavah. Titiksavah means very tolerant, very tolerant, very much tolerant. Titiksavah karunikah. At the same time very kind-hearted. We find these two characters in the life of Lord Jesus. He was very much tolerant, at the same time kind to the people in general. You see? So titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam. And he is friend. A sadhu is friend of all living entities. He is not only friend of the human kind. He is friend of the animals. He is friend of the trees. He is friend of the ants, worms, reptiles, serpents -- everyone. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam. And ajata-satru. And because he is friend of everyone, he has no enemy. But unfortunately the world is so infidel, even to such a sadhu there is enemy. Just like Lord Jesus Christ had some enemies, and Mahatma Gandhi had also some enemies who killed him. So the world is such treacherous. Even a sadhu, he has some enemies. You see? But sadhu, from his side, he has no enemy. He is friend of everyone. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam. And ajata-satravah santah, always peaceful. These are the qualities of sadhu, saintly persons.
So Lord comes down. Paritranaya sadhunam [Bg. 4.8]. His special purpose of coming down as incarnation is to save the sadhus because sadhus are always persecuted by the demons, the demonic class, the atheist class. They are always prepared to persecute the sadhus. The Lord comes -- paritranaya sadhunam -- just to protect the sadhus or the saintly persons, and vinasaya ca duskrtam, and to vanquish the miscreants. That is the mission. When Lord Krsna comes or any incarnation of Lord comes actually, not so-called advertised incarnation... I mean to say that you will find. All the incarnation in the Vedic literature, they are named there, not that anyone can manufacture himself as incarnation. Every incarnation is mentioned in the Vedic scripture, when and how, what kind of work he will do, and what place, which place, and everything in detail is there so that there is chart of the incarnation. Nobody can become an incarnation beyond that chart. There is chart. Just like there will be an incarnation of Kalki, I have several times spoken before you, which will take place about four millions of years later on. Still, His name is mentioned in the Bhagavata, and the place is also mentioned. His father's name is also mentioned. This is called incarnation.
So Lord comes as incarnation for these two purposes: to protect the saintly persons and to annihilate the atheistic demons, and to establish the real purpose of religion. Now, the point was that is the real purpose of religion? That real purpose of religion, now, Krsna said that "I descend for establishing the purpose of religion." Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati, dharma-samsthapanarthaya [Bg. 4.7]. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. Duskrtam.
These two things, and the third thing is dharma-samsthapanarthaya, and for the purpose of establishing the principle of religion. Now, in the last word He says that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], that "You give up all kinds of religion that you have manufactured. You simply surrender unto Me." So religious principle means to surrender unto God and nothing more. But that's all. That is the real principle of religion. Religion without God consciousness, that is no religion, at least according to Bhagavad-gita. Without God consciousness, without establishing my relationship with the Supreme Lord, there cannot be any religious principle. You may go on advertising some new kind of religious principle, and every day and every moment they are being manufactured in all over the world, and there are so many groups of religious principle, but here, according to Bhagavad-gita, real religious principle means to establish your lost relationship with the Supreme Lord.
We are eternally related with the Supreme Lord, just like the father and the son is eternally related. That relation cannot be cut off. A father may become, a son may become rebellious to his father, but he cannot say that "he is not my father." Is it possible? No, that is not possible. How can it be possible? I may disagree with my father in so many points of view, but if somebody asks you, "Who is your father?" oh, I will have to say the same enemy, who I have taken as my enemy. Similarly, as the father and the son, the relationship cannot be cut off, similarly, our relationship with the Supreme Lord cannot be cut off. It is not possible. If we want to cut off our relationship with the Supreme Lord, or God, by artificial means, then the result will be that we shall be more and more unhappy.
Therefore the principle business of the human civilization is to establish, reestablish the lost relationship. The world is suffering by this lost relationship, godless civilization. That should not be tolerated. People should be taught, they should revive their God consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, by all means and then they will be happy. That is the whole principle. Lord Krsna says that
utsideyur ime loka
na kuryam karma ced aham
sankarasya ca karta syam
upahanyam imah prajah
[Bg. 3.24]
"If I do not set examples in this way, then the whole population of the world will be contaminated, and there will be unwanted population and there will be..." The whole world will appear just like hell. It is not it will be inhabitable for good men.
So therefore, He says, saktah karmany avidvamso yatha kurvanti bharata.
saktah karmany avidvamso
yatha kurvanti bharata
kuryad vidvams tathasaktas
cikirsur loka-sangraham
[Bg. 3.25]
Cikirsur loka-sangraham. Now, somebody is fighting for some personal gain. Now, at the present moment sometimes fighting takes place for some personal ambition. To fulfill some personal ambition. But that was not... That should not be the case. To fulfill one's personal ambition, any risky thing should not be taken. No. Krsna says, "Just like foolish people, they work being too much attached for their sense gratification, similarly, those who are learned, those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge, they also may work similarly, but not for the purpose of sense gratification."
How it is possible? Just like a merchant, a mercantile man, he is doing some business and working very hard day and night to accumulate some money, similarly, a devotee of the Lord also can earn money in the same spirit, working day and night. Superficially it will appear just like this man and that man. There is no difference. They are working the same day and night for earning some money. But the devotee or the man who is established in relationship with God, his expenditure will be different. His expenditure will be not for sense gratification. For advancement of God consciousness. That is the ideal man. There is no harm. If you work, very, very much attached to your business or anyone, that doesn't matter.
The same thing just we have explained before, that the results should be given to God. Just like Rupa Gosvami. Rupa Gosvami... The other day I cited the example. When they retired, they brought home two boats ful of gold coins, millions of rupees. But before retirement they spent 50 percent of the accumulation of wealth for God's cost. And 25 percent he distributed to the relatives. They also expect some money. And 25 percent they kept in the bank for personal needs in some extraordinary times. So here Krsna also said that saktah karmany avidvamsah. Just like fool, those who are after sense gratification, as they are working with full attachment, that "I must have this money. I must accumulate this bank balance and so on, so on," so similarly, yatha kurvanti bharata, as they devote, similarly, vidvams... Vidvan means learned also may work in that way, but he would spend the money in such a way that is example. That is example. That example -- "Oh, such a big man, such a rich man. He distributed his money..." Just like Rupa Gosvami. He distributed his money like this. Oh.
Therefore those who are devotees, those who are following the principles of devotion, they see the ideal. Well, our former acarya or former devotee, I mean to say, guru or spiritual master, he had so much money, and he distributed in this way. The distribution, money, was accepted like that. So people would follow that. So Krsna advises Arjuna that "You also become an ideal man, that you become a fighter for the cause of God. Then you become the ideal man. Your principle will be followed by others."
And that is what I want and therefore I am instructing you. Thank you very much. Now, if you have got any questions, you can put. [break] ...one is checked from doing his rightful duty. That is real violence. In some years ago at Jhansi I was, not in the sannyasa days. I went there, and, by invitation of some friends, and they wanted to give me some lectures. That was Gandhi's birthday, and they asked me to speak on some nonviolence. So I spoke that violence means to check a person from the discharge of his duties. That is violence. That was my viewpoint.
Devotee: To interfere with another's course.
Prabhupada: Yes. Now, every man has got his prime duty of life. If that duty is checked, that is violence. So I wanted to place, and that is a fact from Vedic literature, that human life is meant for realization of God consciousness or reestablishing his relationship, lost relationship, with God. This is the claim of every human being. Human being... I have several times explained to you. The human being is distinct from animal life in this way, that animal, they do not know what is the aim of life. The human life is meant for realizing, self-realization. If any civilization, that is checking people's progress in the matter of self-realization, that is the most virulent type of violence because people are being checked from the natural advancement of life. This human life is the point when one has to end all the miseries of material existence. That is the aim of human life. If people are not educated to that light, if people are misled in other ways, that is the greatest violence committed to the population. And according to the scripture, they are called atma-han. Atma-han means the greatest violence committed to the population. And according to the scripture, they are called atma-han. Atma-han means suicidal, suiciding.
There is a nice verse that just like this material world is accepted as a great ocean. Now, to cross over a great Atlantic Ocean from New York to, I mean to say, Portugal... Just like Columbus came. Now we have got great big ships, but he had to face many dangers. Just it is very difficult to cross over the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, but if you have got a very good vehicle, ship or anything else, you can very nicely cross over, similarly, the example is given that this material life is a great ocean, and this human body is a good boat. This human body is a good boat for crossing this ocean. And the spiritual master is a good captain. You see? And the instruction of Lord Krsna, or a similar instruction, Vedic instruction, are favorable wind. Just like if you want to cross the Atlantic Ocean from New York, if the wind is blowing westward, then your journey becomes very favorable. So the favorable wind is blowing by this instruction of the Vedas, and there are many stalwart acaryas who are just like the captain, and this human body is just like a good ship.
Now, the living soul who is seated in such a favorable condition, if he does not cross over the material ocean, then he is making suicide. He is making suicide. Sa eva atma-han. So we have to take advantage. We have to take advantage of this favorable condition to end this miserable material existence. And if anyone does not take the advantage, then he is committing suicide. That is the version of Bhagavata. Or... Either he is personally committing suicide or any civilization which is checking this process, that is also violent, the most virulent type of violence, because people are misled. So this is the idea of the scriptures, that human life should be utilized only for spiritual self-realization. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966
Prabhupada: All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees.
Yaj-jihvagre nama tubhyam. Aho bata sva-paco 'to gariyan yaj-jihvagre nama tubhyam: "A person, whatever he may be, even he is very low born, but if he utters the holy name of God by his tongue, he becomes the glorious person." Sva-pacah atah. Sva-paca. Sva means dog, and pacah... Pacah means one who eats dogs. In India the dog-eaters are considered to be the lowest class of men, dog-eaters. So sva-pacah. sva-pacah means the dog-eaters. So even the dog-eaters, even if he is a dog-eater, it doesn't matter. If he can chant the holy name of Lord, then he becomes glorious. Aho bata sva-paco 'to gariyan yaj-jihvagre nama tubhyam. So this Hare Krsna chanting is glorious, and anyone who chants this, he becomes glorious.
So Lord Krsna says that
yad yad acarati sresthas
tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
[Bg. 3.21]
Yad yad: "Whatever is practiced by the principal or the superiors..." In every society, in every country, there are certain class of men who are considered the leaders or the superior men. So Lord Krsna says that whatever is practiced by the top list men, that is followed by the ordinary class of men. Sa yat pramanam kurute. And the top list man, whatever he adopts or whatever scripture or whatever instruction he admits, lokas tad anuvartate. Ordinary class of men, they generally follow. The whole idea is that Krsna wants Arjuna to become an ideal person, ideal person, so that ordinary men can follow. And generally the practice is also the same. Any leader, if the leader of the people, they are ideal, he is ideal... A leader of the man, if he is ideal, the followers also become ideal. And if the leader of the society or country is not an ideal man, then the followers or the countrymen or the members of the society, they are also of the same type.
Now, Krsna says,
na me parthasti kartavyam
trisu lokesu kincana
nanavaptam avaptavyam
varta eva ca karmani
[Bg. 3.22]
"Now see, Arjuna. I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I have nothing to do in this world for gaining something." Everyone does some-thing with the purpose of some gain. Without gain nobody works -- either spiritual gain or material gain. Somebody works for material gain, and somebody works for spiritual gain. There must be some gain. But Lord Krsna, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Supreme Personality of Godhead means He is full with opulence, all opulence. Now, what are the things we, generally, people aspire after? People, generally they want wealth. They want riches. They want to be very highly rich man, accumulate wealth, millions and millions of rupees. Then somebody wants to become very strong man. Somebody wants to become very beautiful man. Somebody wants to become very learned man. Somebody wants to be very famous man, so on. There are six opulences. I have discussed in this hall many times.
Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah (Visnu Purana 6.5.47). There are six kinds of opulences -- means wealth, strength, beauty, knowledge, and renunciation. Renunciation is also considered as opulence. Somebody has got immense money, immense wealth, but at once he renounces everything and becomes a mendicant, for some cause, of course. There are many instances in political field. Somebody, for political emancipation, he gives up everything, all homely comforts, and everything renounces and becomes a very famous man in the political field. Similarly, there are men in the spiritual field also. They renounces everything for achievement of spiritual perfection. So renunciation is also one of the opulences. So wealth, strength, beauty, knowledge, renunciation -- so these things are opulences. Now, Lord Krsna, He says that "I have nothing to gain, all these opulences." But because the definition of God is one who has got in full all these opulences, He is God. The definition of God is like that in the Vedic literature. Everything has got a definition. So the definition of God is that aisvaryasya samagrasya. One who possesses full wealth, full wealth, and full strength, full fame, full beauty, full knowledge and full renunciation -- He is God.
So Lord Sri Krsna proved. When Lord Sri Krsna was present amongst ourselves, from the history we can see that... If we have to believe the history, then He was in full in everything. He was full in everything. So far as a householder also, when Lord Krsna displayed His capacity as a householder... You will be surprised. Perhaps most of you know that He married 16,108 wives. Sixteen thousand... So somebody may be surprised that "How a person can marry 16,108 wives?" Yes. A ordinary person like us or a little more strong person, that is not possible. But when the word omnipotency is applied... God is called omnipotency, so for Him nothing is impossible. So if we have to believe the history, then Lord Sri Krsna married 16,108 wives, and He built 16,108 palaces also, well-decorated, fully equipped, all-marble palaces. And there was no need of light. The palaces were so nicely decorated with jewels that the light focused by the jewels, that will illuminate the house. And another thing -- He was present in every house simultaneously. Sixteen thousand wives and sixteen thousand houses -- He was present in sixteen thousand expansions by Himself. So that is called opulence. These are the opulences. So Lord Krsna was full.
Now, when Lord Krsna was present on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, He was very old man. He was very old man, although you see His picture just like a young man of twenty years old. But you have seen. Some of you must have seen the picture of Krsna of battlefield. Arjuna is sitting on the chariot, and Krsna is the chariot driver. Arjuna and Krsna was of the same age, but Arjuna looks older; Krsna looks younger. And Krsna at that time had great-grandchildren. His grandchildren and His grandchildren's children were present at that time, and the whole family extended to about ten millions.
So this may be astonishing, but for God is nothing astonishing. If it is a fact that everyone is the son of God... Sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayo yah [Bg. 14.4]. You will find in the Bhagavad-gita that "In every species of life, in whatever form you may see them, I am the father of all of them." Now, if He is the father of all living beings, just calculate how many living beings there are throughout the whole universe or in the creation. In comparison to that, if He displayed that He had only ten millions of sons and grandsons and grandchildren, that was nothing more. So these are things. Krsna was equipped in that way.
So He says that "Partha, My dear Arjuna, I have nothing to give. Don't think that I am here in the battlefield to assist you just for some remuneration or for some gain because I can have anything and everything at My will only." Na me parthasti kartavyam: "Therefore I have no fixed duty." In the Upanisad you will find the definition of Brahman. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate: "The Supreme Brahman has nothing to do." That is the distinction. We have got everything to do. Suppose we want spiritual perfection. So we have to do something. We have to perform something. We have to act practically. We have to go, accept penance, we have to accept... Just like we are trying to chant
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
So the idea is that "I may be elevated to the perfect position." So anything, if we desire, we have to do something. But the definition of Brahman and God is that He has nothing to do. The Veda, Upanisad, say. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate: "He has nothing to do." Still, He is God.
Not that one becomes God by doing something. Nowadays it has been practiced to say that "I have meditated so many years, I have undergone so much penance. Then I have become now God." Oh, God is not manufactured in that way. God cannot be manufactured. Now, Krsna, when He was in the lap of His mother, He was God at that time also, not that He had to grow up and undergo some penance and austerity and vows and go to the jungle or Himalaya or accept some very great spiritual master and so on, so on; then He became God, as it has been now the practice, that anyone who... He's a little advanced in spiritual life, and if he can display some wonders, oh, he at once becomes God. So God is not so cheap thing. Simply by playing some wonders...
Just like the other day I narrated the story of Durvasa Muni. Durvasa Muni was a great yogi. The yogis can display many wonders, many wonders. In my childhood I had got one tutor. So he was telling about his spiritual master. He was a yogi. That... He said that when he visited his spiritual master who was a yogi, his spiritual master asked him, "What do you want to eat?" And because my teacher knew that his spiritual master was a great yogi, he wanted to have a taste of pomegranate of Kabul. In India pomegranate of Kabul, Afghanistan, that is very famous. So his spiritual master said, "Yes, you will find it in this room. You can see it." So he saw that just it has been taken from the tree of pomegranate, and the juice was falling down. You see? So these wonders can be played by a yogi. You see? There are many yogis still living; they can manufacture gold. They can manufacture gold. The process is that they can eat, I mean to say, what is called? Para. What is the English of para, that liquid metal, white?
Rayarama: Mercury?
Prabhupada: Mercury. Yes. (chuckles) Yes. Mercury. They eat mercury. They eat mercury, and after, the next morning, they pass urine, and in that urine they put some copper coins, just like you have got, cents. And when it is heated, the copper coins becomes gold. And it is a chemical, theoretical truth that the mercury, molecules of mercury, the molecules of gold are almost similar. Only one molecule is different. So mercury can be turned into gold. That is a chemical fact. And we have got information from Vedic scripture that formerly gun metal, gun metal mixed with mercury, could be transformed into gold. So these are some of the chemical process, physical process, which is being done by scientific advancement of knowledge. There are many yogis who can do by yogic power. Just like by physical process...
Now people are trying to travel in the space, but the yogis can travel in the space very swiftly, more swifter than any sputnik. Just like the other day I narrated, the Durvasa Muni traveled all over the space in the universe and outside the universe, and he came back within one year. So therefore Krsna's another name is Yogesvara. Yogesvara. There are many yogis and many yogic principle, but Krsna is the master of all yoga. So if ordinary yogis, they can display some wonders, so why not Krsna? He is the Yogesvara; He is the lord of all yogis. So by performance of this yoga-prakriya(?), or the yogic mystic powers, one cannot become God. God is different from all of them. So Krsna was that God. So His manifestations, His work...
Now, here He says which I was going to explain from Vedic scripture. So Krsna says, na me parthasti kartavyam: "I have nothing to do." He has nothing to do; still, He is so powerful? Yes. That is confirmed in the Vedic scripture, that Brahman, the nature of Brahman, is described like this, na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate: "The nature of Brahman is that He has nothing to do." He has nothing to do. That is the difference between God and ourself. We have to do everything to achieve a certain aim, but God has nothing to do. Na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate: "And nobody is found who is equal to Him and or greater than Him." Nobody is found. These are the definition in the Vedic literature, that "God has nothing to do. Nobody is equal to Him, and nobody is greater than Him."
That means everyone is below Him. Everyone is below Him. Nobody can be equal with God. Even such great demigods like Siva and Brahma... They are considered to be the highest demigods. Still, in the scriptures it is said that nobody should place all these demigods, even Siva and Brahma, on equal footing with Visnu, Visnu the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Krsna. So Krsna has nothing to do. God, who is actually God, He has nothing to do. He has nothing to do. He is God from the very beginning. And He is all-powerful with all opulences. That is the God. So Krsna says, "I have nothing to do," trisu lokesu kincana, "not only in this earth, but in the three worlds, anywhere, anywhere I can go, anywhere I can work, anywhere I can see. But still, I have nothing to do."
Na anavaptam avaptavyam: "It is not that I am deficient in My possession." We work because we find deficient ourself. In any power, in any, either spiritual power or material power, we have to work because we are deficient. So Krsna is not deficient so that He has to fill up the deficiency. No. Na anavaptam. So still, varta eva ca karmani. Now, He says that "Arjuna, you see that still, I have engaged Myself in the worldly duties." Why? Just to become the ideal man. Although He was not man, He was God, because He was playing the part of a man, therefore He was...
Why He was taking part in the battlefield? He had nothing to gain out of it personally, but why He was taking part in the battlefield? Just for the right cause. So He wanted to establish that for right cause there must be fighting. You cannot abolish violence from the world. This is the instruction of Krsna in Bhagavad-gita. If required, violence will be taken. And Krsna induced Arjuna to be violent. Arjuna wanted to be nonviolent, but He wanted that "You should. You must fight. This fight is arranged by Me." So these examples.
These are the examples. Nothing is bad... Nothing is good if it is not purposeful. That is the whole purpose of teaching Bhagavad-gita. Nothing is good; nothing is bad. Everything is good, everything is bad, in this material world, but we have to see. Just like the common phrase goes, "The end justifies the means. The end justifies the means." So that is Krsna teaching here that He has nothing to gain. He is full in Himself. But just to set examples in the world He was taking part in the fighting because He wanted to establish it that fighting for good cause should not be avoided. That was His mission.
Then further He says,
yadi hy aham na varteyam
jatu karmany atandritah
mama vartmanuvartante
manusyah partha sarvasah
[Bg. 3.23]
Manusyah. Now just see. Here it is said. Manusyah means all men. All men. So Krsna is not for a particular society or particular religious community or particular country or particular time. No. Krsna is the leader of all men for all the time in all the countries in all the worlds and all the universes. So He is not a sectarian Personality of Godhead. We should know. Manusyah. Manusyah, it is plural number: "All men." All men. So He said, "If I do not set example by My practical work, then because I am the leader of all men, all living entities, they will be wrongly directed." Wrongly directed.
Now, actually we see also. At least in India we have got this experience. Now, this Bhagavad-gita... The Bhagavad-gita, we always... We must always remember that it is being taught in the actual battlefield. Now, a great personality like Mahatma Gandhi, he wanted to prove from Bhagavad-gita nonviolence. He was... He was in favor of the doctrine of nonviolence. Now, you have seen Mahatma Gandhi's picture that he is always standing with Bhagavad-gita like this. So Bhagavad-gita was his life and soul practically. And in the morning he was having Bhagavad-gita class; in the evening he was having Bhagavad-gita class. So that was his life and soul. But unfortunately he interpreted Bhagavad-gita in his own way. Although he took Bhagavad-gita as his life and soul, so, but he interpreted it in his own way. That is not the way of understanding Bhagavad-gita. Therefore such a great man and such a good man... He was not only a great man; he was very good man in the worldly estimation. His character, his behavior, his dealing -- everything was good. He was ideal personality. But just see. He was killed by violence. He could not stop violence.
Rupanuga: He was killed by violence?
Prabhupada: Yes. He was killed by violence. And his idea... He wanted to make Hindu-Muslim unity in India. The British government fabricated the Hindu-Muslim riots, and lastly, at last also, their purpose was fulfilled by partition of India, Pakistan and India. Now, Mahatma Gandhi worked throughout his whole life just to make a unification of the Hindus and Muslims. Unfortunately, at last, he had to see that the Hindus and Muslims of India were divided into Pakistan and India. And his nonviolence also failed.
So, because if we do not follow the right person, mahajana -- mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186] -- then however I may be great in the estimation of the innocent public, that is wrong path. That is wrong path. Therefore the right thing is to follow the succession. Now, we have to follow the principle which Krsna sets. Krsna is not advocating, I mean to say, nonviolence. You cannot eradicate violence from this world. That is not possible because Krsna Himself is on the battlefield and He is trying to induce Arjuna. Arjuna is declining and He is inducing, "No, you must fight." Yad yad acarati sresthah. So we have to follow the footprints of great personalities. Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam. Mahajana. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam you will find that it has been advised that religious principles should be followed by taking the life examples of great personalities. Religious principles...
It has been described in the Bhagavata that tarko 'pratisthah. If you want to establish religious truth, you cannot establish it by your logic and argument. It is not possible because I may be a very perfect religious man, but I may not be a very good arguer; another strong man who can argue very strongly, who knows logic very nicely, he can defeat me. He can make my all conclusion null and void. So therefore, simply by argument or logical conclusion one cannot reach to the truth, to the religious truth. It is not possible. Tarko 'pratisthah srutayo vibhinnah. Srutayah means revealed scriptures. Revealed scriptures. Just like in the world there are many revealed scriptures. There are Vedas, Puranas, the Bible, the Koran, and there are so many religious scriptures also. And if you go on reading them, although the aim is one, still, you will find some discrepancy from one to another. Srutayo vibhinnah. Vibhinnah means they are diverse. They are diverse. Srutayo vibhinna nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam. And so far philosophers are concerned, one philosopher tries to defeat another philosopher. That is the philosophical way. So nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam, dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam. Therefore this truth of religion is very confidential. Nihitam guhayam. Guhayam means it is very confidential.
Now, how to know it? Now, mahajano yena gatah sa panthah: [Cc. Madhya 17.186] "You just try to find out great men, great men of religious life, and you just try to follow." Now, you may have in your own ideal some great men. No. They are also checked. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam twelve different personalities have been described that "These persons are great men." So we have to follow their principle and, or their, in the principle in their disciplic succession. Then we can fulfill. The same thing is here also described. Yad yad acarati sresthas lokas tad anuvartate. And Sri Krsna Himself... Undoubtedly Sri Krsna is the greatest personality in those days and still now also. Still, in all, not only in India, in all parts of the world, Sri Krsna is accepted as the greatest leader of philosophical presentation of this Bhagavad-gita. Every nation, every country reads it very minutely. So undoubtedly He is a great leader. Now, if we follow Krsna, not only we are chanting
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
But we have to follow the principles laid down in the Bhagavad-gita. That will make our life successful. Practically we have to apply this, have to apply the principle. Otherwise the whole attempt will be failure.
That is explained in the next verse.
utsideyur ime loka
na kuryam karma ced aham
sankarasya ca karta syam
upahanyam imah prajah
[Bg. 3.24]
"If I do not place idea before the living entities, praja..." Praja means those who have taken birth, they are called praja. Ja means birth. Janma, janma. And praja, prakrsta-rupena ja. Anyone, praja... Just like in a state it is called praja, or citizens, who have taken the birth in that particular place. So similarly, Lord Krsna says that "If I do not set example in My life, then there will be unwanted population." Unwanted population. And actually that has become now in the present world. By not following the principles of God consciousness or Krsna consciousness we have got now unwanted population. Unwanted population. Here it is plainly written, sankarasya ca karta syam. Sankarasya ca means cross-breeding, sankarasya.
According to Vedic rites, the breeding of child is very nicely enunciated. That is called garbhadhana-samskara. Garbhadhana-samskara. Before begetting a child, one has to perform some ceremonies just to make his mind completely pure and sanctified. Both the husband and wife become sanctified, and then they take part in sex life, and that child becomes, comes out a very nice child. So from the very beginning of the birth there are systems how to beget good population. So these things are there.
Now, Krsna says that "If I do not place the ideal life, then the population will be sankara." Sankara means unwanted, creating disturbances always. There will be no peace in the world. And actually we are feeling that there is no peace in the world. Why? Because the population has become unwanted. And by increasing such population the natural sequence will be... There must be. There will be some disease, there will be some famine or there will be some war when the population will be vanquished. That is the law of nature. That is accepted in economics also, Malthusian theory. Perhaps most of you know that whenever there is unwanted population these three things will naturally, by nature's course will appear -- famine, pestilence, and war -- and the population will be finished. So there was some unwanted population at that time also for which Krsna arranged the war, battlefield of war. Battlefield of war. So we have to follow. If we want very good population, very good generation, then we have to follow the principles of Bhagavad-gita.
The principles of Bhagavad-gita is ultimately described, as we will find in the last state,
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
[Bg. 18.66]
That is the real religion. Now, in the Fourth Chapter you will find that Lord says that "I come down in this, as incarnation." Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata: [Bg. 4.7] "I come down whenever there is some flaw in the religious principles." Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, abhyutthanam adharmasya. The flaw in the religious principle means advancement of irreligiosity. Abhyu tthanam adharmasya. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8].
Paritranaya sadhunam. Sadhu. Sadhu means who are actually following the religious principles. They are called sadhu. Sadhu means good men. There is description of sadhu also,
titiksavah karunikah
suhrdah sarva-dehinam
ajata-satravah santah
sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah
[SB 3.25.21]
Sadhu, one who is called sadhu... Sadhu means titiksavah. Titiksavah means very tolerant, very tolerant, very much tolerant. Titiksavah karunikah. At the same time very kind-hearted. We find these two characters in the life of Lord Jesus. He was very much tolerant, at the same time kind to the people in general. You see? So titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam. And he is friend. A sadhu is friend of all living entities. He is not only friend of the human kind. He is friend of the animals. He is friend of the trees. He is friend of the ants, worms, reptiles, serpents -- everyone. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam. And ajata-satru. And because he is friend of everyone, he has no enemy. But unfortunately the world is so infidel, even to such a sadhu there is enemy. Just like Lord Jesus Christ had some enemies, and Mahatma Gandhi had also some enemies who killed him. So the world is such treacherous. Even a sadhu, he has some enemies. You see? But sadhu, from his side, he has no enemy. He is friend of everyone. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-dehinam. And ajata-satravah santah, always peaceful. These are the qualities of sadhu, saintly persons.
So Lord comes down. Paritranaya sadhunam [Bg. 4.8]. His special purpose of coming down as incarnation is to save the sadhus because sadhus are always persecuted by the demons, the demonic class, the atheist class. They are always prepared to persecute the sadhus. The Lord comes -- paritranaya sadhunam -- just to protect the sadhus or the saintly persons, and vinasaya ca duskrtam, and to vanquish the miscreants. That is the mission. When Lord Krsna comes or any incarnation of Lord comes actually, not so-called advertised incarnation... I mean to say that you will find. All the incarnation in the Vedic literature, they are named there, not that anyone can manufacture himself as incarnation. Every incarnation is mentioned in the Vedic scripture, when and how, what kind of work he will do, and what place, which place, and everything in detail is there so that there is chart of the incarnation. Nobody can become an incarnation beyond that chart. There is chart. Just like there will be an incarnation of Kalki, I have several times spoken before you, which will take place about four millions of years later on. Still, His name is mentioned in the Bhagavata, and the place is also mentioned. His father's name is also mentioned. This is called incarnation.
So Lord comes as incarnation for these two purposes: to protect the saintly persons and to annihilate the atheistic demons, and to establish the real purpose of religion. Now, the point was that is the real purpose of religion? That real purpose of religion, now, Krsna said that "I descend for establishing the purpose of religion." Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati, dharma-samsthapanarthaya [Bg. 4.7]. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam [Bg. 4.8]. Duskrtam.
These two things, and the third thing is dharma-samsthapanarthaya, and for the purpose of establishing the principle of religion. Now, in the last word He says that sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], that "You give up all kinds of religion that you have manufactured. You simply surrender unto Me." So religious principle means to surrender unto God and nothing more. But that's all. That is the real principle of religion. Religion without God consciousness, that is no religion, at least according to Bhagavad-gita. Without God consciousness, without establishing my relationship with the Supreme Lord, there cannot be any religious principle. You may go on advertising some new kind of religious principle, and every day and every moment they are being manufactured in all over the world, and there are so many groups of religious principle, but here, according to Bhagavad-gita, real religious principle means to establish your lost relationship with the Supreme Lord.
We are eternally related with the Supreme Lord, just like the father and the son is eternally related. That relation cannot be cut off. A father may become, a son may become rebellious to his father, but he cannot say that "he is not my father." Is it possible? No, that is not possible. How can it be possible? I may disagree with my father in so many points of view, but if somebody asks you, "Who is your father?" oh, I will have to say the same enemy, who I have taken as my enemy. Similarly, as the father and the son, the relationship cannot be cut off, similarly, our relationship with the Supreme Lord cannot be cut off. It is not possible. If we want to cut off our relationship with the Supreme Lord, or God, by artificial means, then the result will be that we shall be more and more unhappy.
Therefore the principle business of the human civilization is to establish, reestablish the lost relationship. The world is suffering by this lost relationship, godless civilization. That should not be tolerated. People should be taught, they should revive their God consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, by all means and then they will be happy. That is the whole principle. Lord Krsna says that
utsideyur ime loka
na kuryam karma ced aham
sankarasya ca karta syam
upahanyam imah prajah
[Bg. 3.24]
"If I do not set examples in this way, then the whole population of the world will be contaminated, and there will be unwanted population and there will be..." The whole world will appear just like hell. It is not it will be inhabitable for good men.
So therefore, He says, saktah karmany avidvamso yatha kurvanti bharata.
saktah karmany avidvamso
yatha kurvanti bharata
kuryad vidvams tathasaktas
cikirsur loka-sangraham
[Bg. 3.25]
Cikirsur loka-sangraham. Now, somebody is fighting for some personal gain. Now, at the present moment sometimes fighting takes place for some personal ambition. To fulfill some personal ambition. But that was not... That should not be the case. To fulfill one's personal ambition, any risky thing should not be taken. No. Krsna says, "Just like foolish people, they work being too much attached for their sense gratification, similarly, those who are learned, those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge, they also may work similarly, but not for the purpose of sense gratification."
How it is possible? Just like a merchant, a mercantile man, he is doing some business and working very hard day and night to accumulate some money, similarly, a devotee of the Lord also can earn money in the same spirit, working day and night. Superficially it will appear just like this man and that man. There is no difference. They are working the same day and night for earning some money. But the devotee or the man who is established in relationship with God, his expenditure will be different. His expenditure will be not for sense gratification. For advancement of God consciousness. That is the ideal man. There is no harm. If you work, very, very much attached to your business or anyone, that doesn't matter.
The same thing just we have explained before, that the results should be given to God. Just like Rupa Gosvami. Rupa Gosvami... The other day I cited the example. When they retired, they brought home two boats ful of gold coins, millions of rupees. But before retirement they spent 50 percent of the accumulation of wealth for God's cost. And 25 percent he distributed to the relatives. They also expect some money. And 25 percent they kept in the bank for personal needs in some extraordinary times. So here Krsna also said that saktah karmany avidvamsah. Just like fool, those who are after sense gratification, as they are working with full attachment, that "I must have this money. I must accumulate this bank balance and so on, so on," so similarly, yatha kurvanti bharata, as they devote, similarly, vidvams... Vidvan means learned also may work in that way, but he would spend the money in such a way that is example. That is example. That example -- "Oh, such a big man, such a rich man. He distributed his money..." Just like Rupa Gosvami. He distributed his money like this. Oh.
Therefore those who are devotees, those who are following the principles of devotion, they see the ideal. Well, our former acarya or former devotee, I mean to say, guru or spiritual master, he had so much money, and he distributed in this way. The distribution, money, was accepted like that. So people would follow that. So Krsna advises Arjuna that "You also become an ideal man, that you become a fighter for the cause of God. Then you become the ideal man. Your principle will be followed by others."
And that is what I want and therefore I am instructing you. Thank you very much. Now, if you have got any questions, you can put. [break] ...one is checked from doing his rightful duty. That is real violence. In some years ago at Jhansi I was, not in the sannyasa days. I went there, and, by invitation of some friends, and they wanted to give me some lectures. That was Gandhi's birthday, and they asked me to speak on some nonviolence. So I spoke that violence means to check a person from the discharge of his duties. That is violence. That was my viewpoint.
Devotee: To interfere with another's course.
Prabhupada: Yes. Now, every man has got his prime duty of life. If that duty is checked, that is violence. So I wanted to place, and that is a fact from Vedic literature, that human life is meant for realization of God consciousness or reestablishing his relationship, lost relationship, with God. This is the claim of every human being. Human being... I have several times explained to you. The human being is distinct from animal life in this way, that animal, they do not know what is the aim of life. The human life is meant for realizing, self-realization. If any civilization, that is checking people's progress in the matter of self-realization, that is the most virulent type of violence because people are being checked from the natural advancement of life. This human life is the point when one has to end all the miseries of material existence. That is the aim of human life. If people are not educated to that light, if people are misled in other ways, that is the greatest violence committed to the population. And according to the scripture, they are called atma-han. Atma-han means the greatest violence committed to the population. And according to the scripture, they are called atma-han. Atma-han means suicidal, suiciding.
There is a nice verse that just like this material world is accepted as a great ocean. Now, to cross over a great Atlantic Ocean from New York to, I mean to say, Portugal... Just like Columbus came. Now we have got great big ships, but he had to face many dangers. Just it is very difficult to cross over the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, but if you have got a very good vehicle, ship or anything else, you can very nicely cross over, similarly, the example is given that this material life is a great ocean, and this human body is a good boat. This human body is a good boat for crossing this ocean. And the spiritual master is a good captain. You see? And the instruction of Lord Krsna, or a similar instruction, Vedic instruction, are favorable wind. Just like if you want to cross the Atlantic Ocean from New York, if the wind is blowing westward, then your journey becomes very favorable. So the favorable wind is blowing by this instruction of the Vedas, and there are many stalwart acaryas who are just like the captain, and this human body is just like a good ship.
Now, the living soul who is seated in such a favorable condition, if he does not cross over the material ocean, then he is making suicide. He is making suicide. Sa eva atma-han. So we have to take advantage. We have to take advantage of this favorable condition to end this miserable material existence. And if anyone does not take the advantage, then he is committing suicide. That is the version of Bhagavata. Or... Either he is personally committing suicide or any civilization which is checking this process, that is also violent, the most virulent type of violence, because people are misled. So this is the idea of the scriptures, that human life should be utilized only for spiritual self-realization. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 3.21-25 -- New York, May 30, 1966
Saturday, January 29, 2011
"How A Self-realized Soul Acts"
68/12/30 Los Angeles, Bhagavad-gita 3.18-30
Prabhupada: All glories to the assembled devotees.
Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!
Prabhupada: Who is reading? Go on. Purport. Yes. Ninety-eight. Oh, yes.
Tamala Krsna: This is chapter entitled Karma-yoga.
Prabhupada: Yes yes, go on. Go on reading.
Tamala Krsna: 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]."
Prabhupada: This is very important. What is actually self-realization? All processes, religious process, yoga practice, philosophical speculation or anything for self-realization, any method, what is the purpose? And what is the ultimate goal of the self-realization? That ultimate goal is to understand that "I am eternal servant of God, Krsna." That's all. This is self-realization. So long one is identifying oneself with this material world, with this body, with this mind, it is not self-realization. Self-realization means that I am spirit, and the Supreme Lord is also spirit, so I am part and parcel of the Supreme.
Just like take for example this finger. The finger is the part and parcel of this body. So when the finger can understand that "I am part and parcel of this whole body and my duty is to serve the whole body," that is self-realization. So long one is not understanding this point, he is illusioned. What is the position of this finger? Suppose this finger is a person. Any individual spirit is a person. That we have discussed in the second chapter. Everyone. Every one of us individual person. So as individual person what is my position? My position is... Just like you are individual citizen of the state. What is your position? To serve the state. That is your position. That is good citizenship. What does it mean, a good citizen? One who is trying to serve the state. Take, for example, in Russia, in China. They have made the state as worshipable. Any component part of the state, citizen, is to sacrifice everything for the state. In your country also, the draftboard is calling, "Come on. You have to go to the fight." But you cannot say "No," because you are component part of the state. If you deny, then you are not a good citizen. You'll be arrested, you'll be harassed by the government. Similarly, we are component parts of the whole, supreme whole.
This is self-realization. It is very simple thing. Self-realization does not mean anything very extraordinary. Hitva anyatha-rupam svarupena vyavasthitih [SB 2.10.6]. Mukti, this is called... Mukti means liberation or self-realization. What is that? Hitva anyatha-rupam. Giving up a different identity. In the conditioned state we are identifying "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am human being," "I am this," "I am that," "I am white," "I am black." These are all designations. Actually, this is not self-realization. Self-realization is that "I am neither American nor Indian nor black nor white, nor anything. I am a spirit soul, part and parcel of the whole, Krsna." This is self-realization. So long it is not completely realized, so long we have got doubt, we have to make progress. And as soon as we come to the point and firmly convinced, that is self-realization.
Therefore here it is stated, "A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties." Prescribed duties, either take for... Any scripture. Take your Bible, take Koran, take Vedas. There are some prescribed duties. Just like in your Bible, there are ten commandments. "Thou shall not kill." So for whom? One who is not self-realized, one who is self-realized that "I am part and parcel of the Supreme God, everyone is part and parcel of the Supreme God and human being, animal, ant, aquatic, beasts, birds, every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord,"... That is self-realization. Then how can you kill? If everyone is part and parcel, son of the Supreme, how can you kill your brother? This is self-realization. You'll not... You'll hesitate even to kill even an ant.
Just like we published that picture in our Back to Godhead, "The Hunter." The hunter was taking pleasure in killing animals half dead, and when he was self-realized, he was hesitating to kill even an ant. You see? Why? Self-realized. So he has no prescribed duties. To him you haven't got to say, "Thou shall not kill." He will automatically not kill because he is self-realized. Self-realized person does not do any harm to anyone because he knows everyone in relationship with the Supreme. His central point is Krsna. Neither he'll misuse anything. He makes everything proper use. "This nice foodstuff, it is given by Krsna, let it be offered to Krsna." That is not misuse; that is the proper use. "Here is nice rose flower, it is manufactured by Krsna's energy, let it be offered to Krsna." This is self-realization.
So one who has got this Krsna consciousness, he is self-realized. Everything dovetailing with Krsna. So what he has got to follow any other prescribed? Everything is complete there. Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim [Narada-pancaratra]. If one has realized the Supreme Lord, then he has no more any duty for undergoing austerities, penance, this or that, all prescribed rules. His business is finished. When a man is cured, there is no more requisition of medicine. He's in healthy state. To be engaged in devotional service, in Krsna consciousness, means he's in healthy state. He has no more any prescribed duty. You see? So not has any reason not to perform such work.
Another thing, one should not think "Because I am in Krsna consciousness, therefore oh, I shall not rise early in the morning." This is prescribed duty for one who is... No. You have to do that. Loka-sangraha. So he practically has no duty, but to show example to the general mass of people, he has got so many duties. Even Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He was also going to a school to study. He accepted spiritual master. He was offering respect to His elderly brother in relationship. So he does not... A self-realized person is always engaged in Krsna consciousness, but he does not deviate with the prescribed duties also, because others will follow. Others will also, "Oh, I am also self-realized." Therefore one has to do.
Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being. He is free because he knows that "I am part and parcel of Krsna, so I'm dependent on Krsna. Krsna is providing millions and trillions of living entities. Why not me? I am directly engaged in Krsna's service." This is the position of self-realized. Narayana-parah sarve na kutascana bibhyati [SB 6.17.28]. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: "Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activity, one should act as a matter of duty for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme [Bg. 3.18]."
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Purport: "This Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees and liberation for the impersonalists."
Prabhupada: Then what is that Supreme? The conception of Supreme... For the impersonalist, the impersonal Brahman effulgence is the Supreme. Just like light. When you come to the sunshine, that is light, but the devotees, they are not satisfied with the sunshine. They want to penetrate into the sun planet and see the sun-god. That is devotee's position. And one who cannot do so, he is satisfied with the sunshine. Everything is light. Sunshine is light, sun globe is light, and if you enter in the sun globe, there is also light.
So these are all spiritual position, impersonalist or personalist. But the impersonalist goal is partial because they are satisfied simply by seeing the light. And the devotees, they are not satisfied simply by seeing the light. They want to enter within the light to see wherefrom the light is coming. That is the difference between impersonalist and personalist. They are farther advanced.
Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. The Lord is full bliss, eternal knowledge. So the impersonalists they are satisfied with only knowledge, jnana, light, that's all. Knowledge is light. But farther advanced, say, the yogis, they want to see the localized, just like the sun globe. And the devotees, they want to see the person who is predominating over the sun globe. This is a crude example.
So the goal, ultimate goal, it is described, "The Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotee, and liberation for the impersonalist." The impersonalists, they simply want to be free from this material atmosphere and go to the spiritual atmosphere. Just like one who is in the darkness of a room, his aspiration is how to see light. That's all. The impersonalist means simply to see light, knowledge. And personalist means to direct, to be in direct touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: "A person acting for Krsna or in Krsna consciousness under proper guidance and without attachment to the result of the work, is certainly making progress toward the supreme goal of life. Indirectly, Arjuna is told that he should fight the Battle of Kuruksetra without attachment in the interest of Krsna because Krsna 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's desire is to act without attachment for the result. That is the perfect action of the highest degree, recommended by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna.
Vedic rituals, like prescribed sacrifices, are performed for purification of impious activities that were performed in the field of sense gratification. But a person who is acting in Krsna consciousness is transcendental to the actions and reactions of good or evil work. A Krsna conscious person has no attachment to the result, but acts on behalf of Krsna alone. He engages in all kinds of activities, but is completely nonattached."
Prabhupada: Yes. Just like you go to your office. You are working on behalf of the particular office. So your duty is to discharge the occupation which is entrusted upon you. So far the loss or gain of that department or that establishment, you have nothing to do. So a Krsna conscious person acts on behalf of Krsna. These boys they are going to preach Krsna consciousness. People may receive it or not receive it. That doesn't matter. Their duty is to preach. The fortunate person will be attracted, unfortunate may not be attracted, but they have to do the duty. It is very simple.
So a Krsna conscious person should not be disturbed whether his preaching work is being accepted by the people or not. It doesn't matter. My Guru Maharaja used to say that... If somebody said that "We went to preach in such and such place. Only there were three or four, attendance." So my Guru Maharaja used to encourage them and it is factual -- that "Why, two, three men were there was sufficient. If there were none, you could speak and the walls would hear you." You see. "Why you are disappointed?" So even the walls, they hear, then our kirtana is sufficient. You don't mind. Because only fortunate persons... Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. Manusyanam sahasresu [Bg. 7.3]. So to become God conscious, Krsna conscious, is not very cheap thing. It requires a great amount of austerity, penance to come to this stage. So never be disappointed that because people are not responding. You see?
There are many good examples. When Lord Jesus Christ also preached God consciousness, only a few followers were there, and still, he had to sacrifice his life. But he was never disappointed. That should be attitude of the preacher. People may accept it or not accept it, we should go on. Because if Krsna is satisfied, if Krsna sees, "Oh, these boys are doing very nice. They are trying their best to preach," that is your reward. That's all. People may accept or not accept, it doesn't matter. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: Twenty: "Even kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore just for the sake of educating the people in general you should perform your work [Bg. 3.20]."
Prabhupada: There is no cause of disappointment. You have to do your duty, that's all. Karyam. Karyam means "It is my duty, I have to do it." Go on.
Tamala Krsna: Purport: "Kings like Janaka and others were all self-realized souls, consequently they had no obligation to perform the prescribed duties in the Vedas. Nonetheless they performed all prescribed activities just to set examples for the people in general. Janaka was the father of Sita and father-in-law of Lord Sri Rama. A great devotee of the Lord like King Janaka was transcendentally situated. But because he was the king of Mithila (a subdivision of Bihar province in India) he had to teach his subjects how to act. In the Battle of Kuruksetra, the Lord wanted to teach people in general that violence is also necessary in a situation where good arguments fail. Before the Battle of Kuruksetra there was every effort to avoid the war, even by the Supreme Personality of Godhead but the other party was determined to fight. So for such a right cause there is a necessity for fighting. Therefore although one who is situated in Krsna consciousness may not have any interest in the world, he still works to teach the people how to live and how to act. Experienced persons in Krsna consciousness can act in such a way that others will follow and this is explained in the following verse."
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Twenty-one: "Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men will follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues [Bg. 3.21]."
Prabhupada: This is very important. Therefore leaders must be very ideal men. Then automatically the country or the society becomes nicely situated. Because if the leader of the society is perfect... Therefore formerly, monarchy, monarchy was current, and the king was educated very highly, how to administer state. Just like Maharaja Yudhisthira. Maharaja Yudhisthira, ideal king. Lord Ramacandra, ideal king. Somebody came to Lord Ramacandra and made Him responsible that "How Your kingdom is going that my son in the presence of his father has died?" You see, king was responsible for that. If there is severe cold, the king is responsible for that. If there is severe heat, the king is responsible for that.
Just try to understand how much a king was responsible for the happiness of the citizens. They were ideal king, and therefore the citizens also followed. They became Krsna conscious, they became all devotees. And if the leader is a sinful man and doing all impious activities, then how you can expect the citizens to be all good and pious? It is not possible. Therefore here, it is a very important subject matter. "Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men will follow in his footprints." Therefore good leader wanted. You haven't got to educate individually every citizen. If you have got a good leader, then the citizens automatically become good. And whatever standard he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues." Go on.
Tamala Krsna: Twenty-two: "O son of Prtha, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Neither am I in want of anything nor have I need to obtain anything, and yet I am engaged in work [Bg. 3.22]."
Prabhupada: Yes. Just see. Krsna, He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We work because we need something, but what need He has? He is full. He's self-sufficient, but still, He comes. As it is stated, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. "As soon as there is discrepancies in the discharge of religious principle, abhyutthanam adharmasya, and there is prominence of irreligiosity, tadatmanam srjamy aham, at that time, I descend."
Why Krsna descends? That is explained by Krsna. He comes Himself, He sends His representative, He sends His son, to reform. Krsna or Krsna's devotee or Krsna's son... Why Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed his life? Just to show that the human society must be God conscious. But unfortunately, people do not take care. They are following, they are calling themselves as Christian, but they're not following the example of Lord Jesus Christ. But they should follow, everyone. A person in Krsna consciousness, they also should follow what Krsna's devotee and Krsna... That is required.
So either Krsna or His representative who come on the planet or in this world just to show example how you should live, how you should utilize your human form of life, they have nothing to gain. They are complete. Those who are coming from spiritual kingdom or kingdom of, they have no want. They haven't got to do anything. They are all perfect. But still, they do. Similarly, those who want to be leader of the society, they should be ideal persons, they should be Krsna conscious person. Then the whole world will be happy.
Otherwise, these nonsense, simply by manipulating votes if they become leader, what they can do? They have no education. They have no training how to do good to the people. They cannot do. Only those who are devotees, those who are Krsna conscious or God conscious, they can do actual benefit to the society. Others cannot do.
Tamala Krsna: "Everything being in full opulence in the Personality of Godhead and naturally existing in all truth, there is no duty for the Supreme Personality of Godhead to perform. One who must receive the results of work has some designated duty, but one who has nothing to achieve within the three planetary systems certainly has no duty. And yet, Lord Krsna is engaged on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra as the leader of the ksatriyas because the ksatriyas are duty-bound to give protection to the distressed. Although He is above all the regulations of revealed scriptures He does not do anything which is not directed in the revealed scriptures."
Twenty-three: "For if I did not engage in work, O Partha, certainly all men would follow My path [Bg. 3.23]."
Twenty-four: "If I should cease to work then all these worlds would be put to ruination and I would be the cause of creating unwanted population and thereby destroy the peace of all sentient beings [Bg. 3.24]."
Purport: "Varna-sankara is unwanted population which disturbs the peace of the general society. In order to check this social disturbance there are prescribed rules and regulations by which the population can automatically become peaceful and organized for spiritual progress in life. When Lord Krsna descends, naturally He deals with such rules and regulations in order to maintain the prestige and necessity of such important performances. The Lord is said to be the father of all living entities and if the living entities are misguided, indirectly the responsibility goes to the Lord. Therefore whenever there is general disregard for such regulative principles, the Lord Himself descends and corrects the society. We should however note carefully that although we have to follow in the footsteps of the Lord, we still have to remember that we cannot imitate Him. Following and imitating are not on the same level."
Prabhupada: Now, Krsna at the age of seven years old, He lifted Govardhana Hill. So if we try to imitate, "Oh, Krsna lifted the Govardhana Hill. Let me also try." That is not following. You cannot do that. (chuckling) You see? Because sometimes the foolish rascals they say, "Oh, Krsna performed rasa-lila. Let me also perform rasa-lila." Therefore I forbid that don't discuss Krsna's rasa-lila with the ordinary persons. They cannot understand. They'll simply think that "Oh, it is very nice to dance with girls, boys and girls dancing." No.
We have to follow His instruction, what is given in the Bhagavad-gita. We cannot imitate Him. He is all-powerful. The same example, just like the sunshine. The sunshine can absorb moisture from filthy place, but he, it is not infected. Sun is not infected. But if you go to a filthy place, you become contaminated immediately. Yes. So nobody should try to imitate the all-powerful, but one should try to follow His instruction. That should be motto of life. Go on. "Following and imitating are not the same thing." "Same level." Yes.
Tamala Krsna: "We cannot imitate the Lord by lifting Govardhana Hill as the Lord did in His childhood. It is impossible for any human being. We have to follow His instructions, but we may not imitate Him in any way. The Srimad-Bhagavatam affirms this as follows: ‘One should simply follow the instructions of the controllers and should not imitate them in their activities. Their instructions are all good for us and any intelligent person must perform them as instructed. However, one should guard against trying to imitate their actions. One should not try to drink the ocean of poison imitating Lord Siva.' "
We should always remember the position of the isvaras, or those who actually control the movements of the sun and moon. Without such power, one cannot imitate the isvara or the superpowerful. The example set herein is very appropriate. Lord Siva drank poison to the extent of swallowing an ocean, but if any common man tries to drink even a fragment of such poison he will be killed. There are many pseudo-devotees of Lord Siva who want to indulge in smoking ganja (marijuana) and similar intoxicating drugs, forgetting that by so imitating the acts of Lord Siva they are calling death very near. Similarly, there are some pseudo-devotees of Lord Krsna who prefer to imitate the Lord in the matter of the rasa-lila or dance of love, forgetting their inability to lift the Govardhana Hill. It is best, therefore, that one not try to imitate the powerful, but simply endeavor to follow their instructions. Nor should one try to occupy the posts of the powerful without qualification. There are so many 'incarnations' of God without the powers of the Supreme Godhead."
Twenty-five: "As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to result... [Bg. 3.25]"
Prabhupada: This morning, the press representative, he was astonished that "Swamiji, so many people are coming, they are declaring that ‘I am God.' What is this?" So these rascals are like that. Therefore there are so many incarnations of God without the powers of. So people, why they should be cheated? If somebody comes and says that "I am God," why don't you test? For testing this... When Krsna assumed the Supreme Personality of Godhead... Of course, Arjuna was convinced. He accepted, param brahma param dhama [Bg. 10.12], but for future guidance, he requested Krsna, "Please show me Your universal form." Otherwise, without showing universal [form], they're still claiming that "I am God." God is not so cheap thing. They're imitating, trying to imitate. This is very dangerous.
And those who are accepting such rascals, they are also not intelligent. They should know. Just like I asked the press representative, "Suppose if I come and say that I am President Johnson, will you accept me?" So similarly, people should know what is God, what is the definition of God. How can I accept a rascal as God? They have no sense also. Somebody comes, "I am God," and he accepts, "Yes, he's God." What is this nonsense? Go on.
Tamala Krsna: "As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, similarly the learned may also act but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path."
Twenty-six: "Let not the wise disrupt the minds of the ignorant who are attached to fruitive action. They should not be encouraged to refrain from work but to engage in work in the spirit of devotion [Bg. 3.26]."
Twenty-seven...
Prabhupada: Just like Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa Thakura was chanting in a secluded place always. Now, if somebody, without being elevated to such high position, imitates, "Oh, Haridasa Thakura chanted. Let me sit down in a solitary place and chant," he cannot do that. It is not possible. He'll simply imitate and he'll do all nonsense.
Therefore everyone should be engaged in his own work, and by the fruit of his work, he should serve Krsna. We cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura. That is a different position. If one is elevated to that position, that is a different thing, but generally, that is not meant for ordinary person. Therefore everyone should do his occupational duty and try to serve the Lord by the result of his work. That should be the motto of life. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: "The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities which are in actuality carried out by nature [Bg. 3.27]."
Purport: "Two persons, one in Krsna consciousness and the other in material consciousness working on the same level, may appear to be working on the same platform, but there is a wide gulf of difference in their respective positions. The person in material consciousness is convinced by false ego that he is the doer of everything. With him there is no consideration that the mechanism of the body is produced by material nature or that material nature is under the supervision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A materialistic person has no knowledge that ultimately he is under the control of Krsna. The person in false ego takes all credit for doing everything independently, and that is the symptom of his nescience. He does not know that this gross and subtle body is the creation of material nature under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and as such his bodily and mental activities should be engaged in the service of Krsna in Krsna consciousness. He does not know that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as Hrsikesa or the master of all senses. But due to his long misuse of his senses he is factually bewildered by the false ego and that is the cause of his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Krsna."
Twenty-eight: "One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results [Bg. 3.28]."
Purport: "The knower of the Absolute Truth is convinced of his awkward position in material association. He knows that he is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna and that his position should not be in the material creation. He knows his real identity as part and parcel of the Supreme who is eternal bliss and knowledge and he realizes that somehow or other he is now entrapped in the material conception of life. In his pure state of existence, he is meant to dovetail his activities in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. He therefore engages himself in the activities of Krsna consciousness and becomes naturally unattached to the activities of the material senses which are all circumstantial and temporary. He knows that his material condition of life is under the supreme control of the Lord, consequently he is not disturbed by any kind of material reaction which he considers to be the mercy of the Lord. According to the Srimad-Bhagavatam one who knows the Absolute Truth in three different features -- namely Brahman, Paramatma, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is called tattva-vit, for he knows also his own factual position in relationship with the Supreme."
Prabhupada: There is a verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam [SB 1.2.11]. Tattva-vit. Tattva means truth and vit means one who knows. So a person who knows all these things he's called tattva-vit. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: Twenty-nine: "Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them although these duties are inferior due to the performers' lack of knowledge [Bg. 3.29]."
Purport: "Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Krsna consciousness, and therefore Lord Krsna advises us not to disturb them and simply waste valuable time. But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently they undertake all kinds of risks even to the point of approaching ignorant men to try and engage them in the acts of Krsna consciousness which are absolutely necessary for the human being."
Prabhupada: Yes. Krsna said that devotees, that you should not disturb them. But devotees are so kind that taking all risk. Just like Nityananda Prabhu took all risk, Lord Jesus Christ took all risk. Therefore a devotee is more kind than God. A devotee is more merciful than God Himself. We should always remember this.
And therefore Krsna says, mad-bhaktah pujyabhyadhika. "Anyone who worships My devotee, he worships more than what he can do for Me." That means He appreciates the worship of His devotee than to Himself. So actually, devotees are so kind. Krsna says, "Those who are absorbed too much in material consciousness, don't disturb them." But devotees take the risks, even at the cost of life. Therefore devotee is so dear to Krsna. That will be explained in the Eighteenth chapter. "The person who takes all risk for preaching God consciousness, nobody is dearer than him in the human society." Krsna says like that. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: Thirty: "Therefore O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with mind intent on Me, and without desire for gain and free from egoism and lethargy, fight [Bg. 3.30]."
Purport: "This verse clearly indicates the whole purpose of the Bhagavad-gita. The Lord instructs that one has to become fully Krsna conscious to discharge duties, as if in military discipline. Such an injunction may make things a little difficult but that is the constitutional position of the living entity. The living entity cannot be happy independent of the cooperation of the Supreme Lord because the eternal constitutional position of the living entity is to become subordinate to the desires of the Lord. Arjuna was therefore ordered by Sri Krsna to fight as if the Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge his prescribed duties without claims of proprietorship. Arjuna did not have to consider the order of the Lord; he had only to execute His order. The Supreme Lord is the soul of all souls. Therefore one who depends solely and wholly on the Supreme Soul, without personal consideration, or in other words, one who is fully Krsna conscious is called adhyatma-cetas..."
Prabhupada: Adhyatma-cetas.
Tamala Krsna: "...full of self-knowledge."
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: "One has to act on the order of the master. One should not expect any fruitive results. The cashier may count millions of dollars for his employer, but he does not claim a cent out of the great amount of money. Similarly one has to take it for granted that nothing in the world belongs to any individual person, but everything belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the real purport of Krsna saying, ‘Unto Me.' And when one acts in such Krsna consciousness, certainly he does not claim proprietorship over anything. So this consciousness is called nirmama, or 'nothing is mine.' And if there is any reluctance to execute such a stern order, which is without consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off. In this way one may become without feverish mentality or lethargy. Everyone according to his quality and position has a particular type of work to discharge and all such duties may be discharged in Krsna consciousness as described above. That will lead one to the path of liberation."
Prabhupada: Thank you. That's all.
Devotees: Hare Krsna. (obeisances)
Prabhupada: Now if anybody has any question?
Tamala Krsna: In the past, when there were men who practiced yoga, concentration on Krsna within the heart, when they perfected this were they rendering devotional service?
Prabhupada: Yes. Devotional service, there are nine kinds of:
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]
So sravanam, just you are very kindly hearing. This is also devotional service. Those who are patiently hearing these topics of Krsna consciousness, they are also discharging devotional service, hearing. Sravanam kirtanam, and just you are reading, you are also rendering service.
Similarly, those who are always thinking of Krsna, he's also rendering service. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam. Those who are engaged in the service of this temple, they are discharging devotional service, pada-sevanam. Arcanam, those who are engaged in the service of the Deity, they are executing devotional service. Vandanam, those who are offering prayers, they are engaged in devotional service. Just like in Christian church or mosque, they have no Deity, but they offer prayer. That is devotional service.
So everyone, in relationship with God... There are so many formulas. If he follows all the formulas, or some of them, or at least one of them, sincerely, then he'll get perfection. That is the way.
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]
But for all devotional service, the main pillar is sravanam, hearing. Without hearing, other processes of devotional service will not be perfect. Therefore hearing is most important. Hearing, according to our Vaisnava philosophy, especially Lord Caitanya's, this hearing and chanting are two main pillars for devotional service. (aside:) Drink water. Yes.
So those who are concentrating mind, thinking of Krsna, that is the perfection of yoga system, but they have no idea of Krsna. They make some circle, they concentrate. That is a practice only, how to engage one's mind. Because mind is so flickering, I am thinking of a red circle, and then next moment, I think something red, and from that red, I go to something red, something red, oh... Mind is gone. You see? So this concentration of mind is very difficult in this age because mind is so agitated. Therefore force them to hear Hare Krsna. Even they have no mind to hear, you chant loudly Hare Krsna. They will hear. Their mind will be dragged. It is so nice thing. He hasn't got to (chuckling) concentrate. I'll force him. You see? So as soon as he hears "Krsna," oh, he advances immediately one step. So this is the nicest and the great service to the humanity. Chant Hare Krsna. And then they'll be profited. You see? Yes?
Devotee:: When you talk about Lord Siva and you shouldn't imitate him and people do imitate him and then they say "Oh, we smoke marijuana because Siva does it." Is it all right to say, "Oh? You want to imitate him. Then you must also drink an ocean of poison."? If they want to imitate him, then let 'em imitate him.
Prabhupada: Yes, they will die because they're imitating. The result will be death. That's all. Yes.
Jaya-gopala: Is it all right to disturb the mind of the envious?
Prabhupada: Envious?
Jaya-gopala: Yes. So many people are so envious of God...
Prabhupada: Everyone is envious. This world is envious. They have declared that God is dead. You see. (laughs) (Bengali) There is a proverb in Bengali that one person wanted to see how many thieves are there in this village, and when he began to scrutinize, he saw that everyone is a thief. (laughter) Similarly, envious, you begin from President Johnson and go to anyone, they are all envious of God consciousness. You see? Otherwise in Los Angeles city, there are millions and trillions of people, and only a dozen people are coming here. You see? Why? They are envious. "What is this nonsense God consciousness, Krsna consciousness?" You see?
So we have to disturb them. That is our duty. We have to disturb these envious persons, "Hare Krsna!" (laughter) That is our duty, to disturb them. And that is the greatest service. Just like a man is sleeping. And somebody is coming to kill him, and other friend, "Mr. such and such, wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" So he may say, "Why you are disturbing me?" But that is the greatest service, he'll be saved. Maya is coming to kill him, to send him to the darkest region of hell, and you are saving him, "Chant Hare Krsna and be saved."
Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. These people, they do not know how much they are under the trap of maya illusion. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya. They are thinking that they are very happy, they are making progress, but they do not know actually the position. This is called illusion. Any other questions? Yes?
Madhudvisa: Prabhupada, in this age of Kali when there is no social structure or varnasrama-dharma, how can one discriminate how he is utilizing his energies for his prescribed duties? How can one determine his prescribed duties, as Lord Krsna has described here, for Arjuna to follow his prescribed duties.
Prabhupada: Yes. Before coming to Krsna consciousness were you in the varnasrama? Then how you have come? How you have come to this position?
Madhudvisa: Out of misery.
Prabhupada: No, no, no. You have come to execute Krsna consciousness. Before coming to this Krsna consciousness, were you in varnasrama-dharma? No. So at the present moment, there is no possibility of persons following the principles of varnasrama-dharma, either here or anywhere. Everyone is varna-sankara. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. In this age, everyone is a sudra. Nobody is brahmana, nobody is ksatriya, nobody is vaisya. Sudra. So in this age, you won't find anybody following the varnasrama-dharma.
Therefore this is the panacea, to engage everyone in Krsna consciousness, chanting Hare Krsna. He comes above the highest principle of brahmanism. This is the greatest gift to the humanity, that even he is in the, I mean to say, fallen condition, the most degraded position, he can be raised to the highest position simply by chanting. This is the only remedy. Now you cannot again introduce this system of varnasrama. It is not possible. But if one takes to Krsna consciousness, automatically he becomes immediately a brahmana and above the brahmana. A Vaisnava is above the brahmana.
Just like when we initiate, give Hare Krsna mantra, he is supposed to be above the all material modes of nature. And when he has practiced, we offer him the sacred thread. This is the prescription of this age. Otherwise, you cannot select who is brahmana, who is sudra, who is ksatriya. It is very difficult. Only one who takes to Krsna consciousness, he comes to the transcendental platform, and he's above the brahmanas. He is no longer a sudra, ksatriya. He's above the brahmanas, a Vaisnava. So this is the only process to raise a person from the lowest position to the highest standard. And that is factual.
Now, take a brahmana who has come from India and compare his character and the character of our student, how he has become more than a brahmana, the so-called brahmana. This is practical. The so-called brahmanas, they have come here, they are doing all nonsense, not following any rules and regulation. But still, they are claiming that they are brahmanas. Brahmana is not meant like that. Krsna says catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. "The four castes, they are introduced by Me according to quality and work." There is no question of birth. Krsna never said birth. Otherwise He would have said catur-varnyam maya srstam janma-karma-vibhagasah. No. He says guna-karma. Guna means quality, and karma...
Just like if you have achieved the quality of a medical practitioner, then your work shall be a medical practitioner. Similarly if one has achieved the quality of a brahmana or Vaisnava, then his activities should be like that. If I become Krsna conscious and if I work as a butcher, that will not be. You have to work just like a Vaisnava. So guna-karma-vibhagasah. You have to acquire the qualities and work like that. Then it is perfect.
So this Krsna consciousness movement is teaching people to work for Krsna and to qualify himself for Krsna consciousness. That is the highest perfection. Without any consideration of His previous position or qualification or social standard. There is no such thing. Simply if he takes to Hare Krsna mantra and prosecutes nicely according to direction, he becomes the, I mean to say, in transcendental position. Highest position. More than a brahmana. Yes. Chant. Jaya. (kirtana) (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968
Prabhupada: All glories to the assembled devotees.
Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!
Prabhupada: Who is reading? Go on. Purport. Yes. Ninety-eight. Oh, yes.
Tamala Krsna: This is chapter entitled Karma-yoga.
Prabhupada: Yes yes, go on. Go on reading.
Tamala Krsna: 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]."
Prabhupada: This is very important. What is actually self-realization? All processes, religious process, yoga practice, philosophical speculation or anything for self-realization, any method, what is the purpose? And what is the ultimate goal of the self-realization? That ultimate goal is to understand that "I am eternal servant of God, Krsna." That's all. This is self-realization. So long one is identifying oneself with this material world, with this body, with this mind, it is not self-realization. Self-realization means that I am spirit, and the Supreme Lord is also spirit, so I am part and parcel of the Supreme.
Just like take for example this finger. The finger is the part and parcel of this body. So when the finger can understand that "I am part and parcel of this whole body and my duty is to serve the whole body," that is self-realization. So long one is not understanding this point, he is illusioned. What is the position of this finger? Suppose this finger is a person. Any individual spirit is a person. That we have discussed in the second chapter. Everyone. Every one of us individual person. So as individual person what is my position? My position is... Just like you are individual citizen of the state. What is your position? To serve the state. That is your position. That is good citizenship. What does it mean, a good citizen? One who is trying to serve the state. Take, for example, in Russia, in China. They have made the state as worshipable. Any component part of the state, citizen, is to sacrifice everything for the state. In your country also, the draftboard is calling, "Come on. You have to go to the fight." But you cannot say "No," because you are component part of the state. If you deny, then you are not a good citizen. You'll be arrested, you'll be harassed by the government. Similarly, we are component parts of the whole, supreme whole.
This is self-realization. It is very simple thing. Self-realization does not mean anything very extraordinary. Hitva anyatha-rupam svarupena vyavasthitih [SB 2.10.6]. Mukti, this is called... Mukti means liberation or self-realization. What is that? Hitva anyatha-rupam. Giving up a different identity. In the conditioned state we are identifying "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am human being," "I am this," "I am that," "I am white," "I am black." These are all designations. Actually, this is not self-realization. Self-realization is that "I am neither American nor Indian nor black nor white, nor anything. I am a spirit soul, part and parcel of the whole, Krsna." This is self-realization. So long it is not completely realized, so long we have got doubt, we have to make progress. And as soon as we come to the point and firmly convinced, that is self-realization.
Therefore here it is stated, "A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties." Prescribed duties, either take for... Any scripture. Take your Bible, take Koran, take Vedas. There are some prescribed duties. Just like in your Bible, there are ten commandments. "Thou shall not kill." So for whom? One who is not self-realized, one who is self-realized that "I am part and parcel of the Supreme God, everyone is part and parcel of the Supreme God and human being, animal, ant, aquatic, beasts, birds, every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord,"... That is self-realization. Then how can you kill? If everyone is part and parcel, son of the Supreme, how can you kill your brother? This is self-realization. You'll not... You'll hesitate even to kill even an ant.
Just like we published that picture in our Back to Godhead, "The Hunter." The hunter was taking pleasure in killing animals half dead, and when he was self-realized, he was hesitating to kill even an ant. You see? Why? Self-realized. So he has no prescribed duties. To him you haven't got to say, "Thou shall not kill." He will automatically not kill because he is self-realized. Self-realized person does not do any harm to anyone because he knows everyone in relationship with the Supreme. His central point is Krsna. Neither he'll misuse anything. He makes everything proper use. "This nice foodstuff, it is given by Krsna, let it be offered to Krsna." That is not misuse; that is the proper use. "Here is nice rose flower, it is manufactured by Krsna's energy, let it be offered to Krsna." This is self-realization.
So one who has got this Krsna consciousness, he is self-realized. Everything dovetailing with Krsna. So what he has got to follow any other prescribed? Everything is complete there. Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim [Narada-pancaratra]. If one has realized the Supreme Lord, then he has no more any duty for undergoing austerities, penance, this or that, all prescribed rules. His business is finished. When a man is cured, there is no more requisition of medicine. He's in healthy state. To be engaged in devotional service, in Krsna consciousness, means he's in healthy state. He has no more any prescribed duty. You see? So not has any reason not to perform such work.
Another thing, one should not think "Because I am in Krsna consciousness, therefore oh, I shall not rise early in the morning." This is prescribed duty for one who is... No. You have to do that. Loka-sangraha. So he practically has no duty, but to show example to the general mass of people, he has got so many duties. Even Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He was also going to a school to study. He accepted spiritual master. He was offering respect to His elderly brother in relationship. So he does not... A self-realized person is always engaged in Krsna consciousness, but he does not deviate with the prescribed duties also, because others will follow. Others will also, "Oh, I am also self-realized." Therefore one has to do.
Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being. He is free because he knows that "I am part and parcel of Krsna, so I'm dependent on Krsna. Krsna is providing millions and trillions of living entities. Why not me? I am directly engaged in Krsna's service." This is the position of self-realized. Narayana-parah sarve na kutascana bibhyati [SB 6.17.28]. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: "Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activity, one should act as a matter of duty for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme [Bg. 3.18]."
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Purport: "This Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees and liberation for the impersonalists."
Prabhupada: Then what is that Supreme? The conception of Supreme... For the impersonalist, the impersonal Brahman effulgence is the Supreme. Just like light. When you come to the sunshine, that is light, but the devotees, they are not satisfied with the sunshine. They want to penetrate into the sun planet and see the sun-god. That is devotee's position. And one who cannot do so, he is satisfied with the sunshine. Everything is light. Sunshine is light, sun globe is light, and if you enter in the sun globe, there is also light.
So these are all spiritual position, impersonalist or personalist. But the impersonalist goal is partial because they are satisfied simply by seeing the light. And the devotees, they are not satisfied simply by seeing the light. They want to enter within the light to see wherefrom the light is coming. That is the difference between impersonalist and personalist. They are farther advanced.
Sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. The Lord is full bliss, eternal knowledge. So the impersonalists they are satisfied with only knowledge, jnana, light, that's all. Knowledge is light. But farther advanced, say, the yogis, they want to see the localized, just like the sun globe. And the devotees, they want to see the person who is predominating over the sun globe. This is a crude example.
So the goal, ultimate goal, it is described, "The Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotee, and liberation for the impersonalist." The impersonalists, they simply want to be free from this material atmosphere and go to the spiritual atmosphere. Just like one who is in the darkness of a room, his aspiration is how to see light. That's all. The impersonalist means simply to see light, knowledge. And personalist means to direct, to be in direct touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: "A person acting for Krsna or in Krsna consciousness under proper guidance and without attachment to the result of the work, is certainly making progress toward the supreme goal of life. Indirectly, Arjuna is told that he should fight the Battle of Kuruksetra without attachment in the interest of Krsna because Krsna 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's desire is to act without attachment for the result. That is the perfect action of the highest degree, recommended by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna.
Vedic rituals, like prescribed sacrifices, are performed for purification of impious activities that were performed in the field of sense gratification. But a person who is acting in Krsna consciousness is transcendental to the actions and reactions of good or evil work. A Krsna conscious person has no attachment to the result, but acts on behalf of Krsna alone. He engages in all kinds of activities, but is completely nonattached."
Prabhupada: Yes. Just like you go to your office. You are working on behalf of the particular office. So your duty is to discharge the occupation which is entrusted upon you. So far the loss or gain of that department or that establishment, you have nothing to do. So a Krsna conscious person acts on behalf of Krsna. These boys they are going to preach Krsna consciousness. People may receive it or not receive it. That doesn't matter. Their duty is to preach. The fortunate person will be attracted, unfortunate may not be attracted, but they have to do the duty. It is very simple.
So a Krsna conscious person should not be disturbed whether his preaching work is being accepted by the people or not. It doesn't matter. My Guru Maharaja used to say that... If somebody said that "We went to preach in such and such place. Only there were three or four, attendance." So my Guru Maharaja used to encourage them and it is factual -- that "Why, two, three men were there was sufficient. If there were none, you could speak and the walls would hear you." You see. "Why you are disappointed?" So even the walls, they hear, then our kirtana is sufficient. You don't mind. Because only fortunate persons... Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. Manusyanam sahasresu [Bg. 7.3]. So to become God conscious, Krsna conscious, is not very cheap thing. It requires a great amount of austerity, penance to come to this stage. So never be disappointed that because people are not responding. You see?
There are many good examples. When Lord Jesus Christ also preached God consciousness, only a few followers were there, and still, he had to sacrifice his life. But he was never disappointed. That should be attitude of the preacher. People may accept it or not accept it, we should go on. Because if Krsna is satisfied, if Krsna sees, "Oh, these boys are doing very nice. They are trying their best to preach," that is your reward. That's all. People may accept or not accept, it doesn't matter. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: Twenty: "Even kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore just for the sake of educating the people in general you should perform your work [Bg. 3.20]."
Prabhupada: There is no cause of disappointment. You have to do your duty, that's all. Karyam. Karyam means "It is my duty, I have to do it." Go on.
Tamala Krsna: Purport: "Kings like Janaka and others were all self-realized souls, consequently they had no obligation to perform the prescribed duties in the Vedas. Nonetheless they performed all prescribed activities just to set examples for the people in general. Janaka was the father of Sita and father-in-law of Lord Sri Rama. A great devotee of the Lord like King Janaka was transcendentally situated. But because he was the king of Mithila (a subdivision of Bihar province in India) he had to teach his subjects how to act. In the Battle of Kuruksetra, the Lord wanted to teach people in general that violence is also necessary in a situation where good arguments fail. Before the Battle of Kuruksetra there was every effort to avoid the war, even by the Supreme Personality of Godhead but the other party was determined to fight. So for such a right cause there is a necessity for fighting. Therefore although one who is situated in Krsna consciousness may not have any interest in the world, he still works to teach the people how to live and how to act. Experienced persons in Krsna consciousness can act in such a way that others will follow and this is explained in the following verse."
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Twenty-one: "Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men will follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues [Bg. 3.21]."
Prabhupada: This is very important. Therefore leaders must be very ideal men. Then automatically the country or the society becomes nicely situated. Because if the leader of the society is perfect... Therefore formerly, monarchy, monarchy was current, and the king was educated very highly, how to administer state. Just like Maharaja Yudhisthira. Maharaja Yudhisthira, ideal king. Lord Ramacandra, ideal king. Somebody came to Lord Ramacandra and made Him responsible that "How Your kingdom is going that my son in the presence of his father has died?" You see, king was responsible for that. If there is severe cold, the king is responsible for that. If there is severe heat, the king is responsible for that.
Just try to understand how much a king was responsible for the happiness of the citizens. They were ideal king, and therefore the citizens also followed. They became Krsna conscious, they became all devotees. And if the leader is a sinful man and doing all impious activities, then how you can expect the citizens to be all good and pious? It is not possible. Therefore here, it is a very important subject matter. "Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men will follow in his footprints." Therefore good leader wanted. You haven't got to educate individually every citizen. If you have got a good leader, then the citizens automatically become good. And whatever standard he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues." Go on.
Tamala Krsna: Twenty-two: "O son of Prtha, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Neither am I in want of anything nor have I need to obtain anything, and yet I am engaged in work [Bg. 3.22]."
Prabhupada: Yes. Just see. Krsna, He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We work because we need something, but what need He has? He is full. He's self-sufficient, but still, He comes. As it is stated, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. "As soon as there is discrepancies in the discharge of religious principle, abhyutthanam adharmasya, and there is prominence of irreligiosity, tadatmanam srjamy aham, at that time, I descend."
Why Krsna descends? That is explained by Krsna. He comes Himself, He sends His representative, He sends His son, to reform. Krsna or Krsna's devotee or Krsna's son... Why Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed his life? Just to show that the human society must be God conscious. But unfortunately, people do not take care. They are following, they are calling themselves as Christian, but they're not following the example of Lord Jesus Christ. But they should follow, everyone. A person in Krsna consciousness, they also should follow what Krsna's devotee and Krsna... That is required.
So either Krsna or His representative who come on the planet or in this world just to show example how you should live, how you should utilize your human form of life, they have nothing to gain. They are complete. Those who are coming from spiritual kingdom or kingdom of, they have no want. They haven't got to do anything. They are all perfect. But still, they do. Similarly, those who want to be leader of the society, they should be ideal persons, they should be Krsna conscious person. Then the whole world will be happy.
Otherwise, these nonsense, simply by manipulating votes if they become leader, what they can do? They have no education. They have no training how to do good to the people. They cannot do. Only those who are devotees, those who are Krsna conscious or God conscious, they can do actual benefit to the society. Others cannot do.
Tamala Krsna: "Everything being in full opulence in the Personality of Godhead and naturally existing in all truth, there is no duty for the Supreme Personality of Godhead to perform. One who must receive the results of work has some designated duty, but one who has nothing to achieve within the three planetary systems certainly has no duty. And yet, Lord Krsna is engaged on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra as the leader of the ksatriyas because the ksatriyas are duty-bound to give protection to the distressed. Although He is above all the regulations of revealed scriptures He does not do anything which is not directed in the revealed scriptures."
Twenty-three: "For if I did not engage in work, O Partha, certainly all men would follow My path [Bg. 3.23]."
Twenty-four: "If I should cease to work then all these worlds would be put to ruination and I would be the cause of creating unwanted population and thereby destroy the peace of all sentient beings [Bg. 3.24]."
Purport: "Varna-sankara is unwanted population which disturbs the peace of the general society. In order to check this social disturbance there are prescribed rules and regulations by which the population can automatically become peaceful and organized for spiritual progress in life. When Lord Krsna descends, naturally He deals with such rules and regulations in order to maintain the prestige and necessity of such important performances. The Lord is said to be the father of all living entities and if the living entities are misguided, indirectly the responsibility goes to the Lord. Therefore whenever there is general disregard for such regulative principles, the Lord Himself descends and corrects the society. We should however note carefully that although we have to follow in the footsteps of the Lord, we still have to remember that we cannot imitate Him. Following and imitating are not on the same level."
Prabhupada: Now, Krsna at the age of seven years old, He lifted Govardhana Hill. So if we try to imitate, "Oh, Krsna lifted the Govardhana Hill. Let me also try." That is not following. You cannot do that. (chuckling) You see? Because sometimes the foolish rascals they say, "Oh, Krsna performed rasa-lila. Let me also perform rasa-lila." Therefore I forbid that don't discuss Krsna's rasa-lila with the ordinary persons. They cannot understand. They'll simply think that "Oh, it is very nice to dance with girls, boys and girls dancing." No.
We have to follow His instruction, what is given in the Bhagavad-gita. We cannot imitate Him. He is all-powerful. The same example, just like the sunshine. The sunshine can absorb moisture from filthy place, but he, it is not infected. Sun is not infected. But if you go to a filthy place, you become contaminated immediately. Yes. So nobody should try to imitate the all-powerful, but one should try to follow His instruction. That should be motto of life. Go on. "Following and imitating are not the same thing." "Same level." Yes.
Tamala Krsna: "We cannot imitate the Lord by lifting Govardhana Hill as the Lord did in His childhood. It is impossible for any human being. We have to follow His instructions, but we may not imitate Him in any way. The Srimad-Bhagavatam affirms this as follows: ‘One should simply follow the instructions of the controllers and should not imitate them in their activities. Their instructions are all good for us and any intelligent person must perform them as instructed. However, one should guard against trying to imitate their actions. One should not try to drink the ocean of poison imitating Lord Siva.' "
We should always remember the position of the isvaras, or those who actually control the movements of the sun and moon. Without such power, one cannot imitate the isvara or the superpowerful. The example set herein is very appropriate. Lord Siva drank poison to the extent of swallowing an ocean, but if any common man tries to drink even a fragment of such poison he will be killed. There are many pseudo-devotees of Lord Siva who want to indulge in smoking ganja (marijuana) and similar intoxicating drugs, forgetting that by so imitating the acts of Lord Siva they are calling death very near. Similarly, there are some pseudo-devotees of Lord Krsna who prefer to imitate the Lord in the matter of the rasa-lila or dance of love, forgetting their inability to lift the Govardhana Hill. It is best, therefore, that one not try to imitate the powerful, but simply endeavor to follow their instructions. Nor should one try to occupy the posts of the powerful without qualification. There are so many 'incarnations' of God without the powers of the Supreme Godhead."
Twenty-five: "As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to result... [Bg. 3.25]"
Prabhupada: This morning, the press representative, he was astonished that "Swamiji, so many people are coming, they are declaring that ‘I am God.' What is this?" So these rascals are like that. Therefore there are so many incarnations of God without the powers of. So people, why they should be cheated? If somebody comes and says that "I am God," why don't you test? For testing this... When Krsna assumed the Supreme Personality of Godhead... Of course, Arjuna was convinced. He accepted, param brahma param dhama [Bg. 10.12], but for future guidance, he requested Krsna, "Please show me Your universal form." Otherwise, without showing universal [form], they're still claiming that "I am God." God is not so cheap thing. They're imitating, trying to imitate. This is very dangerous.
And those who are accepting such rascals, they are also not intelligent. They should know. Just like I asked the press representative, "Suppose if I come and say that I am President Johnson, will you accept me?" So similarly, people should know what is God, what is the definition of God. How can I accept a rascal as God? They have no sense also. Somebody comes, "I am God," and he accepts, "Yes, he's God." What is this nonsense? Go on.
Tamala Krsna: "As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, similarly the learned may also act but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path."
Twenty-six: "Let not the wise disrupt the minds of the ignorant who are attached to fruitive action. They should not be encouraged to refrain from work but to engage in work in the spirit of devotion [Bg. 3.26]."
Twenty-seven...
Prabhupada: Just like Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa Thakura was chanting in a secluded place always. Now, if somebody, without being elevated to such high position, imitates, "Oh, Haridasa Thakura chanted. Let me sit down in a solitary place and chant," he cannot do that. It is not possible. He'll simply imitate and he'll do all nonsense.
Therefore everyone should be engaged in his own work, and by the fruit of his work, he should serve Krsna. We cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura. That is a different position. If one is elevated to that position, that is a different thing, but generally, that is not meant for ordinary person. Therefore everyone should do his occupational duty and try to serve the Lord by the result of his work. That should be the motto of life. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: "The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities which are in actuality carried out by nature [Bg. 3.27]."
Purport: "Two persons, one in Krsna consciousness and the other in material consciousness working on the same level, may appear to be working on the same platform, but there is a wide gulf of difference in their respective positions. The person in material consciousness is convinced by false ego that he is the doer of everything. With him there is no consideration that the mechanism of the body is produced by material nature or that material nature is under the supervision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A materialistic person has no knowledge that ultimately he is under the control of Krsna. The person in false ego takes all credit for doing everything independently, and that is the symptom of his nescience. He does not know that this gross and subtle body is the creation of material nature under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and as such his bodily and mental activities should be engaged in the service of Krsna in Krsna consciousness. He does not know that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as Hrsikesa or the master of all senses. But due to his long misuse of his senses he is factually bewildered by the false ego and that is the cause of his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Krsna."
Twenty-eight: "One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results [Bg. 3.28]."
Purport: "The knower of the Absolute Truth is convinced of his awkward position in material association. He knows that he is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna and that his position should not be in the material creation. He knows his real identity as part and parcel of the Supreme who is eternal bliss and knowledge and he realizes that somehow or other he is now entrapped in the material conception of life. In his pure state of existence, he is meant to dovetail his activities in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. He therefore engages himself in the activities of Krsna consciousness and becomes naturally unattached to the activities of the material senses which are all circumstantial and temporary. He knows that his material condition of life is under the supreme control of the Lord, consequently he is not disturbed by any kind of material reaction which he considers to be the mercy of the Lord. According to the Srimad-Bhagavatam one who knows the Absolute Truth in three different features -- namely Brahman, Paramatma, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is called tattva-vit, for he knows also his own factual position in relationship with the Supreme."
Prabhupada: There is a verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam [SB 1.2.11]. Tattva-vit. Tattva means truth and vit means one who knows. So a person who knows all these things he's called tattva-vit. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: Twenty-nine: "Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them although these duties are inferior due to the performers' lack of knowledge [Bg. 3.29]."
Purport: "Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Krsna consciousness, and therefore Lord Krsna advises us not to disturb them and simply waste valuable time. But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently they undertake all kinds of risks even to the point of approaching ignorant men to try and engage them in the acts of Krsna consciousness which are absolutely necessary for the human being."
Prabhupada: Yes. Krsna said that devotees, that you should not disturb them. But devotees are so kind that taking all risk. Just like Nityananda Prabhu took all risk, Lord Jesus Christ took all risk. Therefore a devotee is more kind than God. A devotee is more merciful than God Himself. We should always remember this.
And therefore Krsna says, mad-bhaktah pujyabhyadhika. "Anyone who worships My devotee, he worships more than what he can do for Me." That means He appreciates the worship of His devotee than to Himself. So actually, devotees are so kind. Krsna says, "Those who are absorbed too much in material consciousness, don't disturb them." But devotees take the risks, even at the cost of life. Therefore devotee is so dear to Krsna. That will be explained in the Eighteenth chapter. "The person who takes all risk for preaching God consciousness, nobody is dearer than him in the human society." Krsna says like that. Go on.
Tamala Krsna: Thirty: "Therefore O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with mind intent on Me, and without desire for gain and free from egoism and lethargy, fight [Bg. 3.30]."
Purport: "This verse clearly indicates the whole purpose of the Bhagavad-gita. The Lord instructs that one has to become fully Krsna conscious to discharge duties, as if in military discipline. Such an injunction may make things a little difficult but that is the constitutional position of the living entity. The living entity cannot be happy independent of the cooperation of the Supreme Lord because the eternal constitutional position of the living entity is to become subordinate to the desires of the Lord. Arjuna was therefore ordered by Sri Krsna to fight as if the Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge his prescribed duties without claims of proprietorship. Arjuna did not have to consider the order of the Lord; he had only to execute His order. The Supreme Lord is the soul of all souls. Therefore one who depends solely and wholly on the Supreme Soul, without personal consideration, or in other words, one who is fully Krsna conscious is called adhyatma-cetas..."
Prabhupada: Adhyatma-cetas.
Tamala Krsna: "...full of self-knowledge."
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: "One has to act on the order of the master. One should not expect any fruitive results. The cashier may count millions of dollars for his employer, but he does not claim a cent out of the great amount of money. Similarly one has to take it for granted that nothing in the world belongs to any individual person, but everything belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the real purport of Krsna saying, ‘Unto Me.' And when one acts in such Krsna consciousness, certainly he does not claim proprietorship over anything. So this consciousness is called nirmama, or 'nothing is mine.' And if there is any reluctance to execute such a stern order, which is without consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off. In this way one may become without feverish mentality or lethargy. Everyone according to his quality and position has a particular type of work to discharge and all such duties may be discharged in Krsna consciousness as described above. That will lead one to the path of liberation."
Prabhupada: Thank you. That's all.
Devotees: Hare Krsna. (obeisances)
Prabhupada: Now if anybody has any question?
Tamala Krsna: In the past, when there were men who practiced yoga, concentration on Krsna within the heart, when they perfected this were they rendering devotional service?
Prabhupada: Yes. Devotional service, there are nine kinds of:
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]
So sravanam, just you are very kindly hearing. This is also devotional service. Those who are patiently hearing these topics of Krsna consciousness, they are also discharging devotional service, hearing. Sravanam kirtanam, and just you are reading, you are also rendering service.
Similarly, those who are always thinking of Krsna, he's also rendering service. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam. Those who are engaged in the service of this temple, they are discharging devotional service, pada-sevanam. Arcanam, those who are engaged in the service of the Deity, they are executing devotional service. Vandanam, those who are offering prayers, they are engaged in devotional service. Just like in Christian church or mosque, they have no Deity, but they offer prayer. That is devotional service.
So everyone, in relationship with God... There are so many formulas. If he follows all the formulas, or some of them, or at least one of them, sincerely, then he'll get perfection. That is the way.
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]
But for all devotional service, the main pillar is sravanam, hearing. Without hearing, other processes of devotional service will not be perfect. Therefore hearing is most important. Hearing, according to our Vaisnava philosophy, especially Lord Caitanya's, this hearing and chanting are two main pillars for devotional service. (aside:) Drink water. Yes.
So those who are concentrating mind, thinking of Krsna, that is the perfection of yoga system, but they have no idea of Krsna. They make some circle, they concentrate. That is a practice only, how to engage one's mind. Because mind is so flickering, I am thinking of a red circle, and then next moment, I think something red, and from that red, I go to something red, something red, oh... Mind is gone. You see? So this concentration of mind is very difficult in this age because mind is so agitated. Therefore force them to hear Hare Krsna. Even they have no mind to hear, you chant loudly Hare Krsna. They will hear. Their mind will be dragged. It is so nice thing. He hasn't got to (chuckling) concentrate. I'll force him. You see? So as soon as he hears "Krsna," oh, he advances immediately one step. So this is the nicest and the great service to the humanity. Chant Hare Krsna. And then they'll be profited. You see? Yes?
Devotee:: When you talk about Lord Siva and you shouldn't imitate him and people do imitate him and then they say "Oh, we smoke marijuana because Siva does it." Is it all right to say, "Oh? You want to imitate him. Then you must also drink an ocean of poison."? If they want to imitate him, then let 'em imitate him.
Prabhupada: Yes, they will die because they're imitating. The result will be death. That's all. Yes.
Jaya-gopala: Is it all right to disturb the mind of the envious?
Prabhupada: Envious?
Jaya-gopala: Yes. So many people are so envious of God...
Prabhupada: Everyone is envious. This world is envious. They have declared that God is dead. You see. (laughs) (Bengali) There is a proverb in Bengali that one person wanted to see how many thieves are there in this village, and when he began to scrutinize, he saw that everyone is a thief. (laughter) Similarly, envious, you begin from President Johnson and go to anyone, they are all envious of God consciousness. You see? Otherwise in Los Angeles city, there are millions and trillions of people, and only a dozen people are coming here. You see? Why? They are envious. "What is this nonsense God consciousness, Krsna consciousness?" You see?
So we have to disturb them. That is our duty. We have to disturb these envious persons, "Hare Krsna!" (laughter) That is our duty, to disturb them. And that is the greatest service. Just like a man is sleeping. And somebody is coming to kill him, and other friend, "Mr. such and such, wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" So he may say, "Why you are disturbing me?" But that is the greatest service, he'll be saved. Maya is coming to kill him, to send him to the darkest region of hell, and you are saving him, "Chant Hare Krsna and be saved."
Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. These people, they do not know how much they are under the trap of maya illusion. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya. They are thinking that they are very happy, they are making progress, but they do not know actually the position. This is called illusion. Any other questions? Yes?
Madhudvisa: Prabhupada, in this age of Kali when there is no social structure or varnasrama-dharma, how can one discriminate how he is utilizing his energies for his prescribed duties? How can one determine his prescribed duties, as Lord Krsna has described here, for Arjuna to follow his prescribed duties.
Prabhupada: Yes. Before coming to Krsna consciousness were you in the varnasrama? Then how you have come? How you have come to this position?
Madhudvisa: Out of misery.
Prabhupada: No, no, no. You have come to execute Krsna consciousness. Before coming to this Krsna consciousness, were you in varnasrama-dharma? No. So at the present moment, there is no possibility of persons following the principles of varnasrama-dharma, either here or anywhere. Everyone is varna-sankara. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. In this age, everyone is a sudra. Nobody is brahmana, nobody is ksatriya, nobody is vaisya. Sudra. So in this age, you won't find anybody following the varnasrama-dharma.
Therefore this is the panacea, to engage everyone in Krsna consciousness, chanting Hare Krsna. He comes above the highest principle of brahmanism. This is the greatest gift to the humanity, that even he is in the, I mean to say, fallen condition, the most degraded position, he can be raised to the highest position simply by chanting. This is the only remedy. Now you cannot again introduce this system of varnasrama. It is not possible. But if one takes to Krsna consciousness, automatically he becomes immediately a brahmana and above the brahmana. A Vaisnava is above the brahmana.
Just like when we initiate, give Hare Krsna mantra, he is supposed to be above the all material modes of nature. And when he has practiced, we offer him the sacred thread. This is the prescription of this age. Otherwise, you cannot select who is brahmana, who is sudra, who is ksatriya. It is very difficult. Only one who takes to Krsna consciousness, he comes to the transcendental platform, and he's above the brahmanas. He is no longer a sudra, ksatriya. He's above the brahmanas, a Vaisnava. So this is the only process to raise a person from the lowest position to the highest standard. And that is factual.
Now, take a brahmana who has come from India and compare his character and the character of our student, how he has become more than a brahmana, the so-called brahmana. This is practical. The so-called brahmanas, they have come here, they are doing all nonsense, not following any rules and regulation. But still, they are claiming that they are brahmanas. Brahmana is not meant like that. Krsna says catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. "The four castes, they are introduced by Me according to quality and work." There is no question of birth. Krsna never said birth. Otherwise He would have said catur-varnyam maya srstam janma-karma-vibhagasah. No. He says guna-karma. Guna means quality, and karma...
Just like if you have achieved the quality of a medical practitioner, then your work shall be a medical practitioner. Similarly if one has achieved the quality of a brahmana or Vaisnava, then his activities should be like that. If I become Krsna conscious and if I work as a butcher, that will not be. You have to work just like a Vaisnava. So guna-karma-vibhagasah. You have to acquire the qualities and work like that. Then it is perfect.
So this Krsna consciousness movement is teaching people to work for Krsna and to qualify himself for Krsna consciousness. That is the highest perfection. Without any consideration of His previous position or qualification or social standard. There is no such thing. Simply if he takes to Hare Krsna mantra and prosecutes nicely according to direction, he becomes the, I mean to say, in transcendental position. Highest position. More than a brahmana. Yes. Chant. Jaya. (kirtana) (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 3.18-30 -- Los Angeles, December 30, 1968
Thursday, January 27, 2011
"You Have To Love Through God"
"You Have To Love Through God"
66/05/25 New York, Bhagavad-gita 3.16-17
Prabhupada:
evam pravartitam cakram
nanuvartayatiha yah
aghayur indriyaramo
mogham partha sa jivati
[Bg. 3.16]
Lord Krsna, now He has described about a circle of activity ending in yajna, sacrifice. Yajna... Yajna, the proper word yajna, means Visnu or the Supreme Lord. And another meaning of yajna is sacrifice. So that sacrifice is how to do.
That we have been discussing for the last three or four days, that yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih. Our whole trouble of life, this material existence, it is, according to Vedic literature, this is our condemned life, material, because I am put into a different atmosphere, this body, which I am not. The body is matter, and I am spirit soul. So I have been put into uncomfortable position by this material contact.
So the human life is developed consciousness. So he has to learn it, and he can get rid of this material existence by the process which is prescribed in authoritative scriptures like Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Vedic literatures. So the first process Sri Krsna, Lord Sri Krsna is advises, that... Not only He advises. It is advised in all the Vedas, that "You should sacrifice, perform sacrifices."
krte yad dhyayato visnum
tretayam yajato makhaih
dvapare paricaryayam
kalau tad dhari-kirtanat
[SB 12.3.52]
The whole process of human civilization should be to acquire love of God. Our love is now distributed in so many things. And that is misdistributed. The whole thing was to be targeted to the Supreme Lord. I was to love God, but instead of loving God, my love is distributed in so many things. And that is a misdirected civilization.
How it is misdirected? Suppose if I do not love God, if I love my wife, my children, my countrymen, what is the wrong there? Oh, there is great wrong. That you do not know. That is most unscientific. Without loving God, if I want to love my wife, that love is not perfect. Therefore so-called love is disrupted by divorce and so many things because that is not perfect love. We do not know what is perfect love and how to conduct it. That is the defect of our civilization. Which we are accepting as love, that is simply a desire for sense gratification. That is not love. Love is different thing. So because... Why the love is defective in the material world? Because it is not properly discharged. We have to understand that thing.
How it is not properly discharged? Just like you love your body. Nobody can deny. Everyone loves his body. All right, what do you want to do? I want to maintain my body nicely. Then what is the means of maintaining your body very nicely? Now, I have to take nice vitaminous foodstuff and supply to the stomach, and then there is assimilation, secretion of different blood or different, I mean to say, humor and so on. The physiological condition is going on. The main position is that you have to give proper foodstuff to this body.
Now, how to supply the foodstuff to the body? The main source of supplying is this mouth. Now we have got several holes in this body, especially nine holes, big holes. Just like these two eyes, they are holes. The ears, they are holes. The mouth is one hole. And the evacuating process is another hole. This navel is another hole. There are nine holes in this body. Now, if somebody says that "I have to put foodstuff within the body..." Just like in medical treatment, sometimes, when one cannot take foodstuff from the mouth, foodstuff is injected from the rectum or somewhere else artificially. But that is not the system of supplying the foodstuff. The real process of supplying the food-stuff is through the mouth. If somebody says, "Oh, there are nine holes. You can put the foodstuff any hole," no, that will not do. You have to supply the foodstuff through the mouth.
Similarly, if you have to love, you have to love through God. Otherwise, love is not possible. That is all artificial love. Just like supplying foodstuff through the rectum is most artificial and troublesome thing, similarly, without loving God, if I want to love anybody, that is a false manifestation.
There are so many other examples. Just like watering the plant. Now, our Paul or Paul... They supply water, pour water. Why? So that the tree or the plant may grow nicely. Where the water is poured? In the root, not on the leaves. You see? So the scriptures directs, Vedic scriptures. Yatha taror mula-nisecanena trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah [SB 4.31.14]. Just like pouring water unto the root of the tree, all the branches of the tree and leaves and flowers, they automatically nice... You haven't got to pour water. Now, it is a small plant. Suppose if you have got a big tree and there are thousands and millions of leaves, you are not supposed to supply water in millions of leaves. You are supposed to water, pour water, on the root. That will be distributed.
Just like you supply foodstuff to the stomach. That will be distributed. Suppose I have got very good cake. Now, the fingers holding the cake. Now, if the fingers think, "All right, it is a good cake. Why shall I supply to the stomach? Let us eat it." Oh, the fingers cannot eat. That is improper. There is a story in Sanskrit, udarendriyanam. Udarendriyanam. There was a meeting of all the parts of the senses, that, "We are working, and the stomach is sitting idly, and he is simply eating. So let us get into strike. We shall not work." Just like there is strike system now. Now, all the hands and legs and all parts of the body they, "No, no more we are going to work for the stomach." Now, what happened? Gradually the hand become weak, the fingers become, the eye could not see, the ear... Oh, they thought that "What is happening this? We are becoming weaker, weaker, weaker." Then they decided, "It was a mistake not to supply foodstuff to the stomach. It was good for us."
Similarly, by establishing a godless civilization we are not happy. We are not happy, just like the same way, not supplying foodstuff to the stomach, we are thinking of becoming happy. No, that cannot be. If the senses of the body, parts of the body want to become happy, then he, the senses and the parts of the body, they have to supply foodstuff to the stomach. Similarly, if you want to be happy in this world, there is no alternative without, I mean to say, performing sacrifices. That is recommended here. Evam pravartitam cakram. The circle is... The circle is described in the previous verses, that annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14].
You subsist by eating grains. Of course, nowadays we have invented so many artificial foodstuff. But however artificially foodstuff, however flesh and other things we may take, without grains we cannot live. The grains must be there. The wheat and the rice and the paddy and the cereals, there must be there. So real foodstuff is anna. Anna means this grain. So by eating grains we subsist. Our life prolongs by eating grains. So annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah. And grains are produced by proper rainfall. Rainfall is the main source of producing everything of our necessities of life. Without rainfall we cannot produce anything of the necessities of life.
We have got many necessities of life, not only grains. We require cotton for clothing. We require silk for luxury. We require valuable stones and jewels. All these are produced under certain circumstances of rain. Rain is falling on the sea and the ocean also. So there is purpose. Under certain constellation of the star, if the rain falls on the sea, it produces pearls and jewels. We have got this information from Vedic literature. So everything is produced, whatever you require.
Now, pasturing ground for the cows -- the grass is produced by rains, and the animals, they eat the grass, and they produce milk. You require milk. So everything, the main source of supply is the rainfall from the sky. That is not under your control. So Bhagavad-gita says, parjanyad anna-sambhavah. Without rain, you cannot have any production. Nothing can be produced without rain. And without production you cannot live. But rain, regular rain, and regulative rain and useful rain will fall when you perform sacrifices, yajna. Yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. And yajnah karma-samudbhavah. And you can perform yajna by working. Because yajna requires materials, so if you have no money, if you don't work, you cannot have money. So everything is a circle. It is nice circle.
Karma brahmodbhavam. And how to work, that is described in the Vedic injunction, that "You should work like this." We have all discussed. Niyatam kuru karma tvam karma jyayo hy akarmanah. 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 yajna. And by regular performance of yajna, 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.
So anyway, one has to work sincerely his prescribed duties. And by the result of such work, one has to offer sacrifices to please the Supreme Lord. That is the circle. And Lord Krsna says, evam pravartitam cakram. Now, this circle, this moving circle, is... Just like the potter moves the circle to make production -- you have seen -- similarly, we have to move the circle. Circle means it is meant for moving.
So anyone who does not move the circle of activity, then his life is aghayur indriyaramah. His life is full of sin. His life is sinful, simply meant for sense gratification. Aghayur indriyaramo mogham partha sa jivati. His life is useless, without any purpose. And actually it has become like that.
Our life has become without any purpose. We do not understand why this human life we have got, why it is distinct from the dogs' life or the hogs' life or the animal life. We do not understand that. We have to understand that this human life is not meant for the animal propensities of life like cats and dog; it is meant for some other divine purpose. We have to get rid of this material encagement and attain our spiritual life and be happy forever. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. One has to return back to the kingdom of God. That is the mission of human life.
So one who does not know this mission of human life. So according to Bhagavad-gita, he is living uselessly. His purpose of life, he has no. Just like a ship without a rudder, a man without aim, you have no aim or purpose of life. This is the purpose of life. So we have to perform yajna. So those who are engaged in activities, by the result of his activities...
(Aside: You are going? Going? Going? All right.)
So anyone who does not move on this circle, according to Bhagavad-gita, he is passing on his life uselessly. Then the next.
yas tv atma-ratir eva syad
atma-trptas ca manavah
atmany eva ca santustas
tasya karyam na vidyate
[Bg. 3.17]
This is a... This yajna is prescribed for the general mass of people, that they must work sincerely according to their prescribed duties, and by the result of that duty or result of their action, they should offer sacrifices to the Lord.
Now, at the present moment the best sacrifice is recommended in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the sacrifice of chanting the holy name of Lord. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. So now you come here and sit down here for sometimes and chant the holy name of the Lord. That is also sacrifice. That is also sacrifice. This is recommended for this age especially. Because we cannot make any other sacrifice, so in this age...
This age is called Kali. Kali means the age of quarrel. On minor things we are prepared to fight with one another. That is the system of this age. And if you open the newspaper in the morning, you will find so many news of fighting. So this is called the age of fighting and corruption. So in this age, they...
Formerly, as the sages and great kings, they were performing yajnas, rajasuya-yajna, asvamedha-yajna and so many big, big yajnas, and they required large fund of money, so that is not possible in this age. Lord Caitanya therefore recommended... Not only Lord Caitanya, out of His own will He has recommended.
It is prescribed in sastra, and it is said, krte yad dhyayato visnum. Krte means in the Satya-yuga or what is generally known as golden age. So in the Satya-yuga people used to realize self or used to elevate themselves to highest perfection of life by meditation. Meditation. You have heard the name of Valmiki Muni. Valmiki Muni, he meditated for sixty thousands of years. His whole body was covered by, what is called, worms. And... Because at that time people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. So gradually our life is being reduced. Yes. In the Satya-yuga, it is stated, that people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. And then, in the Treta-yuga, they used to live for one thousands of years. No. In the Dvapara-yuga for one thousand. And in the Treta-yuga, ten thousand years. In the Dvapara-yuga one thousand years. And now it has come down to one hundred years in this Kali-yuga. That also, one hundred years is not completed. Now we are dying within sixty or seventy and gradually it will be reduced to twenty to thirty years. That is also mentioned.
So what was possible in the Satya-yuga by meditation, that is not possible in this age. That is not possible. Therefore the methods have been made easier. Krte yad dhyayato visnum. What was being possible, to attain perfection of life by meditation in the Satya-yuga, that was possible in the Treta-yuga by offering of big sacrifices. Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih. Makhaih means big sacrifices.
And dvapare paricaryayam. That very thing was realized in the Dvapara-yuga by temple worship. There... From that in Dvapara-yuga in India so many temple worship flourished, not only in India, all over the world. Church worship is also temple worship. Mosque worship is also temple worship. It may be different for different countries and different class of people, but the whole thing is temple worship. Temple worship. There are, in the temple there are nine kinds of different process of worship.
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]
So the... Smaranam kirtanam vandanam. Vandanam means offering prayer. And arcanam means... That is... Of course, you have no experience. But India there is arcana of the Deity, installing Deity in the temples and worship from morning, half past four, till night, eleven. There are different kinds of worship. So either this worship or this prayer, they are called temple worship. Temple worship. Vandanam, offering prayer, is another sort of temple worship. So that is recommended. That was recommended in the Dvapara-yuga.
Dvapara-yuga means just during the Mahabharata time. Mahabharata time, five thousand years before, that was the end of Dvapara-yuga. Then, after the battle of Kuruksetra, this Kali-yuga has begun, Kali-yuga, this age, present age which we are passing on. In this age, this Kali-yuga will exist... From the Vedic scriptures we understand, it will exist for four hundred thousand years, four hundred thousands of years, four hundred twenty-seven thousands of years, not twenty-seven, thirty-two. Out of that, we have passed only five thousand years. So there is balance still, four hundred twenty-seven thousands of years, to finish this Kali-yuga, this age of...
Now, for this age... Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih. Now, different ages, different methods are prescribed. So for this age, it is prescribed that kalau tad dhari-kirtanat. Whatever was possible to perform in the Satya-yuga by meditation and the Treta-yuga by offering of great, I mean to say, costly sacrifices, and in the Dvapara-yuga by offering prayers or arcana in the temple, that can be made possible easily by hari-kirtana, by chanting the holy name of God. That is the prescription.
So, as the Bhagavad-gita prescribes, that you have to perform yajna, now, don't be afraid that you have to perform the same kind of yajna as it was being performed in the Treta-yuga or Dvapara-yuga by offering thousands and thousands of mounds of clarified butter and grains. That is not possible. Nobody can secure all those ingredients at the present moment. Neither it is recommended. In the Kali-yuga it is recommended that one can perform the sankirtana-yajna. That will give him the same result which was derived by meditation in Satya-yuga.
So Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced this method of sankirtana-yajna in this age. Five hundred years before, Lord Caitanya advented Himself in India in Bengal in the district of Navadvipa. It is about sixty miles from Calcutta. And He... Of course, He was born in that particular place, but He, I mean to say, distributed these missionary activities all over India. And He desired that His followers may also distribute this missionary activity in other parts of the world. That is His desire and foretelling.
So this yajna. So far yajna is concerned, we can perform this yajna, sankirtana-yajna. That is not very difficult. Everyone, at home or in this place... What is that?
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]
It is the most inexpensive performance of yajna. Anyone can adopt it, just to learn these sixteen words: Hare, Krsna, Hare, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Hare, Hare, Hare, Rama, Hare, Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare, these sixteen words. Anyone, any illiterate man or any rich man, any poor man or any man of any country, these sixteen words anyone can learn. You see?
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
And chant. Go on chanting it. There is no expenditure.
Suppose if you are moving on the street and if you go on chanting
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
There is no expenditure and there is no loss. Suppose you are sitting on the bus, on the car, for two hours. For two hours, if you go on chanting, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna," then tremendous result. So why don't you try it? There is no expenditure; there is no loss, neither loss of time, neither loss of money, neither loss of energy. There is no loss. Simply and melodiously, in a singing way, if you go on, "Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare," you are... You will be directly associating with the Supreme Lord. You will be directly associating.
Now, suppose, theoretically accepting that if I am directly associating with Supreme Lord, then what else I want more? In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah. If you actually get the association of the Lord, then what else you have got to gain? You have got everything with you. So that is a fact. It is a question of realization only. And as soon as we get advanced in this chanting of this Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, then we shall gradually realize that actually God is with us. God is dancing on my tongue in the form of sound. You see?
So this is the simplest process of yajna, and that is introduced by Lord Caitanya. Not He has manufactured this process, but it is from authoritative scripture. And you can try it. You can try it. The result will be that gradually you will be on the way, on the path of liberation. Liberation means to get out of this material entanglement. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that by chanting this krsna-sankirtana, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, the first result will be that your heart will be cleared of all dust accumulated by years and years, life after life with this material association.
Just like we are sitting in this loft. So by association of this Bowery Street, always dust is coming in this room, and it is being stuck up, layer after layer, similarly, by association of this material contamination, we have in our heart accumulated so many material dust. The whole thing, our progress of spiritual life, our progress of spiritual realization, is checked only because we have got some misunderstanding of our identification. The identification is that "I am this body." That's all. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13].
This is also described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, that "One who is identified with this body of three elements..." This body is made of... According to Ayurvedic medicine system, this body is made of tri-dhatu: tejo-vari-mrd. That is also stated in the Bhagavata, tejo-vari-mrd. That means heat, water and earth. Heat, water and earth. The whole material creation is a combination of these three things, tejo-vari-mrd. Tejah means heat, or fire, and vari means water, and mrd means earth. So this body is earth, matter. These grains, the grains which we eat, that is also earth transformation. And now, by eating grains, this place is transformed. This is also earth. So we are seeing a very nice, beautiful, but it is earth. So it is made by interaction of this heat and water. That is the process going on, nature's creation. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13].
So anyone who identifies with this body, this bag of these three elements... This is a bag. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu. And from this bag there are many other bags emanated, just like my children. They are also my different bags, production of this bag. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu [SB 10.84.13]. One who identifies this bag as "myself" -- [break] "I am this body, and the result of my body, these kinsmen, children, and family, or countrymen or society men, they are my own men..."
Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih. Bhauma ijya-dhih means this earth from which this earthly body has grown up. That means the country, this country. We are fond of our country because from this American earth my body has developed, or from Indian earth, or this earth of this planet, apart from American or Indian conception of life. So we are human beings of this planet. So we are identifying with this planetary situation. So all these things, they have been very carefully analyzed. And the conclusion has been that yasyatma... "One who thinks like that, he is no better than ass and cow." Sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]. Sa eva go-kharah. Go-kharah. Go means cow, and khara means ass. So actually, if we analyze the present civilization, oh, it is a civilization of go-khara. Go-khara, because we are identifying this body: "I am this body. And because this body has got connection with a particular woman, therefore she is my wife. And because by that combination we have got another production, some children, they are my children. And because expanded into society, into country and so many things..."
So all these entanglement is there. But actually I am pure soul. I am not this body. As soon as I understand this, then whole thing is vanished. You see? Because if I am not this body, then in relationship with this body, whatever I have expended, my extended selfishness is at once vanished. Then I am mukta-purusa; I am liberated soul. So Lord Caitanya says by chanting this sri-krsna-sankirtana, I become at once liberated from this misconception of life. What I need? I am suffering due to my, this misconception of life. The whole Vedic literature advises me that "You are not this material body." Aham brahmasmi: "I am Brahman." Brahman means I am spirit. I am the supreme..., not supreme spirit, but I am spirit, Brahman. The Vedic literature does not say that I am Parambrahman. Parambrahman is Bhagavan. Qualitatively, I am one with Parambrahman, and Brahman, there is qualitatively oneness because Brahman... Gold, big gold or small gold, that doesn't matter. Gold, both of them are gold.
So Lord Caitanya says that ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This misconception of life will be the first installment of our profit by chanting, by regularly chanting this Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna, by performing this yajna, the first installment. That first installment will be: I become liberated from the material conception of life at once. The many great sages, they are going to Himalaya. They are going to the forest for meditation just to realize "what I am." Now Lord Caitanya says that this, what you are, your self-realization, your spiritual realization, will be the first installment. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. This is simply... Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12] means this is misconception, that what I am not, I am thinking I am. It is simply to understand that I am not. Actually I am not this. We can understand it very shortly, within a moment.
That Bhagavad-gita... I have already told you that avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam. That portion which is spread all over your body, that you are. That is avinasi, that is immortal. Now what is that? My consciousness. And what is that consciousness? That is the symptom of my presence. I am a soul present in this body, and the consciousness is the symptom. Means as soon as this consciousness is removed, the body has no value. That we are experiencing every day. As soon as from the body the consciousness is out, oh, it is dead body. We are crying, "Oh, my son is gone," "My husband is gone," "My brother..." Why your son is gone? It is lying there in the floor. Why you are crying? "No, no." That gone means that consciousness gone. Gone means that... Therefore the consciousness is the real thing.
So we misunderstand. We misunderstand. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says the misunderstanding of this body identification is at once removed by performing this yajna,
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Then the next installment? Simply, simply understanding that "I am not this body; I am consciousness" will do it? No. That is the first step. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If you are actually conscious of being not this body, actually when, then your all material miseries are at once removed. As soon as you come to the real point of understanding that "I am not this body," then the whole misunderstanding of material existence, bhava-maha-davagni... Bhava-maha-davagni means... Each and every word is very carefully selected in Sanskrit, and they have got immense meaning, full of meaning. Now, this, why this bhava-maha-davagni, this very word, I will try to explain. Bhava. Bhava means the situation in which we have to take repeated birth and we accept repeated death. That is called bhava. And that is a kind of maha-davagni. Maha means great, and davagni means forest fire. Forest fire. Forest fire, have you seen, any of you? Here you have got many forests, but I don't think you have seen any forest fire. I have seen. Forest fire takes automatically. Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but by, I mean to say, cohesion of different dry bamboos or woods, fire takes, by electricity fire takes place, and the whole forest is ablaze. That is called davagni. So this material world, nobody wants. Everyone wants peaceful life. But the nature of the material world is that automatically there is fire. Automatically there is.
Just like in New York your fire brigade is always traveling, always afraid of if there is any fire, because we are expecting every moment fire, every moment fire. Nobody is setting fire in his house, but automatically there is fire. So however we may want, however we may try in the United Nations organization that there will be no war, oh, it will take. It will take place. And already taking place. The war is going on. You cannot stop it. Therefore it is called bhava-maha-davagni. Just like in the forest nobody goes to set fire -- it automatically takes place -- similarly, in spite of our good wish that we want to live peacefully in this world, there cannot be any peace. There will be fire, set of fire, fire set off. Yes. So as soon as one be confidently convinced that "I am not this body," then he is protected from this fire of this material world, fire, material world. Bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam. Then his actual life begins. Then also... Then he is actually blissful life.
Sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam. Just like the moon rises from the new moon. Gradually the moon rises into the full moon. Therefore the candrika, candrika, this very word, is used. It is compared with the moon. Just like on the pratipada, after the new moon, you see the moon just like a line. Then, next day, it becomes little more, next, little more. Just like pratipada, on the eleventh day it is practically full. On the eleventh day we observe ekadasi, and then, after four days, the full moon -- the whole world is full of light. So sreyah-kairava-candrika... As soon as this bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam, as soon as we get rid of this misconception of identifying this body, then our real blissful life begins, gradually develops just like the moon develops. Sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam.
Vidya-vadhu-jivanam means full knowledge, full knowledge. We are hankering after knowledge; then we come to the point of full knowledge. Vidya-vadhu-jivanam anandambudhi-vardhanam. Ananda. We cannot increase ananda here. In the material sense gratification, ananda does not increase. If you want some ananda from sense, for the time being it may give you some pleasure, but at once it decreases. You have no more capacity to enjoy. You see? At once decreases. So it is not ananda. It is not real ananda. Ananda means that will increase, increase. You enjoy and increases. Increases. Anandambudhi-vardhanam. The example is very nice. Ambudhi. Ambudhi means sea. Sea... You don't find sea has increased. You go to the, what is called, seaside. Ten years before you had been to the seaside. You see the same level is there. It does not increase. If it increases, the whole New York City will be overflooded. It does not increase. But here Lord Caitanya says that ambudhi, the ocean of bliss, it increases. It increases. That is a new experience. When you are actually in spiritual happiness, your bliss will be increased.
Material happiness means your bliss will be decreased. Suppose if you want a good cake or good foodstuff, you want to eat. Now, suppose you take two cakes or three cakes. Now, the fourth cake you will refuse, "No, no more I want. No more. I don't want," because that, I mean to say, pleasure now has decreased. Decreased. But here He says, Lord Caitanya says, that your ananda, bliss, will be increased. Increased. That is spiritual. That is the test of spiritual life. When you engage yourself in spiritual function, the test will be that you will not feel tired. You will not feel tired. Suppose if you are engaged in some spiritual function, you will find more activity, more activity. More you do, more you find activity. That is spiritual. That is spiritual. So these things are there.
So we are not to be afraid of, that we cannot perform this yajna as prescribed in the Bhagavad-gita. By the grace of Lord Caitanya and by the grace of Vedic literature we have got this information that yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. Yajnaih sankirtana. This yajna, sankirtana-yajna, chanting yajna, one can perform, and one can please the Supreme Lord. That is prescribed. So this is very easy, and anyone can adopt, only to remember the sixteen names, and at any time.
Lord Caitanya also says that namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita. The name, name Krsna, and Krsna person, there is no difference. There is no difference. You don't think that "Arjuna was fortunate to receive instruction of Krsna directly, but we are unfortunate. We are not in the presence of Krsna." No, no, no, no. That is a, our mistake. Krsna is present by the sound representation. Because God is Absolute, therefore there is no difference. Just like here we have got difference; nothing is Absolute.
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. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate. These are Vedic injunction, that "If you take the whole thing from the whole, still, the balance is whole. The balance is whole."
So Lord Caitanya also said the same thing, that namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah. This chanting, this performance of yajna, is so powerful that the Krsna name is as powerful as Krsna, the person. Namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktih. And in the Krsna name all the... God is almighty. So all the mightiness of God is there. Simply we have to realize. So namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita. And there is already invested all the potency, all the potency of the supreme person into His name.
And niyamitah smarane na kalah. And you have no hard and fast rule for chanting. It is not that... Now, suppose if you have got to go to church or to temple, you have to dress yourself properly; you have to purify yourself and so many things before you enter into the church. Of course, any sacred place, the rules and regulation are the same. The Mohammedans also, they go the mosque after washing their hands and feet very nicely. So... And Hindu principle also, the same thing is there. They go to the temple after taking bath and purifying. So many things are there, either Hinduism or Mohammedanism or Christianism, according to country and climate and people. Practically, the principles are the same. They may be... Formally, they may appear to be... But the thing is there.
But here, niyamitah smarane na kalah. Here you don't require that you have to take your bath before chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. No. Oh, because you are in the bathroom, therefore you cannot chant Hare Krsna? No. You can chant even there. So such a thing. Because if actually Krsna, that very name, is Krsna, then how I can remain impure? The potency is there. It makes me at once pure. Just like as soon as there is light, there is no question of darkness. Darkness and light cannot stand together. Either it must be darkness or must be light. So as soon as there is light... So Krsna is light. Krsna name is light. Therefore there cannot be any impurities. Impurity is due to my, this material body. But I am, at that moment, I am in the spiritual platform. So this impurities cannot touch me.
These are the points of realization. As we make sincerely sincere effort to perform this yajna, particular yajna for this age, then we make our progress. It is most inexpensive and very easy and very powerful. Why don't you adopt it? That is my request to you.
Thank you very much. Now, if there is any question you can put. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966
66/05/25 New York, Bhagavad-gita 3.16-17
Prabhupada:
evam pravartitam cakram
nanuvartayatiha yah
aghayur indriyaramo
mogham partha sa jivati
[Bg. 3.16]
Lord Krsna, now He has described about a circle of activity ending in yajna, sacrifice. Yajna... Yajna, the proper word yajna, means Visnu or the Supreme Lord. And another meaning of yajna is sacrifice. So that sacrifice is how to do.
That we have been discussing for the last three or four days, that yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih. Our whole trouble of life, this material existence, it is, according to Vedic literature, this is our condemned life, material, because I am put into a different atmosphere, this body, which I am not. The body is matter, and I am spirit soul. So I have been put into uncomfortable position by this material contact.
So the human life is developed consciousness. So he has to learn it, and he can get rid of this material existence by the process which is prescribed in authoritative scriptures like Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Vedic literatures. So the first process Sri Krsna, Lord Sri Krsna is advises, that... Not only He advises. It is advised in all the Vedas, that "You should sacrifice, perform sacrifices."
krte yad dhyayato visnum
tretayam yajato makhaih
dvapare paricaryayam
kalau tad dhari-kirtanat
[SB 12.3.52]
The whole process of human civilization should be to acquire love of God. Our love is now distributed in so many things. And that is misdistributed. The whole thing was to be targeted to the Supreme Lord. I was to love God, but instead of loving God, my love is distributed in so many things. And that is a misdirected civilization.
How it is misdirected? Suppose if I do not love God, if I love my wife, my children, my countrymen, what is the wrong there? Oh, there is great wrong. That you do not know. That is most unscientific. Without loving God, if I want to love my wife, that love is not perfect. Therefore so-called love is disrupted by divorce and so many things because that is not perfect love. We do not know what is perfect love and how to conduct it. That is the defect of our civilization. Which we are accepting as love, that is simply a desire for sense gratification. That is not love. Love is different thing. So because... Why the love is defective in the material world? Because it is not properly discharged. We have to understand that thing.
How it is not properly discharged? Just like you love your body. Nobody can deny. Everyone loves his body. All right, what do you want to do? I want to maintain my body nicely. Then what is the means of maintaining your body very nicely? Now, I have to take nice vitaminous foodstuff and supply to the stomach, and then there is assimilation, secretion of different blood or different, I mean to say, humor and so on. The physiological condition is going on. The main position is that you have to give proper foodstuff to this body.
Now, how to supply the foodstuff to the body? The main source of supplying is this mouth. Now we have got several holes in this body, especially nine holes, big holes. Just like these two eyes, they are holes. The ears, they are holes. The mouth is one hole. And the evacuating process is another hole. This navel is another hole. There are nine holes in this body. Now, if somebody says that "I have to put foodstuff within the body..." Just like in medical treatment, sometimes, when one cannot take foodstuff from the mouth, foodstuff is injected from the rectum or somewhere else artificially. But that is not the system of supplying the foodstuff. The real process of supplying the food-stuff is through the mouth. If somebody says, "Oh, there are nine holes. You can put the foodstuff any hole," no, that will not do. You have to supply the foodstuff through the mouth.
Similarly, if you have to love, you have to love through God. Otherwise, love is not possible. That is all artificial love. Just like supplying foodstuff through the rectum is most artificial and troublesome thing, similarly, without loving God, if I want to love anybody, that is a false manifestation.
There are so many other examples. Just like watering the plant. Now, our Paul or Paul... They supply water, pour water. Why? So that the tree or the plant may grow nicely. Where the water is poured? In the root, not on the leaves. You see? So the scriptures directs, Vedic scriptures. Yatha taror mula-nisecanena trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah [SB 4.31.14]. Just like pouring water unto the root of the tree, all the branches of the tree and leaves and flowers, they automatically nice... You haven't got to pour water. Now, it is a small plant. Suppose if you have got a big tree and there are thousands and millions of leaves, you are not supposed to supply water in millions of leaves. You are supposed to water, pour water, on the root. That will be distributed.
Just like you supply foodstuff to the stomach. That will be distributed. Suppose I have got very good cake. Now, the fingers holding the cake. Now, if the fingers think, "All right, it is a good cake. Why shall I supply to the stomach? Let us eat it." Oh, the fingers cannot eat. That is improper. There is a story in Sanskrit, udarendriyanam. Udarendriyanam. There was a meeting of all the parts of the senses, that, "We are working, and the stomach is sitting idly, and he is simply eating. So let us get into strike. We shall not work." Just like there is strike system now. Now, all the hands and legs and all parts of the body they, "No, no more we are going to work for the stomach." Now, what happened? Gradually the hand become weak, the fingers become, the eye could not see, the ear... Oh, they thought that "What is happening this? We are becoming weaker, weaker, weaker." Then they decided, "It was a mistake not to supply foodstuff to the stomach. It was good for us."
Similarly, by establishing a godless civilization we are not happy. We are not happy, just like the same way, not supplying foodstuff to the stomach, we are thinking of becoming happy. No, that cannot be. If the senses of the body, parts of the body want to become happy, then he, the senses and the parts of the body, they have to supply foodstuff to the stomach. Similarly, if you want to be happy in this world, there is no alternative without, I mean to say, performing sacrifices. That is recommended here. Evam pravartitam cakram. The circle is... The circle is described in the previous verses, that annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14].
You subsist by eating grains. Of course, nowadays we have invented so many artificial foodstuff. But however artificially foodstuff, however flesh and other things we may take, without grains we cannot live. The grains must be there. The wheat and the rice and the paddy and the cereals, there must be there. So real foodstuff is anna. Anna means this grain. So by eating grains we subsist. Our life prolongs by eating grains. So annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah. And grains are produced by proper rainfall. Rainfall is the main source of producing everything of our necessities of life. Without rainfall we cannot produce anything of the necessities of life.
We have got many necessities of life, not only grains. We require cotton for clothing. We require silk for luxury. We require valuable stones and jewels. All these are produced under certain circumstances of rain. Rain is falling on the sea and the ocean also. So there is purpose. Under certain constellation of the star, if the rain falls on the sea, it produces pearls and jewels. We have got this information from Vedic literature. So everything is produced, whatever you require.
Now, pasturing ground for the cows -- the grass is produced by rains, and the animals, they eat the grass, and they produce milk. You require milk. So everything, the main source of supply is the rainfall from the sky. That is not under your control. So Bhagavad-gita says, parjanyad anna-sambhavah. Without rain, you cannot have any production. Nothing can be produced without rain. And without production you cannot live. But rain, regular rain, and regulative rain and useful rain will fall when you perform sacrifices, yajna. Yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. And yajnah karma-samudbhavah. And you can perform yajna by working. Because yajna requires materials, so if you have no money, if you don't work, you cannot have money. So everything is a circle. It is nice circle.
Karma brahmodbhavam. And how to work, that is described in the Vedic injunction, that "You should work like this." We have all discussed. Niyatam kuru karma tvam karma jyayo hy akarmanah. 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 yajna. And by regular performance of yajna, 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.
So anyway, one has to work sincerely his prescribed duties. And by the result of such work, one has to offer sacrifices to please the Supreme Lord. That is the circle. And Lord Krsna says, evam pravartitam cakram. Now, this circle, this moving circle, is... Just like the potter moves the circle to make production -- you have seen -- similarly, we have to move the circle. Circle means it is meant for moving.
So anyone who does not move the circle of activity, then his life is aghayur indriyaramah. His life is full of sin. His life is sinful, simply meant for sense gratification. Aghayur indriyaramo mogham partha sa jivati. His life is useless, without any purpose. And actually it has become like that.
Our life has become without any purpose. We do not understand why this human life we have got, why it is distinct from the dogs' life or the hogs' life or the animal life. We do not understand that. We have to understand that this human life is not meant for the animal propensities of life like cats and dog; it is meant for some other divine purpose. We have to get rid of this material encagement and attain our spiritual life and be happy forever. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. One has to return back to the kingdom of God. That is the mission of human life.
So one who does not know this mission of human life. So according to Bhagavad-gita, he is living uselessly. His purpose of life, he has no. Just like a ship without a rudder, a man without aim, you have no aim or purpose of life. This is the purpose of life. So we have to perform yajna. So those who are engaged in activities, by the result of his activities...
(Aside: You are going? Going? Going? All right.)
So anyone who does not move on this circle, according to Bhagavad-gita, he is passing on his life uselessly. Then the next.
yas tv atma-ratir eva syad
atma-trptas ca manavah
atmany eva ca santustas
tasya karyam na vidyate
[Bg. 3.17]
This is a... This yajna is prescribed for the general mass of people, that they must work sincerely according to their prescribed duties, and by the result of that duty or result of their action, they should offer sacrifices to the Lord.
Now, at the present moment the best sacrifice is recommended in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the sacrifice of chanting the holy name of Lord. Yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. So now you come here and sit down here for sometimes and chant the holy name of the Lord. That is also sacrifice. That is also sacrifice. This is recommended for this age especially. Because we cannot make any other sacrifice, so in this age...
This age is called Kali. Kali means the age of quarrel. On minor things we are prepared to fight with one another. That is the system of this age. And if you open the newspaper in the morning, you will find so many news of fighting. So this is called the age of fighting and corruption. So in this age, they...
Formerly, as the sages and great kings, they were performing yajnas, rajasuya-yajna, asvamedha-yajna and so many big, big yajnas, and they required large fund of money, so that is not possible in this age. Lord Caitanya therefore recommended... Not only Lord Caitanya, out of His own will He has recommended.
It is prescribed in sastra, and it is said, krte yad dhyayato visnum. Krte means in the Satya-yuga or what is generally known as golden age. So in the Satya-yuga people used to realize self or used to elevate themselves to highest perfection of life by meditation. Meditation. You have heard the name of Valmiki Muni. Valmiki Muni, he meditated for sixty thousands of years. His whole body was covered by, what is called, worms. And... Because at that time people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. So gradually our life is being reduced. Yes. In the Satya-yuga, it is stated, that people used to live for one hundred thousands of years. And then, in the Treta-yuga, they used to live for one thousands of years. No. In the Dvapara-yuga for one thousand. And in the Treta-yuga, ten thousand years. In the Dvapara-yuga one thousand years. And now it has come down to one hundred years in this Kali-yuga. That also, one hundred years is not completed. Now we are dying within sixty or seventy and gradually it will be reduced to twenty to thirty years. That is also mentioned.
So what was possible in the Satya-yuga by meditation, that is not possible in this age. That is not possible. Therefore the methods have been made easier. Krte yad dhyayato visnum. What was being possible, to attain perfection of life by meditation in the Satya-yuga, that was possible in the Treta-yuga by offering of big sacrifices. Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih. Makhaih means big sacrifices.
And dvapare paricaryayam. That very thing was realized in the Dvapara-yuga by temple worship. There... From that in Dvapara-yuga in India so many temple worship flourished, not only in India, all over the world. Church worship is also temple worship. Mosque worship is also temple worship. It may be different for different countries and different class of people, but the whole thing is temple worship. Temple worship. There are, in the temple there are nine kinds of different process of worship.
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]
So the... Smaranam kirtanam vandanam. Vandanam means offering prayer. And arcanam means... That is... Of course, you have no experience. But India there is arcana of the Deity, installing Deity in the temples and worship from morning, half past four, till night, eleven. There are different kinds of worship. So either this worship or this prayer, they are called temple worship. Temple worship. Vandanam, offering prayer, is another sort of temple worship. So that is recommended. That was recommended in the Dvapara-yuga.
Dvapara-yuga means just during the Mahabharata time. Mahabharata time, five thousand years before, that was the end of Dvapara-yuga. Then, after the battle of Kuruksetra, this Kali-yuga has begun, Kali-yuga, this age, present age which we are passing on. In this age, this Kali-yuga will exist... From the Vedic scriptures we understand, it will exist for four hundred thousand years, four hundred thousands of years, four hundred twenty-seven thousands of years, not twenty-seven, thirty-two. Out of that, we have passed only five thousand years. So there is balance still, four hundred twenty-seven thousands of years, to finish this Kali-yuga, this age of...
Now, for this age... Krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih. Now, different ages, different methods are prescribed. So for this age, it is prescribed that kalau tad dhari-kirtanat. Whatever was possible to perform in the Satya-yuga by meditation and the Treta-yuga by offering of great, I mean to say, costly sacrifices, and in the Dvapara-yuga by offering prayers or arcana in the temple, that can be made possible easily by hari-kirtana, by chanting the holy name of God. That is the prescription.
So, as the Bhagavad-gita prescribes, that you have to perform yajna, now, don't be afraid that you have to perform the same kind of yajna as it was being performed in the Treta-yuga or Dvapara-yuga by offering thousands and thousands of mounds of clarified butter and grains. That is not possible. Nobody can secure all those ingredients at the present moment. Neither it is recommended. In the Kali-yuga it is recommended that one can perform the sankirtana-yajna. That will give him the same result which was derived by meditation in Satya-yuga.
So Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced this method of sankirtana-yajna in this age. Five hundred years before, Lord Caitanya advented Himself in India in Bengal in the district of Navadvipa. It is about sixty miles from Calcutta. And He... Of course, He was born in that particular place, but He, I mean to say, distributed these missionary activities all over India. And He desired that His followers may also distribute this missionary activity in other parts of the world. That is His desire and foretelling.
So this yajna. So far yajna is concerned, we can perform this yajna, sankirtana-yajna. That is not very difficult. Everyone, at home or in this place... What is that?
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]
It is the most inexpensive performance of yajna. Anyone can adopt it, just to learn these sixteen words: Hare, Krsna, Hare, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Hare, Hare, Hare, Rama, Hare, Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare, these sixteen words. Anyone, any illiterate man or any rich man, any poor man or any man of any country, these sixteen words anyone can learn. You see?
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
And chant. Go on chanting it. There is no expenditure.
Suppose if you are moving on the street and if you go on chanting
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
There is no expenditure and there is no loss. Suppose you are sitting on the bus, on the car, for two hours. For two hours, if you go on chanting, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna," then tremendous result. So why don't you try it? There is no expenditure; there is no loss, neither loss of time, neither loss of money, neither loss of energy. There is no loss. Simply and melodiously, in a singing way, if you go on, "Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare," you are... You will be directly associating with the Supreme Lord. You will be directly associating.
Now, suppose, theoretically accepting that if I am directly associating with Supreme Lord, then what else I want more? In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yam labdhva caparam labham manyate nadhikam tatah. If you actually get the association of the Lord, then what else you have got to gain? You have got everything with you. So that is a fact. It is a question of realization only. And as soon as we get advanced in this chanting of this Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, then we shall gradually realize that actually God is with us. God is dancing on my tongue in the form of sound. You see?
So this is the simplest process of yajna, and that is introduced by Lord Caitanya. Not He has manufactured this process, but it is from authoritative scripture. And you can try it. You can try it. The result will be that gradually you will be on the way, on the path of liberation. Liberation means to get out of this material entanglement. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that by chanting this krsna-sankirtana, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, the first result will be that your heart will be cleared of all dust accumulated by years and years, life after life with this material association.
Just like we are sitting in this loft. So by association of this Bowery Street, always dust is coming in this room, and it is being stuck up, layer after layer, similarly, by association of this material contamination, we have in our heart accumulated so many material dust. The whole thing, our progress of spiritual life, our progress of spiritual realization, is checked only because we have got some misunderstanding of our identification. The identification is that "I am this body." That's all. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13].
This is also described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, that "One who is identified with this body of three elements..." This body is made of... According to Ayurvedic medicine system, this body is made of tri-dhatu: tejo-vari-mrd. That is also stated in the Bhagavata, tejo-vari-mrd. That means heat, water and earth. Heat, water and earth. The whole material creation is a combination of these three things, tejo-vari-mrd. Tejah means heat, or fire, and vari means water, and mrd means earth. So this body is earth, matter. These grains, the grains which we eat, that is also earth transformation. And now, by eating grains, this place is transformed. This is also earth. So we are seeing a very nice, beautiful, but it is earth. So it is made by interaction of this heat and water. That is the process going on, nature's creation. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13].
So anyone who identifies with this body, this bag of these three elements... This is a bag. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu. And from this bag there are many other bags emanated, just like my children. They are also my different bags, production of this bag. So yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhih kalatradisu [SB 10.84.13]. One who identifies this bag as "myself" -- [break] "I am this body, and the result of my body, these kinsmen, children, and family, or countrymen or society men, they are my own men..."
Sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih. Bhauma ijya-dhih means this earth from which this earthly body has grown up. That means the country, this country. We are fond of our country because from this American earth my body has developed, or from Indian earth, or this earth of this planet, apart from American or Indian conception of life. So we are human beings of this planet. So we are identifying with this planetary situation. So all these things, they have been very carefully analyzed. And the conclusion has been that yasyatma... "One who thinks like that, he is no better than ass and cow." Sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]. Sa eva go-kharah. Go-kharah. Go means cow, and khara means ass. So actually, if we analyze the present civilization, oh, it is a civilization of go-khara. Go-khara, because we are identifying this body: "I am this body. And because this body has got connection with a particular woman, therefore she is my wife. And because by that combination we have got another production, some children, they are my children. And because expanded into society, into country and so many things..."
So all these entanglement is there. But actually I am pure soul. I am not this body. As soon as I understand this, then whole thing is vanished. You see? Because if I am not this body, then in relationship with this body, whatever I have expended, my extended selfishness is at once vanished. Then I am mukta-purusa; I am liberated soul. So Lord Caitanya says by chanting this sri-krsna-sankirtana, I become at once liberated from this misconception of life. What I need? I am suffering due to my, this misconception of life. The whole Vedic literature advises me that "You are not this material body." Aham brahmasmi: "I am Brahman." Brahman means I am spirit. I am the supreme..., not supreme spirit, but I am spirit, Brahman. The Vedic literature does not say that I am Parambrahman. Parambrahman is Bhagavan. Qualitatively, I am one with Parambrahman, and Brahman, there is qualitatively oneness because Brahman... Gold, big gold or small gold, that doesn't matter. Gold, both of them are gold.
So Lord Caitanya says that ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. This misconception of life will be the first installment of our profit by chanting, by regularly chanting this Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna, by performing this yajna, the first installment. That first installment will be: I become liberated from the material conception of life at once. The many great sages, they are going to Himalaya. They are going to the forest for meditation just to realize "what I am." Now Lord Caitanya says that this, what you are, your self-realization, your spiritual realization, will be the first installment. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. This is simply... Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12] means this is misconception, that what I am not, I am thinking I am. It is simply to understand that I am not. Actually I am not this. We can understand it very shortly, within a moment.
That Bhagavad-gita... I have already told you that avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam. That portion which is spread all over your body, that you are. That is avinasi, that is immortal. Now what is that? My consciousness. And what is that consciousness? That is the symptom of my presence. I am a soul present in this body, and the consciousness is the symptom. Means as soon as this consciousness is removed, the body has no value. That we are experiencing every day. As soon as from the body the consciousness is out, oh, it is dead body. We are crying, "Oh, my son is gone," "My husband is gone," "My brother..." Why your son is gone? It is lying there in the floor. Why you are crying? "No, no." That gone means that consciousness gone. Gone means that... Therefore the consciousness is the real thing.
So we misunderstand. We misunderstand. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says the misunderstanding of this body identification is at once removed by performing this yajna,
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Then the next installment? Simply, simply understanding that "I am not this body; I am consciousness" will do it? No. That is the first step. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If you are actually conscious of being not this body, actually when, then your all material miseries are at once removed. As soon as you come to the real point of understanding that "I am not this body," then the whole misunderstanding of material existence, bhava-maha-davagni... Bhava-maha-davagni means... Each and every word is very carefully selected in Sanskrit, and they have got immense meaning, full of meaning. Now, this, why this bhava-maha-davagni, this very word, I will try to explain. Bhava. Bhava means the situation in which we have to take repeated birth and we accept repeated death. That is called bhava. And that is a kind of maha-davagni. Maha means great, and davagni means forest fire. Forest fire. Forest fire, have you seen, any of you? Here you have got many forests, but I don't think you have seen any forest fire. I have seen. Forest fire takes automatically. Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but by, I mean to say, cohesion of different dry bamboos or woods, fire takes, by electricity fire takes place, and the whole forest is ablaze. That is called davagni. So this material world, nobody wants. Everyone wants peaceful life. But the nature of the material world is that automatically there is fire. Automatically there is.
Just like in New York your fire brigade is always traveling, always afraid of if there is any fire, because we are expecting every moment fire, every moment fire. Nobody is setting fire in his house, but automatically there is fire. So however we may want, however we may try in the United Nations organization that there will be no war, oh, it will take. It will take place. And already taking place. The war is going on. You cannot stop it. Therefore it is called bhava-maha-davagni. Just like in the forest nobody goes to set fire -- it automatically takes place -- similarly, in spite of our good wish that we want to live peacefully in this world, there cannot be any peace. There will be fire, set of fire, fire set off. Yes. So as soon as one be confidently convinced that "I am not this body," then he is protected from this fire of this material world, fire, material world. Bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam. Then his actual life begins. Then also... Then he is actually blissful life.
Sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam. Just like the moon rises from the new moon. Gradually the moon rises into the full moon. Therefore the candrika, candrika, this very word, is used. It is compared with the moon. Just like on the pratipada, after the new moon, you see the moon just like a line. Then, next day, it becomes little more, next, little more. Just like pratipada, on the eleventh day it is practically full. On the eleventh day we observe ekadasi, and then, after four days, the full moon -- the whole world is full of light. So sreyah-kairava-candrika... As soon as this bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam, as soon as we get rid of this misconception of identifying this body, then our real blissful life begins, gradually develops just like the moon develops. Sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam.
Vidya-vadhu-jivanam means full knowledge, full knowledge. We are hankering after knowledge; then we come to the point of full knowledge. Vidya-vadhu-jivanam anandambudhi-vardhanam. Ananda. We cannot increase ananda here. In the material sense gratification, ananda does not increase. If you want some ananda from sense, for the time being it may give you some pleasure, but at once it decreases. You have no more capacity to enjoy. You see? At once decreases. So it is not ananda. It is not real ananda. Ananda means that will increase, increase. You enjoy and increases. Increases. Anandambudhi-vardhanam. The example is very nice. Ambudhi. Ambudhi means sea. Sea... You don't find sea has increased. You go to the, what is called, seaside. Ten years before you had been to the seaside. You see the same level is there. It does not increase. If it increases, the whole New York City will be overflooded. It does not increase. But here Lord Caitanya says that ambudhi, the ocean of bliss, it increases. It increases. That is a new experience. When you are actually in spiritual happiness, your bliss will be increased.
Material happiness means your bliss will be decreased. Suppose if you want a good cake or good foodstuff, you want to eat. Now, suppose you take two cakes or three cakes. Now, the fourth cake you will refuse, "No, no more I want. No more. I don't want," because that, I mean to say, pleasure now has decreased. Decreased. But here He says, Lord Caitanya says, that your ananda, bliss, will be increased. Increased. That is spiritual. That is the test of spiritual life. When you engage yourself in spiritual function, the test will be that you will not feel tired. You will not feel tired. Suppose if you are engaged in some spiritual function, you will find more activity, more activity. More you do, more you find activity. That is spiritual. That is spiritual. So these things are there.
So we are not to be afraid of, that we cannot perform this yajna as prescribed in the Bhagavad-gita. By the grace of Lord Caitanya and by the grace of Vedic literature we have got this information that yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. Yajnaih sankirtana. This yajna, sankirtana-yajna, chanting yajna, one can perform, and one can please the Supreme Lord. That is prescribed. So this is very easy, and anyone can adopt, only to remember the sixteen names, and at any time.
Lord Caitanya also says that namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita. The name, name Krsna, and Krsna person, there is no difference. There is no difference. You don't think that "Arjuna was fortunate to receive instruction of Krsna directly, but we are unfortunate. We are not in the presence of Krsna." No, no, no, no. That is a, our mistake. Krsna is present by the sound representation. Because God is Absolute, therefore there is no difference. Just like here we have got difference; nothing is Absolute.
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. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate. These are Vedic injunction, that "If you take the whole thing from the whole, still, the balance is whole. The balance is whole."
So Lord Caitanya also said the same thing, that namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah. This chanting, this performance of yajna, is so powerful that the Krsna name is as powerful as Krsna, the person. Namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktih. And in the Krsna name all the... God is almighty. So all the mightiness of God is there. Simply we have to realize. So namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis tatrarpita. And there is already invested all the potency, all the potency of the supreme person into His name.
And niyamitah smarane na kalah. And you have no hard and fast rule for chanting. It is not that... Now, suppose if you have got to go to church or to temple, you have to dress yourself properly; you have to purify yourself and so many things before you enter into the church. Of course, any sacred place, the rules and regulation are the same. The Mohammedans also, they go the mosque after washing their hands and feet very nicely. So... And Hindu principle also, the same thing is there. They go to the temple after taking bath and purifying. So many things are there, either Hinduism or Mohammedanism or Christianism, according to country and climate and people. Practically, the principles are the same. They may be... Formally, they may appear to be... But the thing is there.
But here, niyamitah smarane na kalah. Here you don't require that you have to take your bath before chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. No. Oh, because you are in the bathroom, therefore you cannot chant Hare Krsna? No. You can chant even there. So such a thing. Because if actually Krsna, that very name, is Krsna, then how I can remain impure? The potency is there. It makes me at once pure. Just like as soon as there is light, there is no question of darkness. Darkness and light cannot stand together. Either it must be darkness or must be light. So as soon as there is light... So Krsna is light. Krsna name is light. Therefore there cannot be any impurities. Impurity is due to my, this material body. But I am, at that moment, I am in the spiritual platform. So this impurities cannot touch me.
These are the points of realization. As we make sincerely sincere effort to perform this yajna, particular yajna for this age, then we make our progress. It is most inexpensive and very easy and very powerful. Why don't you adopt it? That is my request to you.
Thank you very much. Now, if there is any question you can put. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966
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