"The Struggle" 74/05/12 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 12.13-14

Nitai: Translation: "One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me -- he is very dear to Me."

Prabhupada

advesta sarva-bhutanam
maitrah karuna eva ca
nirmamo nirahankarah
sama-duhkha-sukhah ksami

santustah satatam yogi
yatatma drdha-niscayah
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah
[Bg. 8.7]

So this Krsna consciousness movement means how to become dear to Krsna: "How Krsna will love me." Krsna loves. Krsna says that He is no one's enemy and no one's friend. That is in neutrality. But He says, ye tu bhajanti mam bhaktya tesu te mayi, samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu. (aside:) That talking, stop. Samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah. God must be equal to everyone. He is neither envious to anyone nor friendly to anyone. This is general. But there is special significance. Ye tu bhajanti mam bhaktya: "Persons who are engaged in devotional service with love and faith," tesu te mayi, "I have got a special intimate relation with him."

It is not partiality. Just like if a gentleman has got five sons, and out of the five sons, those who are very obedient to the father or one of them, two of them, naturally the father is inclined to them. That is not partiality, that "Why the father is inclined to some sons and other sons, indifferent?" That is natural. As we have got this natural instinct, similarly, God has also the same instinct. If we study ourself analytically, we can understand what is God. Because we are the sample of God. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. Sample.

Just like if you take one drop of water from the seawater, you can understand what is the chemical composition of the whole sea. It is not very difficult. Similarly, if you study yourself, what are your inclinations, propensities... There are so many things. So everything, what you have got, the same thing God has also got. The difference is that you are like a drop of seawater and He is vast sea. That's all. Big quantity. Quantitatively, we are different, but qualitatively, we are one. The same quality.

If you take... If you are cooking rice, you take one grain of rice and you press it, if you see that it is now soft, then the whole rice is cooked. The sample. There is a bag of rice. You take a few grains, sample. You can understand what is the quality of the whole bag. Similarly, what is God, that is not very difficult to understand. Simply you have to study yourself. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. But not that, that you are God. You are sample of God.

Now, we being very intimately connected, because we are all sons of God... Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita,

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
[Bg. 14.4]

Krsna says aham, "I," "I." "I am the seed-giving father." Not only human society, but there are other societies, animal society, bird society, beast society, vegetable society, insect society, aquatic society. They are also Krsna's son, God's sons.

Therefore Krsna says, "One who is actually devotee and wants to be very dear to Me, his qualifications must be advesta sarva-bhutanam: we must be non-envious to all living entities."

Nowadays a fashion has become, daridra-narayana-seva. This is nonsense. What is the daridra-narayana-seva? Why you are taking care of the daridras? If you have got such vision, such outlook, that in everyone's heart... That is a fact. Everyone's heart there is Narayana. There is no denial. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati: [Bg. 18.61] "Isvara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is situated in everyone's heart." If you have got such vision -- you are seeing in everyone the Supreme Narayana -- then why should you designate only the daridras? Others also, you should see dog-narayana. You should see kukkura-narayana. Why daridra-narayana?

If you have got such broad vision, why you are taking particular? That is imperfect vision. You cannot send the chaga-narayana, goat-narayana, to the slaughterhouse and allow the daridra-narayana to eat the meat. This is not bhakta's business. This is demonic. Bhakta's business is... Here it is clearly stated, advesta sarva-bhutanam. You should be equally kind to everyone, to the daridras, to the dhanis also. Here everyone is daridra because everyone is lacking knowledge. So nobody is rich. Here the so-called rich is also daridra because he has no knowledge. And the so-called daridra is also daridra.

Because everyone's knowledge is the bodily concept of life, "I am this body." But Krsna does not say that "A particular body is very dear to Me." He says, sarva-yonisu kaunteya: [Bg. 14.4] "All species of life, they are all sons." They are simply in different dress. We are sitting here, so many people in different dress. That does not mean that one who is in black dress or dirty dress, he is not a human being. He is also human being. Or one who is dressed very nicely, he is also human being.

That is panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. We should not see to the dress. We should see inside the dress. What is the inside in the dress. Similarly, Krsna says to Arjuna that dehino 'smin yatha dehe. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. One has to see, asmin dehe, in this body, there is the dehinah, the proprietor. Dehinah means one possesses the body. That is spiritual vision. The spiritual vision is... One who is advanced in spiritual knowledge, he does not see the outward dress, but he sees within the dress, who is living there. Asmin dehe dehinah. Dehinah. Dehi means the possessor of this body. I am not this body, you are not this body, but you possess this body.

Just like you possess your shirt and coat, similarly, you possess this body also. The gross body made of material elements is your coat, and the subtle body made of finer material elements -- mind, intelligence, ego -- that is your shirt. And within that coat and shirt, the real living entity is there.

So one who has such vision, one who is learned in spiritual understanding, he is called pandita.

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

Panditah sama-darsinah. That is the real vision. A pandita means he sees. There is... For a advanced spiritualist, advanced Krsna consciousness person, there is no such distinctive, "Here is American; here is Indian; here is brahmana; here is sudra; here is Hindu; here is Muslim." No. He has no such vision. He has the vision that within this body, the spirit soul is there. That is part and parcel of God, or Krsna. He is suffering on account of different dresses, different conception of... Therefore he should be released from this misconception of life. That is called pandita.

The whole world is going on under this misconception of life, that "I am this body." And under this misconception he is thinking that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brahmana," "I am sudra," "I am black" and "white," "fat" and "thin," all these things. This is called ignorance. Therefore sastra says, yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13]: "Anyone who has got this conception that I am this body, this bag of bones and blood and flesh," sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13], "he is no more than the cows and the asses." That means animal. So whole world at the present moment is going on under this animalistic concept of life, animal civilization. Everyone is busy to take care of the body, but nobody knows how to take care of the proprietor of the body. That he does not know.

Therefore Krsna says who is devotee, real devotee. And not only real devotee, "Who is very dear to Me." Devotion means the activities...

My Guru Maharaja used to say that "You don't try to see God." Just try to understand. "Just work in such a way that God may see you." This is the Krsna consciousness movement. Everyone is busy to see God. Of course, it is not so easy to see God. But a devotee is not busy to see God, but he wants God to see him. Because just like if you are working in some establishment, if you are working very nicely, faithfully, than the proprietor will automatically see you. Don't try to see the proprietor. Work in such a way that the proprietor will be inclined, "Well, this man is working very nicely. Who is this man?" So that is our business.

That is the teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, not that we go to God and beg our daily bread. That is also good because... That is good in the sense that the atheists, they do not even agree to accept the authority of God. Better than them, anyone who is going to the temple or the church and asking for bread or something, material benefit, that is good. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that catur-vidha bhajante mam sukrtino 'rjuna: "Those who are pious, whose background is piety, such persons, divided into four classes..." Arto jijnasur artharthi jnani, four classes. Artah means distressed, and artharthi means in need of money. Arto artharthi. Or some material benefit. And jnani, one who is searching after knowledge. And jijnasuh, inquisitive.

These four classes of men, if their background is life of piety, they go to God to pray, "My Lord, my Lord, give me some money. I am very poor. I am very distressed. Kindly mitigate my distress." Or jnani, they are searching after actually what is God. Or inquisitive, simply inquiring what is God. So there are four classes. Whose background is life of pious activities, they go to God. And those who are...

There is sukrtina. Sukrtina means those who are background is pious activities. And just opposite number, duskrtina. Those background is impious activities, sinful activities. Such persons, na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15], the lowest of the mankind, full of sinful activities. Naradhama. Naradhama means lowest of the mankind. Why lowest of the mankind? Because mankind means those who are interested to understand God. That is mankind. Otherwise "dog-kind." The dogs and asses, they are not interested to know what is God. It is the prerogative of the human being to understand what is God. Therefore a man who has got this human form of body does not inquire about God, he is naradhama, the lowest of the mankind. Na mam duskrtino mudhah. And rascal, ass. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah mayayapahrta-jnanah.

"Oh, some of them, some of the atheists, they are very learned scholars." But the answer is mayaya-apahrta-jnanah: "They are superficially very learned, but actually their real knowledge is taken away by maya." Mayayapahrta-jnanah asuram bhavam asritah. Just like Ravana, he was very learned scholar in Vedas. He was son of a brahmana. And materially he was very, very opulent. But because he did not care for Rama, he is addressed as raksasa. This is the... He was also a great devotee of Lord Siva. But still, in the sastra he is described as raksasa. So mayayapahrta-jnanah asuram bhavam asritah. So this is the position.

Therefore Krsna directly says how you can become devotee or dear to Krsna. Or, in other words, how you will be seen by Krsna. Krsna is seeing your activities, but especially, to take care of you... Krsna takes care. As soon as you become a devotee, immediately He takes care of you. Otherwise you are under the care of maya, this material energy. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. So long you are not devotee, you are simply...

Just like if you are a candidate or criminal within the jail walls, the caretaking person is the jail superintendent. And he is taking care. There is taking care, but it, the care, is taken by the jail superintendent. But if you are a free citizen, the government personally or the king personally takes care of you. That is the way. Similarly, Krsna says that

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
[Bg. 18.66]

This is the way. If you actually surrender to Krsna, then He personally takes care, not by maya. Otherwise,

isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya
[Bg. 18.61]

If you do not become directly under the care of Krsna, then you are under the care of this material energy. He takes care. The same way as the jail superintendent takes cares of the criminals, similarly, those who are criminals, non-devotees, does not care for God, they are under the laws of material nature. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya mam eva ye prapadyante [Bg. 7.14]. The jail superintendent business is to correct the criminal so that he may become a right citizen, a lawful citizen. Similarly, this maya's business is to give you always trouble, tri-tapa-yatana, adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, just to kick you, those who are non-devotees, just to correct you to become a devotee of the Lord. Unless you become devotee of the Lord, the kicking of material laws, stringent laws of nature will go on. Therefore it is said,

daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]

As soon as you surrender to Krsna, as soon as you surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no more jurisdiction of maya upon you. Then you are free. To become liberation, liberated, means to become liberated from the controller of maya. That is liberation. Therefore, those who are devotees, they are already liberated. They are not under the control of the external energy.

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]

People are trying to become Brahman without caring for Krsna. That is not possible, sir. As soon as you surrender to Krsna, then you become immediately...

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

That is wanted. So everything is described very nicely in the Bhagavad-gita. Do not misinterpret foolishly. Try to understand as it is and your life will be successful. This is our propaganda, Krsna consciousness movement, Krsna consciousness movement, that we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. And it is being accepted all over the world.

So here Krsna says that advesta sarva-bhutanam. You should not be envious to any living entity. But the present civilization is to become envious, envious. I do not wish to criticize anyone, but this enviousness is the basis... This nationalism means... This is also enviousness. "Why foreigners will come here?" This is enviousness. Why not? Who is foreigner and who is national? Everyone is son of God. Why should you distinguish? But because there is no Krsna consciousness, this discrimination between man to man, animal to man, and so many discrimination... Even taking from the national point of view, national means anyone who is born in that country. But because one happens to be animal, although it is national, still, it is sent to the slaughterhouse, because there is no Krsna consciousness.

If there is Krsna consciousness, then the government or the leaders would be equally favorable to the man, to the animals, to the trees, to the plants, to the insects, to the... Everyone. That is called krsna-bhakti or Krsna consciousness. Advesta sarva-bhutanam maitrah. Treat them just like your friend, maitrah. A devotee is friend to everyone. He does not want to kill even an ant or a mosquito. That is devotee, maitrah, to everyone friendly. Maitrah karunah. Karunah means kind. A devotee is kind to everyone.

It is not that Krsna consciousness should be spread in India or amongst the brahmanas or amongst the Hindus. No. A Krsna conscious person will preach Krsna consciousness all over the world, as far as possible. That is called karunah. Advesta sarva-bhutanam maitrah karuna eva ca, nirmamah. Nirmama means without claiming any personal proprietorship or any nepotism. Nirmama. Everything belongs to Krsna. That is the fact. Krsna says bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the proprietor. God is actually proprietor of everything. Why shall I shall claim "This is mine"? Nothing belongs to me. Everything belongs to Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. Nirmamo nirahankarah. Nirahankara means this false egotism: "I am this body," "I am Indian," "American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." No. Nirahankara means "I am Krsna's servant." That is nirahankara.

Ahankara. Ahankara means my identification, what I am. That is called ahankara. Now my identity is with this material world. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that." That should be negativated. We must come to the right conclusion that "I belong to Krsna, I am the son of Krsna, I do not belong to anyone." This is called nirahankara. Sama-duhkha-sukhah. This material happiness and distress. Because I am not this material body, if I am actually convinced, so the pains and pleasure of this material world is due to this body.

Just like because I have got this material body, I am feeling some heat. Therefore fan is required. Similarly, by this body in the winter season I shall stop the fan. So under different season my body feels differently pains and pleasure. But actually, if I am not this body, then I should tolerate all these pains and pleasures. This is called sama-duhkha.

matra-sparsas tu kaunteya
sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah
agamapayino 'nityas
tams titiksasva bharata

We should not be disturbed by these material pains and pleasure. We have to execute our spiritual consciousness business. That is called sama-duhkha-sukhah. And ksami. Ksami means ksama, excuse.

Especially devotee is always attacked by the demons. Even the non-devotee is a father. We have seen it, Prahlada Maharaja's life. Because Prahlada Maharaja was devotee, even his father was enemy, what to speak of others. So devotee will have to meet so many enemies. Just like we have got this from the life of Lord Jesus Christ. When he was being killed by others, he said, to excuse them, "God, they do not know what they are doing." That is devotee's position. Ksami, always excusing. We have to learn this.

So these are some of the qualities of the devotees. In the twelfth chapter some of them are being described. And the Bhagavad-gita we are narrating.

Then santusta, satisfied. Satatam yogi. A devotee should not be dissatisfied in any condition of life. He should remain satisfied. Because he knows that "My pains and pleasure are now dependent on the will of Krsna. Not now, always. So if Krsna desires that I should suffer like this, why should I bother? Let me suffer." Santusta.

There are many verses to support this. Tat te 'nukampam su-samiksamano bhunjana evatma-krtam. A devotee, when he is put into distress, he thinks that "It is God's kindness that He is giving me little pain, hurt, although I should have suffered more." This is devotee's view. He is not, I mean to, disturbed by any kinds of pains and pleasure. Santusta. Satatam yogi. Even in distressed condition he also thinks of Krsna. Therefore he is yogi. Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantar-atmana [Bg. 6.47]. A devotee always thinks of Krsna. That is devotee. Yogi. Yatatma. He does not neglect his duty, his devotional service.

And drdha-niscayah. Drdha-niscayah means he believes in the word of Krsna. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. A devotee believes in this, that "I have nothing to do, simply to surrender to Krsna. Then my all business is done." That is confirmed in the Caitanya-caritamrta, krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya: "Simply by serving Krsna, all other duties are discharged." This is called drdha-niscayah. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], and the devotee takes it very seriously. That is called drdha-niscaya. Drdha means firmly convinced, "Yes, if I surrender to Krsna, all other business is complete." That is confirmed in the Caitanya-caritamrta.

sraddha-sabde visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya
krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

This is the process. Drdha-niscaya. Mayy arpita-mano-buddhih: Mind and intelligence is always focussed towards the lotus feet of Krsna, mayy arpita, to the form of Krsna. That is real meditation. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena pasyanti yam yoginah. You come to the temple, take the impression of this Radha and Krsna, and always think of Him. That is the highest, topmost yoga system.

Therefore the Deity worship is very important. If you are engaged in Deity worship, you always get impression of Krsna and Radharani. And if you think of Krsna and Radharani always within your heart, then you become the topmost yogi. Mayy arpita-mano-buddhih. Yo mad-bhaktah. "In this way, one who executes devotional service," sa me priyah, "he is very dear to Me." So if you want to be dear, if you want to be seen by Krsna, if you want to be seen by God, follow this instruction and your life will be successful. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 12.13-14 -- Bombay, May 12, 1974