"The Only Business Of The Human Being"

75/05/24 Fiji, Bhagavad-gita 7.1


Prabhupada: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya (devotees respond). Ladies and gentlemen, I am just going to speak before you about knowledge of the Absolute. It is from the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita.

This human form of life is obtained after many, many millions of years by evolutionary process: aquatics, then insects, reptiles, birds, beasts, uncivilized men, and then civilized form of human being. They are called the Aryans. So the human being, civilized human being, is the topmost of the creation, and the consciousness is developed than the lower animals. Therefore the Vedanta philosophy says that this human form of life is meant for understanding knowledge Absolute, knowledge of the Absolute. Athato brahma jijnasa. Brahman means the Absolute. Brahman is explained in the Vedanta-sutra, janmady asya yatah: [SB 1.1.1] "Brahman, or the Absolute Truth, is that from whom everything has emanated." There must be the original source of everything. So to understand that original source of everything is the knowledge of the Absolute.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is teaching throughout the whole world about the knowledge of the Absolute. There is no question of religion or dogmatism. It is a question of cultural advancement in knowledge. Every human being has got right to understand the absolute knowledge. That is the only business of human being. There is no other business. Unfortunately, for want of training, we are wasting our advanced intelligence for the same business as the cats and dogs are engaged. That is the difficulty. Cats and dogs, they cannot understand what is absolute knowledge. They are busy where to find out food, where to find out shelter, where to find out facility for sexual intercourse, and where to find out shelter to avoid danger, defense, in other words, defense.

Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. At the present moment the human society is busy where to find out food, where to find out shelter, how to have nice sexual intercourse, and how to defense from other nation or other enemy. This has become the business. This is always the business of the materialistic way of life. But this Krsna consciousness movement is a different life. It is not materialistic way of life. It is the life of spiritual realization. It is little difficult because people are accustomed to think everything in materialistic way. Just like peace. Peace cannot be possible in the animal or materialistic way of life. It is not possible. You cannot expect peace in the cats' and dogs' society. That is not possible. Peace is possible when human being is advanced in God consciousness or Krsna consciousness.

When we speak "Krsna," please try to understand I am speaking of the Supreme Lord. Krsna means "all-attractive," Bhagavan. Here it is said in the Seventh Chapter, sri-bhagavan uvaca. Bhaga. Bhaga means opulence. You use the word bhagyavan, bhagya. From this word, bhaga, it has come bhagya. Bhagya means fortune, opulence. So Bhagavan means all-fortunate, all-opulent. That is Bhagavan. That definition is given by Parasara Muni. The wealthiest man, aisvaryasya samagrasya. Aisvarya means wealth, and samagra means all, complete. We may be very rich; you may be very rich; but nobody can claim that "All the riches belong to me." Nobody can say. Only Bhagavan can say. Just like Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He says, "I am the enjoyer of all activities." Just like there are so many different types of activities, but the result of the activity is enjoyed by somebody. He is called bhokta. Just like in a very big business establishment so many activities are going on, but the enjoyer of the result of the activities is the proprietor or the managing director, something like that. Similarly, Krsna says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam. We are engaged in different types of austerities, penances, and performing yajnas, but who is the bhokta? Bhokta, Krsna says, "I am the bhokta, I am the enjoyer." Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram: "And I am the proprietor of everything within this universe." Not only in this universe, there are many other millions of universes. Therefore says, sarva-loka-mahesvaram. There are different lokas in each and every universe. And mahesvaram, maha isvara, the supreme proprietor. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram, suhrdam sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29]. Although He is so great, still, He is friend of all living entities. Sarva-loka-mahesvaram, suhrdam... jnatva mam santim rcchati. This is the culture. If anyone can understand that God is the proprietor of everything, God is the enjoyer of all activities, the resultant action, God is the supreme friend of everyone -- simply by understanding these three formulas, one attains real platform of peaceful life. That is peaceful life.

So bhagavan uvaca. We don't say anything which is not spoken by Bhagavan, the Supreme. We don't manufacture concocted ideas, dogmas. No, that is not our business. One should not do that. But if you speak what Bhagavan has said, what Krsna has said, that is perfect. Bhagavan means the supreme complete, the possessor of all opulences. Aisvarya means riches, strength, influence, beauty, knowledge, renunciation. These are called aisvaryas. So you try to find out who is that person who possesses all these things, bhaga, in complete. If you are inquisitive, if you are actually philosopher, then you will find Krsna: Krsna is Bhagavan. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. That is the verdict of the Vedic sastra. Krsnas tu... We are searching after Bhagavan, or God. We simply try to understand that God is very great. That's fact. But how great He is, that has to be known. That is called knowledge of God. Now we cannot think of that one person can become the proprietor of all the riches and wealth of the world. But unless we accept it, he is not God.

So this understanding of God requires a process, how to understand. The main process is that we cannot speculate about God. That is not possible. If we want to know God by speculation, there may be difference of opinion. I may say, "God is like this." You may say, "God is like this." Then difference of opinion. Therefore best thing is to know God from God. That is required. Let God speak Himself about Himself. That is perfect. If you simply conjecture, guess, that "Swamiji may be like this," another may say "Like this, like that." But if I say unto you, "I am like this," that is perfect. So here in the Bhagavad-gita we have got this advantage, followers of Vedic literature, that the Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is speaking Himself about Himself. That is perfect knowledge. Therefore it is said, bhagavan uvaca. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is speaking Himself.

So He was speaking to Arjuna. So He says the process, how to understand God. The process is, means:

mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu
[Bg. 7.1]

Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says that "If you want to know Me, then you have to increase your attachment for Me." This is the first condition. Mayy asakta. Mayi asakta-manah. Our mind is attracted by so many things, especially in the material world. When yoga system was advised to Arjuna that "You concentrate your mind upon Me," Arjuna flatly declined, "My dear Krsna, I cannot concentrate my mind in any particular thing." But he said that "I have got my mind on You." That is different thing. "But if you ask me to concentrate, it is very difficult for me."

cancalam hi manah krsna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
vayor iva suduskaram

Tasyaham nigraham manye vayor iva suduskaram. The yogis, "Generally, the yogis, they are trying to concentrate the mind upon the Supreme Absolute Truth. That is the yogic practice. Yoga indriya-samyamah. Yoga means to concentrate your mind to the Absolute Truth by controlling the senses. Because the senses are very restless, it will not allow you to concentrate your mind. Therefore yoga indriya-samyamah. That is yoga.

So here the same yoga is advised: yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. This yoga has to be practiced under Krsna. Mad-asrayah. Mat means "Me," and asrayah means taking shelter. Or mad-asrayah means to take shelter of Krsna's devotee, one who has completely taken shelter of Krsna, to take shelter of him. The same thing: one who is electrified, if you touch that man, you also become electrified. This is the process. Therefore this is stressed here that "You practice this yoga..." Mayy asakta-manah partha, "My dear Partha..." Partha means the son of Prtha. Arjuna's mother's name was Kunti, Prtha; therefore he is sometimes addressed by the Lord as Partha. Krsna's another name is Partha-sarathi. Partha-sarathi because He accepted the post of chariot driver of Partha, therefore His name is Partha-sarathi. There is a very big temple in Madras of Partha-sarathi.

So somebody will fight that "God has no name." Yes, God has name, but the names are so many that you cannot understand which one is the chief name. Therefore the Vedantist, those who are expert in Vedic knowledge -- and the word is also there -- they have selected the chief name of God as Krsna. Krsna means "all-attractive." God has actually no name, but His name is designated according to His activities and action. Just like Partha-sarathi. Partha-sarathi, the name is given to Krsna because He acted as the chariot driver of Partha. He is addressed as Devaki-nandana. So Devaki-nandana is not His name, but because He acted, He appeared as the son of Devaki, He is called Devaki-nandana. He is called Yasoda-nandana. Similarly, all the names of God... Actually, what you say, that there is no name of God, but He has His name, but the name is designated according to His activities. That means that God has His activities, and according to the different types of activities, He has got millions and trillions of name.

So our this propaganda, "Chant the holy name of God"... So somebody may decline that "Why shall I chant the name of Krsna? This is Hindu name," or "Indian name." But Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that if you decline to chant the particular name "Krsna," then if you have got your name of God, you can chant that also. We are not dogmatic. If you have got actually the name of God, you chant that. That is His instruction.

namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis
tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah
etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi
durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah

Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that whatever name you select, God's name... In India we have got God's name in so many varieties -- Krsna, Govinda, Narayana, Visnu... [break] ...is our propaganda. We don't say that "You chant this particular name." Caitanya Mahaprabhu never says. But we selected to chant this Hare Krsna mantra because Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the inaugurator of the sankirtana movement, He personally chanted this Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama... So we follow. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah. We have to follow some authority.

So our request is to everyone -- I think there should be any objection -- that "You chant the holy name of God." This is Krsna consciousness movement. If you have got your own name of God, you chant that. If not, what is the objection? Take this name, "Krsna," and chant. Why there should be objection? This is not dogmatism. We give freedom. We do not give. Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives that God has got many name. Why not? Just like one man in the family -- somebody is calling him father; somebody calling him brother; somebody calling him by his name. There are so many ways to call the same man. Similarly, if you have got a name, holy name of the holy father, you chant that. This is our propaganda. Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [Adi 17.21]. This is the recommendation in the Vedic literature, that in this age, this age of differentiation, this age of fight, quarreling, misunderstanding, if I say, "This is the name of God," and you say, "No, this is the name of God," then there will be fight. So better, Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives here, that whatever name you have got... But it must be God's name, harer nama, not your manufactured name. It must be authorized God's name. You chant that.

This is Krsna consciousness movement. And this is the basic principle of bhakti-yoga. Krsna says here, yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. Yogam. Mayy asakta-manah. The business is that we have to increase our attachment for God. This is our main business. We are attached to so many things. That is material life. Everyone has got. Therefore we have got different types of body. Karanam guna-sangah asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Why we have got different types of body? The karanam, the reason, is that we are associating with particular type of infection in this material world, and we are getting particular type of body. I have explained it several times that there are three gunas: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna.

So in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, karanam guna-sangah asya. As soon as we are in the material world, we are under the influence either of these three gunas: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Those who are purely in association with the modes of goodness, sattva-guna, they are considered as brahmana. And those who are associated with the rajo-guna, passion, they are called ksatriyas. And those who are associating with the tamo-guna, ignorance, they are called the sudras. And the mixture of tamo-guna and rajo-guna is the position of the vaisya. In this way, there are four divisions of men everywhere. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. According to the association of particular type of modes of nature and working in that way, it makes a division of the human society. That is required. For upkeep of the human society in order, according to the quality and work there must be division. But that is not that division as we are thinking at the present moment in India -- a man is born in the brahmana family, he is brahmana. No. He must have the brahminical qualification. That is first consideration. Samo damah satyam saucam arjavam titiksa, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. That is the verdict of the sastra. Not by birth. Birth is a facility. If you have the opportunity to take birth in a brahmana family, then you have got the best opportunity to acquire the brahminical qualification. Just like a person born as the son of a medical man, from the childhood he is learning all the medical terms and how his father is treating patient. So before entering medical college he is half medical man. That is the facility. But if we don't take the facility, we go astray... They are called brahma-bandhu. And if we have acquired the qualification of a sudra, then, even though one is born in the brahmana family, he should be accepted as sudra. Similarly, if a person is born in a sudra family, but he has acquired these qualities, samo damah satyam saucam, he should be designated as brahmana. That is the injunction of the sastras in many places. So if by force I want to assume myself as a brahmana or ksatriya without qualification, that is the cause of India's cultural ruination. Such a high Vedic culture of India is now ruined because we have misused the terms. That is the cause.

Now we are interested... But this culture, this Vedic culture, is not for, not meant for India. It is meant for all living entities. Sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayo yah [Bg. 14.4]. Krsna never claims that "I am the God of the Hindus" or "I am Indian" or "I am for the brahmanas" or this or that. No. He says that "I am the seed-giving father of everyone." That is God. That is God. That means God. He never claims. Sarva-yonisu. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and Krsna claims to be the father, seed-giving father of all of them. So Krsna is for everyone. Don't take Krsna as sectarian. No. Krsna is God; He is for everyone.

So if you want to know Krsna, then Krsna gives the formula. Or if you want to know God, then you follow God's formula. What is that? Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. First of all, first business is that you have to increase your attachment for God, or Krsna. We are increasing our attachment for the dog, and where is the attachment for God? People are becoming... Now it has become a fashion to keep dogs and increase attachment for dog. They are ready to kill cows but give protection to the dog. So our advancement of civilization is going in that way. Anyway, this attachment or that attachment, every particular man has got attachment for something, phobia. But that attachment should be turned for Krsna. This yoga has to be practiced. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah.

Then what will be the result? Asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu [Bg. 7.1]. Asamsayam. We have got vague idea of God. We do not know actually what is God. There is samsaya, doubts. Somebody is impersonalist. Somebody is localized. Somebody is personalist. But actually, if we ask every man, "What is your conception of God?" I think hardly anyone will be able to explain what is the meaning of God. They have no clear idea. Is it not a fact? Can any one of you give me a clear idea what do you mean by God? No. Therefore if you want clear idea of God without any doubt, asamsayam, and samagram... Samagram means full, not partially. The spiritual understanding is partial in this way, brahmeti paramatma iti bhagavan iti sabdyate. The Absolute Truth is realized in three features, Brahman, beginning from Brahman, then Paramatma, Supersoul. I think in Christian world they call holy ghost. Anyway, Paramatma, the Supersoul. And ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. That is the statement of the sastra. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. If you want to know, here is Bhagavan. In many other places,

isvarah paramah krsnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
anadir adir govindah
sarva-karana-karanam
[Bs. 5.1]

Sarva-karana-karanam. There is nothing accidental. Everything is there as cause and effect. That is clear idea.

So there are so many causes. I am caused by my father, my father is caused by his father, his father is caused by his father, you go on, go on. Then you come to the supreme father. He is the cause of all causes. That is Krsna. The supreme father is the cause of all subordinate fathers. That is the definition of God, another definition. Isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. Isvarah, isvarah means controller. So controller, you are also controller. You control over your family, over your son, over your wife. And if you go to the office you become controlled by your boss. So here the controller is relative. Both I am controller and controlled. But when you find somebody else -- he is simply controller, not controlled -- that is God. This is simple definition of God. You will find everyone relatively controller and controlled. But go on searching out where is that person that He is controller but not controlled. That is isvarah. That is isvarah paramah, the supreme isvara.

And who is that? Krsna. When Krsna was present He was not controlled by anyone. He was only controller. If you study the life of Krsna, you will find He is always controller, never controlled by anyone. Therefore the sastra says, isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. And about His form? His form is sat-cit-ananda. How it is? Now, you can distinguish. Your form, this body, is asat; it will not stay. But Krsna's form is sat, just the opposite. And your form or my form is full of ignorance, not cit. But Krsna's form is full of knowledge, just opposite. And ananda. My form is so full of miserable condition of life that I have no ananda, blissfulness. But Krsna's form is blissfulness. You will find Krsna's picture always smiling and playing on His flute with His cowherd boyfriends or the gopis or His mother, Yasoda, always jolly. Ananda. Anandamayo 'bhyasat. That is, the Vedanta-sutra says, "The Absolute Truth by nature is anandamaya, always jolly."

So if we become in touch with that anandamaya, that is called self-realization. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. You get the same qualification. Just like if you touch yourself with fire, you get the quality of fire -- you become warm. In any way you come to the fire, you become warm. Similarly, some way or other, you come to Krsna. That is called mayy asakta-manah. Some way or other, you become attached to Krsna. This yoga has to be practiced. That is called bhakti-yoga. Yena tena prakarena manah krsne nivesayet. This is the injunction given by the Gosvamis. "Somehow or other." Kamat krodhat bhayat. There are so many ways. One is attached to Krsna by lusty desire. Just like the gopis. The gopis saw Krsna very young boy, very beautiful. Naturally, young girls become attached to beautiful boy. So they became attached. The attachment is there. Mayy asakta-manah. Kamsa, out of fearfulness, because he heard that Krsna will kill him, so he was always thinking of Krsna, "Whether Krsna is coming to kill me? Whether Krsna is coming to kill me?" So he also became attached, bhayat. Kamad bhayat krodhat. There are so many examples. So these are indirect attachment. And direct attachment, just think of what is the result of direct attachment. If by indirect attachment they became so exalted, when you become directly attached with Krsna by love, just see what is your position. So that is Krsna consciousness movement. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. So this has to be done under the direction of mad-asrayah, a person, a devotee or the spiritual master, who has absolutely taken shelter of Krsna. He is also mad-asrayah. He has no other business. So either take the shelter of the person or directly the Supreme Person, the same thing. Better to take the shelter of a person who is under the protection of Krsna.

So our request is that Bhagavad-gita is very popular book. Don't try to interpret Bhagavad-gita whimsically just to show yourself a big scholar, big politician. No, don't do that. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is. Then you will be benefited. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gita, this book. It is about eleven hundred pages. We are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any interpretation. And the result is that thousands of the foreign country youths, they are becoming Krsna conscious. The proof is there. The proof is there. And all over the world, in Europe, America, Canada, Australia and Japan, even in Moscow and Africa, everywhere, we are not failure. That is Krsna's grace. Because we are presenting Krsna as it is, Bhagavad-gita as it is, it is being accepted. Before me, many swamis went to the Western countries. They also talked about Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literature. But not a single person could be converted to Krsna consciousness, not a single person throughout the whole history, background. But since 1967, we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is; thousands of young generation, they are taking to Krsna consciousness. This is the result.

So either we remain in Fiji or in England or anywhere, because Krsna is the proprietor of everything, everywhere..., Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. So Fiji is a small part of the sarva-loka. So if He is the proprietor of all the lokas, then He is the proprietor of Fiji also. There is no doubt about it. So the inhabitants of Fiji, if you take to Krsna consciousness, that is the perfection of life. That is the perfection of life. Don't deviate from the instruction of Krsna. Very directly, bhagavan uvaca, directly Bhagavan is speaking. You take advantage of it. There is solution of all problems of the world if you refer to Bhagavad-gita. Any problem you present, there is solution, provided you take the solution.

Nowadays they are facing a scarcity of food. The solution is there in the Bhagavad-gita. Krsna says, annad bhavanti bhutani: "Bhutani, all living entities, both animal and man, they can live very nicely without any anxiety provided they have got sufficient food grains." Now what is your objection to this? This is the solution. Krsna says, annad bhavanti bhutani. So it is not utopian; it is practical. You must have sufficient food grain to feed the human being and the animal, and everything will be peaceful immediately. Because people, if one become hungry, he is disturbed. So give him food first of all. That is Krsna's injunction. Is that very impossible, impractical? No. You grow food more and distribute. So much land is there, but we are not growing food. We are growing or busy in manufacturing tools and motor tires. Then now eat motor tires. But Krsna says that "You grow anna." Then there is no question of scarcity. Annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah. But anna is produced when there is sufficient rain. Parjanyad anna-sambhavah. And yajnad bhavati parjanyah [Bg. 3.14]. And if you perform yajna, then there will be regular rainfall. This is the, way. But nobody is interested with yajna, nobody is interested with food grain, and if you create your own scarcity, then it is not God's fault; it is your fault.

So take anything, any question -- social, political, philosophical, religious, anything you take -- and the solution is there. Just like India is facing about this caste system. So many are in favor of the caste system, so many in not favor. But Krsna makes the solution. So there is no question of in favor or not in favor. The caste system should be designated according to the quality. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma [Bg. 4.13]. Never says, "By birth." And in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is confirmed,

yasya yal laksanam proktam
pumso varnabhivyanjakam
yad anyatrapi drsyeta
tat tenaiva vinirdiset
[SB 7.11.35]

Clear instruction of Narada Muni.

So we have got everything perfectly in the Vedic literature, and if we follow... The Krsna consciousness movement is trying to educate people on this principle. We are not manufacturing anything. That is not our business. Because we know we are imperfect. Even if we manufacture something, that is imperfect. We have got four faults in our conditional life: we commit mistake, we become illusioned, we cheat others, and our senses are imperfect. So how we can get perfect knowledge from a person who is, I mean to say, possessing all these faults? Therefore we must get knowledge from the Supreme Person, who is not affected with these faults, mukta-purusa. That is perfect knowledge.

So our request is that you take knowledge from Bhagavad-gita and act accordingly. It doesn't matter what you are. Bhagavan is for everyone. God is God. Just like gold is gold. If gold is handled by Hindu, it does not become Hindu gold. Or the gold is handled by Christian, it does not become Christian gold. Gold is gold. Similarly, dharma is one. Religion is one. There cannot be Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion. That is artificial. Just like "Hindu gold," "Muslim gold." That is not possible. Gold is gold. Similarly religion. Religion means the law given by God. That is religion. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam na vai vidur rsayo manusyah [SB 6.3.19], like that -- I just forget -- that "Dharma, this principle of dharma, religious system, is ordained or given by God." So God is one; therefore dharma, or religious system, should be one. There cannot be two.

So that one religion is given in the Bhagavad-gita: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. To surrender to God the great and to abide by His instruction, that is called religion. It may be that the Hindus may be following the same principle in a different way or the Christian may be following the same principle in different way. That is called desa-kala-patra. According to time, atmosphere, and the performer, there may be little difference. But real purpose of dharma is to surrender to God and try to love Him. That is religion. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. Because we are part and parcel of God... We have now forgotten. We have to revive our God consciousness. Then we go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our business.

So Krsna consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that everyone should be raised to the platform of God consciousness. Then his human form of life is successful. Otherwise it is the life of cats and dogs.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975