Prabhupada: Hare
Krsna.
nunam pramattah kurute vikarma
yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti
na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam
(asann api) klesada asa dehah
[SB 5.5.4]
The real problem of life is not to adjust things materially, change from one form of government to another form of government. These things are temporary things. It will not give relief. And this fighting between one party with another amongst the politicians or the ksatriyas or the administrators, they are going on perpetually. That is not a very new thing. So we should not forget our real life. For ruling over to get political predominance, there may be fighting. That is natural. It is going on. Just like the Battle of Kuruksetra -- it is a fighting between two sections of the same family, who will rule over. So there was fighting, but at the same time, they did not lose Krsna culture. That is the important point. Similarly, India has got a great culture, background, Vedic culture or Krsna culture. Vedic culture means Krsna culture, and Krsna culture means Vedic culture. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. So study Veda or Vedanta means to understand Krsna. That is the purpose. Vedais ca sarvair. Veda means knowledge, and anta means end. Vedanta. Vyasadeva, Srila Vyasadeva, he has given us the Vedanta philosophy. What is the purpose? That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita:
sarvasya caham
hrdi-sannivisto
mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam
vedanta-vid vedanta-krt (eva) ca aham
[Bg. 15.15]
mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam
vedanta-vid vedanta-krt (eva) ca aham
[Bg. 15.15]
So we should take care of very seriously about this culture of Bhagavad-gita. This is India's property. This Vedic culture, instruction of Bhagavad-gita, was spoken on the land of Bharata-varsa, although it is not meant for a particular class of men or a class of people or in a particular country. It is meant for everyone. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Especially for the human being. So our request is that we may fight amongst ourself for political predominance, but why should we forget our real culture, Vedic culture, Krsna consciousness? That is our request. All important men, leaders of the society, they should take this Vedic culture, Krsna consciousness, and not only preach in their own country, but all over the world. If you don't take it, there is a great risk. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:
asradaddhanah purusa
dharmasyasya parantapa
mam aprapya eva nivartante
mrtyu-samsara-vartmani
[Bg. 9.3]
Krsna says personally... He comes, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7], for the benefit of the human society. Because dharmasya glanir. Dharma is meant for the human society. Dharma is not meant for the cats and dogs. They have no dharma. You cannot have any religious principle or institution in the cat society or dog society. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanam. Therefore when human society becomes devoid of dharma, then it is animal society. It is no longer human society.
And what is that dharma? I have several times spoken. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma means the law or the words given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma. That is the shortcut definition of dharma. "You should do this; you should not do this." Just like the government gives us law, "Keep to the right." So that is law. Although it is very simple thing, "Keep to the right," but that is law. Similarly what Krsna says... Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we take it for proper utilization of our this great boon of life, human form of life, then we become dharmi, and our life is successful. What Krsna says, that is not at all difficult. Even a child can perform. What Krsna said? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Very simple thing. Krsna says, "Always think of Me." What is the difficulty? Even a child can think of Krsna. If he goes to the temple and if he understands from his parents that "Here is the Deity, Krsna," it impresses. He understands, "Here is Krsna." Because he is simple. So he can also think of Krsna: "I went to the temple, I saw Krsna very nicely dressed, very nicely decorated. Very nice foodstuff was offered, and I got the prasadam." Where is the difficulty? Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto. If you go regularly to see Krsna in the temple and to remember Him, then you become a bhakta. It doesn't require that you have to pass M.A. examination to become a knowledge... Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. If you simply understand Krsna, your all Vedic knowledge is perfect. Aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim [Narada-pancaratra]. If you have understood Hari, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, tapasa tatah kim, then where is the necessity of tapasya? You have achieved the result of tapasya.
Because to understand Krsna is not so easy.
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascid vetti mam tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]
To understand Krsna he requires great tapasya. There is no doubt about it. But if some way or other you have understood Krsna, then aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim [Narada-pancaratra]. There is no more need of tapasya. Your ultimate goal of life is already achieved. And naradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim. And you have performed great austerities, penances, but you do not know what is Krsna -- then it is useless waste of time. Naradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim. What is the value of your tapasya? Real thing you do not understand. So aradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim, naradhito yadi haris tapasa tatah kim, antar bahir yadi haris tatah kim. If you have learned these four principles as instructed by Bhagavan, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru... [Bg. 18.65]. Very simple thing. Antar bahir, within and without, if you have learned to think of Krsna, antar bahir yadi haris tapasa, then where is the use of tapasya? It is already achieved. Because you are thinking always, externally and internally, Krsna. And naradhito yadi haris. Antar bahir yadi haris tapasa tatah kim. If you have not learned the art of thinking Krsna externally and internally, then what is the use of your so-called tapasya?
So this Krsna consciousness movement is very easy. If it cannot be introduced, I mean to say, in large scale, collectively, individually anyone can learn and take the Vedic wisdom. Anyone, even a child. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakta. And what is the result? The result is mam evaisyasi asamsayah [Bg. 18.65]. Anyone who is doing this, asamsaya, "Without any doubt, you are coming to Me." That is the aim of life, how to go back to hom, back to Godhead. Not to join here in the dog's race. That is not aim of life. It will not make me happy, anyone happy.
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]
The nature's law is working very stringently. You cannot avoid it.
daivi hy esa gunamayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]
So these things are there. I can quote many verses like that. But Krsna consciousness is very easy, and everyone should become Krsna conscious. That is the aim of life. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. We are trying to adjust things externally, but that will never be fulfilled. Durasaya. This is hope against hope. You cannot do anything independently because you are fully under the clutches of maya. Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna says, "My dear Arjuna, Isvara, the Supreme Lord, is situated in the core of everyone's heart." He is not far away. And He is observing. In the Upanisads it is said that there are two birds on one tree. One is eating the fruit, and the other is witnessing. The witnessing bird is Krsna, and the eating bird is the jivatma.
So Krsna is so friendly that He always lives with us just to turn our face towards Krsna. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. What is His business? He is simply waiting for the time when we shall turn our face to Krsna. That is His business. But unfortunately, we do not want Krsna. We want something which is not Krsna. That is our disease. Still, Krsna is giving us facility. Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61]. Krsna gives intelligence, mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15], that "You are My part and parcel. Why you are struggling so hard in this material world? Come to Me. I will give you all protection." Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg. 18.66]. He is ready. But I'll not do. That's my obstinacy. At that time what Krsna will do? He is affectionate father. "All right, what do you want to do?" "I want to do like this." "All right." Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61]. He immediately orders prakrti... Mayadhyaksena prakrteh suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]. "This living entity wants a body like this. So give him a body like that." Yantra. That is called yantra. It is a machine. This body is the machine. And therefore we are changing, one body to another, yantrarudhani mayaya. This is our business.
So if I am now in a yantra, Mercedes car, and suppose next life I ride on another yantra which is four-legged dog, then what is the benefit of this kind of struggle for existence? But that is going on. Therefore Krsna warns, asraddhadhanah purusa dharmasyasya parantapa mam aprapya. "The aim of life was to achieve Me," Krsna says, "but the result is, because he does not hear what I say," mam aprapya nivartante, "again goes back," mrtyu-samsara-vartmani. This material world means to take birth and die. That is called mrtyu-samsara-vartmani. Now I am born as Indian or as brahmana or something like that. The next life, there is no guarantee. Krsna does not say that there is guarantee. Krsna says tatha dehantara-praptih. You have to change your body. Tatha dehantara-praptih dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13].
So our request is that such a great science of, for the human society, for understanding the problems of life, how to solve it, how to achieve the greatest success in life... We have got this in the Bhagavad-gita. Why should we neglect it? What is the reason? Other things may go on -- this political fight or some fight. Fighting. This is a world of fighting. Agamapayino 'nityah tams titiksasva bharata. Matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah [Bg. 2.14]. This is world of sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah. You cannot avoid it. So tams titiksasva bharata. Just try to tolerate. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also says the same thing:
trnad api sunicena
taror api suhisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
[Cc. Adi 17.31]
We have to become tolerant than the grass on the street and forbearing more than the trees. In this way we have to tolerate whatever is going on in this material world. Tolerate does not mean unnecessarily we shall suffer. As far as possible, let us struggle, but we should not forget our real business. That is human life. Real business is that I am part and parcel of God. Mamaivamso jiva-bhuta [Bg. 15.7]. Some way or other, I am fallen in this material condition. There is a Bengali poet, he has sung, anadi-karama-phale padi, bhavarnava-jale, tarivare na dheki upaya. "Somehow or other I am fallen in this material ocean and struggling for existence." Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore prayed... He does not pray for any material benefit. He is teaching us, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye: [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4] "My Lord, Jagadisa, I do not want any material happiness or wealth," na dhanam na janam, "or great followers," na sundarim kavitam, "or beautiful wife." These are the demands of the karmis: "I must have wealth, I must have position, I must have beautiful home, beautiful wife." But Caitanya Mahaprabhu denies. He says, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye. He does not want even mukti. Because He says next line that mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4]. "Life after life simply let Me remain Your devotee."
ayi nanda-tanuja patitam kinkaram
mam visame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-pankaja-
sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya
[Cc. Antya 20.32, Siksastaka 5]
So we have got such vast knowledge for achieving the goal of life. It is India. Why should we neglect? Why we should become so foolish that forget our real purpose of life and engage in will-o'-the-wisp struggle for existence, which will never be successful? Why this misconception of life? At least, there must be this institution of Krsna consciousness in India so that not only the Indians, but all outside India, they should come and learn what is Krsna consciousness. (applause) So it is already explained. We are trying to develop this institution in Bombay. Bombay is the best city in India, and people are also very advanced, enlightened. So let us combine together and develop this institution for the whole human society. That is our ambition. It is not for any sect or any creed or any particular class of men. Manusyanam sahasresu [Bg. 7.3]. It is for the human society, and we have got this opportunity of human body. A Bengali poet sings, hari hari biphale janama gonainu. Manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya, janiya suniya visa khainu. "My Lord, I have wasted my this valuable life, human form of life, because I did not take to Krsna consciousness."
So if you do not take Krsna consciousness seriously in this human form of life, then you must know that you are drinking poison knowingly. Don't neglect it. Try to understand. It is based on science, philosophy, sastra, knowledge. It is not a blind faith. And we are prepared to answer you in any way. The method is very simple; even a child can take advantage of it. Not that we are manufacturing. It is sanctioned in the sastra. Kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah. This is the statement by Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit. He describes the faults of this Kali-yuga. It is just like the ocean. Kaler dosa-nidhe rajann hy asti eka mahan... But there is one very great advantage. He said What is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. If you chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra, then you become free from all contamination and go back to home, back to Godhead.
Thank you very much.
Tamala-krsna: Some people have questions. Do you want to answer them?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Tamala-krsna: No need? Kirtana?
Prabhupada: They do not know. Hare Krsna. Thank you very much. Jaya.
Giriraja: We're inviting all of you to remain for... [break] (end)
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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