"Cheater Leaders"

74/03/29 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 4.9


Pradyumna: (leads text chanting) Translation: "One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities, does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna."

Prabhupada:

janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so'rjuna
[Bg. 4.9]

This is very important verse. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti. Our problem is this transmigration of the soul, one body to another. This is going on. Because you do not know how to get out of it, modern education they do not know even what is soul, what is this body, how the transmigration of the soul taking place. All blunt. There is no educational institution all over the world to understand this science. Although it is the most important science for the human being. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. No more transmigration of the soul.

The soul, in its original spiritual body, can be transferred from this material world to the spiritual world. And there is the spiritual world as I've already explained, that is three times creation of the Lord. This is only one-fourth, this material world. So our problem of human life is to get out of these material clutches and transfer ourselves to the spiritual world. That is real problem. Not this food problem, that problem. This will go on. So long you are in the material world, such problems will come and go. They're not permanent. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Agamapayinah anityah tams titiksasva bharata. These problems, they'll come and they'll go. Just like seasonal changes.

matra-sparsas tu kaunteya
sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah
agamapayino 'nityas
tams titiksasva bharata
[Bg. 2.14]

That is real knowledge. We should not be disturbed by the material problems. You cannot avoid them. So long... Just like if you are in the winter season, how you can avoid cold, infection by cold, or affection by cold? You cannot avoid. That does not mean, because it is the season is very cool and you cannot take bath. No. You must take bath. That is Aryan civilization. Still in India we'll find in the villages severe cold. Still the people are taking bath early in the morning. They are accustomed. But now we are giving up. Now we are rising at seven o'clock because we are advanced in education. And if there is mangala-aratrika, it is nuisance. This is our advancement of civilization at the present moment. But if you go in the villages, you'll find that the villagers rising early in the morning, they're taking bath, changing cloth, and chanting Hare Krsna as far as possible. Still in the mass of people of India, the Krsna consciousness is still existing, it is not yet lost.

And they believe in the next birth, next life, past life, they believe in God, in Krsna. They're satisfied with that position, but the modern leaders they do not like it. They want to make them intoxicated so that they can work like an ass for the morsel of food. But this is not the problem. The real problem is here, stated, that you should stop the disease of birth and death. That is real problem. Tyaktva deham punar janma [Bg. 4.9]. The human life is meant for making a solution of the repetition of birth and death. That is real problem. Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]. We are finding fault with so many things. But really we should find fault with this process of repetition of birth and death. People are now being educated in this way that there is no more life. You have got this life and you enjoy the senses as far as possible.

That is nastik theory. This nastik or atheism... There were many saints in India also. One of them is Carvaka. He's very famous atheist. His philosophy is hedonism. Rnam krtva ghrtam pibet yavaj jivet sukham jivet. His theory is, because in India the luxury is to eat something which is cooked in ghee: luci, puri, halava. So Carvaka Muni says that you take loan from your friends if you have no money and eat as much as possible ghee. Rnam krtva ghrtam pibet yavaj jivet sukham jivet. And so long you live, you live by gratifying your senses. Here sukham means sense gratification.

But according to Vedic civilization, sukham atyantikam yat tad atindriyam grahyam. What is the actual happiness? That is beyond your senses. Not sense gratification. But because we are materially absorbed, we think indriyani parany ahur [Bg. 3.42]. Indriya. the senses, always all. To satisfy the senses that is sukh. That is happiness. And those who are a little disgusted with sense gratification, indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah [Bg. 3.42]. They are mental speculators. They write poetries and utopian theories, "This philosophy, that philosophy." In this way they satisfy the mind. But that is also not happiness. Mental happiness. Mano-rathena asato dhavato bahih. If you become satisfied by mental happiness, then you'll have to come down again. Asato. Asato ma sad-gamah. Real life is: "Don't stay in this temporary world but go to the real world, paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. You'll find all these things in Bhagavad-gita. So either on the bodily plane or on the mental plane you cannot be happy. That is not possible. But if you want to be happy then you have to come to the spiritual platform and engage in spiritual activities, sukham atyantikam yat tad atindriyam grahyam. Atindriya means above the material platform of sensual and mental activities.

So spiritual activities means devotional service. Spiritual activities mean devotional service, activities in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means, as I have repeatedly explained, that you have to forget your identification with the matter, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. You have to forget your body as American, Indian, brahmana, ksatriya, sudra, Hindu, Muslim. That you have to forget. Aham brahmasmi, "I am spirit soul." That is real identification. And when the spirit soul is active, sometimes the Mayavadi philosophers, they think, "Now I've realized that I am not this body, I am not matter, I am spirit soul, so now I have become Narayana. I have become the Supreme." But no, that is also mistake. When you realize that "Supreme is the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman, I am part and parcel of the Supreme, I am also Brahman, but I am not the Supreme Brahman, therefore my business is to serve Parabrahman." That is real spiritual life. That is the beginning of spiritual life.

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

Para bhakti. Para-bhakti, that is real spiritual life. Para apara, apara bhakti means on the material platform. Generally, the Deity worship. This is the beginning, but as you go on worshiping the Deity you realize your spiritual identity. Then you do not see the Deity as made of stone or wood. You see directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead and you can talk, you can receive an inspiration. This is the beginning.

arcayam eva haraye
pujam yah sraddhayehate
na tad-bhaktesu canyesu
sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah

We should learn how to do good to the people in general. They have forgotten their relationship with God. You should be sympathetic for them. That they're suffering on account of their forgetfulness of God, let us do some service to them. (indistinct) Awaken them. Awaken their Krsna consciousness. That is Krsna consciousness movement. It is the best welfare activities to the human society. Because he has got, he has forgotten Krsna, he's suffering and if you awaken his Krsna consciousness then he will be happy.

Just like a rich man's son. He has forgotten that his father is very rich, or his father has left immense property. But forgetting his real position, he's loitering in the street, hungry. You can call him, "All right, you take some food." That is not real benefit, that is temporary. But if you awaken his real consciousness, that he is the son of a very rich man, his father has got immense property, "Why don't you go back to your father and be happy?" That is Krsna consciousness movement. That is stated here. Janma karma ca me divyam yo vetti tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. One has to understand Krsna, tattvatah, in truth. Not superficially. What is Krsna? Krsna is the supreme leader. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13). supreme leader, perfect leader, without any mistake, without any illusion, without any cheating, and without any imperfection of the senses. We have to take direction from such a leader, then our life will be successful. And because we are taking direction from imperfect leaders, cheater leaders, therefore we are meeting with so many problems.

Krsna says that yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata. Tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]. That I have already explained, what is that glanih? The glanih is when we forget Krsna. Then our activities become polluted. Just like a servant. If he forgets that there is master, then he becomes polluted. He steals, he mismanages things, things become very disordered. But if he has got the sense that "I have got my master, everything belongs to my master," and if he acts accordingly, that is very nice.
So we do not know what is the constitutional position of Krsna and what is my constitutional position. That is called sambandha-jna. My relationship with Krsna. Everyone of us has got a relationship. Krsna says in the Fifteenth Chapter, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. Just like sons are part and parcel of the father. Father's body extends as son and daughter. Similarly we are also expansion of Krsna's body. We are vibhinnamsa. Krsna expands in two ways, svamsa and vibhinnamsa. The vibhinnamsa expansion we are, we living entities. But because we have forgotten Krsna, we have come to enjoy this material world, we are becoming infected with the modes of material nature, and accepting different types of body, 8,400,000 species of life. But somehow or other if we come in contact with Krsna, by the mercy of Krsna's confidential devotees, then our life becomes success. That is described here. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Then this transmigration of the soul stops. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti.

Punar janma naiti, does not mean that soul is finished. No. This body, material body, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. This material body, when it is dissolved, pancatvam prapta, mixes with these five elements, earth, water, fire, air, it does not mean that the soul is finished. The soul is there. The soul is transmigrating to another body. Karmana daiva-netrena [SB 3.31.1]. By the supervision of the external energy, and superior superintendent, we are transferred to a different body by the subtle body, mana, buddhi, ahankara. But these foolish people, they do not know how the soul is... They do not know what is soul and how the soul is being transferred. But these things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Just like we cannot see the flavor, but when the flavor passes through carried by the air, we can smell. Similarly, we can smell how the soul is being transferred. These processes are explained in the Bhagavad-gita.

Therefore our duty is to know Krsna. Janma karma. Krsna comes, Krsna appears, Krsna disappears. Why Krsna comes? Why Krsna is not seen? Janma karma. Why He acts? Why He takes birth in the battlefield of Kuruksetra? Why He teaches Arjuna? Why He dances with the gopis? So many things Krsna's life. We have read Krsna book. There are so many activities. They're all transcendental, although they're written just like ordinary story activities of a person. But they are not ordinary things. If you simply read Krsna book, although it looks like story, then you become delivered from these clutches of repetition of birth and death.

It is so nice. Because you will understand Krsna, what is Krsna, and here it is said, janma karma ca me divyam ye janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. It is explained. The people who are reading Krsna book very seriously, and tries to understand Krsna, he will understand. Krsna is very kind. As soon as he begins reading Krsna book with a little faith and adherence, Krsna will be very much pleased. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. As soon as Krsna is within your heart so when you read Bhagavad-gita or Krsna book with little seriousness, then Krsna understands, "Now he is serious to understand me." He's with the.... You haven't got to search out Krsna, He's already within you. Simply you have to become little serious. "Krsna, kindly give me knowledge so that I can understand." Buddhi-yogam dadami tam. If you are serious devotee, if you are in love with Krsna, tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam [Bg. 10.10]. If you are engaged in His worshiping, in chanting, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. If you simply follow these four principles, simply thinking of Krsna, simply, always, sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh [SB 9.4.18]. Simply meditate. This is meditation.

Meditation means as you see the form of Krsna, and whenever you go, the impression of the form will be within your eyes, and if you think of Krsna, your life is succesful. Therefore the Deity of Krsna should be seen. That is the benefit of the eyes. The ears should be engaged hearing about Krsna. The tongue should be engaged for eating Krsna's remnants of foddstuff, prasadam. The nose should be engaged for smelling the flower which is offered to Krsna, or the tulasi. In this way, when you engage all your senses, the legs should be utilized for coming to this temple to see Krsna. Not to going to the cinema rascal. Then your life will be successful. You'll understand Krsna. Krsna is very kind. He says tesam satata-yuktanam [Bg. 10.10], if you engage all your senses for understanding Krsna with devotion and faith, priti-purvakam, with love, the love is the basic principle of understanding Krsna.

But you will develop your love. The love means, just like it is said, dadati pratigrhnati. You are coming into the temple if you give something, patram puspam phalam toyam. Little things. "Krsna, I have brought You. I could not bring any very costly thing, but I've collected these patram puspam phalam toyam. Krsna is pleased, tad aham asnami. Krsna says

patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami...
[Bg. 9.26]

Because he has brought it, Krsna is not beggar. Krsna can create millions of fruits and flowers. He's atmarama, He's fully satisfied in Himself. He's so opulent. But He wants that you should also love Krsna and give Him something. That He wants. Therefore He comes, paritranaya sadhunam [Bg. 4.8]. Therefore He comes.

He's not poor. Krsna is all opulent. Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam [Bs. 5.29]. He's always being worshiped by many hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. Here we worship Goddess Laksmi, goddess of fortune, "Mother, give me some money." And that also does not stay. Laksmi's another name is cancala, sometimes she favors and goes away. But Krsna is so opulent that millions of godesses of fortune are engaged in His service. So why He's asking you, patram puspam phalam toyam [Bg. 9.26]? He's asking out of love. That, "You try to love Me. If You are so poor you cannot give Me anything, alright, give me little flower, little fruit. I will be satisfied." Krsna is so kind.

And still you are not taking the opportunity of understanding Krsna. Just see how much unfortunate we are. As you serve Krsna, you understand Krsna. You cannot understand Krsna otherwise, unless you render service. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Brs. 1.2.234]. If you simply exact your senses, your nice brain, "Krsna is like this, Krsna is like that," but if you are not a devotee, Krsna will not reveal Himself. Naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah [Bg. 7.25]. The rascal's mental speculation will not help him to understand Krsna, what He is. That is not possible. His all activities are divyam, transcendental. We cannot understand with our material blunt senses. That is not possible. Therefore, the sastra says, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Brs. 1.2.234]. These blunt senses, you cannot understand Krsna. Or Krsna means His name, His form, His quality, His activities, His pastimes, so many things. Janma karma.
So how Krsna will be understood then? Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. If you engage your tongue in His service, then that is the recommendation of Vedic literature. That, first of all, you have to engage your tongue. Krsna's service begins from the tongue, because tongue has got two functions, namely to vibrate to speak something, and to taste something. So you engage. You simply engage your tongue for chanting and glorifying Krsna, and eat prasadam, then the two tongue's business will be finished. Sevonmukhe. You eat Krsna's prasadam.

krsna baro doyamoy, koribare jihwa jay,
sva prasad-anna dilo bhai
sei prasadanno pao, radha-krsna-guna gao

Bhaktivinoda Thakura has taught that our tongue is very fastidious, wants to eat this thing, that thing, this thing, that thing. Even after... We have seen. He has eaten sumptuously at home but as soon as he comes out, "Let us go to the restaurant, let us have a cup of tea, a little this or that." The tongue is always dictating. "You eat this, you eat that, you eat that, you like that." That is going on. So if you want to control your tongue, then give him Krsna prasadam. That "I'll not accept anything which is not offered to Krsna." Then your tongue becomes controlled. And if you can control your tongue, your other senses will be automatically controlled. And yogic perfection means controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-samyamah. So a devotee of Krsna is the first-class yogi. That is accepted by Krsna.

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg. 6.47]

So this Krsna consciousness movement means to train people to become the topmost yogi. Topmost yogi. Because they have controlled their senses. No meat eating, no intoxication, not even smoking or drinking tea. This is yoga (indistinct). Not that simply by pressing nose one becomes yogi. Practical life. After performing yoga, "Oh, my tongue is now dry, give me one bidi. (indistinct) one bidi." That is not yoga practice, smoking ganja, bidi, intoxication, tea, and he has become a yogi. These are useless, all bogus. Yoga means he has controlled his senses. Yoga indriya-samyamah. The yoga practice means controlling the senses and engaging the mind on the lotus feet of Krsna. That is yoga system.

yam brahma varunendra-rudra-marutah stunvanti divyaih stavair
vedaih sanga-pada-kramopanisadair gayanti yam sama-gah
dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yogino...

Dhyanavasthita, meditation, always seeing the lotus feet of Krsna. Nowadays they have manufactured some meditation, something light, this, that, all nonsense. Dhyanavasthita-manasa, mind being absorbed. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor. That is real yoga system. Meditation. Now it is the age of meditation. Meditation is not meant for this age. Meditation is meant for the satya-yuga. What is that verse? Krte yad dhyayato visnum. Krte, krte means satya-yuga. People were very restrained, all paramahamsas. In those days it was possible to meditate. At the present moment our mind is so disturbed, we are disturbed in so many ways. Meditation is not possible in this age. Maybe there may be one or two persons who can meditate. The real meditation means to think of Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. That is real meditation. So in this way, if we engage our life, that means bhakti-yoga, then Krsna reveals, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Brs. 1.2.234]. If you simply speculate, tax your senses to understand Krsna by so-called scholarship, that will not help you. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau. You engage your tongue in the service of the Lord, then He'll reveal.

It is a revelation. It is not speculation. The speculators cannot understand what is Krsna, that is not possible. Those who are actually devotees, tesam satata-yuktanam [Bg. 10.10]. Twenty-four hours engaged in the service of the Lord.

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam...
[SB 7.5.23]

Out of these nine methods, all the nine, or eight, seven, six, even one. If you engage yourself. Just like Maharaja Pariksit, he engaged himself simply for hearing. He become perfect. Simply by hearing Bhagavata from Sukadeva Gosvami. And Sukadeva Gosvami also became perfect, simply by reciting Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sri visnoh smarane, sravane pariksid abhavad vaiyasakih kirtane. This is also kirtana. Abhavad vaiyasakih kirtane. Prahladah smarane. Prahlada Maharaja, he was put into so many difficulties by his father. He could not resist, he was a poor child, five years. And the rascal father was teasing him in so many ways. So what could he do? He was simply thinking of Krsna, "What can I do?" There are so many processes. If you take one of the processes your life will be successful. Simply by thinking of Krsna.

Janma karma me divyam, yo janati tattvatah. Who can know? Yo janati tattvatah, to whom Krsna reveals, he can know. He can know what is Krsna, and as soon as you have done this business you have understood Krsna, then tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. No more birth in this material world. To take birth in this material... Because you have got this body, therefore you have to suffer threefold miseries. We foolishly... You are trying to make adjustments to become happy here. It is not possible, because this place is recommended by Krsna: duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15], it is a place of miseries. How you can become happy here? This is illusion. You can never be happy in this material world, but you are trying to become happy in so many politician, social workers, this and that, simply wasting their time. They cannot be. You have to accept the leadership of Krsna. Then you will be happy. If you accept the leadership of rascals, fools, you cannot be happy. Demons. They'll put you into difficulties.

Now, just this evening, one gentleman was speaking about Ahmedabad, that the students have burned so many buses, they're now uncontrollable. So this is going on all over the world. People are frustrated, because on account of these rascal leaders. They are taking the position of leadership, but they're all rascals and fools, they cannot lead. If you want to be happy, take actual leadership of Krsna, then you'll be happy. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974