"The Only Way To Understand God"

73/01/27 Calcutta, Bhagavad-gita 7.1


Prabhupada: ...yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu. We are reciting from Bhagavad-gita, Seventh Chapter. The yoga system is called attachment for Krsna, or krsna-yoga. Yoga means connecting, link, and if we always keep ourself connecting link with Krsna, then we become the topmost yogi. There are many kinds of yogis. Generally the yogis, they think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead always within the heart. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti 'yam yoginah [SB 12.13.1]. This is the yogis' business. Yogi's business does not mean simply have some gymnastic or bodily exercise and keep the body fit for sense enjoyment. That is not the purpose of yoga. Yoga means connecting. We are now, or we are now disconnected. Or it is not disconnected. We are now forgotten our intimate relationship with God. We cannot be disconnected. That is not possible. Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, there cannot be disconnection. Just like father and son. The son may go out of home, forget his father and mother for many years, but the connection between the son and the father and the mother is never disconnected. That is not possible. As soon as the son comes home, although the son was absent for many, many years, the father receives him, the mother receives him with affection. And immediately the paternal relationship, affection, immediately established.

This is our position. We are part and parcel of Krsna. When I speak "Krsna," means God. You know, all. It is not very difficult for Indians. So because we are part and parcel of Krsna, there cannot be disconnection. Therefore it is a stage of forgetfulness. Instead of loving Krsna, we have expanded our love for so many things. Somebody's loving his body. Somebody's loving his family. Somebody's loving his society, community, nation, or the human society. We are trying to... We must love. There is no escape. I must love somebody, because the propensity's there. So the original love is for Krsna. But because we have forgotten Krsna, therefore our love is distributed in so many ways. But we are frustrated. We, we are not happy. Neither the person whom we love or the country whom we love or the society which I love, they're also not happy. Because everything is misplaced. Everything is misplaced. Just like if you water on the top of the tree or every leaf, every branch, every twig, you cannot keep the tree very fresh. But if you water on the root of the tree, it keeps fresh, always.

yatha taror mula-nisecanena
trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah
pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam
tatha sarvarhanam acyutejya

This is from Srimad-Bhagavatam, instruction given by Narada Muni to Pracetasas. Those who have read Srimad-Bhagavatam, they know how he was explaining. So this example is very nice. Yatha taror mula-nisecanena. If you water on the root of the tree, automatically the trunk, the branches, the twigs, the leaves, the flowers, fruits, everything is refreshed. Another example is also there in the next line: pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam. As by supplying food to the stomach all the indriyas, all the senses become refreshed, energetic, similarly acyutejya, by loving Krsna, Acyuta... Acyuta is another name of Krsna. Senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me acyuta. Krsna is addressed as Acyuta. So acyuta-ijya, by worshiping Krsna, by satisfying Krsna, you can satisfy everyone. This is the process.

So here, this process is explained by Krsna Himself. The sastra says this is the process. But still Krsna is explaining Himself the process. The process is mayy asakta-manah. One has to increase his attachment for Krsna. We have got attachment for so many things. We have to divert the attachment towards Krsna. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam. This is the yogam yunjan. One has to perform, execute, mad-asrayah. This yoga can be executed when we take shelter of Krsna, mad-asrayah. Mad-asrayah means either you take shelter of Krsna or one who has taken shelter of Krsna. Mad-asrayah. In two ways you can take it, the meaning. Mad-asrayah. One who does not know except Krsna, he's also mad-asrayah. And one who has taken shelter of Krsna, that is also mad-asrayah. So one has to become a devotee, or to take shelter of a pure devotee to practice the yoga system. Adau gurvasrayam. That is our session. That is our system. That is the Vedic system. The Vedic system is

tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham
[MU 1.2.12]

So to practice this yoga, any yoga, you have to take shelter of somebody who knows how to practice this yoga. Mad-asrayah. Then the result will be asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu [Bg. 7.1]. Then, without any doubt and in complete awareness, you'll understand the process. And in complete awareness of Krsna, your life is successful. Simply if you know Krsna, if you try to understand Krsna, and fortunately if you know Krsna, then your life is successful.

What is the success of life? The success of life is that we are wandering throughout the universe.

ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija
[Cc. Madhya 19.151]

We are transmigrating from different bodies. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa vimsati, krmayo rudra-sankhyakah. In Padma Purana, the gradual process of evolution is there. This evolution theory put forwarded by Darwin, that is nonsense. Because the Darwin's theory is evolution of this body. In one sense, it is... But it is incomplete. Actually we are getting different types of body according to our association with the different modes of material nature. The material nature is being conducted by three modes: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So those who are in the modes of material nature, in the modes of goodness, their body is different. Just like brahmana. Simply getting the body of brahmana is not sufficient. One has to learn how to become brahmana. Satyam samo damas titiksa. But there is opportunity. If one is born in a brahmana family, he has got the opportunity to develop the brahmana qualities. Similarly, if one is born in the family of a ksatriya, he gets the opportunity of ksatriya spirit. Similarly vaisya. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. But the quality and actual action. Just like a boy is born of a medical practitioner. He has got greater chance of becoming, becoming a medical student, medical practitioner. But simply by getting birth as a son of medical practitioner is not sufficient. He has to take education. So catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. Krsna does not say "By birth." By acquiring the qualities and action. One must have the brahminical qualities and act as a brahmana; then he'll be accepted as brahmana.

So we are transmigrating according to our karma, different forms of life. The reason is karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Karanam guna-sanga, as you are associating with the gunas, with the material qualities. So one has to increase his attachment for Krsna by becoming nirguna. Everything is going on under the modes of material nature. Traigunya-visaya veda nistraigunyo bhavarjuna. That is the instruction. One has to become above the, transcendental to these gunas. And what is that process? The process is mad-asraya. When you take shelter of Krsna or you take shelter of Krsna's pure devotee, then you become transcendental. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. Who? Mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena sevate [Bg. 14.26]. So mad-asraya means, krsna-yoga means bhakti-yoga. If you want to learn Krsna, if you want to know Krsna, then you have to take this process. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam. And if you practice this yoga, krsna-yoga, or bhakti-yoga, then you become the topmost of all yogis. That is also stated in the Sankhya Yoga chapter of Bhagavad-gita:

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

So you have to keep always Krsna within your heart. Krsna is already within your heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna [Bg. 18.61]. He's already there. Simply you have to qualify yourself to see that Krsna is here. That is called krsna-yoga, or bhakti-yoga. So there are many instances.

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.38]

Those who have developed this mayy asakta-manah, means to develop your love for Krsna. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: prema pum-artho mahan. Generally people are attached to four principles of salvation: dharma, artha, kama, moksa. But actually you have to go beyond moksa. Beyond moksa means brahma-jnana, aham brahmasmi: "I'm not this body. I am spirit soul, Brahman." Krsna is Param Brahman, and we are all Brahman, part and parcel of Krsna. We are not Param Brahman. That is not possible. Param Brahman is Krsna. As we'll find in the Tenth Chapter: param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. Krsna is addressed as Param Brahman. Arjuna is never addressed as Param Brahman. That is the difference between Krsna and the living entity. He's para. He's Paramesvara. Isvarah parama-isvara, isvarah paramah krsnah [Bs. 5.1]. There are two words, atma, Paramatma. Isvara, Paramesvara. So Krsna is para. Brahman, Param Brahman.

So people are after realization of Brahman, Brahman realization. Brahman realization is not very difficult for a intelligent man, because one can understand that he's Brahman, he's not this body. That is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gita: dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. Asmin dehe, in this body, there is the proprietor of the body. Idam sariram ksetram iti abhidhiyate. This body is ksetra, is field of activities according to our karma. But the proprietor of the body, the soul, he's Brahman. He's spirit soul. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. That Brahman, that spirit soul, is never annihilated after the destruction of this body. Nityah sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20].

So we have to understand this fact. This is the business of human life. Athato brahma jijnasa. Everyone should be inquisitive to learn about Brahman, the spirit soul. Not like animals. The animals they have got no inquiry about Brahman. They simply eat, sleep beget some offspring and, in due course of time, die. That is not the business of human being. The business of human being is different. That is advised by Prahlada Maharaja:

kaumara acaret prajno
dharman bhagavatan iha
durlabham manusam janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
[SB 7.6.1]

Prahlada Maharaja recommends, kaumara acaret prajno dharman. Children, kaumara... Kaumara means from fifth year to the fifteenth year. These ten years, the boys and girls, especially boys, they should be instructed about religion. Now our government is secular. There is no question of teaching the children about religion, dharman. Because dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. If you don't teach your children from the beginning of life about religion, then you are creating so many animals. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah. Not only here, everywhere, the whole world, they are, their universities are producing some animals. That's all. Therefore there is so much chaos and confusion all over the world. Varna-sankara. So if you want to be happy, really, if you want to make your life successful, human life, then you have to take this principle of mayy asakta manah. You have to increase your attachment for Krsna. This is the meaning of Krsna consciousness movement. It is not a sectarian religion. It is the fact. Unless the human society takes to this principle of increasing their attachment... We have got... At last, we increase our attachment for dogs and cats.

So attachment is there. Now this attachment has to be employed on Krsna. That yoga system, krsna-yoga system, is described in this Bhagavad-gita, Seventh Chapter: mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah, asamsayam samagram mam [Bg. 7.1]. Asamsayam, "without any doubt." In any other process, you cannot understand what is God in full sense. That is not possible. By speculating process... There are so many speculators, theosophist, theologist, philosopher, Mayavadi. They are speculating about God by... But that, by that process, by speculative process, you cannot understand God. That is not possible. Panthas tu... It is stated in the Brahma-samhita:

panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo
vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam
so 'py asti yat prapada-simny avicintya-tattve...
[Bs 5.34]

If you want to know Krsna or God by the speculative process, not only for one years, two years... Panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo vayor athapi. Not mental speculation, but on the aeroplane running on the speed of vayu, or air, or mind, the speed of mind, still, by traversing many crores of years, you cannot reach. Still it, it remains avicintya, inconceivable. But if you take to the process of this krsna-yoga, or bhakti-yoga, then you can become aware of Krsna very easily. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. To understand Krsna superficially, that is not sufficient. That is also good, but you must have tattvatah, what is Krsna actually. That knowledge can be achieved -- bhaktya, by this krsna-yoga. Otherwise,

manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]

There are so many human beings all over the world, Mostly, they're like animals -- without culture. Because, according to our Vedic culture, unless one takes to the institution of varna and asrama, he's not a human being. He's not accepted. So therefore Krsna says manusyanam sahasresu. Who is accepting this varnasrama? No. Chaotic condition. So in that chaotic condition you cannot understand what is God, what is Krsna. Therefore Krsna says manusyanam sahasresu. Out of many, many thousands and millions of people, one takes to the scientific institute of varnasrama-dharma. That means followers of the Vedas, strictly. Out of these persons who are following the Vedic principles, mostly they're attached to karma-kanda, ritualistic ceremonies. So out of many millions of persons engaged in ritualistic ceremony, one becomes advanced in knowledge. They are called jnanis, or speculative philosophers. Not karmis, but jnanis. So out of many millions of such jnanis, one becomes mukta, liberated. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. This is liberated stage. One who is Brahman realized soul, he has nothing to lament or nothing to hanker. Because in the karmi stage we have got two diseases: hankering and lamenting. Whatever you have got, if it is lost, then I lament. "Oh, I got this and that and it is now lost." And whatever we do not possess, we hanker after. So for possessing, we hanker, we work so hard. And when it is lost, we again lament and cry. This is karmi stage. So brahma-bhutah stage... Jnana stage means he has no more lamenting or hankering. Prasannatma. "Oh, I am, aham brahmasmi. What I have got to do with this body? My business is to cultivate transcendental knowledge, brahma-jnana." So in that stage, brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu [Bg. 18.54]. That is the test. He has no lamenting. He has no hankering. And he's equal to everyone. Panditah sama-darsinah.

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
[Bg. 5.18]

He has no distinction. So in this way, when one is situated, then mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54], then he comes to the devotional platform. And when he comes to the devotional platform, bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55], then he's able.

So this Krsna yoga is the only process to understand God, or Krsna. In the Bhagavata also it is said: evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah [SB 1.2.20]. One can become jolly by practice of this bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah. Evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah. Krsna-tattva-jnanam jayate, mukta-sangasya jayate. Unless you are liberated, you cannot understand what is God. In the nonliberated condition, you cannot understand what is God or what is Krsna. And if you engage yourself in the bhakti-marga,

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

These are the bhakti processes. Sravanam. The first business is hearing. Tad-vijnanartham. Vijnanartham. If you want to know some science, you must hear from the authorized person. Similarly our process is to hear from Krsna, the most authorized person. Not only our... All the acaryas. Mostly acaryas, they advented in your country, South India: Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Sankaracarya, Visnusvami, all of them. So in your country, in your part of India, they are very fortunate. And they can... Sometimes it is described the Srimad-Bhagavatam is South Indian literature. I think in my Bhagavad-gita one professor Dimmock, he has given an introduction of this Bhagavad-gita, and he has mentioned Srimad-Bhagavatam as South Indian literature. Actually it is not. It is Vedic literature. It is meant for everyone. But because from South India, all the acaryas, especially Vaisnava acaryas, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, they distributed the Vaisnava philosophy, people, they understand this Bha..., Srimad-Bhagavatam is from South India. So anyway it doesn't matter.

So our, this preaching of krsna-bhakti, Krsna consciousness is meant for everyone. Krsna is for everyone. Sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayah yah [Bg. 14.4]. Sarva-yonisu. Not only He's for human being, but He's for every living entity, sarva-yonisu. There are 8,400,000 forms of life -- trees, birds, beasts, aquatics, human beings. So many. They're all... Krsna claims, aham bija-pradah pita. "The material nature is the mother of all these forms, and I am the bija, seed-giving father." So Krsna is not only for Indians or for the Hindus or for the brahmanas. Not like that. Or for the sudras. No. Krsna is for everyone. That is... Therefore because Krsna is for everyone, therefore these Americans, the Europeans, Canadians, Africans, they're taking to Krsna. The same thing, as I begun, because our relationship is father and son, how it can be disconnected? One might have forgotten, but as soon as the forgetfulness is removed, immediately understands: "Oh, I am Krsna's." That this is Krsna consciousness movement. We are trying to invoke the dormant Krsna's love in every human being. And this is the duty of the Indians. Caitanya Mahaprabhu prescribed this duty:

bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, within these five hundred years, He inaugurated the sankirtana movement, Krsna consciousness movement, from Bengal. You know. So His order is... It is not that because Caitanya Mahaprabhu advented Himself in Bengal, He requested the Bengalis. No. He said, especially to the Indians: bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara [Cc. Adi 9.41]. Anyone who has taken birth on the land of Bharatavarsa as human being, he should make his life perfect and distribute the knowledge to the others who are in ignorance. Because transcendental knowledge, spiritual knowledge, that is only in India. That is a fact. That is nowhere else. Even one Chinese educationist, he has admitted that "If we want to know what is religion, then we have to approach India." There is no other source.

So my request is that we Indians, we shall take this order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu very seriously. People are suffering for want of Krsna consciousness. There is immense field for preaching this philosophy all over the world. You can see the example, the European and American boys, how they have been attracted, how they are singing in ecstasy. They have taken it seriously. So in India I don't find all young men are so serious about Krsna consciousness movement, but I invite that "Come and join this movement, make your life successful by understanding the Krsna philosophy, and try to distribute it all over the world." This is necessity of the present day. It is not sectarian, or crooked philosophy. It is meant for my brother and my sister, not for anyone else. No. It is meant for everyone. And this knowledge can be distributed especially if the Indians take it seriously. They are doing. There are... You'll find many sannyasis. The... Indians should have done it. Because Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, bharata-bhumite haila man... But because there is scarcity of Indian philanthropists to do this business, so we are pushing on this movement through the Americans. But actually there is no such difference. Actually American or Indian, for Krsna consciousness, we have no such distinction. Anyone, everyone is Krsna's, and Krsna is for everyone.

So this is called sanatana. It cannot be disconnected. Krsna is for everyone. Krsna came personally to distribute this knowledge.

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
[Bg. 4.7]

Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam, dharma-samsthapanarthaya [Bg. 4.8]. Krsna came to establish what is real religion. Not cheating religion. Cheating religion will not help us. Why I say "cheating religion"? Because it is said in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam, dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [SB 1.1.2]. Kaitava means cheating. You cannot make people happy by presenting some cheating religion. That is the injunction of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Real religion. What is the real, real religion? Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma means the codes given by God. That is dharma. You cannot make this dharma, that dharma. Dharma is one. God is one. And you have to follow that one principle, how to approach Krsna. That is bhakti. So dharma is to approach Krsna, and the process is bhakti. And Krsna is the Supreme God.

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

He's the cause of all causes. This is the shastric injunction. So if you take this movement very seriously, the world will be happy, we'll be happy, personally or socially or economically, politically... That's a fact. Therefore Krsna says: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. If we accept Krsna, simply Krsna, then you understand everything. Asamsayam, without any doubt. Samagram, in fullness. Kasmin vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is very important movement. And we have got many books, you can see. We have got at least twenty books of four hundred pages for explaining Krsna. Either you try to understand Krsna through these books... Otherwise, you can understand Krsna, very simple thing: Hare Krsna. Chant Hare Krsna mantra and you'll understand.

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam
[Cc. Antya 20.12]

So join sankirtana movement. It is very important. Param vijayate. If you want victory of your life, join this movement. Param vijayate sri-krsna-san... Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet. These are the recommendations. So the simple truth is, you be, become Krsna conscious, and your life is successful. Not only your life is successful, if you preach in your family, in your society, in your community or internationally, they also become benefited.

So I thank you very much for your giving time. But my only request is that all of you try to chant this Hare Krsna maha-mantra and, if possible, read Krsna book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Don't read Bhagavad-gita where the attempt is to kill Krsna. Don't read. Then it will be spoiled. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said: mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa. Sarva-nasa. If you hear the rascal commentary that "Krsna means this, Kuruksetra means this, body means, Pandava means this," in this way, if you drag some concocted meaning, then you'll never understand what is Bhagavad-gita. You'll simply spoil your time. Srama eva hi kevalam. That is simply wasting time. Read Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Krsna says, "I am the Supreme."

aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah
[Bg. 10.8]

Krsna says that "I am the origin of everything." And in Vedanta says the Brahman, Absolute Truth is that, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1], wherefrom everything is emanating. And here Krsna says, aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8]. All the acaryas, they have admitted this. Even Sankaracarya, who is not Vaisnava. Still he accepts: sa bhagavan svayam krsna devaki-nandana. He has admitted. So Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no doubt. If you want to know Krsna, the Supreme Lord, here is Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Try to understand, and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 7.1 -- Calcutta, January 27, 1973