"Hear, Talk, Chant, Eat, Work, Sleep, Walk About Krsna"

74/04/01 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 4.12



Prabhupada:

kanksantah karmanam siddhim
yajanta iha devatah
ksipram hi manuse loke
siddhir bhavati karma-ja

So last night we were discussing,

ye yatha mam prapadyante
tams tathaiva bhajamy aham
mama vartmanuvartante
manusyah partha sarvasah
[Bg. 4.11]

Everyone is seeking the Absolute Truth in different way. So the worship of the demigods, that is also, in one way, searching after the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore in the Vedas, the demigod worship is also recommended. Upasana-kanda.

The Vedas are divided into three kandas, or division: karma-kanda, jnana-kanda, upasana-kanda. Therefore the other name of Veda is trayi. Trayi na sruti-gocara. Stri-sudra-dvijabandhunam trayi na sruti-gocara [SB 1.4.25]. That is stated in the Vedic literature. Stri, sudra and dvija-bandhu.... Dvija-bandhu means born in brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya family, especially brahmana family, but he is not possessing the qualities of brahmana or ksatriya, as now it is going on. Everyone is presenting himself as a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, but he hasn't got the necessary qualification. A brahmana's qualification is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, satyam saucam samo damas titiksa arjavam jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42]. Similarly, ksatriya. Sauryam viryam tejo yuddhe capy apalayanam, isvara-bhavas ca. In this way there are ksatriya's qualification.

Similarly, krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. The vaisyas are described to be engaged in agricultural work, giving protection to the cows, and excess grains to trade, where there is necessity to carry there and take something in exchange.

Similarly, sudra: paricaryatmakam karma sudra-karma svabhava-jam. Sudra means he is satisfied by serving somebody. Just like a dog. He is satisfied having a nice master, that's all. Sometimes it is compared, the sudras, like the dogs. So kanksantah karmanam siddhim. This guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13] -- brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya that will be explained in the next verse.

So karma, to get success in one's particular type of occupational duties sometimes they worship the demigods. That is described here. Demigods, they are also living entities, and all living entities are part and parcel of Krsna. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah jiva-loke sanatanah [Bg. 15.7]. So demigods, they are also part and parcel. We are also part and parcel. There is no difference. But they are more fortunate to get the post of Candra, Surya, Indra, Brahma. Brahma is also a living entity. Therefore, to get success in our material welfare activities, sometimes, not sometimes, always, we worship demigods.

So that is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, that demigod worship is also My worship, but that is avidhi-purvakam. That is not the vidhi. Vidhi is to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But sometimes, just like we give some reward to the doorman to enter into the room of a great officer, similarly, demigod worship means to get the result very quickly. And we may ask any type of benefits and reward from the demigods. Tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. That will be explained in the Seventh Chapter.

So demigod worship may be bring quickly the resultant action, desired result, but antavat tu phalam tesam [Bg. 7.23]. The result is antavat; it is limited. But bhakti is not limited. Bhakti is unlimited. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. But people.... Tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam. Those who are less intelligent, instead of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they worship the demigods. Kanksantah karmanam siddhim yajanta iha devatah. Therefore people are more interested in worshiping demigods than Krsna. The demigods.... In India especially we will find. There are many devotees of the demigods. Not devotees. Devotion is only applied in connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigod worship, they are not devotee, but they are interested to get the reward from the demigod. Otherwise they are not interested.

But bhakti is not like that. The bhaktas, they are not after any reward from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is difference between bhakti and other demigod worship. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is teaching us bhakti. He says, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye: "My Lord, I do not wish to ask from You opulence, riches, nice wife or many followers." These are material opulences. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "I do not want all these things."

na dhanam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
[Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]

That is the desire of devotee. He doesn't want even liberation. Janmani janmani. He wants to serve the lotus feet of the Lord birth after birth. That is his aspiration.

So ksipram hi manuse loke siddhir bhavati karma-ja. So karma-kandiya, those who are on the platform of fruitive activities, generally they are attracted by the demigod worship. But vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah [Bg. 2.56], those who are detached from material happiness, they becomes attached to Krsna. Man-maya mam upasritah. That is already explained. Now we have to make our choice whether for temporary benefit we shall worship demigods or for permanent benefit we shall worship Krsna. That is our choice. But people generally make their choice: ksipram hi manuse loke siddhir bhavati, immediate result. Immediate result. That will be explained that immediate result, it may be very palatable in the beginning, but it is.... It will produce bitter result at the end. But that we do not consider. We want immediate.

The immediate result and remote result is described in Sanskrit word, sreyas and preyas. Preyas means immediate benefit and sreyas means ultimate benefit. So those who are interested in the ultimate benefit go back to home, back to Godhead. For them, worshiping the Supreme Lord is most beneficial. And those who are interested in the matter of temporary benefit, dhanam dehi, rupam dehi, yaso dehi. Just like by worshiping goddess Durga we want all these things. But we forget that whatever we get, material benefit, with the end of this material body, everything is lost. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that "At the end, I, as death, I take away all your material possession." Sarva-haro mrtyuh.

So that is not good. We, because we are eternal -- nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13) -- we should be after eternal happiness, eternal benefit. That should be our business. Therefore we should not be karma-ja, not karmi. Neither we should become jnanis. We should become yogi. And what kind of yogi? Bhakti-yogi. Because there are different types of yoga practices. Out of that, bhakti-yoga is the topmost. Because Krsna says, bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. Without being in the bhakti-yoga, neither you can be happy, nor you can understand what is Krsna and what is your relationship with Krsna. Evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah [SB 1.2.20]. If you want to be happy, then bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah, it can be possible. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya. That is stated, nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18].

This class is held for the benefit of the human society. And this is the process of nityam bhagavata-sevaya. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. If you regularly hear about Krsna.... Why regularly? Constantly. If we practice in such a way that we shall hear about Krsna, talk about Krsna, chant about Krsna, eat about Krsna, work about Krsna, sleep about Krsna, walk about Krsna, that is Krsna consciousness movement. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. Anything we do in relationship with Krsna is pious. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. Nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate. This is the instruction of Srila Rupa Gosvami. Dovetail everything with Krsna activities, Krsna consciousness. That is the recommendation. Then our life will be successful.

And Krsna is sitting within your heart. When He sees you, that you are very serious about Krsna, then He helps you.

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam
[SB 1.2.17]

Krsnah abhadrani vidhunoti. We have got many dirty things within our heart, but as soon as we begin to hear about Krsna.... Just like we are hearing about Krsna. Krsna is speaking about Himself. Krsna is speaking about the situation of this material world. He'll speak about the spiritual world. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita. So if you regularly hear, that is the beginning of success of life, hearing.

The Vedas are called hearing, sruti. One has to hear Vedas from the right person. That is the recommendation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. To achieve success in self-realization or God realization, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends, sthane sthitah: "You just remain in your present position. You remain as a grhastha or as a brahmana or as a sannyasi, as a businessman, professional man. It doesn't matter." Sthane sthitah: "You remain as a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. It doesn't matter. But..." Sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih: "Just try to hear about Krsna," sruti-gatam, aural reception. Sruti-gatam means aural reception. Tanu-van-manobhih. "And try to employ your body, words," tanu-vak, and manah, "mind, engaged in Krsna's service." Tanu-van-manobhih. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir ye prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi.

Krsna's another name is Ajita: He is never conquered. But any person who hears about Krsna, jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam, simply mental speculation, giving up this bad habit, jnane prayasam udapasya, leaving aside, namanta eva, very humbly and meekly, if one hears from the realized soul about Krsna, then in any position, sthane sthitah, because he is hearing from the realized soul, then one day it will be possible to conquer the unconquerable. Prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyam.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is to give chance to everyone to hear about Krsna. This is the first process, sravanam. And when one has heard very nicely about Krsna, they can, then he can speak about Krsna. And he must speak. You cannot remain without speaking. That is the result of sravanam. Sravanam kirtanam. One who has heard nicely, he must speak or preach. And preaching and hearing about whom? Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. Visnu and Krsna, the same thing.

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
[SB 7.5.23]

These nine different process of Krsna consciousness movement is being pushed on by the members of Krsna conscious society all over the world. And we have opened also here in Bombay, the most important city of India. So we request you all to come every day and try to understand this philosophy of Krsna consciousness based on Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vedanta-sutra, Ramayana, Mahabharata, all authentic scriptures.

There is no concoction, there is no manufacturing, malinterpretation. We are presenting Bhagavad-gita As It Is, without any deviation. So if we take advantage of this process of understanding, srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17], then gradually we shall be bereft of all sinful activities, resultant action of sinful activities. Hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani. Abhadrani means inauspicious things accumulated within our heart. By this Krsna kirtana, as recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], the heart is cleansed. It is just like mirror. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. So as soon as our heart is cleansed, then we can understand immediately what is Krsna, what I am, what is my relationship with Krsna and how I should act in relation to Krsna. This is perfection of life. (aside about microphone) What had happened? Thank you very much, Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 4.12 -- Bombay, April 1, 1974