"The Witness And The Wanderer" 73/09/27 Bombay, Bhagavad-gita 13.4

Prabhupada:

tat ksetram yac ca yadrk ca
yad vikari yatas ca yat
sa ca yo yat prabhavas ca
tat samasena me srnu


Yesterday we have discussed that two souls, the individual soul and the Supersoul, both of them are living within this body. This body is compared... In the Upanisads, the body is compared with a tree, and two birds are there. One bird is the individual soul, we, and the other bird is the Supersoul, Krsna. Krsna is so kind that He is always flying with the other bird, the living entity. We are trying to enjoy this material world. Just like you have seen a bird sitting in this branch, going another branch, another tree. This is all seeking some pleasure.

Similarly, we are also... Tatha dehantara-praptih. We are enjoying a standard of comfort in this life, and I am preparing another standard of living condition next life. So I shall fly over to another body. Tatha-dehantara praptih. But Krsna is so kind...

Because we are all sons of Krsna... We are wandering in this material world as mad chap. Just like a rich man's son has become mad. He leaves his home and loitering in the street and eating in the garbage. That is our position. We are the sons of the richest person. Aisvaryasya samagrasya. Bhagavan means who is the proprietor of all riches. So we are sons of such a rich man. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetana... But we have become mad. We have become mad. We want to enjoy... Just like there are many sons. Although the father is... In America we find many. Although father is rich, millionaire, he has become a hippie, out of frustration, confusion, or some other reason. So our condition, like that. We are the sons of the richest person. Not only richest, the wisest. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya. The most powerful, Krsna. The most powerful, the richest, the wisest, the most beautiful. Everything, supreme degree. We are sons of such a father, but we have become mad after this material enjoyment. This is our madness.

So as father is always kind to the son, similarly, the supreme father is so kind that we are flying from this tree to that tree, this body to that body. So Krsna is also flying, but He's not affected. That is explained in the Upanisad, that the one individual soul bird, he is eating the forbidden fruit of the tree and enjoying or suffering the result. But the other bird, he's simply witnessing. Witnessing. Upadrasta anumanta. That is described. Upadrasta means witness. Upa means... You cannot avoid the vigilence of Krsna. You cannot do anything concealed. Everything is known to Krsna. Therefore He is called upadrasta.

And He knows that he'll suffer. Therefore sometimes conscience beats. We sometimes inquire from our conscience. Conscience says, "No, don't do this." But still we do it. Still we do... That is our avidya. Because we do not know, in ignorance, in spite of the Supreme Soul, Supersoul is forbidding, "Don't do this," still, we shall do it. That is called anumanta. We cannot do anything without the sanction of the Supersoul, but when we insist that "I must do it," then He says, "All right, you do it, but you'll suffer your sequence. My word is, Supersoul order is, that ‘You give up all this nonsense. Simply surrender unto Me. I will give you all protection.' " But no, that he'll not do.

Therefore Krsna says, tat ksetram yac ca yadrk. Yadrk means "as it is." We have got different ksetram. I have got this body; you have got another body. No two bodies you'll find equal in every respect. You'll find two bodies... We have got two hands, two legs, two eyes. These are all right, but your eyes are different from my eyes, your arms are different from my arms. This is human society. Then there are other bodies, animal society, bird society, beast society, aquatic society, insect society. There are so many, eight million four hundred thousand species forms of life. They're all living entities. But why they have got different types of bodies? That is explained here. Tat ksetram yac ca yadrk ca.

Why we have got different bodies? And yadrk ca, how it is working? Yadrk ca. Tat ksetram yac ca yadrk ca yad vikari. How it has transformed in different forms? Yad vikari yatas ca yat, and wherefrom it has come to be so? Sa ca yo yat prabhavah. How, under certain influence, we get this body? There are three kinds of influences, you must always know, material influences.

Just like the example is given that there is fire and the sparks are dancing, but some of the sparks fall down, from the fire falls down on the ground. So one spark falls on the water, one spark falls on the dry grass, and one spark falls on the wet grass. These are three conditions. So when we fall down from the spiritual world... As part and parcel we are in the spiritual, our position in the spiritual world. But when we fall down within this material world, we fall down in such way; some is fallen down on the water, some is fallen down on the dry grass, some is fallen on the wet grass.

So dry grass means although he has fallen, he has no material desire. That is sattva-guna. There are men, who... Just like devotees. The devotees are also wandering, moving in Bombay, but they have no such desire to enjoy Bombay. That desire is dried up. They're not walking in the Bombay street for going to the cinema or to the restaurant or to the meathouse or that or that, no. Don't consider they are on the same position like others. There are many persons loitering in the street, but they are different person. They are not in touch with anything of Bombay, material facilities.

Similarly, there are persons who are via media -- half this side, half that side. And there are persons who are fully in Bombay life. Or Bombay... Any city life. We don't speak only Bombay. Suppose we are in London. We are wandering, traveling in many, many nice cities better than Bombay. What is Bombay? Bombay is nothing in comparison to New York or Chicago or Tokyo. Very, very big, big cities.

So as we find there are different classes of men, although all of them are in Bombay or any city, similarly, all the living entities, they are not of the same quality. Some of them are in touch with the material modes of goodness, some of them are in touch with the material modes of passion, and some of them are in touch with the material modes of ignorance. So those who are in ignorance, they are just like fallen in the water. As the fire falls on the water, it extinguishes completely. And the dry grass, if a spark of fire falls, taking advantage of the dry grass, the fire ignites. It becomes again fire.

Similarly, those who are in the modes of goodness, they can easily awaken their Krsna consciousness. Because in the Bhagavad-gita it is said, yesam tv anta-gatam papam. Why people are not coming to this temple? Because the difficulty is some of them are in gross ignorance. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. They cannot come. Those who are simply engaged in sinful activities, they cannot appreciate this Krsna consciousness movement. That is not possible. But it is a chance given to everyone. We are flattering, "Please come here. Please..." This is our business on behalf of Krsna. As Krsna comes personally to teach Bhagavad-gita and ask everyone, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], our business is that.

Therefore Krsna very much appreciates, "Oh, these people are doing on My behalf. I haven't got to go there. They have taken up My business." What we are taking business. We are simply asking people, "Please surrender to Krsna." That's all. Therefore we are very dear. Krsna says, na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamah [Bg. 18.69]. Our business is how to become recognized by Krsna.

We don't bother whether one is converted or not in Krsna consciousness. Our duty is to flatter, That's all. "My dear sir, please come here, see Krsna's Deity, offer namaskara, take prasada, and go home." But people are not agreeing. Because why? Now, this business cannot be taken up by persons who are full of sinful activities.

Therefore Krsna says, yesam tv anta-gatam papam. One who has completely finished his sinful activities, yesam tv anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam. Who can become free from sinful activities? One who is engaged always in pious activities. If you are engaged in pious activities always, where is the chance of committing sinful activities? Therefore the most pious activity is to chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra. If you are engaged always, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, if your mind is always engaged in Krsna consciousness, then there is no accommodation for other things to come to your mind. This is the process of Krsna consciousness. As soon as we forget Krsna, maya is there, immediately captured.

So therefore Krsna says, sa ca yo yat prabhavas ca. That prabhava means according to the modes of material nature. Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu. Why one is born in the family of demigod? Why one is born in the family of a hog? Why one is born in the family of a tree or a serpent? There are so many species of life. The only reason is karanam guna-sango 'sya. The living entity, as he associates with the gunas, there are three gunas. Multiply three by three, it becomes nine, and multiply nine by nine, it becomes eighty-one. Therefore there are eighty-four. Eight million four hundred thousand. This is guna.

Just like color painter. There are three colors only: blue, red and yellow. But an artist can multiply the colors into many types of colors simply by mixing, simply by mixing. Similarly, these three qualities -- sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna -- these are the main qualities. Now they are mixed together. Sometimes this portion is greater than the other portion. In this way material nature is the greatest artist. You can see how she has manufactured so many bodies, nice bodies, eight million four hundred thousand.

So this is due to our association with the particular quality. Now, so long you are in the material world you have to associate with some kind of material qualities but if you engage youself in the devotional service of the Lord then immediately you become transcendental to all these qualities. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

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

Brahma-bhuyaya. Immediately you are situated on the Brahman platform. How? Mam ca vyabhicarena-bhakti-yogena sevate. One who is fully engaged in devotional service, he's no more under these material qualities. Sa gunan samatityaitan. Bahu-vacana. These three qualities, sama, samyak atitya, samatitya. Sama means transmigrating or transcending. Samatityaita etan gunan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. Because every living entity is by nature Brahman. Brahman means spirit soul. Krsna is the supreme spirit soul, and we are part and parcel of Krsna. Krsna is Parabrahman, we are Brahman. It is very easy to understand. You don't require to become Brahman, you are already Brahman. Simply you have to be purified from non-Brahman. That is material qualities. Then you become Brahman. Therefore it is said, brahma-bhutah prasannatma. Brahma-bhuta [Bg. 18.54] means...

At the present moment we are now jiva-bhuta. Because we are in this material world, because we have got this material body, our present position is jiva-bhuta. But when we surpass, when we transcend this material concept of life, the bodily concept of life... And that can be done very easily if you engage in the service of Krsna.

Is it very difficult to be engaged in the service of the Lord? Not at all. Not at all. Why? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto-mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. You are seeing Krsna here, and you can think of this Krsna always. There is no tax and there is no loss. Suppose if you come to the temple and you get the impression of Radha-Krsna so nice and if you keep within you heart... But that can be kept when you love. Just like if you love somebody, you always keep within your heart the form of your lover. Similarly, if you develop love of Krsna, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. If you have actually developed love of Krsna then you'll be able to keep Krsna always within your heart. That Krsna wants. Man-mana: "Always think of Me." Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65].

So to become devotee is not at all difficult. Without doing anything, if you simply follow this instruction of Krsna, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto... Simply you think of Krsna. Here is Krsna. If you come in the temple, you get impression of Krsna. Krsna is not nirakara. Here is Krsna's akara, dvi-bhuja-murali-dhara. Avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritah [Bg. 9.11].

The rascals, they think that "They are worshiping a man. Krsna was historical man." No. That is avajananti mam mudhah. They are rascals. Krsna comes to become visible to you so that you can understand what is Krsna. So five thousand years Krsna advented Himself, and He remained just like a human being. He took part in the battle of Kuruksetra. So... He was dancing, He was playing in Vrndavana so that you may be attracted, you can understand what is Krsna. Therefore Krsna came. But we are so unfortunate. Although Krsna comes Himself to show Himself, show His activities, His power, His opulence, His beauty, His message, still, we miss Krsna. This is our misfortune. Why? Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah, mayayapahrta-jnanah [Bg. 7.15]. Although Krsna is present, Krsna is manifesting Himself, but mayayapahrta jnana, maya is so strong that it is taking away our knowledge of Krsna.

Therefore if you want to get out of these clutches of maya... That is also given by Krsna. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etan taranti te: "Anyone who surrenders unto Me fully, he can get out of the clutches of maya." Then he can be engaged fully in Krsna's service. Then his life becomes successful. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 13.4 -- Bombay, September 27, 1973