2 Apr 68 , San Francisco
Prabhupada: In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that one who is intelligent, he will see four things before him. You may be very great scientist. You may be very much advanced in material science. You may be able to construct very high building, skyscrapers, and many millions of motorcars, but you have to think whether you have solved the real problem of life. The real problem of life is birth, death, disease, and old age. Not that to live in a high skyscraper our problems of life is solved. No. The problem of life is how to stop these four things: birth, death, old age, and disease. But we have neglected the real problems of life. And we are misusing our intelligence for constructing big buildings and constructing or increasing the so-called bodily necessities of life. The bodily necessities of life are four only. What is that? Eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. To maintain this body you require to eat something. Everyone is eating. You are eating, the cats are eating, the dogs are eating, the birds are eating. They have no economic problem. Eating is there already. Have you seen ever that a bird is dying for want of eating, eatables? No. So these things are already arranged. That is no problem. In every form of life your eatables are there by nature's supply. Similarly sleeping. The bird is sleeping, the dog is sleeping, the cat is sleeping, and you are also sleeping. But you have got a very nice apartment. Does it mean that you have solved the problem of sleeping? No. Then defending. The birds, the dogs, the cats, the animals, everyone knows how to defend in their own way. You go every day in the, what is called, Stowe Lake path. And as soon as you go, the swans immediately jump to the water because that is their defending. As soon as they go to the water, they know that "These human beings, they cannot come to the water. We are now secure." So that defending process is there even in the swans, in the birds, in everything. You don't think that because we have manufactured atomic bombs, therefore we have become very good. What is this atomic bomb? Killing. Killing is going on. Have you manufactured anything by which you can save from death?
So our problems of life, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, is to solve these four things: no more birth... Because we are... Always remember that we are all eternal. Just like in this body, beginning from my mother's womb up to this old age, I am the same eternal soul, but my body is changing. So after changing this body also, I shall remain the same. Simply I shall have another body. This plain truth, there is no difficulty to understand. Now if I am eternal... If I am eternal means no death, no birth, no disease, no old age. That is eternal. So if I am eternal, whether it is possible to get an eternal body? Or eternal happiness? That is the problem of human society. If you can solve that problem, then you be proud of your civilization. Otherwise there is no difference between cats' and dogs' civilization and your civilization. Because you are simply trying to solve the problems of eating, sleeping, defending and mating. But these problems are already solved by nature's law.
So our developed intelligence should be utilized for solving these problems by Krsna consciousness. We are presenting this movement before you, your country, because you are intelligent, you are materially advanced. You are greater than all other countries. Therefore I present this movement, scientific movement before you. You just try to understand it. Lord Caitanya's movement... This is Lord Caitanya's movement. And the author of Caitanya-caritamrta... That is in Sanskrit. We have translated it into English, Teachings of Lord Caitanya. If you like, you can purchase that book. So in that book it is stated that caitanyera dayara katha karaha vicara. "Ladies and gentlemen, you just..., scrutinizingly you try to understand the mercy of Lord Caitanya, this Krsna consciousness movement, how it is solving the problems of our life." Vicara karile citte pabe camatkara. If you scrutinizingly test it and try to understand this movement, then you'll feel yourself that it is wonderful. And actually it is wonderful. So... And the process is also very simple. You do not require to be highly educated or philosopher or talented or rich or poor, or black and white. Doesn't matter what you are. It is universal. Any human being with little intelligence, he can understand. And even he does not understand, this process is so nice that if you continue this process for a few weeks you'll be able to understand. This chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is transcendental vibration, sound. Sound is the origin of all creation. So this transcendental sound, if you vibrate, you will understand very quickly this philosophy of Krsna consciousness. And there is no loss on your part. Suppose you chant Hare Krsna; you do not lose anything. But if there is any gain, why don't you try it? We simply request you with folded hands that you kindly chant Hare Krsna. We are simply requesting you. We're not asking you to pay us something or to suffer something or be educated or be engineer or be lawyer, then come to us. Never mind what you are. Stay in your position. Simply try to chant these sixteen words, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. You can try for one week. And there is no hard and fast rules. You can chant anywhere and everywhere. While walking you can chant, while driving you can chant. Nobody is going to tax, that "You are chanting. Give me this tax." It is very easy.
So kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. Ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. If you chant, the result will be that your mind will be cleansed. The whole misunderstanding is that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul. But I am identifying myself with this body -- 'I am Indian,' 'I am American,' 'I am Christian,' 'I am Hindu.' " These are all your designations. You are spirit soul. Just try to understand that you are spirit soul, and try to understand on the platform of spiritual understanding. All problems will be solved. And so long you are standing on this designated platform -- "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that" -- there is no solution of problems. Take it for granted. There is no solution of problem. You stand on this platform of spiritual understanding; there will be solution of all problems. This is authentic, and those who have followed, they have got result. And take it from me that there is no cheating, there is no bluff. Simply chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and see the result practically. With my request, you can chant for one week and see the result. We are always prepared to serve you. We have got our temple here. Not only here, we have got our temple in Los Angeles, we have got our temple in New York, in Santa Fe, Montreal, Boston, and recently we're trying to open one temple in Buffalo. And two of my students, they have gone to Florida. They are also trying to open. So it is very nice movement, and it is very easy to chant. Now before me... I am Indian, you are all Americans. This Hare Krsna, this vibration may be foreign to you, but there is no difficulty to chant. The words may be in Sanskrit, but it is not difficult to chant. And if you simply chant, you get the result because it is transcendental vibration. Just like when television or radio vibration is there, either in India, America, everywhere the vibration is equally beneficial. Similarly, this transcendental vibration is coming down from the transcendental world. It is not material sound. It is not hackneyed. If you chant, if you practice, you'll realize it. So our request is that without any charges, without any fee, without any bluff, we say that you please chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Thank you very much. [break] Raghupati raghava raja rama. Can you sing? I'll sing if you can repeat. You can note down. Raghupati raghava raja rama, patita-pavana sita-rama. Can anyone play in this harmonium melodious?
Devotees: Malati. [break]
Prabhupada: ...raghava raja rama, patita-pavana sita-rama. R-a-g-h-u-p-a-t-i. Raghupati. Raghava, r-a-g-h-a-v-a. Raghupati raghava raja, r-a-j-a, raja, rama, r-a-m-a. Raghupati raghava raja rama. Patita, p-a-t-i-t-a, pavana, p-a-v-a-n-a. Patita-pavana sita-rama, s-i-t-a-r-a-m-a. Raghupati raghava. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968
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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
"Relish Of Renunciation"
2 Feb 68 , Los Angeles
Prabhupada:
vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-
siksartham ekah purusah puranah
sri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dhari
krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye
[Cc. Madhya 6.254]
This verse was composed by Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. You know Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya? You have not heard?
Devotees: Yes.
Prabhupada: Who was he? Who was Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya?
Nandarani: He was a great impersonalist who was converted by Lord Caitanya to Vaisnavism.
Prabhupada: Yes. And Nandarani knows better than you. (laughter) So girls are intelligent. Yes. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was a great impersonalist and a great logician. The impersonalist school, amongst them, there are very, very learned scholars. Sankaracarya himself, he was unique scholar. At the age of eight years only, he studied all the Vedas. And not only he studied, he became a critical student, Sankaracarya. He was incarnation of Lord Siva; therefore nobody can be compared with him.
So amongst the impersonalist school, there are many great logicians and high class scholars. But according to Vedic principles, God realization does not depend on material intelligence or scholarship. It is stated in the Vedas, nayam atma pravacanena labhyah: "You cannot realize the self simply by arguments or very scholarly speeches." No. Nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na bahuna srutena: "Neither by studying many, many different types of Vedic literatures." Nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na bahuna srutena na medhaya: "Neither by sharp brain or memory." These are good qualifications -- to be scholarly, to be a very good speaker, and to have very good memorizing power. These are materially very good qualifications. But they are not qualification for realizing God. Then what is the qualification of realizing God? Yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyah: "God can be realized only to whom He reveals-labhyah Katha Upanisad 1.2.23." You cannot oblige God to become manifest before you because you are very good scholar or you are a very rich man or you are very good looking or you have got very good memorizing power. No. Yam evaisa vrnute. When He is pleased, then He reveals unto the devotee. Therefore our business should be, for God realization, to please Him. And that pleasing process is this devotional service. Let us engage in His service, and when He becomes pleased, "Yes. He's very sincerely..." Just like the gopis. They were village girls, not even born of very high family. Cowherds, ordinary agriculturists, cowherds men. So their daughters. So how much education you can...? There was no education practically. In the village even men... In India still, they are ninety-percent illiterate. And what to speak of the girls, the men are not even literate. Because according to Vedic civilization it was not necessary that everyone should go to school. There was no necessity. Because things were being learned by sruti, by aural reception. Knowledge from the perfect man, one would hear, and he would become learned. There was no necessity of, I mean to say, learning ABCD. No. Even in Vedic age, everything was memorized. There was nothing in writing. People were so sharp in brain that once heard from the spiritual master, they will never forget. The brahmacari system made their brain so powerful that whatever they will hear from the spiritual master, they will keep in the brain and never forget. They will repeat verbatim. Smrti. It is called retaining power.
So God realization does not depend on material opulence. Material opulence means to take birth in high family, janma. Janma means high parentage. Then... Janmaisvarya, and wealthy, great riches. These are material opulences: high parentage, great riches, and great learning, and great beauty. These four things are material opulences. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri [SB 1.8.26]. Janma means birth, aisvarya means wealth, and sruta means education, and sri means beauty. So for God realization these things are not essential, but Krsna consciousness movement can utilize everything. So nothing is neglected. That is another point. But if somebody thinks that "I have got all these opulences; therefore God realization is very easy for me," no, that is not. So God realization depends on God, because God, you cannot oblige God by some force. Just like if you have got money, oh, you can do anything nowadays. If you have got strength of wealth, you can have any power, you can do anything. But that does not mean that you can purchase God. No. That is not possible. If you have got beauty, you can conquer over very stalwart, very strong men. Just like what is the... Cleopatra. You have heard the Grecian history. She was very beautiful, and she conquered many great warriors. So beauty sometimes can conquer even the greatest man, but that does not mean beauty can conquer God. No. That is not possible. So the vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. To conquer God is bhakti. If you are advanced in devotional service, then you can conquer God. Just like the gopis, as I was speaking, their parentage was not very high, not at all high. Village, agriculturists, farmers, no education, practical... No education at all. And they were not rich at all. Agriculturists, farmers, they are not very rich. So how they conquered Krsna? Krsna was just a play toy in their hands. Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari. They conquered Krsna simply by devotional service. That's all. They did not know anything except Krsna. They did not, I mean to say, care anything. Simply they were..., always they were thinking of Krsna. The one instance of their absorption in Krsna consciousness is explained, that when Krsna was going on the pasturing ground, the gopis were crying at home. Why? They were thinking that "Krsna's body is so delicate, so soft, that we, when we take His lotus feet and place on our breast or chest, we think it is hard, very hard for Him. So Krsna is walking in the forest. There are so many particles of stones. They are pricking, and how much Krsna is feeling pain." This thinking made, caused their crying, "How Krsna is feeling pain." And the whole day, they will think of Krsna like that, and when Krsna will come back from the pasturing ground, then they will be relieved that "Krsna has now come back." This was their business. Now, this sort of thinking of Krsna does not require any riches or any high parentage or any beauty or any education. So we have to develop such Krsna consciousness. Our, this Gaudiya-sampradaya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's, in Caitanya Mahaprabhu's descendants, our line of God realization is that separation, feeling of separation. Not that we have got Krsna within our hand. No. The feeling of separation, worship of Krsna by feeling of separation is better than the worship by directly meeting. Vipralambha-seva.
So this vairagya-vidya, renunciation... Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Bhakti-yoga means vairagya-vidya. Vairagya-vidya means no more attachment for this material world. That is vairagya. So bhakti-yoga means vairagya-vidya. So this Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said, vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam. This vairagya-vidya means bhakti-yogam..., siksartham ekah purusah puranah. So Krsna, the supreme original personality, He has come down to teach us this vairagya-vidya. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-siksartham ekah purusah puranah, sri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dhari [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Sri-krsna-caitanya. Sri Krsna has appeared in the form of Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya. So Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya says, "My respectful obeisances unto Him." So naturally this context came into my mind -- these boys' vairagya. So one who becomes advanced in Krsna consciousness, naturally they become disinterested for any material pompous name.(?) They do not care. So vairagya. This bhakti-yoga means vairagya-vidya. You can chant Hare Krsna. [break]
Karandhara: ...Vaisnava earlier.
Prabhupada: Oh. What is the price of this?
Gargamuni: No charge.
Prabhupada: No. What do they sell?
Gargamuni: Oh. This drum was broken, but he gave it to us free. I do not know what the...
Prabhupada: It was, it is broken?
Gargamuni: It was broken, but we fixed it.
Prabhupada: Oh. All right. When they give in charity, they give something broken. (laughter) (Bengali) Khana goruke brahmanake dana (?). In India there is a..., charity is given to the brahmanas. So a man saw that his cow is blind. "All right, give it in charity." So charity means... Charity should be the first-class thing if it is really charity. But nowadays people give in charity just for name. "Oh, I am giving something." This charity... You have read Bhagavad-gita. There are three kinds of charity: sattvic, rajasic, tamasic. Sattvic, charity in goodness, is with due consideration that "Here should be given the charity." Just like the Vedic injunction is to give charity to the brahmanas. Why? That is the worthy place, to give charity in the hands of brahmanas and Vaisnava. Real brahmanas. I don't say caste brahmana. Because they will employ whatever you give them in the service of the Lord. Therefore charity, that is sattvic charity. There is no question of profit or name. But, "Charity should be given here. Here is something, God's service." That is sattvic. And rajasic means for the sake of name. "Oh, people will say I am so charitable." That is rajasic. And tamasic, one who does not know where the money is going... Just like in the Bowery Street some, that drunkard comes and polishes the motorcar, and somebody gives five dollars, and he immediately goes to drink. That means this charity means give him impetus for drinking. So if charity creates such drunkard, oh, that is very dangerous. He has to suffer, the man who is giving in charity. Therefore in charity also there must be consideration. It must be sattvic. So anyway, it has come here. So it is sattvic. Whatever his mind may be, anyway, he has given to this temple; so it is sattvic. Chant. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 2, 1968
HOME
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.
Prabhupada:
vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-
siksartham ekah purusah puranah
sri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dhari
krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye
[Cc. Madhya 6.254]
This verse was composed by Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. You know Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya? You have not heard?
Devotees: Yes.
Prabhupada: Who was he? Who was Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya?
Nandarani: He was a great impersonalist who was converted by Lord Caitanya to Vaisnavism.
Prabhupada: Yes. And Nandarani knows better than you. (laughter) So girls are intelligent. Yes. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was a great impersonalist and a great logician. The impersonalist school, amongst them, there are very, very learned scholars. Sankaracarya himself, he was unique scholar. At the age of eight years only, he studied all the Vedas. And not only he studied, he became a critical student, Sankaracarya. He was incarnation of Lord Siva; therefore nobody can be compared with him.
So amongst the impersonalist school, there are many great logicians and high class scholars. But according to Vedic principles, God realization does not depend on material intelligence or scholarship. It is stated in the Vedas, nayam atma pravacanena labhyah: "You cannot realize the self simply by arguments or very scholarly speeches." No. Nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na bahuna srutena: "Neither by studying many, many different types of Vedic literatures." Nayam atma pravacanena labhyo na bahuna srutena na medhaya: "Neither by sharp brain or memory." These are good qualifications -- to be scholarly, to be a very good speaker, and to have very good memorizing power. These are materially very good qualifications. But they are not qualification for realizing God. Then what is the qualification of realizing God? Yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyah: "God can be realized only to whom He reveals-labhyah Katha Upanisad 1.2.23." You cannot oblige God to become manifest before you because you are very good scholar or you are a very rich man or you are very good looking or you have got very good memorizing power. No. Yam evaisa vrnute. When He is pleased, then He reveals unto the devotee. Therefore our business should be, for God realization, to please Him. And that pleasing process is this devotional service. Let us engage in His service, and when He becomes pleased, "Yes. He's very sincerely..." Just like the gopis. They were village girls, not even born of very high family. Cowherds, ordinary agriculturists, cowherds men. So their daughters. So how much education you can...? There was no education practically. In the village even men... In India still, they are ninety-percent illiterate. And what to speak of the girls, the men are not even literate. Because according to Vedic civilization it was not necessary that everyone should go to school. There was no necessity. Because things were being learned by sruti, by aural reception. Knowledge from the perfect man, one would hear, and he would become learned. There was no necessity of, I mean to say, learning ABCD. No. Even in Vedic age, everything was memorized. There was nothing in writing. People were so sharp in brain that once heard from the spiritual master, they will never forget. The brahmacari system made their brain so powerful that whatever they will hear from the spiritual master, they will keep in the brain and never forget. They will repeat verbatim. Smrti. It is called retaining power.
So God realization does not depend on material opulence. Material opulence means to take birth in high family, janma. Janma means high parentage. Then... Janmaisvarya, and wealthy, great riches. These are material opulences: high parentage, great riches, and great learning, and great beauty. These four things are material opulences. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri [SB 1.8.26]. Janma means birth, aisvarya means wealth, and sruta means education, and sri means beauty. So for God realization these things are not essential, but Krsna consciousness movement can utilize everything. So nothing is neglected. That is another point. But if somebody thinks that "I have got all these opulences; therefore God realization is very easy for me," no, that is not. So God realization depends on God, because God, you cannot oblige God by some force. Just like if you have got money, oh, you can do anything nowadays. If you have got strength of wealth, you can have any power, you can do anything. But that does not mean that you can purchase God. No. That is not possible. If you have got beauty, you can conquer over very stalwart, very strong men. Just like what is the... Cleopatra. You have heard the Grecian history. She was very beautiful, and she conquered many great warriors. So beauty sometimes can conquer even the greatest man, but that does not mean beauty can conquer God. No. That is not possible. So the vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. To conquer God is bhakti. If you are advanced in devotional service, then you can conquer God. Just like the gopis, as I was speaking, their parentage was not very high, not at all high. Village, agriculturists, farmers, no education, practical... No education at all. And they were not rich at all. Agriculturists, farmers, they are not very rich. So how they conquered Krsna? Krsna was just a play toy in their hands. Gopi-bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari. They conquered Krsna simply by devotional service. That's all. They did not know anything except Krsna. They did not, I mean to say, care anything. Simply they were..., always they were thinking of Krsna. The one instance of their absorption in Krsna consciousness is explained, that when Krsna was going on the pasturing ground, the gopis were crying at home. Why? They were thinking that "Krsna's body is so delicate, so soft, that we, when we take His lotus feet and place on our breast or chest, we think it is hard, very hard for Him. So Krsna is walking in the forest. There are so many particles of stones. They are pricking, and how much Krsna is feeling pain." This thinking made, caused their crying, "How Krsna is feeling pain." And the whole day, they will think of Krsna like that, and when Krsna will come back from the pasturing ground, then they will be relieved that "Krsna has now come back." This was their business. Now, this sort of thinking of Krsna does not require any riches or any high parentage or any beauty or any education. So we have to develop such Krsna consciousness. Our, this Gaudiya-sampradaya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's, in Caitanya Mahaprabhu's descendants, our line of God realization is that separation, feeling of separation. Not that we have got Krsna within our hand. No. The feeling of separation, worship of Krsna by feeling of separation is better than the worship by directly meeting. Vipralambha-seva.
So this vairagya-vidya, renunciation... Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Bhakti-yoga means vairagya-vidya. Vairagya-vidya means no more attachment for this material world. That is vairagya. So bhakti-yoga means vairagya-vidya. So this Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said, vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yogam. This vairagya-vidya means bhakti-yogam..., siksartham ekah purusah puranah. So Krsna, the supreme original personality, He has come down to teach us this vairagya-vidya. Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga-siksartham ekah purusah puranah, sri-krsna-caitanya-sarira-dhari [Cc. Madhya 6.254]. Sri-krsna-caitanya. Sri Krsna has appeared in the form of Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya. So Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya says, "My respectful obeisances unto Him." So naturally this context came into my mind -- these boys' vairagya. So one who becomes advanced in Krsna consciousness, naturally they become disinterested for any material pompous name.(?) They do not care. So vairagya. This bhakti-yoga means vairagya-vidya. You can chant Hare Krsna. [break]
Karandhara: ...Vaisnava earlier.
Prabhupada: Oh. What is the price of this?
Gargamuni: No charge.
Prabhupada: No. What do they sell?
Gargamuni: Oh. This drum was broken, but he gave it to us free. I do not know what the...
Prabhupada: It was, it is broken?
Gargamuni: It was broken, but we fixed it.
Prabhupada: Oh. All right. When they give in charity, they give something broken. (laughter) (Bengali) Khana goruke brahmanake dana (?). In India there is a..., charity is given to the brahmanas. So a man saw that his cow is blind. "All right, give it in charity." So charity means... Charity should be the first-class thing if it is really charity. But nowadays people give in charity just for name. "Oh, I am giving something." This charity... You have read Bhagavad-gita. There are three kinds of charity: sattvic, rajasic, tamasic. Sattvic, charity in goodness, is with due consideration that "Here should be given the charity." Just like the Vedic injunction is to give charity to the brahmanas. Why? That is the worthy place, to give charity in the hands of brahmanas and Vaisnava. Real brahmanas. I don't say caste brahmana. Because they will employ whatever you give them in the service of the Lord. Therefore charity, that is sattvic charity. There is no question of profit or name. But, "Charity should be given here. Here is something, God's service." That is sattvic. And rajasic means for the sake of name. "Oh, people will say I am so charitable." That is rajasic. And tamasic, one who does not know where the money is going... Just like in the Bowery Street some, that drunkard comes and polishes the motorcar, and somebody gives five dollars, and he immediately goes to drink. That means this charity means give him impetus for drinking. So if charity creates such drunkard, oh, that is very dangerous. He has to suffer, the man who is giving in charity. Therefore in charity also there must be consideration. It must be sattvic. So anyway, it has come here. So it is sattvic. Whatever his mind may be, anyway, he has given to this temple; so it is sattvic. Chant. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- Los Angeles, February 2, 1968
HOME
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
"I Have Passed My Life Uselessly"
13 Nov 68 , Los Angeles
Prabhupada: ...introduced by the disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya, and this Narottama dasa Thakura who has sung this hari hari biphale janama gonainu, he's a famous acarya. His compositions are accepted as Vedic truth. So this purport of this song is very nice. He's lamenting, appealing to Hari, the Lord. Hari hari biphale janama gonainu: "My dear Lord, I have uselessly spoiled my life." Biphale means uselessly, and janama means birth, and gonainu means "I have passed." He's representing a common man, as every one of us is simply spoiling our life. They do not know that they are spoiling their life. They are thinking that "I've got very nice apartment, very nice car, very nice wife, very nice income, very nice social position." So many things. These are the material attractions. Grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair. (child crying) (aside:) Stop it. Oh, that's all... The attraction, material attraction, is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam in many ways. In one place it is very nicely summarized what is this material attraction. The basic principle of material attraction is sex. (child crying) Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam [SB 5.5.8]. A man is hankering after another woman, and the woman is hankering after another man. This is the basic principle of material life. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. Mithuni-bhavam means sex. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim. And when they actually come into sexual life, each one of them becomes too much attracted. Hrdaya-granthim. Granthi means very hard knot: "I cannot leave you." He says, "I cannot leave you. You are my life and soul," and she says, "You are my life and soul." For a few days. (laughs) And then again divorce. You see? But the beginning is there. Basic principle of material attraction is this sex life. This is general. Those who have organized the sex life in social convention in so many ways... The marriage is also another convention to give a very finishing nice touch than the animal. That's all. Just like sometimes it is said marriage is legalized prostitution. So for social convention the marriage is a license, but it is also based on the sex life. But for keep up social life, one has to accept some regulative principle. Therefore sex life like animals and sex life in marriage, there is difference. It is better. That is accepted in civilized world.
So when they're united some way or other, then next demand is nice apartment, grha. The next demand, grha-ksetra, land. Because human civilization is based on land and cow, gavaya dhanavan. Formerly, a person was considered to be rich man by possession of the number of cows, by possession of land, not these papers, this false money. At the present moment, if you have got some printed paper, thousand dollars, they are papers actually. When the government is a failure, it has no value. But actually if you possess some land and cows, the government may fail or not fail, your value is there. That is actual property. Therefore in Sanskrit language it is said gavaya dhanavan. A man is known as rich man by the number of, by possession of the number of cows. That was the mode of civilization in the Vedic age. Grha-ksetra-suta. Suta means children. When you have got apartment, when you have got wife, when you have got..., then next demand is children, suta. Because without children no home life is pleasant. Putra-hinam grham sunyam. A home life is just like desert without children. Children is the attraction of home life. So grha-ksetra-suta apta. Apta means relatives or society. Sutapta-vittaih: and all these paraphernalia are to be maintained on money. Therefore money is required, vittaih. In this way, one becomes entangled in this material world. Janasya moho 'yam. This is called illusion. Illusion. Why illusion? So important things, why illusion? Illusion means that this nice paraphernalia arrangement -- home, life, apartment, wife, children, society, position -- everything is all right, but as soon as this body is finished, everything is finished. You're in a next platform. You do not know what is next platform. The next platform may be a human being or a cat or a dog or a demigod or anything. You do not know. And as soon as you have got a next life, you forget all these things. There is no remembrance what I was, what was my home. Everything is finished. Everything is finished -- flash, just like a bubble. By the thrashing of different waves in the ocean, there are so many bubbles immediately generated, and the next moment they are all finished. Finished. Toye janame punah toye samat (?). In this way the life is going on. The living entity is traveling in many species of life, in many planets. But this human form of life is an opportunity to understand how I am transmigrating from one place to another, one life to another, and simply wasting my time without understanding what is my constitutional position, why I am so much in distress, miseries. These things are to be understood in this human form of life. But instead of understanding my real position, the process of life, we reject everything. Simply I am engaged with the grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih [SB 5.5.8]. Grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih, home, society, money, position, everything is all right provided you can utilize it for elevating yourself from these material clutches. Otherwise, if you are simply engaged and captivated by these things, then I am spoiling my life.
So Narottama dasa Thakura, representing ourself, he is lamenting, "My dear Lord, I have spoiled my life. I have simply spoiled my life." Why? This life, this human form of life, manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya. This human form of life was meant for understanding what is Radha-Krsna and worship Radha-Krsna or Lord, His energy, whatever you call. Hare Krsna or Radha-Krsna, Hare Rama, the same thing, the Lord and His energy. So, "Instead of making contact with Radha-Krsna, I am simply spoiling my life in sense gratification." So he's lamenting, hari hari biphale janama gonainu: "Uselessly I have spoiled my life." Why? What is your lamentation? He says, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana. This chanting of Hare Krsna, this transcendental vibration is not any material thing. It is imported from the transcendental abode, golokera. Goloka means the transcendental abode of Krsna. Golokera prema-dhana. From there, the transcendental abode of Krsna... Just like the sunshine, wherefrom it has come? From the sun planet. Everyone knows it. Although you cannot go there, it is far, far beyond your reach, but you can understand that the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. There is no doubt about it. Similarly this vibration, this shining, is coming from Krsna, Goloka. Golokera prema-dhana. And prema-dhana means this chanting is in love with Krsna. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana, rati na janmilo kene tay. "I've no attachment for this." Why should one be attached to this? That is explained in the next line: visaya-visanale, diba-nisi hiya jvale. Hiya means heart. Our heart is always burning. Why? In touch with this material sense gratificatory process. No sense gratificatory process is giving me satisfaction. I'm trying this way, that way, this way, that way, that way. You see? Just like people are trying sense gratification in so many ways. They have come to the last point, naked picture, naked dance. What is called? That short, what is called?
Devotee: Miniskirt.
Prabhupada: Miniskirt, yes. (laughs) So because here the basic principle only sex, everyone is inviting, "Yes, come on, sex. Come on, sex." But this way, that way, sex, anyway you enjoy, you cannot be satisfied. That is certain. Because that is not your platform of enjoyment. You are spirit soul. Unless you come to the spiritual platform, these material, any kind of sense enjoyment... Therefore you will never be satisfied. You'll simply hankering after, but there will be no satisfaction. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura says, visaya-visanale. Visaya means these material demands, eating, sleeping, mating, these are called visaya. They are just like poison, fire. So everyone is burning. Visaya-visanale, diba-nisi hiya jvale. Jvale means it is burning, my heart is burning. Tari bare na koinu upay. "But I did not search out the relief, the immediate relief, hari-sankirtana, this chanting. I have no attachment for this. Therefore I have spoiled my life."
Then he says, brajendra-nandana yei, saci-suta hoilo sei. Now, this chanting of Hare Krsna is introduced by Krsna Himself, Vrajendra-nandana. Krsna appeared as the son of Maharaja Nanda in Vrndavana; therefore He is called Vrajendra-nandana, Vrajesa-tanaya. These are names. So this same Vrajendra-nandana, Krsna, has appeared as Sacinandana. The Supreme Personality of Godhead takes pleasure when He's addressed with His devotee's name, with His energy's name. Devotee's also His energy. So He has no father. He is father of everyone. But He accepts some devotee. A devotee wants Krsna as his son; therefore Krsna accepts a devotee as His father. So nobody can become His father but a devotee... Just like this girl, Nandarani, is raising her daughter, always giving service. The child is accepting service from the parents. Her business is only to accept. Torture and accept service. So devotees accept Krsna as son so that Krsna may simply torture them and accept service. That is the policy. Because the devotee want to render service, so this is the best way of service rendering. The child will draw always service. So this conception, fatherhood of the Absolute Truth, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is undoubtedly very good, but there is no service. Father is meant for exacting: "Father, give me this. Father, give me this." And here, the Vaisnava conception, to accept the Supreme as child to render service. Not to accept. No parents accept any service from the child, but he simply gives service.
So anyway, Vrajendra-nandana, the idea of accepting the Lord as son... Maharaja Nanda accepted Krsna as his son, similarly Sacidevi accepted Lord Caitanya as his (her) son. So both of Them are the one. So Narottama dasa Thakura says, "The same Vrajendra-nandana, Krsna, has now appeared as Lord Caitanya, as the son of Saci. And the same Balarama has become Nitai." And what is Their business? The business is papi-tapi jata chilo: "They are claiming all kinds of sinful conditioned souls." Their only business is... Because in this age, Kali-yuga, you cannot find any perfectly pious man or saintly person. Everyone is addicted to so many sinful activities. So papi-tapi yata chilo, hari-name uddharilo. Simply by distributing this chanting, He claimed everyone, however fallen he may be. "Come on, chant Hare Krsna and become delivered." So nice thing. Papi-tapi yata chilo, hari-name uddharila. What is the evidence that He has? Ta 'ra saksi jagai and madhai. Jagai-Madhai, they were two brothers, debauch number one. You see. They were all kinds of sinful affairs. They were drunkards, they were woman hunters, meat-eaters, so many things. And, of course, they were born in a very high brahmana family, but bad association, they became like that. Similarly, at the present age, this human society, although they are coming from the Aryan family, very nice family, but due to association the only environment is there's woman and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. That's all. So Jagai-Madhai is the specimen sample of this population, and Lord Caitanya delivered them simply by this Hare Krsna. So this chanting process, Hare Krsna, will actually deliver all these fallen souls without any failure. It is not bogus propaganda. Anyone who will take to this chanting process, whatever, you don't consider about his past life. He will become saintly. He will become a pure Krsna conscious person. So papi-tapi yata chilo, hari-name uddharilo, ta 'ra saksi jagai-madhai. The evidence is Jagai-Madhai.
Then he says, ha ha... When he has come to the senses, that "I am eternal servant of Krsna," then he surrenders. This process, the chanting process, will purify our heart, our burning heart, and one will come to the understanding that "I am eternal servitor of the Supreme, Krsna." Then, as soon as he comes to this understanding, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19], "After many, many births when one person becomes actually wise, a man of wisdom, jnanavan' -- jnanavan means wise man -- then what does he do? "He surrenders unto Me," Krsna says. Why? Vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. "Because Vasudeva, Krsna, is everything." Sa mahatma su-durlabhah: "That kind of great soul is very rare." That is stated in... But Caitanya Mahaprabhu has made easy to become such kind of great soul simply by chanting Hare Krsna. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura, at the end he says, ha ha prabhu nanda-suta, vrsabhanu-suta-juta. Again the suta, the son, son of Nanda, and Radharani, the daughter of Vrsabhanu, They are standing. Krsna... Vaisnava, they do not worship Krsna alone without Radharani. They do not worship Rama without Sita. They do not worship Narayana without Laksmi, because the Lord and the energy must be there. We don't say..., we don't believe that God is without any energy. No. "Hare Krsna." First the energy is addressed, Hara, Hare, then Krsna. So here also, Narottama dasa Thakura prays, "My dear Lord Krsna, You are now present before me with Your internal potency, Your pleasure potency, Radharani. So I am surrendering unto You." Ha ha prabhu nanda-suta. "Don't neglect me because I am so sinful, my past life is so black. Don't neglect me. Please accept me. Don't kick me away. I surrender unto You." This is the purport of this song.
So this instruction should be taken by all of us. The purificatory process is chanting Hare Krsna. And as soon as our heart is purified, we completely become convinced that "The Lord is Supreme. I am His eternal servant. I have forgotten this. Servant, my servitorship is there, but instead of serving the Lord, I am serving my senses. That's all. I have never become the master. I am not master of my sense; I am the servant of my senses. That is my position." So why not becoming the servant of the Supreme instead of serving on the servant of the senses? You cannot become master. Actually, you become master of the senses when you are actually servant of Krsna; otherwise it is not possible. There are two words, gosvami and go-dasa. Persons who are servant of their senses, they are called materialistic go-dasa, and persons who are master of the senses, they are called gosvami. Gosvami. They control the senses. The tongue wants to eat something which is not... "Oh," he controls. "Oh, tongue, you cannot taste these things. It is not Krsna prasada." Therefore he becomes gosvami, master. He does not allow the tongue to eat any nonsense thing except Krsna prasada. He cannot allow his senses, his anything for sense gratification. Only for the service. That is called devotional service. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, this devotional service, means when you engage your senses for the satisfaction of the master of the senses. The supreme master of the senses is Krsna. So we are trying to apply the senses for our personal service. This is called maya; this is called illusion. The same senses purified, when they'll be engaged in the service of Krsna, that is perfection. So we are not going to stop the activities of the senses, but senses are being purified for being engaged in the service of the Lord. This is Krsna consciousness.
Thank you very much. So any question? Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada, how was it that Lord Jesus was called a son of God? If Krsna is usually the son, how come Jesus was the son?
Prabhupada: Not usually. Krsna is father, that I told you. But He becomes son out of His love. Krsna is father. Krsna's position is father, but He's simply father. So he voluntarily becomes a son also sometimes to taste how to become a son. Son is not His constitutional position. Father is His constitutional position. But He voluntarily accepts to become a son. But who is going to be His father? He is the original father. He is father of everyone. Aham bija-pradah pita. In the Bhagavad-gita says there, sarva-yonisu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. "There are millions, 8,400,000 species of life, and I am the father of all these living entities." So who is going to be His father? Nobody is father, but a devotee, when likes, "My dear Lord, I want a son like You," so Krsna accepts, "Where is another son like Me? I'll become your son." That's all. Just like Vasudeva and Devaki. In their previous life they underwent severe austerities. They were married couples, but they had no sex. They were determined that "Unless we get the Lord as our son, we are not having any son." So they went on for many years, many thousands years' austerity. Then the Lord appeared: "What do you want?" "Sir, I want a son like You." "Where can I get another son like Me? I'll become your son." So Krsna, or the Lord, is father of everyone, but He voluntarily accepts to become a son to His devotee. Otherwise His position is always father. Yes.
Madhudvisa: Prabhupada, I read in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Volume Three, that when one becomes a liberated soul, he attains perfect freedom, and even sometimes that freedom is on the same level as Krsna or even more than Krsna.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Madhudvisa: Can you explain that?
Prabhupada: Yes. Just like this Vasudeva, he's more than Krsna. Yasoda, you have seen the picture? Yasoda is binding Krsna.
Madhudvisa: Oh, the little baby. Yes.
Prabhupada: Yes, He has become... The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is, I mean to say, afraid, who is fearful by everyone, Yasoda..., and Krsna has become fearful to Yasoda: "My dear mother, kindly do not bind Me. I shall obey your orders." So Yasoda has become more than God, more than Krsna. The Mayavadi philosophers, they want to be one with Krsna or one with Lord, but our philosophy is to become more than Krsna. (laughter) Why one with Krsna? More than Krsna. And actually He accepts. He makes His devotee more than Krsna. Just like Arjuna and Krsna. Krsna took the part of a driver, and he was the hero of the fight. Actually, Krsna was the hero, but He gave position to His devotee: "You become the hero, I shall become your charioteer." That's all. Don't you see how Arjuna has become more than Krsna? Krsna says, "Arjuna, you are hesitating to fight, but you know that all these person who have assembled in this battlefield, they are not going back. They are already killed. That is My plan. You simply take the credit that you have killed them. That's all." (laughter) That He wants. Just like a father wants a son to see him more than himself. If a father is an M.A., he wants to see his son M.A., Ph.D., or something more. He's satisfied. He'll not tolerate anybody to become more than him, but he'll tolerate if his son becomes more than him. I'm giving you a crude example. Similarly, Krsna, or the Lord, wants to see His devotee more than Himself. That is His pleasure. He takes pleasure in that. So to become a devotee is not ordinary thing. You see. He has got the chance to become more than God. Why equal with God, one with God? No. More than God. Yes. That is our philosophy. Yes.
Jaya-gopala: What is the relationship of the surabhi cow with Krsna?
Prabhupada: They are also... These cows are also devotees, and Krsna is fond of keeping cows, taking care of them. The same love affairs, exchange of love. That's all.
Jaya-gopala: Which...
Prabhupada: Dasya-rasa. Dasya-rasa, servitude. There are different rasas, mellows of relationship with Krsna. Santa, dasya... Just like Vrndavana-bhumi or the trees, the plants, they are serving Krsna silently. And the cows and servants, they are offering superior service. The friends, they are offering service as friend. The gopis, they are... Gopis or the motherly gopis, just like Yasoda and ladies, offer their, loving Krsna as son, and the younger girls, they're loving Krsna as husband, as lover. So in this way in Vrndavana there are different transcendental mellows of loving affairs. So the cows are on the santa, dasya-rasa, giving service, just like master and servant. They are situated in this transcendental humor. But they're all one with Krsna. Nobody is inferior than Krsna, but the relationship is exchange of loving service. That's all.
Nandarani: Is our rasa with Krsna already established? I mean, is it eternal? Or do we, can we attain...
Prabhupada: No. It is already established. You have got eternal relationship. When you become liberated, you realize that your relationship is with Krsna like this. You'll develop that taste, whether in santa-rasa or dasya-rasa or madhurya-rasa or vatsalya-rasa. But that is not to be imitated at the present moment. When we are actually liberated. To come to that stage, the routine work, regulative work, should be followed: chanting, hearing, worshiping, following the regulative principles. In this way, gradually, as we are purified, we come to the pure consciousness, Krsna consciousness. Then at once we understand, "My relationship with Krsna is like this." And you are transferred to the Krsnaloka in that humor.
Dayananda: We could also have a passive relationship with Krsna, like a tree?
Prabhupada: Yes. That will be revealed, how we are related with Krsna. Every relationship is as good as the other. Just like in this material world, everyone's position, he thinks it is very nice. Similarly, in the spiritual, what to speak, they are all equal, but still, one is apprec..., one's aptitude is that "I want to love Krsna in this way." Yes. So he's there in that way. There must be variety. If there is rasa-lila, there must be nice trees, nice field, nice cows, nice Yamuna river. Otherwise how it is, simply if the gopis and Krsnas are there, if the other things are not there? The background must be there. So everything is spiritual. Background is also spiritual. That is creation of Krsna. Eko bahu-syama. Just like a painter paints a picture, he makes a nice background. Similarly, Krsna wants to enjoy, so He has created us in different varieties to supply His pleasure potency. You see. Eko bahu-syama. This Vedic literature says that alone He has many. Why? Just to enjoy. Why? Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). He's by nature joyful, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. So ananda does not mean that one. No. Variety. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. So that variety, they're all spiritual. Just like the same example: you paint a picture with the same brush and color, but as soon as you make it variety, variegated, it becomes very enjoyable. So we don't say that the varieties created by God is false. No. It is real. How can I say it is false? This flower, it is designed by God so nicely, it is colored so nicely. It has got its use. There is variety. Even there is greenness... There is so many things varieties. There is color display, sometimes a dark red, sometimes it is light red. So nicely created by Krsna, and I shall say it is false? Why it is false? It is Krsna's creation. Let me take it and offer it to Krsna. This is called bhakti. This is called Krsna consciousness. I don't enjoy it; it is Krsna's creation. It must be offered to Krsna. And after offering to Krsna, you'll enjoy. After offering nice prasada, Krsna is full, Krsna is not eating. You'll enjoy. That is Krsna consciousness. Don't reject anything. This tape recorder we don't reject. We don't say, "Oh, it is material. We shall not touch." Bring any scientific invention, we shall engage in the service of Krsna. That's all. (laughter) We don't say it is false. Why? You have applied your brain, you applied your energy to invent such nice machine. Let it be engaged in Krsna's service. Your life will be successful. That's all. The flower from... The tree from which this flower is grown, if this flower is offered to Krsna, his life is successful. So it is so nice program, Krsna consciousness. All round successful. There is no comparison with this program, Krsna consciousness. There cannot be any comparison, neither any rivalry with this conception of philosophy, Krsna consciousness. So try to understand, preach it nicely, and be happy, and let them become happy. So you want to chant something or no?
Tamala Krsna: Well, the neighbors, ah...
Prabhupada: All right. That's all right. We have chanted. Now we can distribute prasada. You distribute. I want to go to the bathroom. [break] "Oh, I don't like this. He may come back." He must be seen as beloved child. First of all he gave him work just like ordinary laborer. He became sick. He's also tasting. That is nice. So tomorrow we must find out some store. (Prabhupada eats)
Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada? I spoke to Purusottama. He is coming here.
Prabhupada: Coming?
Tamala Krsna: Yes.
Prabhupada: That's nice.
Tamala Krsna: Brahmananda said, "Do you know what you are doing to me, Tamala? Now I have to do all the work here." So he said, "But it's all right." (Prabhupada laughs) Number-one man.
Prabhupada: So you may send somebody to help him.
Nandarani: Who is coming? (pause)
Tamala Krsna: Purusottama. He said it was all right because Purusottama can still get a lot of advertisements for Back to Godhead in Los Angeles area.
Prabhupada: Oh, you can.
Devotee: When's he coming?
Tamala Krsna: I'm not sure. Maybe next week. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968
Prabhupada: ...introduced by the disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya, and this Narottama dasa Thakura who has sung this hari hari biphale janama gonainu, he's a famous acarya. His compositions are accepted as Vedic truth. So this purport of this song is very nice. He's lamenting, appealing to Hari, the Lord. Hari hari biphale janama gonainu: "My dear Lord, I have uselessly spoiled my life." Biphale means uselessly, and janama means birth, and gonainu means "I have passed." He's representing a common man, as every one of us is simply spoiling our life. They do not know that they are spoiling their life. They are thinking that "I've got very nice apartment, very nice car, very nice wife, very nice income, very nice social position." So many things. These are the material attractions. Grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair. (child crying) (aside:) Stop it. Oh, that's all... The attraction, material attraction, is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam in many ways. In one place it is very nicely summarized what is this material attraction. The basic principle of material attraction is sex. (child crying) Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam [SB 5.5.8]. A man is hankering after another woman, and the woman is hankering after another man. This is the basic principle of material life. Pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam. Mithuni-bhavam means sex. Tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim. And when they actually come into sexual life, each one of them becomes too much attracted. Hrdaya-granthim. Granthi means very hard knot: "I cannot leave you." He says, "I cannot leave you. You are my life and soul," and she says, "You are my life and soul." For a few days. (laughs) And then again divorce. You see? But the beginning is there. Basic principle of material attraction is this sex life. This is general. Those who have organized the sex life in social convention in so many ways... The marriage is also another convention to give a very finishing nice touch than the animal. That's all. Just like sometimes it is said marriage is legalized prostitution. So for social convention the marriage is a license, but it is also based on the sex life. But for keep up social life, one has to accept some regulative principle. Therefore sex life like animals and sex life in marriage, there is difference. It is better. That is accepted in civilized world.
So when they're united some way or other, then next demand is nice apartment, grha. The next demand, grha-ksetra, land. Because human civilization is based on land and cow, gavaya dhanavan. Formerly, a person was considered to be rich man by possession of the number of cows, by possession of land, not these papers, this false money. At the present moment, if you have got some printed paper, thousand dollars, they are papers actually. When the government is a failure, it has no value. But actually if you possess some land and cows, the government may fail or not fail, your value is there. That is actual property. Therefore in Sanskrit language it is said gavaya dhanavan. A man is known as rich man by the number of, by possession of the number of cows. That was the mode of civilization in the Vedic age. Grha-ksetra-suta. Suta means children. When you have got apartment, when you have got wife, when you have got..., then next demand is children, suta. Because without children no home life is pleasant. Putra-hinam grham sunyam. A home life is just like desert without children. Children is the attraction of home life. So grha-ksetra-suta apta. Apta means relatives or society. Sutapta-vittaih: and all these paraphernalia are to be maintained on money. Therefore money is required, vittaih. In this way, one becomes entangled in this material world. Janasya moho 'yam. This is called illusion. Illusion. Why illusion? So important things, why illusion? Illusion means that this nice paraphernalia arrangement -- home, life, apartment, wife, children, society, position -- everything is all right, but as soon as this body is finished, everything is finished. You're in a next platform. You do not know what is next platform. The next platform may be a human being or a cat or a dog or a demigod or anything. You do not know. And as soon as you have got a next life, you forget all these things. There is no remembrance what I was, what was my home. Everything is finished. Everything is finished -- flash, just like a bubble. By the thrashing of different waves in the ocean, there are so many bubbles immediately generated, and the next moment they are all finished. Finished. Toye janame punah toye samat (?). In this way the life is going on. The living entity is traveling in many species of life, in many planets. But this human form of life is an opportunity to understand how I am transmigrating from one place to another, one life to another, and simply wasting my time without understanding what is my constitutional position, why I am so much in distress, miseries. These things are to be understood in this human form of life. But instead of understanding my real position, the process of life, we reject everything. Simply I am engaged with the grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih [SB 5.5.8]. Grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih, home, society, money, position, everything is all right provided you can utilize it for elevating yourself from these material clutches. Otherwise, if you are simply engaged and captivated by these things, then I am spoiling my life.
So Narottama dasa Thakura, representing ourself, he is lamenting, "My dear Lord, I have spoiled my life. I have simply spoiled my life." Why? This life, this human form of life, manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya. This human form of life was meant for understanding what is Radha-Krsna and worship Radha-Krsna or Lord, His energy, whatever you call. Hare Krsna or Radha-Krsna, Hare Rama, the same thing, the Lord and His energy. So, "Instead of making contact with Radha-Krsna, I am simply spoiling my life in sense gratification." So he's lamenting, hari hari biphale janama gonainu: "Uselessly I have spoiled my life." Why? What is your lamentation? He says, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana. This chanting of Hare Krsna, this transcendental vibration is not any material thing. It is imported from the transcendental abode, golokera. Goloka means the transcendental abode of Krsna. Golokera prema-dhana. From there, the transcendental abode of Krsna... Just like the sunshine, wherefrom it has come? From the sun planet. Everyone knows it. Although you cannot go there, it is far, far beyond your reach, but you can understand that the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. There is no doubt about it. Similarly this vibration, this shining, is coming from Krsna, Goloka. Golokera prema-dhana. And prema-dhana means this chanting is in love with Krsna. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana, rati na janmilo kene tay. "I've no attachment for this." Why should one be attached to this? That is explained in the next line: visaya-visanale, diba-nisi hiya jvale. Hiya means heart. Our heart is always burning. Why? In touch with this material sense gratificatory process. No sense gratificatory process is giving me satisfaction. I'm trying this way, that way, this way, that way, that way. You see? Just like people are trying sense gratification in so many ways. They have come to the last point, naked picture, naked dance. What is called? That short, what is called?
Devotee: Miniskirt.
Prabhupada: Miniskirt, yes. (laughs) So because here the basic principle only sex, everyone is inviting, "Yes, come on, sex. Come on, sex." But this way, that way, sex, anyway you enjoy, you cannot be satisfied. That is certain. Because that is not your platform of enjoyment. You are spirit soul. Unless you come to the spiritual platform, these material, any kind of sense enjoyment... Therefore you will never be satisfied. You'll simply hankering after, but there will be no satisfaction. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura says, visaya-visanale. Visaya means these material demands, eating, sleeping, mating, these are called visaya. They are just like poison, fire. So everyone is burning. Visaya-visanale, diba-nisi hiya jvale. Jvale means it is burning, my heart is burning. Tari bare na koinu upay. "But I did not search out the relief, the immediate relief, hari-sankirtana, this chanting. I have no attachment for this. Therefore I have spoiled my life."
Then he says, brajendra-nandana yei, saci-suta hoilo sei. Now, this chanting of Hare Krsna is introduced by Krsna Himself, Vrajendra-nandana. Krsna appeared as the son of Maharaja Nanda in Vrndavana; therefore He is called Vrajendra-nandana, Vrajesa-tanaya. These are names. So this same Vrajendra-nandana, Krsna, has appeared as Sacinandana. The Supreme Personality of Godhead takes pleasure when He's addressed with His devotee's name, with His energy's name. Devotee's also His energy. So He has no father. He is father of everyone. But He accepts some devotee. A devotee wants Krsna as his son; therefore Krsna accepts a devotee as His father. So nobody can become His father but a devotee... Just like this girl, Nandarani, is raising her daughter, always giving service. The child is accepting service from the parents. Her business is only to accept. Torture and accept service. So devotees accept Krsna as son so that Krsna may simply torture them and accept service. That is the policy. Because the devotee want to render service, so this is the best way of service rendering. The child will draw always service. So this conception, fatherhood of the Absolute Truth, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is undoubtedly very good, but there is no service. Father is meant for exacting: "Father, give me this. Father, give me this." And here, the Vaisnava conception, to accept the Supreme as child to render service. Not to accept. No parents accept any service from the child, but he simply gives service.
So anyway, Vrajendra-nandana, the idea of accepting the Lord as son... Maharaja Nanda accepted Krsna as his son, similarly Sacidevi accepted Lord Caitanya as his (her) son. So both of Them are the one. So Narottama dasa Thakura says, "The same Vrajendra-nandana, Krsna, has now appeared as Lord Caitanya, as the son of Saci. And the same Balarama has become Nitai." And what is Their business? The business is papi-tapi jata chilo: "They are claiming all kinds of sinful conditioned souls." Their only business is... Because in this age, Kali-yuga, you cannot find any perfectly pious man or saintly person. Everyone is addicted to so many sinful activities. So papi-tapi yata chilo, hari-name uddharilo. Simply by distributing this chanting, He claimed everyone, however fallen he may be. "Come on, chant Hare Krsna and become delivered." So nice thing. Papi-tapi yata chilo, hari-name uddharila. What is the evidence that He has? Ta 'ra saksi jagai and madhai. Jagai-Madhai, they were two brothers, debauch number one. You see. They were all kinds of sinful affairs. They were drunkards, they were woman hunters, meat-eaters, so many things. And, of course, they were born in a very high brahmana family, but bad association, they became like that. Similarly, at the present age, this human society, although they are coming from the Aryan family, very nice family, but due to association the only environment is there's woman and intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. That's all. So Jagai-Madhai is the specimen sample of this population, and Lord Caitanya delivered them simply by this Hare Krsna. So this chanting process, Hare Krsna, will actually deliver all these fallen souls without any failure. It is not bogus propaganda. Anyone who will take to this chanting process, whatever, you don't consider about his past life. He will become saintly. He will become a pure Krsna conscious person. So papi-tapi yata chilo, hari-name uddharilo, ta 'ra saksi jagai-madhai. The evidence is Jagai-Madhai.
Then he says, ha ha... When he has come to the senses, that "I am eternal servant of Krsna," then he surrenders. This process, the chanting process, will purify our heart, our burning heart, and one will come to the understanding that "I am eternal servitor of the Supreme, Krsna." Then, as soon as he comes to this understanding, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19], "After many, many births when one person becomes actually wise, a man of wisdom, jnanavan' -- jnanavan means wise man -- then what does he do? "He surrenders unto Me," Krsna says. Why? Vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. "Because Vasudeva, Krsna, is everything." Sa mahatma su-durlabhah: "That kind of great soul is very rare." That is stated in... But Caitanya Mahaprabhu has made easy to become such kind of great soul simply by chanting Hare Krsna. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura, at the end he says, ha ha prabhu nanda-suta, vrsabhanu-suta-juta. Again the suta, the son, son of Nanda, and Radharani, the daughter of Vrsabhanu, They are standing. Krsna... Vaisnava, they do not worship Krsna alone without Radharani. They do not worship Rama without Sita. They do not worship Narayana without Laksmi, because the Lord and the energy must be there. We don't say..., we don't believe that God is without any energy. No. "Hare Krsna." First the energy is addressed, Hara, Hare, then Krsna. So here also, Narottama dasa Thakura prays, "My dear Lord Krsna, You are now present before me with Your internal potency, Your pleasure potency, Radharani. So I am surrendering unto You." Ha ha prabhu nanda-suta. "Don't neglect me because I am so sinful, my past life is so black. Don't neglect me. Please accept me. Don't kick me away. I surrender unto You." This is the purport of this song.
So this instruction should be taken by all of us. The purificatory process is chanting Hare Krsna. And as soon as our heart is purified, we completely become convinced that "The Lord is Supreme. I am His eternal servant. I have forgotten this. Servant, my servitorship is there, but instead of serving the Lord, I am serving my senses. That's all. I have never become the master. I am not master of my sense; I am the servant of my senses. That is my position." So why not becoming the servant of the Supreme instead of serving on the servant of the senses? You cannot become master. Actually, you become master of the senses when you are actually servant of Krsna; otherwise it is not possible. There are two words, gosvami and go-dasa. Persons who are servant of their senses, they are called materialistic go-dasa, and persons who are master of the senses, they are called gosvami. Gosvami. They control the senses. The tongue wants to eat something which is not... "Oh," he controls. "Oh, tongue, you cannot taste these things. It is not Krsna prasada." Therefore he becomes gosvami, master. He does not allow the tongue to eat any nonsense thing except Krsna prasada. He cannot allow his senses, his anything for sense gratification. Only for the service. That is called devotional service. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Bhakti, this devotional service, means when you engage your senses for the satisfaction of the master of the senses. The supreme master of the senses is Krsna. So we are trying to apply the senses for our personal service. This is called maya; this is called illusion. The same senses purified, when they'll be engaged in the service of Krsna, that is perfection. So we are not going to stop the activities of the senses, but senses are being purified for being engaged in the service of the Lord. This is Krsna consciousness.
Thank you very much. So any question? Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada, how was it that Lord Jesus was called a son of God? If Krsna is usually the son, how come Jesus was the son?
Prabhupada: Not usually. Krsna is father, that I told you. But He becomes son out of His love. Krsna is father. Krsna's position is father, but He's simply father. So he voluntarily becomes a son also sometimes to taste how to become a son. Son is not His constitutional position. Father is His constitutional position. But He voluntarily accepts to become a son. But who is going to be His father? He is the original father. He is father of everyone. Aham bija-pradah pita. In the Bhagavad-gita says there, sarva-yonisu kaunteya [Bg. 14.4]. "There are millions, 8,400,000 species of life, and I am the father of all these living entities." So who is going to be His father? Nobody is father, but a devotee, when likes, "My dear Lord, I want a son like You," so Krsna accepts, "Where is another son like Me? I'll become your son." That's all. Just like Vasudeva and Devaki. In their previous life they underwent severe austerities. They were married couples, but they had no sex. They were determined that "Unless we get the Lord as our son, we are not having any son." So they went on for many years, many thousands years' austerity. Then the Lord appeared: "What do you want?" "Sir, I want a son like You." "Where can I get another son like Me? I'll become your son." So Krsna, or the Lord, is father of everyone, but He voluntarily accepts to become a son to His devotee. Otherwise His position is always father. Yes.
Madhudvisa: Prabhupada, I read in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Volume Three, that when one becomes a liberated soul, he attains perfect freedom, and even sometimes that freedom is on the same level as Krsna or even more than Krsna.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Madhudvisa: Can you explain that?
Prabhupada: Yes. Just like this Vasudeva, he's more than Krsna. Yasoda, you have seen the picture? Yasoda is binding Krsna.
Madhudvisa: Oh, the little baby. Yes.
Prabhupada: Yes, He has become... The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is, I mean to say, afraid, who is fearful by everyone, Yasoda..., and Krsna has become fearful to Yasoda: "My dear mother, kindly do not bind Me. I shall obey your orders." So Yasoda has become more than God, more than Krsna. The Mayavadi philosophers, they want to be one with Krsna or one with Lord, but our philosophy is to become more than Krsna. (laughter) Why one with Krsna? More than Krsna. And actually He accepts. He makes His devotee more than Krsna. Just like Arjuna and Krsna. Krsna took the part of a driver, and he was the hero of the fight. Actually, Krsna was the hero, but He gave position to His devotee: "You become the hero, I shall become your charioteer." That's all. Don't you see how Arjuna has become more than Krsna? Krsna says, "Arjuna, you are hesitating to fight, but you know that all these person who have assembled in this battlefield, they are not going back. They are already killed. That is My plan. You simply take the credit that you have killed them. That's all." (laughter) That He wants. Just like a father wants a son to see him more than himself. If a father is an M.A., he wants to see his son M.A., Ph.D., or something more. He's satisfied. He'll not tolerate anybody to become more than him, but he'll tolerate if his son becomes more than him. I'm giving you a crude example. Similarly, Krsna, or the Lord, wants to see His devotee more than Himself. That is His pleasure. He takes pleasure in that. So to become a devotee is not ordinary thing. You see. He has got the chance to become more than God. Why equal with God, one with God? No. More than God. Yes. That is our philosophy. Yes.
Jaya-gopala: What is the relationship of the surabhi cow with Krsna?
Prabhupada: They are also... These cows are also devotees, and Krsna is fond of keeping cows, taking care of them. The same love affairs, exchange of love. That's all.
Jaya-gopala: Which...
Prabhupada: Dasya-rasa. Dasya-rasa, servitude. There are different rasas, mellows of relationship with Krsna. Santa, dasya... Just like Vrndavana-bhumi or the trees, the plants, they are serving Krsna silently. And the cows and servants, they are offering superior service. The friends, they are offering service as friend. The gopis, they are... Gopis or the motherly gopis, just like Yasoda and ladies, offer their, loving Krsna as son, and the younger girls, they're loving Krsna as husband, as lover. So in this way in Vrndavana there are different transcendental mellows of loving affairs. So the cows are on the santa, dasya-rasa, giving service, just like master and servant. They are situated in this transcendental humor. But they're all one with Krsna. Nobody is inferior than Krsna, but the relationship is exchange of loving service. That's all.
Nandarani: Is our rasa with Krsna already established? I mean, is it eternal? Or do we, can we attain...
Prabhupada: No. It is already established. You have got eternal relationship. When you become liberated, you realize that your relationship is with Krsna like this. You'll develop that taste, whether in santa-rasa or dasya-rasa or madhurya-rasa or vatsalya-rasa. But that is not to be imitated at the present moment. When we are actually liberated. To come to that stage, the routine work, regulative work, should be followed: chanting, hearing, worshiping, following the regulative principles. In this way, gradually, as we are purified, we come to the pure consciousness, Krsna consciousness. Then at once we understand, "My relationship with Krsna is like this." And you are transferred to the Krsnaloka in that humor.
Dayananda: We could also have a passive relationship with Krsna, like a tree?
Prabhupada: Yes. That will be revealed, how we are related with Krsna. Every relationship is as good as the other. Just like in this material world, everyone's position, he thinks it is very nice. Similarly, in the spiritual, what to speak, they are all equal, but still, one is apprec..., one's aptitude is that "I want to love Krsna in this way." Yes. So he's there in that way. There must be variety. If there is rasa-lila, there must be nice trees, nice field, nice cows, nice Yamuna river. Otherwise how it is, simply if the gopis and Krsnas are there, if the other things are not there? The background must be there. So everything is spiritual. Background is also spiritual. That is creation of Krsna. Eko bahu-syama. Just like a painter paints a picture, he makes a nice background. Similarly, Krsna wants to enjoy, so He has created us in different varieties to supply His pleasure potency. You see. Eko bahu-syama. This Vedic literature says that alone He has many. Why? Just to enjoy. Why? Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). He's by nature joyful, sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [Bs. 5.1]. So ananda does not mean that one. No. Variety. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. So that variety, they're all spiritual. Just like the same example: you paint a picture with the same brush and color, but as soon as you make it variety, variegated, it becomes very enjoyable. So we don't say that the varieties created by God is false. No. It is real. How can I say it is false? This flower, it is designed by God so nicely, it is colored so nicely. It has got its use. There is variety. Even there is greenness... There is so many things varieties. There is color display, sometimes a dark red, sometimes it is light red. So nicely created by Krsna, and I shall say it is false? Why it is false? It is Krsna's creation. Let me take it and offer it to Krsna. This is called bhakti. This is called Krsna consciousness. I don't enjoy it; it is Krsna's creation. It must be offered to Krsna. And after offering to Krsna, you'll enjoy. After offering nice prasada, Krsna is full, Krsna is not eating. You'll enjoy. That is Krsna consciousness. Don't reject anything. This tape recorder we don't reject. We don't say, "Oh, it is material. We shall not touch." Bring any scientific invention, we shall engage in the service of Krsna. That's all. (laughter) We don't say it is false. Why? You have applied your brain, you applied your energy to invent such nice machine. Let it be engaged in Krsna's service. Your life will be successful. That's all. The flower from... The tree from which this flower is grown, if this flower is offered to Krsna, his life is successful. So it is so nice program, Krsna consciousness. All round successful. There is no comparison with this program, Krsna consciousness. There cannot be any comparison, neither any rivalry with this conception of philosophy, Krsna consciousness. So try to understand, preach it nicely, and be happy, and let them become happy. So you want to chant something or no?
Tamala Krsna: Well, the neighbors, ah...
Prabhupada: All right. That's all right. We have chanted. Now we can distribute prasada. You distribute. I want to go to the bathroom. [break] "Oh, I don't like this. He may come back." He must be seen as beloved child. First of all he gave him work just like ordinary laborer. He became sick. He's also tasting. That is nice. So tomorrow we must find out some store. (Prabhupada eats)
Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada? I spoke to Purusottama. He is coming here.
Prabhupada: Coming?
Tamala Krsna: Yes.
Prabhupada: That's nice.
Tamala Krsna: Brahmananda said, "Do you know what you are doing to me, Tamala? Now I have to do all the work here." So he said, "But it's all right." (Prabhupada laughs) Number-one man.
Prabhupada: So you may send somebody to help him.
Nandarani: Who is coming? (pause)
Tamala Krsna: Purusottama. He said it was all right because Purusottama can still get a lot of advertisements for Back to Godhead in Los Angeles area.
Prabhupada: Oh, you can.
Devotee: When's he coming?
Tamala Krsna: I'm not sure. Maybe next week. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- Los Angeles, November 13, 1968
"How To Go From Misery To Misery "
27 Sept 68, Seatle
Prabhupada: Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. (response) Thank you. So our program is to worship the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. In this material world everyone is trying to get happiness and to get relief from distress. Two things are going on, attempt. There are different processes. Material process is completely absurd. That is already proved. No amount of material comforts or happiness, so-called happiness, can give us the actual happiness that we are hankering. That is not possible. Then there are different other processes also. There are three kinds of miseries due to our material conditional life: adhyatmic, adhibhautic, adhidaivic. Adhyatmic means pertaining to the body and to the mind. Just like when there is some disarrangement of the different functions of metabolism within this body, we get fever, we get some pain, headache -- so many things -- so these miseries are called adhyatmic, pertaining to the body. And another part of this adhyatmic misery is due to the mind. Suppose I have suffered a great loss. So the mind is not in good condition. So this is also suffering. So for diseased condition of the body or some mental dissatisfaction there are miseries. Then again, adhibhautic, sufferings offered by other living entities. Just like we are human being, we are sending millions of poor animals to the slaughterhouse daily. They cannot express, but this is called adhibhautic, sufferings offered by other living entities. Similarly, we have to suffer also sufferings offered by other living entities. God's law you cannot, I mean to say, supersede. So material laws, state laws, you can hide yourself, but God's law you cannot hide yourself. There are so many witnesses. The sun is your witness, the moon is your witness, the day is your witness, the night is your witness, the sky is your witness. So how you can supersede the laws of the Lord? So... But this material nature is so constituted that we have to suffer adhyatmic, pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind, and sufferings offered by other living entities, and another suffering adhidaivic. Adhidaivic, just like somebody is ghost-haunted, a ghost has attacked him. Ghost cannot be seen, but he's suffering delirium, speaking something nonsense. Or there is famine, there is earthquake, there is war, there is pestilence, so many things.
So sufferings are always there. But we are trying to adjust by patchwork. Sufferings are always there. Everyone is trying to get out of sufferings, that is a fact. The whole struggle for existence is to get out of the suffering. But there are different kinds of prescription. Somebody says that you get out of the sufferings in this way, somebody says you get out of the sufferings in that way. So there are prescription offered by the modern scientists, by philosophers, by atheists or by theists, by fruitive actors, so many there are. But according to Krsna consciousness movement, you can get out of all sufferings if you simply change your consciousness, that's all. That is Krsna consciousness. As I have given you several times the example... All our sufferings are due to lack of knowledge, ignorance. That knowledge can be achieved by association of good authorities. There is a nice Bengali verse,
krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare
pasate maya tare japatiya dhare
As soon as our original consciousness becomes polluted with the consciousness of material enjoyment, that "I want to lord it over the resources of matter..." As soon as we turn our consciousness in this way, then our troubles begin. Immediately maya. This very consciousness, that "I can enjoy this material world to my best capacity..." Everyone is trying to do that. Every one of us, beginning from the ant up to the highest living creature, Brahma, everyone is trying to become one of the lords. Just like recently in your country there were so many canvassing for becoming the president. Why? The same idea. Everyone is after becoming some kind of lord. This is maya. Our Krsna consciousness movement is completely opposite. We are just trying to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krsna. Just opposite. Instead of becoming the lord, we want to be the servant of the servant of Krsna. Gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80].
So in the modern trend of civilization, people may say that this is slave mentality. It is very good idea. "Why shall I become a slave? I shall become the master." But one does not know that this consciousness, that "I shall become the master," is the cause of his suffering. This philosophy has to be understood. Because constitutionally we are all servants. In the name of becoming master of this material world we have become the servant of our senses. Because constitutionally we are servants. We cannot do without serving. Every one of us who are sitting in this meeting is a servant. Now, these boys who have taken to Krsna consciousness, they have agreed to become servant of Krsna. So their problem is solved. But others, who are thinking that "Why shall I become the servant of God or servant of Swamiji? I shall become the master..." But actually, he cannot become the master. He's the servant of his senses, that's all. Just try to understand. Servant he must be, but he's servant of his lust, he's servant of his avarice, he's servant of his greediness, servant of his anger, servant of so many things. Kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah. In higher state, somebody has become the servant of humanity, somebody has become the servant of the society, somebody has become the servant of the country, but actual purpose is that "I shall become the master." That disease is there. The candidates for presidency, they are presenting their different manifestations..., no, manifesto, that "I shall serve the country very nicely. Please give me your vote." But the real idea is that "Some way or other, I shall become the master of the country." So this is maya. So if we understand this small philosophy, that constitutionally I am servant... There is no doubt. Nobody can say that "I am free, I am master." Nobody can say. If he thinks like that, that is maya. It is false. Can anybody say in this meeting that he's not servant of anybody or anything? He must be, because that is his constitutional position. But the difficulty is that by serving our senses, there is no solution of the problem, of the miseries. For the time being, I may satisfy myself that I have taken this intoxication, and under the spell of this intoxication I may think that "I am nobody's servant. I am free," but that is artificial. As soon as the hallucination is gone, he comes to the point, again servant. Again servant.
So this is our position. But why this struggle is there? I am being forced to serve, but I don't wish to serve. What is the adjustment? The adjustment is Krsna consciousness, that if you become servant of Krsna, then your aspiration to become master, at the same time your aspiration of freedom, is immediately achieved. Just like here you'll see one picture of Arjuna and Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Lord. Arjuna is a living entity, living being, a human being, but he is in love with Krsna as friend. And in exchange of his friendly love, Krsna has become his driver, his servant. Similarly, if every one of us, we become reinstated in the transcendental platform of loving Krsna, then our aspiration of mastership will be fulfilled. That is not known at present, but if we agree to serve Krsna, then gradually we'll see that Krsna is serving you. That is a question of realization. But if we want to get out of this service of this material world, of the senses, then we must transfer our service attitude to Krsna. This is called Krsna consciousness.
kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesas
tesam mayi na karuna jata na trapa nopasantih
(utsrjyaitan atha yadu-pate) sampratam aham labdha-buddhis
tvam ayatah (saranam abhayam) niyunksvatma-dasye
One devotee is praying to Krsna that "So long, in my life, I have served my senses," kamadinam. Kama means senses, lust. "So even what I should not have done, still, by the dictation of my lust I have done it." One has to do. When one is a slave or servant, then he's forced to act something which he does not like to act. He's forced. So here, a devotee's admitting that "I have done, dictated by my lust, something which I should not have done, but I have done it." All right, you have done, you are serving your senses. That's all right. "But the difficulty is that tesam karuna na jata na trapa nopasantih. I have served so much, but I find that they are not satisfied. They are not satisfied. That is my difficulty. Neither the senses are satisfied nor I am satisfied nor the senses are kind enough to give me relief, pension from the service. That is my position." If I would have seen that, rather if we would have felt that "I have served so many years my senses, now my senses are satisfied..." No. They are not satisfied. Still dictating. Still dictating. "I am very..." Of course, it is very natural, but I may disclose herewith that some of my students said that in an elderly age of his mother, he's(she's) going to marry. Just see. She has got grown-up children. And somebody complained that his grandmother also married. Why? Just see. In seventy-five years old, in fifty years old, the senses are still so strong that she is being dictated: "Yes, you must do it." Try to understand practically how the senses are strong. It is not that simply the young men are servant of the senses. Even seventy-five years old, eighty years old, or at the point of death, they are all servants of senses. The senses are never satisfied. That is the material dictation. So I'm servant. I am servant of my senses, and by serving my senses, neither I am satisfied nor my senses are satisfied nor they are pleased upon me. There is chaos. So this is the problem.
So best thing... Therefore Krsna says, Lord Krsna says,
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
[Bg. 18.66]
You have served your senses so many lives, life after life, 8,400,000 of species of life. The birds, they are also under senses. The beasts, they are also under senses. The men, human being, and everyone, the demigods, everyone within this material world, they are after senses, serving the senses. But Krsna says that "You just surrender unto Me. Just agree to serve Me. Then I take charge of you." That's all. Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah. Because by the dictation of the senses we are committing sinful activities life after life; therefore we are in different grades of bodily presentation. Don't think that everyone is of the same standard. No. According to one's own work he gets a type of body. So these different types of bodies are due to different grades of sense gratification. So sense gratification is there in the hog's life also. Why he has been offered a body of the hogs? So much sensuous that it has no discrimination who is mother, who is sister, or who is this, or who is that. This is practical, you'll see. The dogs and hogs, they are like that. In human society also there are many who don't care who is mother, who is sister, or who is this. The senses are so strong. And this is our cause of all miseries, try to understand. The threefold miseries that we are suffering, that we are trying to make a solution, is due to this dictation of the senses. Therefore Krsna is there. Krsna is there. His name is Madana-mohana. If you try to transfer your love from sense to Krsna, then you see the result. Immediately you'll find. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Brs. 1.2.234]. So this false endeavor, that "I want to be master of all I survey," "I am the monarch of all I survey," this attitude should be given up. Every one of us is constitutionally servant. Now, at the present moment, we are servant of the senses. Now, this servitorship should be changed to Krsna only. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. And as soon as you change your servitorship to Krsna, then gradually, as you become sincere, so Krsna reveals to you, and reciprocation of service between Krsna and yourself will be so nice. Either you love Him as friend, or master, or lover, or... There are so many items. Any way you can try to love Him and see how much you are satisfied. This is Krsna consciousness movement. Please try to understand. It is...
Now in your country these boys are trying to preach this Krsna consciousness movement. So my humble request to you all is to try to understand this sublime benediction of life. Simply by chanting Hare Krsna, you'll gradually develop a transcendental loving attitude for Krsna. And as soon as you begin to love Krsna, your all troubles... That means you will feel complete satisfaction. Trouble or distress is of the mind. One man is getting $6000 a month; one man is getting $200 a month. But I have seen one gentleman in Calcutta, he was drawing 6,000; he committed suicide. Committed suicide. Why? That money could not give him satisfaction. He was trying to have something else. So this material atmosphere, by earning great amount of money, will never give you satisfaction, because every one of us is the servant of the senses. This platform of service of the senses should be transferred to the platform of service to Krsna, and then you will find all problems solved.
Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) Any question?
Devotee: Prabhupada, a picture of Krsna is absolute, right? That is Krsna. Is the picture of a pure devotee absolute in the same way?
Prabhupada: Picture of devotee?
Devotee: A pure devotee.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee: It's absolute in the same way that a picture...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee: Let's say a picture of Prahlada Maharaja and Lord Nrsimhadeva is also... Prahlada is there as much as Lord Nrsimhadeva is.
Prabhupada: Yes. The Lord and the devotee, they are on the same status. Every one of them. Lord, His name, His form, His quality, His associates, His paraphernalia. Everything, they are absolute. Nama guna rupa lila pari... And pastimes. Just like we are hearing about Krsna, so this is nondifferent from Krsna. When there is chanting Hare Krsna, this Hare Krsna, this vibration, is not different from Krsna. Everything is absolute. Therefore pure devotee of Krsna is nondifferent from Krsna. This is simultaneously one and different. Acintya-bhedabheda-tattva. This philosophy has to be understood, that Krsna is the Supreme Person energetic, and everything, what we see, what we experience, they are all different energies of Krsna. And the energy and the energetic cannot be separated. Therefore they are all on the absolute platform. Simply when it is covered by maya or ignorance, it is different. That's all.
Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada, what if we know we should serve and we want to serve, but the service is so bad.
Prabhupada: Yes. Never think that service is perfect. That will keep you in the perfect stage. Yes. We should always think that our service is not complete. Yes. That is very nice. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us that... He said that "My dear friends, please take it from Me that I have not a pinch of faith in Krsna. If you say that why I am crying, the answer is that just to make a show that I am great devotee. Actually, I have not a pinch of love for Krsna. This crying is simply My show, makeshow." "Why You are saying so?" "Now, the thing is that I am still living without seeing Krsna. That means I have no love for Krsna. I am still living. I should have died long ago without seeing Krsna." So we should think like that. That is the example. However perfect you may be in serving Krsna, you should always know that... Krsna is unlimited, so your service cannot reach Him perfectly. It will ever remain imperfect because we are limited. But Krsna is so kind. If you offer a little service sincerely, He accepts. That is the beauty of Krsna. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. And if Krsna accepts a little service from you, then your life is glorious. So it is not possible to love Krsna perfectly, to render service to Krsna, because He is unlimited. There is a process, worshiping the Ganges in India. The Ganges River is considered sacred river. So they worship Ganges, the river Ganges, by taking water from the Ganges and offering it. Suppose in a small pot like this, either pot or your handful, you take some water from the Ganges and with your devotion and mantra you offer to the Ganges water. So you take a glass of water from the Ganges and offer it to the Ganges, what is there, gain and profit or loss or gain for the Ganges? If you take a glass of water from the Ganges and again offer it, so what is the gain and profit of Ganges? But your process, your faith, your love for mother Ganges, "Mother Ganges, I offer you this little water," that is accepted. Similarly, what we have got to offer Krsna? Everything belongs to Krsna. Now we have offered these fruits. Do the fruits belong to us? Who has produced these fruits? Have I produced? Is there any brain of the human being who can produce fruits, grains, milk? They're very great scientist. Now let them produce. The cow is eating grass and delivering you milk. So now, by scientific process, why don't you transform grass into milk? Still the rascals will not agree that there is God. You see? They have become so rascal: "Science." And what is your science, nonsense? You see the cows are eating grass and delivering you milk. Why don't you give to your wife and take milk? Why do you purchase? But if you offer this grass to a human being, she will die. So everything, the law of Krsna, or law of God, is working, and still they say that "God is dead. There is no God. I am God." You do this like that. They have become so rascals and fools. Why they do not come to this meeting? "Oh, the Swamiji is speaking of God, old things. (laughter) Let us discover something new." You see? And if somebody speaks all nonsense, then "Oh, he's..." He spoke four hours on zero. Just see. Somebody in Montreal, one gentleman, "Swamiji, he is so wonderful, he spoke four hours on zero." They're such a fool that four hours he wanted to hear on zero. You see? (laughter) What is the value of zero? And you waste your time, four hours? After all, it is zero. So people want this. People want this. If we say simple things -- "God is great. You are the servant, eternal servant. You have no power. You are always dependent on God. Just turn your servitorship to God, you'll be happy" -- "Oh, this is not very nice." So they want to be cheated. Therefore so many cheaters come and cheat and go away, that's all. The people want to be cheated. They don't want simple things. Yes.
Madhudvisa: Prabhupada, what was exactly predicted by Lord Caitanya when He predicted the Golden Age of Kali, the age in the Age of Kali when people would be chanting the Hare Krsna mantra?
Prabhupada: Yes. People... Just like we are now preaching Hare Krsna. In your country there was no such preaching. So we have sent our students in Europe, Germany, London -- you are also spreading. In this way it is only, we are, our activities since 1966 practically. We have registered the association in 1966, and this is '68. So gradually we are spreading. And of course, I am old man. I may die. If you have taken up this formula very nicely, then you will go on preaching, and it may be spread all over the world. Very simple thing. Simply we require a little intelligence. That's all. So any intelligent man will appreciate. But if anyone wants to be cheated, then how he can be saved if one willingly wants to be cheated? Then it is very difficult to convince him. But those who are open-hearted, they will certainly accept this nice movement, Krsna consciousness. Yes.
Jaya-gopala: When we engage inferior energy, internal energy, in the service of Krsna, it becomes spiritualized, doesn't it?
Prabhupada: No. When you apply your energy, it is no more material; it is spiritual. Just like when the copper wire is in touch with electricity, it is no more copper; it is electric. So service to Krsna means as soon as you dovetail yourself in the service of Krsna, you are not different from Krsna. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: mam ca 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena yah sevate. This very word, sevate. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. "Anyone who seriously engages himself in My service, immediately he becomes transcendental to the material qualities and he's on the platform of Brahman." Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. So when you apply your energy in the service of Krsna, you do not think that your material energy is there. No. Just like these fruits. These fruits, one may think, "What is this prasada? This fruit has been purchased, we also eat fruit at home, and this is prasada?" No. Because it is offered to Krsna, immediately it is no more material. The result? You eat Krsna prasada and see how you are making progress in Krsna consciousness. Just if the physician gives you some medicine and if you get yourself cured, that is the effect of medicine. Another example is that how the material things become spiritual. A very nice example. Just like you have taken a large quantity of milk. So there is some disorder in your bowels. You go to a physician. At least, according to Vedic system of..., they will offer you a preparation which is called yogurt. That is milk preparation. That yogurt with little medicine will cure. Now your disease was caused by milk, and it is cured by milk also. Why? It is directed by the physician. Similarly everything. In the higher sense there is no existence of matter; it is only illusion. Just like this morning I was giving the instance of the sun and the fog. The fog was there; the sun could not be seen. The foolish person will say that "There is no sun. It is simply fog." But intelligent person will say that "Sun is there, but the fog has covered our eyes. We cannot see the sun." Similarly, actually, everything being energy of Krsna, there is nothing material. Simply our, this mentality that we want to lord it over, that is false, illusion. That is covering our relationship with Krsna. So that you will gradually understand. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah [Brs. 1.2.234]. As you make progress in the service attitude, everything will become cleared, how your energy has become spiritualized.
Tamala Krsna: Is Maya a pure devotee? Maya.
Prabhupada: Pure devotees, no, he's not under maya.
Tamala Krsna: No, no. Is Maya, Mayadevi, a pure devotee?
Prabhupada: Yes, certainly. The police force, are they not honest servant of the government? Does it mean the police force tortures you; therefore they're rejected from the government servant? Their task is thankless task, that's all. Similarly, Maya is also serving Krsna, but there is no thanks. That is the difference. She has taken a thankless task to punish persons who are godless, that's all. So Maya as it is, it is not that she is out of touch of Krsna. Vaisnavi. In the Candi, in the book of Maya, it is state that "Vaisnavi." The Maya is described as Vaisnavi. Just like pure devotee is called Vaisnava, she is also described there as Vaisnavi.
Visnujana: How do you make everything that you say so simple to understand?
Prabhupada: Because the whole philosophy is so simple. God is great; you are not great. Don't claim that you are God. Don't claim that there is no God. There is God, and He is great, and you are small. Then what is your position? You have to serve Krsna. This is simple truth. So that rebellious attitude is called maya. Anyone who is declaring that "There is no God. God is dead. I am God, you are God," they're all under the spell of maya. Pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya. Just like when a man is ghost-haunted, he speaks all kinds of nonsense. So all these persons are haunted by maya, and therefore they are saying, "God is dead. I am God. Why you are searching God everywhere? There are so many Gods loitering in the street." They're all ghost-haunted, deranged. So we have to cure them by this transcendental vibration, Hare Krsna. This is the curing process only. Simply let them hear and they'll gradually be cured. Just a man who is sleeping very sound, you cry by the side of his ear and he awakes. So this is the mantra to awake the sleeping human society. Uttistha uttisthata jagrata prapya varan nibodhata. The Vedas says, "O human race, please get up. Don't sleep any more. You have got this opportunity of human body. Utilize it. Get yourself out of the clutches of maya." This is the declaration of Vedas. So you are doing that job. Hare Krsna, chant Hare Krsna and they'll be cured (?).
Devotees: Hare Krsna!
Prabhupada: Yes?
Jaya-gopala: Is past, present and future, in the material sense, a perverted reflection of the same...
Prabhupada: Yes, past, future, present is according to the different kinds of relativity. That is a scientific proof. Professor Einstein has proved it. Just like your past is not past of Brahma. Your present is not the present of an ant. So past, present, future-time is eternal. It is according to the different dimension of body relativity. Time is eternal. Just like a small ant. In twenty-four hours he has twenty-four times past, present and future. In the sputnik, in the Russian sputnik, circumambulated round this earth in one hour, twenty-five minutes, or something like that. They, I mean to say, went round the earth for twenty-five times. That means within one hour, twenty-five minutes, the sputnik man saw twenty-five times day and night. So in the higher atmosphere the past end present is different. So this past, present, future is relative according to your body, according to circumstances. Actually, there is no past, present, future. Everything is eternal. You are eternal, nityo sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. You do not die. Therefore... The people do not know that I am eternal. What is my eternal engagement? What is my eternal life? They're simply captivated on the spot life: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." That's all. This is ignorance. So one has to search out this eternal engagement with Krsna. Then he'll be happy. Thank you. (devotees offer obeisances) Chant, Upendra, chant. Chant Hare Krsna. Chant. (kirtana) (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- Seattle, September 27, 1968
Prabhupada: Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. (response) Thank you. So our program is to worship the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. In this material world everyone is trying to get happiness and to get relief from distress. Two things are going on, attempt. There are different processes. Material process is completely absurd. That is already proved. No amount of material comforts or happiness, so-called happiness, can give us the actual happiness that we are hankering. That is not possible. Then there are different other processes also. There are three kinds of miseries due to our material conditional life: adhyatmic, adhibhautic, adhidaivic. Adhyatmic means pertaining to the body and to the mind. Just like when there is some disarrangement of the different functions of metabolism within this body, we get fever, we get some pain, headache -- so many things -- so these miseries are called adhyatmic, pertaining to the body. And another part of this adhyatmic misery is due to the mind. Suppose I have suffered a great loss. So the mind is not in good condition. So this is also suffering. So for diseased condition of the body or some mental dissatisfaction there are miseries. Then again, adhibhautic, sufferings offered by other living entities. Just like we are human being, we are sending millions of poor animals to the slaughterhouse daily. They cannot express, but this is called adhibhautic, sufferings offered by other living entities. Similarly, we have to suffer also sufferings offered by other living entities. God's law you cannot, I mean to say, supersede. So material laws, state laws, you can hide yourself, but God's law you cannot hide yourself. There are so many witnesses. The sun is your witness, the moon is your witness, the day is your witness, the night is your witness, the sky is your witness. So how you can supersede the laws of the Lord? So... But this material nature is so constituted that we have to suffer adhyatmic, pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind, and sufferings offered by other living entities, and another suffering adhidaivic. Adhidaivic, just like somebody is ghost-haunted, a ghost has attacked him. Ghost cannot be seen, but he's suffering delirium, speaking something nonsense. Or there is famine, there is earthquake, there is war, there is pestilence, so many things.
So sufferings are always there. But we are trying to adjust by patchwork. Sufferings are always there. Everyone is trying to get out of sufferings, that is a fact. The whole struggle for existence is to get out of the suffering. But there are different kinds of prescription. Somebody says that you get out of the sufferings in this way, somebody says you get out of the sufferings in that way. So there are prescription offered by the modern scientists, by philosophers, by atheists or by theists, by fruitive actors, so many there are. But according to Krsna consciousness movement, you can get out of all sufferings if you simply change your consciousness, that's all. That is Krsna consciousness. As I have given you several times the example... All our sufferings are due to lack of knowledge, ignorance. That knowledge can be achieved by association of good authorities. There is a nice Bengali verse,
krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare
pasate maya tare japatiya dhare
As soon as our original consciousness becomes polluted with the consciousness of material enjoyment, that "I want to lord it over the resources of matter..." As soon as we turn our consciousness in this way, then our troubles begin. Immediately maya. This very consciousness, that "I can enjoy this material world to my best capacity..." Everyone is trying to do that. Every one of us, beginning from the ant up to the highest living creature, Brahma, everyone is trying to become one of the lords. Just like recently in your country there were so many canvassing for becoming the president. Why? The same idea. Everyone is after becoming some kind of lord. This is maya. Our Krsna consciousness movement is completely opposite. We are just trying to become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krsna. Just opposite. Instead of becoming the lord, we want to be the servant of the servant of Krsna. Gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80].
So in the modern trend of civilization, people may say that this is slave mentality. It is very good idea. "Why shall I become a slave? I shall become the master." But one does not know that this consciousness, that "I shall become the master," is the cause of his suffering. This philosophy has to be understood. Because constitutionally we are all servants. In the name of becoming master of this material world we have become the servant of our senses. Because constitutionally we are servants. We cannot do without serving. Every one of us who are sitting in this meeting is a servant. Now, these boys who have taken to Krsna consciousness, they have agreed to become servant of Krsna. So their problem is solved. But others, who are thinking that "Why shall I become the servant of God or servant of Swamiji? I shall become the master..." But actually, he cannot become the master. He's the servant of his senses, that's all. Just try to understand. Servant he must be, but he's servant of his lust, he's servant of his avarice, he's servant of his greediness, servant of his anger, servant of so many things. Kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesah. In higher state, somebody has become the servant of humanity, somebody has become the servant of the society, somebody has become the servant of the country, but actual purpose is that "I shall become the master." That disease is there. The candidates for presidency, they are presenting their different manifestations..., no, manifesto, that "I shall serve the country very nicely. Please give me your vote." But the real idea is that "Some way or other, I shall become the master of the country." So this is maya. So if we understand this small philosophy, that constitutionally I am servant... There is no doubt. Nobody can say that "I am free, I am master." Nobody can say. If he thinks like that, that is maya. It is false. Can anybody say in this meeting that he's not servant of anybody or anything? He must be, because that is his constitutional position. But the difficulty is that by serving our senses, there is no solution of the problem, of the miseries. For the time being, I may satisfy myself that I have taken this intoxication, and under the spell of this intoxication I may think that "I am nobody's servant. I am free," but that is artificial. As soon as the hallucination is gone, he comes to the point, again servant. Again servant.
So this is our position. But why this struggle is there? I am being forced to serve, but I don't wish to serve. What is the adjustment? The adjustment is Krsna consciousness, that if you become servant of Krsna, then your aspiration to become master, at the same time your aspiration of freedom, is immediately achieved. Just like here you'll see one picture of Arjuna and Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Lord. Arjuna is a living entity, living being, a human being, but he is in love with Krsna as friend. And in exchange of his friendly love, Krsna has become his driver, his servant. Similarly, if every one of us, we become reinstated in the transcendental platform of loving Krsna, then our aspiration of mastership will be fulfilled. That is not known at present, but if we agree to serve Krsna, then gradually we'll see that Krsna is serving you. That is a question of realization. But if we want to get out of this service of this material world, of the senses, then we must transfer our service attitude to Krsna. This is called Krsna consciousness.
kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnidesas
tesam mayi na karuna jata na trapa nopasantih
(utsrjyaitan atha yadu-pate) sampratam aham labdha-buddhis
tvam ayatah (saranam abhayam) niyunksvatma-dasye
One devotee is praying to Krsna that "So long, in my life, I have served my senses," kamadinam. Kama means senses, lust. "So even what I should not have done, still, by the dictation of my lust I have done it." One has to do. When one is a slave or servant, then he's forced to act something which he does not like to act. He's forced. So here, a devotee's admitting that "I have done, dictated by my lust, something which I should not have done, but I have done it." All right, you have done, you are serving your senses. That's all right. "But the difficulty is that tesam karuna na jata na trapa nopasantih. I have served so much, but I find that they are not satisfied. They are not satisfied. That is my difficulty. Neither the senses are satisfied nor I am satisfied nor the senses are kind enough to give me relief, pension from the service. That is my position." If I would have seen that, rather if we would have felt that "I have served so many years my senses, now my senses are satisfied..." No. They are not satisfied. Still dictating. Still dictating. "I am very..." Of course, it is very natural, but I may disclose herewith that some of my students said that in an elderly age of his mother, he's(she's) going to marry. Just see. She has got grown-up children. And somebody complained that his grandmother also married. Why? Just see. In seventy-five years old, in fifty years old, the senses are still so strong that she is being dictated: "Yes, you must do it." Try to understand practically how the senses are strong. It is not that simply the young men are servant of the senses. Even seventy-five years old, eighty years old, or at the point of death, they are all servants of senses. The senses are never satisfied. That is the material dictation. So I'm servant. I am servant of my senses, and by serving my senses, neither I am satisfied nor my senses are satisfied nor they are pleased upon me. There is chaos. So this is the problem.
So best thing... Therefore Krsna says, Lord Krsna says,
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
[Bg. 18.66]
You have served your senses so many lives, life after life, 8,400,000 of species of life. The birds, they are also under senses. The beasts, they are also under senses. The men, human being, and everyone, the demigods, everyone within this material world, they are after senses, serving the senses. But Krsna says that "You just surrender unto Me. Just agree to serve Me. Then I take charge of you." That's all. Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah. Because by the dictation of the senses we are committing sinful activities life after life; therefore we are in different grades of bodily presentation. Don't think that everyone is of the same standard. No. According to one's own work he gets a type of body. So these different types of bodies are due to different grades of sense gratification. So sense gratification is there in the hog's life also. Why he has been offered a body of the hogs? So much sensuous that it has no discrimination who is mother, who is sister, or who is this, or who is that. This is practical, you'll see. The dogs and hogs, they are like that. In human society also there are many who don't care who is mother, who is sister, or who is this. The senses are so strong. And this is our cause of all miseries, try to understand. The threefold miseries that we are suffering, that we are trying to make a solution, is due to this dictation of the senses. Therefore Krsna is there. Krsna is there. His name is Madana-mohana. If you try to transfer your love from sense to Krsna, then you see the result. Immediately you'll find. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Brs. 1.2.234]. So this false endeavor, that "I want to be master of all I survey," "I am the monarch of all I survey," this attitude should be given up. Every one of us is constitutionally servant. Now, at the present moment, we are servant of the senses. Now, this servitorship should be changed to Krsna only. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. And as soon as you change your servitorship to Krsna, then gradually, as you become sincere, so Krsna reveals to you, and reciprocation of service between Krsna and yourself will be so nice. Either you love Him as friend, or master, or lover, or... There are so many items. Any way you can try to love Him and see how much you are satisfied. This is Krsna consciousness movement. Please try to understand. It is...
Now in your country these boys are trying to preach this Krsna consciousness movement. So my humble request to you all is to try to understand this sublime benediction of life. Simply by chanting Hare Krsna, you'll gradually develop a transcendental loving attitude for Krsna. And as soon as you begin to love Krsna, your all troubles... That means you will feel complete satisfaction. Trouble or distress is of the mind. One man is getting $6000 a month; one man is getting $200 a month. But I have seen one gentleman in Calcutta, he was drawing 6,000; he committed suicide. Committed suicide. Why? That money could not give him satisfaction. He was trying to have something else. So this material atmosphere, by earning great amount of money, will never give you satisfaction, because every one of us is the servant of the senses. This platform of service of the senses should be transferred to the platform of service to Krsna, and then you will find all problems solved.
Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) Any question?
Devotee: Prabhupada, a picture of Krsna is absolute, right? That is Krsna. Is the picture of a pure devotee absolute in the same way?
Prabhupada: Picture of devotee?
Devotee: A pure devotee.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee: It's absolute in the same way that a picture...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Devotee: Let's say a picture of Prahlada Maharaja and Lord Nrsimhadeva is also... Prahlada is there as much as Lord Nrsimhadeva is.
Prabhupada: Yes. The Lord and the devotee, they are on the same status. Every one of them. Lord, His name, His form, His quality, His associates, His paraphernalia. Everything, they are absolute. Nama guna rupa lila pari... And pastimes. Just like we are hearing about Krsna, so this is nondifferent from Krsna. When there is chanting Hare Krsna, this Hare Krsna, this vibration, is not different from Krsna. Everything is absolute. Therefore pure devotee of Krsna is nondifferent from Krsna. This is simultaneously one and different. Acintya-bhedabheda-tattva. This philosophy has to be understood, that Krsna is the Supreme Person energetic, and everything, what we see, what we experience, they are all different energies of Krsna. And the energy and the energetic cannot be separated. Therefore they are all on the absolute platform. Simply when it is covered by maya or ignorance, it is different. That's all.
Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada, what if we know we should serve and we want to serve, but the service is so bad.
Prabhupada: Yes. Never think that service is perfect. That will keep you in the perfect stage. Yes. We should always think that our service is not complete. Yes. That is very nice. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us that... He said that "My dear friends, please take it from Me that I have not a pinch of faith in Krsna. If you say that why I am crying, the answer is that just to make a show that I am great devotee. Actually, I have not a pinch of love for Krsna. This crying is simply My show, makeshow." "Why You are saying so?" "Now, the thing is that I am still living without seeing Krsna. That means I have no love for Krsna. I am still living. I should have died long ago without seeing Krsna." So we should think like that. That is the example. However perfect you may be in serving Krsna, you should always know that... Krsna is unlimited, so your service cannot reach Him perfectly. It will ever remain imperfect because we are limited. But Krsna is so kind. If you offer a little service sincerely, He accepts. That is the beauty of Krsna. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. And if Krsna accepts a little service from you, then your life is glorious. So it is not possible to love Krsna perfectly, to render service to Krsna, because He is unlimited. There is a process, worshiping the Ganges in India. The Ganges River is considered sacred river. So they worship Ganges, the river Ganges, by taking water from the Ganges and offering it. Suppose in a small pot like this, either pot or your handful, you take some water from the Ganges and with your devotion and mantra you offer to the Ganges water. So you take a glass of water from the Ganges and offer it to the Ganges, what is there, gain and profit or loss or gain for the Ganges? If you take a glass of water from the Ganges and again offer it, so what is the gain and profit of Ganges? But your process, your faith, your love for mother Ganges, "Mother Ganges, I offer you this little water," that is accepted. Similarly, what we have got to offer Krsna? Everything belongs to Krsna. Now we have offered these fruits. Do the fruits belong to us? Who has produced these fruits? Have I produced? Is there any brain of the human being who can produce fruits, grains, milk? They're very great scientist. Now let them produce. The cow is eating grass and delivering you milk. So now, by scientific process, why don't you transform grass into milk? Still the rascals will not agree that there is God. You see? They have become so rascal: "Science." And what is your science, nonsense? You see the cows are eating grass and delivering you milk. Why don't you give to your wife and take milk? Why do you purchase? But if you offer this grass to a human being, she will die. So everything, the law of Krsna, or law of God, is working, and still they say that "God is dead. There is no God. I am God." You do this like that. They have become so rascals and fools. Why they do not come to this meeting? "Oh, the Swamiji is speaking of God, old things. (laughter) Let us discover something new." You see? And if somebody speaks all nonsense, then "Oh, he's..." He spoke four hours on zero. Just see. Somebody in Montreal, one gentleman, "Swamiji, he is so wonderful, he spoke four hours on zero." They're such a fool that four hours he wanted to hear on zero. You see? (laughter) What is the value of zero? And you waste your time, four hours? After all, it is zero. So people want this. People want this. If we say simple things -- "God is great. You are the servant, eternal servant. You have no power. You are always dependent on God. Just turn your servitorship to God, you'll be happy" -- "Oh, this is not very nice." So they want to be cheated. Therefore so many cheaters come and cheat and go away, that's all. The people want to be cheated. They don't want simple things. Yes.
Madhudvisa: Prabhupada, what was exactly predicted by Lord Caitanya when He predicted the Golden Age of Kali, the age in the Age of Kali when people would be chanting the Hare Krsna mantra?
Prabhupada: Yes. People... Just like we are now preaching Hare Krsna. In your country there was no such preaching. So we have sent our students in Europe, Germany, London -- you are also spreading. In this way it is only, we are, our activities since 1966 practically. We have registered the association in 1966, and this is '68. So gradually we are spreading. And of course, I am old man. I may die. If you have taken up this formula very nicely, then you will go on preaching, and it may be spread all over the world. Very simple thing. Simply we require a little intelligence. That's all. So any intelligent man will appreciate. But if anyone wants to be cheated, then how he can be saved if one willingly wants to be cheated? Then it is very difficult to convince him. But those who are open-hearted, they will certainly accept this nice movement, Krsna consciousness. Yes.
Jaya-gopala: When we engage inferior energy, internal energy, in the service of Krsna, it becomes spiritualized, doesn't it?
Prabhupada: No. When you apply your energy, it is no more material; it is spiritual. Just like when the copper wire is in touch with electricity, it is no more copper; it is electric. So service to Krsna means as soon as you dovetail yourself in the service of Krsna, you are not different from Krsna. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: mam ca 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena yah sevate. This very word, sevate. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. "Anyone who seriously engages himself in My service, immediately he becomes transcendental to the material qualities and he's on the platform of Brahman." Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. So when you apply your energy in the service of Krsna, you do not think that your material energy is there. No. Just like these fruits. These fruits, one may think, "What is this prasada? This fruit has been purchased, we also eat fruit at home, and this is prasada?" No. Because it is offered to Krsna, immediately it is no more material. The result? You eat Krsna prasada and see how you are making progress in Krsna consciousness. Just if the physician gives you some medicine and if you get yourself cured, that is the effect of medicine. Another example is that how the material things become spiritual. A very nice example. Just like you have taken a large quantity of milk. So there is some disorder in your bowels. You go to a physician. At least, according to Vedic system of..., they will offer you a preparation which is called yogurt. That is milk preparation. That yogurt with little medicine will cure. Now your disease was caused by milk, and it is cured by milk also. Why? It is directed by the physician. Similarly everything. In the higher sense there is no existence of matter; it is only illusion. Just like this morning I was giving the instance of the sun and the fog. The fog was there; the sun could not be seen. The foolish person will say that "There is no sun. It is simply fog." But intelligent person will say that "Sun is there, but the fog has covered our eyes. We cannot see the sun." Similarly, actually, everything being energy of Krsna, there is nothing material. Simply our, this mentality that we want to lord it over, that is false, illusion. That is covering our relationship with Krsna. So that you will gradually understand. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah [Brs. 1.2.234]. As you make progress in the service attitude, everything will become cleared, how your energy has become spiritualized.
Tamala Krsna: Is Maya a pure devotee? Maya.
Prabhupada: Pure devotees, no, he's not under maya.
Tamala Krsna: No, no. Is Maya, Mayadevi, a pure devotee?
Prabhupada: Yes, certainly. The police force, are they not honest servant of the government? Does it mean the police force tortures you; therefore they're rejected from the government servant? Their task is thankless task, that's all. Similarly, Maya is also serving Krsna, but there is no thanks. That is the difference. She has taken a thankless task to punish persons who are godless, that's all. So Maya as it is, it is not that she is out of touch of Krsna. Vaisnavi. In the Candi, in the book of Maya, it is state that "Vaisnavi." The Maya is described as Vaisnavi. Just like pure devotee is called Vaisnava, she is also described there as Vaisnavi.
Visnujana: How do you make everything that you say so simple to understand?
Prabhupada: Because the whole philosophy is so simple. God is great; you are not great. Don't claim that you are God. Don't claim that there is no God. There is God, and He is great, and you are small. Then what is your position? You have to serve Krsna. This is simple truth. So that rebellious attitude is called maya. Anyone who is declaring that "There is no God. God is dead. I am God, you are God," they're all under the spell of maya. Pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya. Just like when a man is ghost-haunted, he speaks all kinds of nonsense. So all these persons are haunted by maya, and therefore they are saying, "God is dead. I am God. Why you are searching God everywhere? There are so many Gods loitering in the street." They're all ghost-haunted, deranged. So we have to cure them by this transcendental vibration, Hare Krsna. This is the curing process only. Simply let them hear and they'll gradually be cured. Just a man who is sleeping very sound, you cry by the side of his ear and he awakes. So this is the mantra to awake the sleeping human society. Uttistha uttisthata jagrata prapya varan nibodhata. The Vedas says, "O human race, please get up. Don't sleep any more. You have got this opportunity of human body. Utilize it. Get yourself out of the clutches of maya." This is the declaration of Vedas. So you are doing that job. Hare Krsna, chant Hare Krsna and they'll be cured (?).
Devotees: Hare Krsna!
Prabhupada: Yes?
Jaya-gopala: Is past, present and future, in the material sense, a perverted reflection of the same...
Prabhupada: Yes, past, future, present is according to the different kinds of relativity. That is a scientific proof. Professor Einstein has proved it. Just like your past is not past of Brahma. Your present is not the present of an ant. So past, present, future-time is eternal. It is according to the different dimension of body relativity. Time is eternal. Just like a small ant. In twenty-four hours he has twenty-four times past, present and future. In the sputnik, in the Russian sputnik, circumambulated round this earth in one hour, twenty-five minutes, or something like that. They, I mean to say, went round the earth for twenty-five times. That means within one hour, twenty-five minutes, the sputnik man saw twenty-five times day and night. So in the higher atmosphere the past end present is different. So this past, present, future is relative according to your body, according to circumstances. Actually, there is no past, present, future. Everything is eternal. You are eternal, nityo sasvato 'yam na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. You do not die. Therefore... The people do not know that I am eternal. What is my eternal engagement? What is my eternal life? They're simply captivated on the spot life: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." That's all. This is ignorance. So one has to search out this eternal engagement with Krsna. Then he'll be happy. Thank you. (devotees offer obeisances) Chant, Upendra, chant. Chant Hare Krsna. Chant. (kirtana) (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture -- Seattle, September 27, 1968
Thursday, June 24, 2010
"Disap.Day Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati"
9 Dec 68, Los Angeles
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. I was thinking of "Where is Jayananda?" now immediately he has come. (someone brings some kind of offering and Srila Prabhupada says to give it to his Guru Maharaja) Thank you very much. Take care it may not fall down. All right.
So today is the disappearance day of my Guru Maharaja. As I told you that sadhava jiva ma maro va. There was a nice story the other day I told you that a sage is giving different kinds of blessings to different types of persons. So to a king's son, a prince, he blessed, raja-putra ciram jiva: "Oh, you are king's son, prince, you live forever." And muni-putra, the son of a saintly person, he blessed him, ma jiva ma jiva: "You don't live." Raja-putra ciram jiva muni-putra ma jiva. And sadhu, devotees, he blessed him, jiva va maro va: "Either you live or you die, as you like." And there was a butcher, he blessed him, ma jiva ma mara: "You don't die, don't live." So these words are very significant. That I have already explained, still I am explaining. A prince, he's enjoying sense, that's all. He has got enough facility for sense enjoyment. So his next life is hellish. Because if you indulge in sex life, then Krsna will give you facility to have sex life three times in an hour, just like the pigeons, the monkeys, the sparrows, they are very sexually strong. You have seen it. So the facility is given. So princely order, they are after sense enjoyment. So he's blessed that "Better you live forever because after your death, you do not know what is going to happen to you. You are going to get a hellish life. Better you live for some time. Go on with your enjoyment." And muni-putra ma jiva. Brahmacari, working under the guidance, under strict disciplinary guidance of his spiritual master, he is blessed, ma jiva, "You better die. Because you are so trained to enter into the kingdom of God, so why should you take so much trouble? Better you die and go back to Godhead." Ma jiva. And a devotee he blessed, jiva va maro va: "My dear devotee, either you live or die, the same thing." And the butcher, he blessed him, ma jiva ma mara: "You don't live, don't die." What he's to do? His living condition is so abominable. From the morning, he has to slaughter so many animals, see the bloodstain, the ghastly scene. That is his livelihood. So what a horrible life this is. So "Don't live. And don't die also." Because after death, oh, he is going to be in so much hellish condition, nobody can describe. So both life, living condition and death, after death, his condition is very horrible.
Anyway, apart from others, the devotee, for him, appearance and disappearance the same thing. Just like when my spiritual master appeared at Jagannatha Puri... He was the son of a very big government officer, Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He was magistrate, government officer. In those days a magistrate is a big officer in the government, practically next to governor. And Bhaktivinoda Thakura was in charge of the Jagannatha temple. That is the system in Jagannatha Puri. The manager in charge of the temple is the district magistrate. So there was a Ratha-yatra festival, and the car was passing in front of Bhaktivinoda Thakura's house. Bhaktivinoda Thakura's name was Kedaranath Datta. When he was magistrate, he was known as K.N. Datta. Kedaranath Datta. So the car stopped before his house, and at that time, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, a child in the lap of his mother. The mother took the opportunity of rising on the car. He (She) was magistrate's wife, so he (she) had the facility. Immediately, people gave her way to go on the top of the car and place the child on the lotus feet of Jagannatha. And there were many garlands. One garland fell upon him, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, blessings. This was one of the... There were so many other things.
When he was a child two, three years old, he ate one mango fruit which was kept for offering to the Deity. So his father mildly rebuked him, "Oh, you have done very wrong thing. It was meant for Deity, and you have taken it. You should not have done it." The child was two or three years old. He took it so seriously that never after that he took mango. Whenever we offered him mango he said, "No, I am offender. I cannot take mango." He was thinking like that, you see. Never in his life he took a mango. He was thinking that "I offended in my childhood by taking the mango of the Deity." This is the characteristic of acarya. They teach by their life's action that one should be so much determined, that one should not be... A child took the mango, there was no offense. But he took that vow.
Another instance, in my presence. At that time, we were also young men, and one of my Godbrothers, his name is Dr. Oul Bihari Kapoor... He's now retired in Vrndavana, last time I saw him. He was also young man, and his wife was also young. So we were sitting together, talking with Guru Maharaja, and the girl proposed, "My dear master, I want to speak with you." So Guru Maharaja said, "Yes, you can talk whatever you like." So she said, "I want to talk with you secretly, not in the presence of everyone." Guru Maharaja said, "No, I cannot talk with you secretly. You can talk in the presence of my all other disciples." So even that girl was just like his granddaughter by age calculation, he refused to talk with a young woman in a secret place. These are the instances.
So in his life he was akhanda brahmacari. Bhaktivinoda Thakura had many other sons, and he was the fifth son. And some of his other brother also, they did not marry. And my Guru Maharaja, he also did not marry. From the childhood he is strict brahmacari, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. And he underwent very severe penances for starting this movement, worldwide movement. That was his mission. Bhaktivinoda Thakura wanted do this. He, 1896, Bhaktivinoda Thakura wanted to introduce this Krsna consciousness movement by sending his this book, Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts. Fortunately, that year was my birth year, and by Krsna's arrangement, we came in contact. I was born in a different family, my Guru Maharaja was born in a different family. Who knew that I will come to his protection? Who knew that I would come in America? Who knew that you American boys will come to me? These are all Krsna's arrangement. We cannot understand how things are taking place. In 1936... Today is 9th December, 1938(68). That means thirty-two years ago. In Bombay, I was then doing some business. All of a sudden, perhaps on this date, sometimes between 9 or 10 December. At that time, Guru Maharaja was indisposed little, and he was staying at Jagannatha Puri, on the seashore. So I wrote him letter, "My dear master, your other disciples, brahmacari, sannyasi, they are rendering you direct service. And I am a householder. I cannot live with you, I cannot serve you nicely. So I do not know how can I serve you?" Simply an idea, I was thinking of serving him, "How can I serve him seriously?" So the reply was dated 13th December, 1936. In that letter he wrote, "My dear such and such, I am very glad to receive your letter. I think you should try to push our movement in English." That was his writing. "And that will do good to you and to the people who will help you." That was his instruction. And then in 1936, on the 31st December -- that means just after writing this letter a fortnight before his departure -- he passed away. But I took that order of my spiritual master very seriously. But I did not think that I'll have to do such and such thing, I was at that time a householder. But this is the arrangement of Krsna. If we strictly try to serve the spiritual master, his order, then Krsna will give us all facilities. That is the secret. Although there was no possibility, I never thought, but I took it little seriously by studying a commentary by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura on the Bhagavad-gita. In the Bhagavad-gita, the verse vyavasayatmika-buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana [Bg. 2.41], in connection with that verse, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives his commentary that we should take up the words from the spiritual master as our life and soul. We should try to carry out the instruction, the specific instruction of the spiritual master, very rigidly, without caring for our personal benefit or loss.
So I tried a little bit in that spirit. So he has given me all facilities to serve him. Things have come to this stage, that in this old age I have come to your country, and you are also taking this movement seriously, trying to understand it. We have got some books now. So there is little foothold of this movement. Now on this occasion of my spiritual master's departure, as I am trying to execute his will, similarly, I shall also request you to execute the same order through my will. I am an old man, I can also pass away at any moment. That is nature's law. Nobody can check it. So that is not very astonishing. But my appeal to you on this auspicious day of the departure of my Guru Maharaja, that at least to some extent you have understood the essence of Krsna consciousness movement. You should try to push it on. People are suffering for want of this consciousness. As we daily pray about devotees,
vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca
krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo
vaisnavebhyo namo namah
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.]
A Vaisnava, or devotee of Lord, his life is dedicated for the benefit of the people. You know -- most of you belong to Christian community -- how Lord Jesus Christ, he said that for your sinful activities he has sacrificed himself. That is the determination of devotee of the Lord. They don't care for personal comforts. Because they love Krsna or God, therefore they love all living entities because all living entities are in relationship with Krsna. So similarly you should learn. This Krsna consciousness movement means to become Vaisnava and feel for the suffering humanity. But to feel for the suffering humanity, there are different angles of vision. Somebody is thinking of the suffering of the humanity from bodily conception of life. Somebody is trying to open hospital to give relief to the diseased condition. Somebody is trying to distribute foodstuff in poverty-stricken countries or places. These things are certainly very nice, but actual suffering of the humanity is due to lack of Krsna consciousness. These bodily sufferings, they are temporary, neither they can be checked by the laws of nature. Suppose if you give some distribution of foodstuff in some poverty-stricken country, that does not mean that this help makes solution of the whole problem. The real beneficial work is to invoke every person to Krsna consciousness. As soon as he comes to Krsna consciousness... The same example, as I have given several times, that a rich man's son is loitering in the street, forgetting his father's opulence and property. And somebody, out of sympathy, giving him some food. But other person comes to him and says, "Oh, my dear boy, I know you. You are the son of such and such rich man. Why you are loitering in the street? Come on, I shall take you to your father." So if that gentleman takes that loitering boy to his father, the father is glad, and the boy inherits his father's property, and his whole problem of life becomes solved. This is a crude example. Similarly, all living entities, they are loitering within this universe in different bodies, in different planets, and from time immemorial, without knowing that he belongs to the kingdom of God, he is the direct son of Krsna and God, that Krsna is the proprietor of everything, and he can enjoy his father's property, and these problems of material conditioned life automatically solved. Just like if you become a rich man, if you can possess millions of dollars, then your poverty is automatically solved. Similarly, if you become Krsna conscious, if you act in that way, then all other problems in the material conditional life -- solved.
So this is such a nice movement. Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah [Bg. 18.66]. The Bhagavad-gita says, the Lord says, people's sufferings are due to his sinful activities. Ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of sinful activity. Just like a man does not know. Suppose a foreigner like me comes in America and he does not know... Because in India... Just like in your country, the car is driven from the right side; in India, I've seen in London also, the car is driven from the left side. So suppose if he does not know, he drives the car on the left side and incurs some accident, and he is taken by the police custody. And if he says, "Sir, I did not know that here the car is driven from the right side," that does not make him excused. The law will punish him. So ignorance is the cause of breaking the law, or sinful activities. And as soon as you commit some sinful activity, you have to suffer the result. So the whole world is in ignorance, and due to ignorance he's complicated in so many actions and reactions, either good or bad. There is nothing good within this material world, everything is bad. So we have manufactured something good and something bad. Here... Because in the Bhagavad-gita we understand this place is duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. This place is for misery. So how you can say, in miserable condition, how you can say that "This is good" or "This is bad." Everything is bad. So those persons who do not know -- the material, conditional life -- they manufacture something, "This is good, this is bad," because they do not know everything here is bad, nothing good. One should be very much pessimistic of this material world. Then he can make advance in spiritual life. Duhkhalayam asasvatam. This place is full of miseries, and if you study analytically you'll find simply miserable condition. Therefore, the whole problem is that we should give up our material conditional life, and in Krsna consciousness we should try to elevate ourself to the spiritual platform and thereby be promoted to the kingdom of Godhead, yad gatva na nivartante tad dhamam paramam mama [Bg. 15.6], where going, nobody comes back to this miserable world. And that is the supreme abode of the Lord.
So there are description in the Bhagavad-gita. So this Krsna consciousness movement is authorized, very important. Now, you American boys and girls who have taken to this movement, please take it more seriously and... That is the mission of Lord Caitanya and my Guru Maharaja, and we are also trying to execute the will by disciplic succession. You have come forward to help me. I shall request you all that I shall go away, but you shall live. Don't give up pushing on this movement, and you'll be blessed by Lord Caitanya and His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada.
Thank you very much. (end)
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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. I was thinking of "Where is Jayananda?" now immediately he has come. (someone brings some kind of offering and Srila Prabhupada says to give it to his Guru Maharaja) Thank you very much. Take care it may not fall down. All right.
So today is the disappearance day of my Guru Maharaja. As I told you that sadhava jiva ma maro va. There was a nice story the other day I told you that a sage is giving different kinds of blessings to different types of persons. So to a king's son, a prince, he blessed, raja-putra ciram jiva: "Oh, you are king's son, prince, you live forever." And muni-putra, the son of a saintly person, he blessed him, ma jiva ma jiva: "You don't live." Raja-putra ciram jiva muni-putra ma jiva. And sadhu, devotees, he blessed him, jiva va maro va: "Either you live or you die, as you like." And there was a butcher, he blessed him, ma jiva ma mara: "You don't die, don't live." So these words are very significant. That I have already explained, still I am explaining. A prince, he's enjoying sense, that's all. He has got enough facility for sense enjoyment. So his next life is hellish. Because if you indulge in sex life, then Krsna will give you facility to have sex life three times in an hour, just like the pigeons, the monkeys, the sparrows, they are very sexually strong. You have seen it. So the facility is given. So princely order, they are after sense enjoyment. So he's blessed that "Better you live forever because after your death, you do not know what is going to happen to you. You are going to get a hellish life. Better you live for some time. Go on with your enjoyment." And muni-putra ma jiva. Brahmacari, working under the guidance, under strict disciplinary guidance of his spiritual master, he is blessed, ma jiva, "You better die. Because you are so trained to enter into the kingdom of God, so why should you take so much trouble? Better you die and go back to Godhead." Ma jiva. And a devotee he blessed, jiva va maro va: "My dear devotee, either you live or die, the same thing." And the butcher, he blessed him, ma jiva ma mara: "You don't live, don't die." What he's to do? His living condition is so abominable. From the morning, he has to slaughter so many animals, see the bloodstain, the ghastly scene. That is his livelihood. So what a horrible life this is. So "Don't live. And don't die also." Because after death, oh, he is going to be in so much hellish condition, nobody can describe. So both life, living condition and death, after death, his condition is very horrible.
Anyway, apart from others, the devotee, for him, appearance and disappearance the same thing. Just like when my spiritual master appeared at Jagannatha Puri... He was the son of a very big government officer, Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He was magistrate, government officer. In those days a magistrate is a big officer in the government, practically next to governor. And Bhaktivinoda Thakura was in charge of the Jagannatha temple. That is the system in Jagannatha Puri. The manager in charge of the temple is the district magistrate. So there was a Ratha-yatra festival, and the car was passing in front of Bhaktivinoda Thakura's house. Bhaktivinoda Thakura's name was Kedaranath Datta. When he was magistrate, he was known as K.N. Datta. Kedaranath Datta. So the car stopped before his house, and at that time, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, a child in the lap of his mother. The mother took the opportunity of rising on the car. He (She) was magistrate's wife, so he (she) had the facility. Immediately, people gave her way to go on the top of the car and place the child on the lotus feet of Jagannatha. And there were many garlands. One garland fell upon him, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, blessings. This was one of the... There were so many other things.
When he was a child two, three years old, he ate one mango fruit which was kept for offering to the Deity. So his father mildly rebuked him, "Oh, you have done very wrong thing. It was meant for Deity, and you have taken it. You should not have done it." The child was two or three years old. He took it so seriously that never after that he took mango. Whenever we offered him mango he said, "No, I am offender. I cannot take mango." He was thinking like that, you see. Never in his life he took a mango. He was thinking that "I offended in my childhood by taking the mango of the Deity." This is the characteristic of acarya. They teach by their life's action that one should be so much determined, that one should not be... A child took the mango, there was no offense. But he took that vow.
Another instance, in my presence. At that time, we were also young men, and one of my Godbrothers, his name is Dr. Oul Bihari Kapoor... He's now retired in Vrndavana, last time I saw him. He was also young man, and his wife was also young. So we were sitting together, talking with Guru Maharaja, and the girl proposed, "My dear master, I want to speak with you." So Guru Maharaja said, "Yes, you can talk whatever you like." So she said, "I want to talk with you secretly, not in the presence of everyone." Guru Maharaja said, "No, I cannot talk with you secretly. You can talk in the presence of my all other disciples." So even that girl was just like his granddaughter by age calculation, he refused to talk with a young woman in a secret place. These are the instances.
So in his life he was akhanda brahmacari. Bhaktivinoda Thakura had many other sons, and he was the fifth son. And some of his other brother also, they did not marry. And my Guru Maharaja, he also did not marry. From the childhood he is strict brahmacari, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. And he underwent very severe penances for starting this movement, worldwide movement. That was his mission. Bhaktivinoda Thakura wanted do this. He, 1896, Bhaktivinoda Thakura wanted to introduce this Krsna consciousness movement by sending his this book, Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts. Fortunately, that year was my birth year, and by Krsna's arrangement, we came in contact. I was born in a different family, my Guru Maharaja was born in a different family. Who knew that I will come to his protection? Who knew that I would come in America? Who knew that you American boys will come to me? These are all Krsna's arrangement. We cannot understand how things are taking place. In 1936... Today is 9th December, 1938(68). That means thirty-two years ago. In Bombay, I was then doing some business. All of a sudden, perhaps on this date, sometimes between 9 or 10 December. At that time, Guru Maharaja was indisposed little, and he was staying at Jagannatha Puri, on the seashore. So I wrote him letter, "My dear master, your other disciples, brahmacari, sannyasi, they are rendering you direct service. And I am a householder. I cannot live with you, I cannot serve you nicely. So I do not know how can I serve you?" Simply an idea, I was thinking of serving him, "How can I serve him seriously?" So the reply was dated 13th December, 1936. In that letter he wrote, "My dear such and such, I am very glad to receive your letter. I think you should try to push our movement in English." That was his writing. "And that will do good to you and to the people who will help you." That was his instruction. And then in 1936, on the 31st December -- that means just after writing this letter a fortnight before his departure -- he passed away. But I took that order of my spiritual master very seriously. But I did not think that I'll have to do such and such thing, I was at that time a householder. But this is the arrangement of Krsna. If we strictly try to serve the spiritual master, his order, then Krsna will give us all facilities. That is the secret. Although there was no possibility, I never thought, but I took it little seriously by studying a commentary by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura on the Bhagavad-gita. In the Bhagavad-gita, the verse vyavasayatmika-buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana [Bg. 2.41], in connection with that verse, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives his commentary that we should take up the words from the spiritual master as our life and soul. We should try to carry out the instruction, the specific instruction of the spiritual master, very rigidly, without caring for our personal benefit or loss.
So I tried a little bit in that spirit. So he has given me all facilities to serve him. Things have come to this stage, that in this old age I have come to your country, and you are also taking this movement seriously, trying to understand it. We have got some books now. So there is little foothold of this movement. Now on this occasion of my spiritual master's departure, as I am trying to execute his will, similarly, I shall also request you to execute the same order through my will. I am an old man, I can also pass away at any moment. That is nature's law. Nobody can check it. So that is not very astonishing. But my appeal to you on this auspicious day of the departure of my Guru Maharaja, that at least to some extent you have understood the essence of Krsna consciousness movement. You should try to push it on. People are suffering for want of this consciousness. As we daily pray about devotees,
vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca
krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo
vaisnavebhyo namo namah
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.]
A Vaisnava, or devotee of Lord, his life is dedicated for the benefit of the people. You know -- most of you belong to Christian community -- how Lord Jesus Christ, he said that for your sinful activities he has sacrificed himself. That is the determination of devotee of the Lord. They don't care for personal comforts. Because they love Krsna or God, therefore they love all living entities because all living entities are in relationship with Krsna. So similarly you should learn. This Krsna consciousness movement means to become Vaisnava and feel for the suffering humanity. But to feel for the suffering humanity, there are different angles of vision. Somebody is thinking of the suffering of the humanity from bodily conception of life. Somebody is trying to open hospital to give relief to the diseased condition. Somebody is trying to distribute foodstuff in poverty-stricken countries or places. These things are certainly very nice, but actual suffering of the humanity is due to lack of Krsna consciousness. These bodily sufferings, they are temporary, neither they can be checked by the laws of nature. Suppose if you give some distribution of foodstuff in some poverty-stricken country, that does not mean that this help makes solution of the whole problem. The real beneficial work is to invoke every person to Krsna consciousness. As soon as he comes to Krsna consciousness... The same example, as I have given several times, that a rich man's son is loitering in the street, forgetting his father's opulence and property. And somebody, out of sympathy, giving him some food. But other person comes to him and says, "Oh, my dear boy, I know you. You are the son of such and such rich man. Why you are loitering in the street? Come on, I shall take you to your father." So if that gentleman takes that loitering boy to his father, the father is glad, and the boy inherits his father's property, and his whole problem of life becomes solved. This is a crude example. Similarly, all living entities, they are loitering within this universe in different bodies, in different planets, and from time immemorial, without knowing that he belongs to the kingdom of God, he is the direct son of Krsna and God, that Krsna is the proprietor of everything, and he can enjoy his father's property, and these problems of material conditioned life automatically solved. Just like if you become a rich man, if you can possess millions of dollars, then your poverty is automatically solved. Similarly, if you become Krsna conscious, if you act in that way, then all other problems in the material conditional life -- solved.
So this is such a nice movement. Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah [Bg. 18.66]. The Bhagavad-gita says, the Lord says, people's sufferings are due to his sinful activities. Ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of sinful activity. Just like a man does not know. Suppose a foreigner like me comes in America and he does not know... Because in India... Just like in your country, the car is driven from the right side; in India, I've seen in London also, the car is driven from the left side. So suppose if he does not know, he drives the car on the left side and incurs some accident, and he is taken by the police custody. And if he says, "Sir, I did not know that here the car is driven from the right side," that does not make him excused. The law will punish him. So ignorance is the cause of breaking the law, or sinful activities. And as soon as you commit some sinful activity, you have to suffer the result. So the whole world is in ignorance, and due to ignorance he's complicated in so many actions and reactions, either good or bad. There is nothing good within this material world, everything is bad. So we have manufactured something good and something bad. Here... Because in the Bhagavad-gita we understand this place is duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15]. This place is for misery. So how you can say, in miserable condition, how you can say that "This is good" or "This is bad." Everything is bad. So those persons who do not know -- the material, conditional life -- they manufacture something, "This is good, this is bad," because they do not know everything here is bad, nothing good. One should be very much pessimistic of this material world. Then he can make advance in spiritual life. Duhkhalayam asasvatam. This place is full of miseries, and if you study analytically you'll find simply miserable condition. Therefore, the whole problem is that we should give up our material conditional life, and in Krsna consciousness we should try to elevate ourself to the spiritual platform and thereby be promoted to the kingdom of Godhead, yad gatva na nivartante tad dhamam paramam mama [Bg. 15.6], where going, nobody comes back to this miserable world. And that is the supreme abode of the Lord.
So there are description in the Bhagavad-gita. So this Krsna consciousness movement is authorized, very important. Now, you American boys and girls who have taken to this movement, please take it more seriously and... That is the mission of Lord Caitanya and my Guru Maharaja, and we are also trying to execute the will by disciplic succession. You have come forward to help me. I shall request you all that I shall go away, but you shall live. Don't give up pushing on this movement, and you'll be blessed by Lord Caitanya and His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada.
Thank you very much. (end)
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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
"Dipping Into Ocean Of Love Of Krishna"
18 Nov 68, Los Angeles
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Prabhupada:
krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi
dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pujitau
sri-caitanya-krpa-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau
This is a prayer offering obeisances to the Six Gosvamis, direct disciples of Lord Caitanya. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau. The Six Gosvamis' names are Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami... Vande rupa-sanatana raghu-yugau. And there are two Raghus. One Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and one Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami. According to whole Vedic system, there are four castes, brahmana, ksatriyas, vaisyas, and sudras. So this Raghunatha dasa Gosvami belong to the... Of course, a Vaisnava is never sudra, but in social standard they belonged to the ksatriya or sudra. Therefore he is named as dasa Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. So the Six Gosvamis... (child making noises) Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. So Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, and two Raghunatha Gosvami, and three, four, and then Jiva Gosvami and Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. Six Gosvamis. Practically, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left behind Him that eight slokas, Siksastaka, which you have seen. I have translated in my first volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam. On the basis of those eight verses, the Gosvamis wrote literatures, volumes of books. From Vrndavana they were dispatched after the disappearance of... The Gosvamis, they left so many books handwritten, that when they were dispatched it was a full cartload, a big cartload, you see. Just imagine how many books they wrote. They were great scholars, and many varieties of books of bhakti school, Krsna consciousness, they wrote. So these Gosvamis were engaged, krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana, chanting and dancing. Kirtana means chanting, and nartana means dancing. Krsnotkirtana, utkirtana. Utkirtana means very loudly, not softly.
So this loud kirtana was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya. So this disturbance, this complaint, was current even in His own time. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was introducing this kirtana system, so many brahmanas of Navadvipa, they complained to the Muhammadan magistrate -- at that time the government was Muhammadan government, Pathan -- to the Kazi that "This boy..." Caitanya Mahaprabhu was that time seventeen years, eighteen-years-old boy, but He was very popular by introducing this sankirtana, Hare Krsna chanting and dancing. And He said that simply by chanting and dancing, as we are saying, one will achieve the highest perfectional stage. So the brahmanas were working as priest, they thought that their business will not go on. They prescribed so many ritualistic performances, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu was saying simply by chanting one can achieve the highest perfection. So they were disturbed, and they lodged complaint to the then magistrate, Kazi. Maulana Chand Kazi, his name was Maulana Chand Kazi. You know, when a Muhammadan is learned and religious he gets the title Maulana. So that magistrate, Chand Kazi, was very learned scholar, not only in Muhammadan scriptures, but he was a great scholar Hindu scripture also. Just like in British period in India, there were many responsible English officers, just like high-court judge, civil service. They were very vastly learned in Sanskrit. One Mr. Woodruff, Justice Woodruff, Englishman in Calcutta high-court, oh, he was a very great scholar, Sanskrit scholar, and he translated all the tantric sastras. So scholarly people are always there. It doesn't matter. They do not belong to any class of men. Scholars are scholars, saintly persons are saintly persons.
So this Chand Kazi was a great scholar, and the brahmanas lodged complaint that "This boy Nimai Pandita..." Caitanya Mahaprabhu was known at that time "Nimai Pandita." His mother's given name was Nimai. And because He was also very great scholar, in sixteen years old he defeated many scholars. One scholar came from Kashmir. He was, his name was Kesava Kasmiri, he defeated all scholars of India. But when he came to Navadvipa he was defeated by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a great scholar. He was scholar in logic especially, nyaya. So He was known as Nimai Pandita. Pandita means learned scholar. Especially brahmanas are called pandita because generally the brahmanas are expected to be great scholars. So unfortunately, later on the pandita title was there, but some of them were great fools. Perhaps you know, our late Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru... Perhaps you've heard his name, Nehru. He came to your country I think during President Eisenhower's time, and in some meeting some American gentlemen or boys, I do not know, they asked him to explain some of the verses from Bhagavad-gita. And he, I mean to say, admitted that he was not a scholar in Bhagavad-gita. So, but his title was there, pandita. Generally, the brahmanas are given this title pandita on account of their scholarship in Vedic literature. So Nimai Pandita, Nimai Pandita. Yes. So complaint was lodged against Him, and He disobeyed the order of the Kazi, civil disobedience, and there was a great incident. Then the Kazi became His admirer, follower. That is a long story.
So the Gosvamis, six Gosvamis, they picked up Lord Caitanya's eight verses and they wrote so many books. (door opens) The Gosvamis are coming. (laughs) Hare Krsna. So these Gosvamis were chanting and dancing, krsnot-kirtana-gana-nartana-parau. So we are creating the descendants of Gosvamis here in the Western countries. You are also chanting and dancing, following the footprints of the Gosvamis, krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. And they were chanting and dancing, not dry. Premamrtambho-nidhi, dipped into the ocean of love of Krsna. You cannot chant and dance for a long time unless you are dipped into the ocean of love of Krsna. That is the specific qualification of the dancer and chanter. If you ask somebody to chant and dance for one hour, he'll get tired. But this chanting and dancing is so nice that these Gosvamis, they can go on chanting and dancing for twenty-four hours. Premamrtambho-nidhi. Because they were dipped into the ocean of love of Krsna. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi dhiradhira-jana-priyau. Dhira, dhira means gentle, and adhira means ruffians, not gentle. So they were affectionate and popular both to the gentle as well as ruffians, these Gosvamis. Everyone liked them. Krsna consciousness is so nice that unless one is a staunch atheist, everyone will like this Krsna conscious movement. As an evidence, people are receiving these boys who are chanting and dancing. Out of their love they are contributing something, they are purchasing magazines. So this is sympathy, sign of love. So they are not, of course, very big business magnate or politicians; they are common men. But it is appealing to the common people. There is no doubt about it.
So these Gosvamis were also very popular amongst all classes of men. Dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau. Because they were also benefactor. They were doing something which is beneficial to the mass of people. Dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau. Nirmatsarau means not envious. We are not envious to anyone. Yesterday I received one letter from Rayarama. He wanted my permission to make some propaganda in our magazine Back to Godhead against animal slaughter, butchery. So I replied that why should we be against a class of men who are known in the society as butcher? Actually, everyone is butcher. Actually, so-called gentlemen who are, I mean to say, supporting these butchers, they are also butchers. According to Manu-samhita, there are eight kinds of butchers. The man who is killing the animal, the man who is ordering to kill the animal, the man who is skinning the animal, the man who is purchasing the meat, the man who is cooking, the man who is eating, they are called all butchers. Just like if there is a murder case and there is a conspiracy, so it is not the man who has directly killed some person, he is arrested, but everyone who is in the conspiracy, they are all arrested. That is the common law. So in that sense everyone is butcher. Besides that, because a person is killing some cow or some animal, we are calling butcher, but mostly they are killing their soul. Anyone who is unconscious, who is ignorant of his spiritual identity, identifying himself with this body and misusing this opportunity of human form of life simply for animal sense gratification, they are also butchers. If killing of some living entity is butchery, then how great a butcher is he who is killing himself? He is killing an animal, but he is killing himself. Atma-ha. Atma-ha, self-killing, out of ignorance. Everyone is in ignorance. Any sinful activity is done out of ignorance. So ignorance is no excuse. The butcher is killing animal because he does not know what is the effect of this killing. Similarly, persons who do not know what is the value of this human form of life and simply spoiling it just like animals, they are also butchering themselves.
There is a nice instructive verse in Sanskrit. One saintly person was giving his blessings to different kinds of persons. So he first of all saw one boy, he was a prince, son of a king. So he blessed him, raja-putra. "My dear prince," ciram jiva, "you live forever." Then he saw one brahmacari, a disciple of a spiritual master, he said, ma jiva muni-putraka: "Oh, you are the disciple of a saintly person. You do not live. You die immediately." Raja-putra ciram jiva. "Oh, the prince, son of a king, you live forever; and you are a brahmacari, muni-putra, a son of a saintly person, so you die immediately." Then there was a saintly person, and he said to the saintly... He offered his blessings to the saintly person, jiva va mara va sadhoh. Sadhoh means saintly person, sadhu. "My dear saintly person, either you live or you die as you like." And there was a butcher. He told for the butcher, ma jiva ma mara iti: "You neither live nor die." So what is the significance of these four kinds of blessings? The significance is that he blessed the raja-putra, royal prince, to live forever because whatever enjoyment he's having, this is for this life. Next life is very horrible for him, next life. Just like generally in the opulent countries like America and other European countries, they are materially very opulent, they do not care for anything. They do anything, whatever they like, because they are very much proud of their material opulence. But they do not care what they are going to be next life, you see. Therefore so long they live, that is good for them. As soon as they die, they are going to the darkest region of the hell. Therefore the prince, the king's son, was blessed, "You live forever," and so far the brahmacari, brahmacari or the son of a muni, he is undergoing penance, austerities, fasting, not very comfortable life. So he was blessed that "You die immediately." Because by his pious activities he has elevated himself so high that as soon as he dies, he goes to Vaikuntha, kingdom of God. Therefore the sooner he dies is better. So muni-putra, ma jiva muni-putraka. And so far saintly person, sadhu, he said, jiva va mara va. A saintly person, "Either you live or die, the same thing. Because you are serving Krsna in this life, and as soon as you die, you will serve Krsna directly. So it is all the same." And so far the butcher is concerned, he said, ma jiva ma mara: "You don't die, don't live." "Don't live" means, "You are living in such a wretched condition, killing every day. Horrible life. Your living is horrible, and if you die, you are going to the darkest region of the hellish condition. So both life, living or dying, it is very horrible for you. So you don't live, don't die." (laughs) So that is the blessing to the butcher, "Don't live, don't die." Living condition is also horrible, and after death it is also horrible. But unfortunately, every one of us is committing butchery without understanding self-realization, what is self, "What I am." Therefore Vedanta-sutra says, "Try to understand yourself." Athato brahma jijnasa. This human form of life is meant for searching out, understanding, inquiring, about Brahman. We are all Brahmans. Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, therefore we are all Brahman. So if we do not inquire what is Brahman, then that is suicide. In the human form of life, if you do not make inquiries what is brahma, athato brahma jijnasa... Jijnasa means inquiry. This is the first aphorism in the Vedanta-sutra, that atha. Atha means thus. Atah, atah means hereafter. "Hereafter" means that we have passed through 8,400,000 of species of life; now we have got civilized form of human body; now it is the time to inquire what I am, what is God, what is my relationship with God.
So in every human society there is such inquiry and there is some answer also. So cultivating this knowledge, Krsna consciousness or God consciousness, is essential. If we do not take to these inquiries, simply if we engage ourself in the animal propensities... Because this material body is animal body, but the consciousness is developed. In the animal body or in the lower than animal body -- just like trees and plants, they are also living entities -- the consciousness is not developed. If you cut a tree, because the consciousness is not developed, it does not protest. But it feels the pain. That is scientifically proved by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. It feels. But the feeling is not so strong. But if you kill one animal, it protests because the consciousness is developed. Similarly if you kill a man, that protest is still vehement because the consciousness is still more advanced. So in this way, in different forms of life, we are developing different types of consciousness. Just like this child, because it has got a certain type of body, its consciousness is not so developed. But when this body will be grown up, when this girl will be young, then her consciousness also will be different. Not will be, it will develop. Similarly, our consciousness should develop. The perfection, the ultimate goal, the limit of development is Krsna consciousness. The consciousness is developing one after another in different bodies, but Krsna consciousness means that is the ultimate development. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. This is the definition how consciousness reaches its perfection. Bahunam janmanam ante. That perfection is reached after many, many births. Just like aquatics, plants, trees, reptiles, birds, beasts, then uncivilized human form of body, then civilized form of body, and especially the Vedic style of body. That is considered to be the highest perfectional body. And Vedic perfectional stage also achieves the highest goal when it is Krsna conscious.
Therefore Krsna consciousness is the highest goal of life. We should always remember. And Bhagavad-gita says bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births of evolution, one after another, one after another, one after another -- that evolution is going, every moment -- so when one is perfectly wise, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan. Jnanavan means perfectly wise. Jnana means knowledge, and van means one who has. The Sanskrit word van... Just like bhagavan. Bhaga means opulence, and van means one who has. So Bhagavan means one who has got six kinds of opulences in full. Every Sanskrit word has got its root meaning. It is not... Just like Krsna. Krsna has got His root meaning. Krsna, "the greatest." Krs, and na means negation. There are different meanings, but this is one of the meanings. Another Krsna meaning is "all-attractive." So God is great. That very idea is perfectly expressed in the word Krsna. So bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan [Bg. 7.19]. Jnanavan means who has attained, who has possessed, who is in possession of highest wisdom. That is Krsna consciousness. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate.
And what is Krsna consciousness? Krsna says, "One who surrenders unto Me. One who comes to Me and surrenders, 'My dear Krsna, I now understand that You are my eternal protector, You are my eternal friend, You are my eternal maintainer. I forgot You; now I understand. So I come to You and surrender. Please give me protection.' " This is called saranagati. So he is wisest man, and he continues to serve Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. So bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. What is that mam? If Krsna says, "unto Me." So "unto Me," Krsna is everything. Because He is the Supreme Lord, therefore He is everything. But what sort of? Vasudeva. That form of Krsna, Vasudeva. Vasudeva means the son of Vasudeva. That means the Krsna of Srimad-Bhagavatam who appeared Himself as the son of Vasudeva, Vasudeva. Son of Vasudeva is known as Vasudeva. Vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. And Vasudeva is all-pervasive. Whatever we see, whatever we experience, that is expansion of Vasudeva's energy. So one who understands... In the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita also it is said, maya tatam idam sarvam: [Bg. 9.4] "Everything, whatever you see, I am there. It is My expansion." maya tatam idam. Tatam means expanded. "I have been expanded everywhere." Just like this watch, this is also Krsna. This is also Krsna. The Mayavada philosophy, they misunderstand that if Krsna has expanded to become this watch, to become this pot, to become this light, to become this room, to become this cloth, then Krsna is finished. No more Krsna. That is impersonalism. But that is not the fact. Krsna exists. That is also confirmed by the Vedas. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate [Iso Invocation]. The Absolute Truth is so perfect that if perfectly taken from the perfect, everything is taken, still He's there. Just like this is a watch. If you take its hands, if you take its glass, if you take its machine, then what remains there? Nothing. It becomes zero. But Krsna is so full and complete, if you take millions of Krsna from Krsna, then Krsna is still there. That is Krsna's omnipotency. God is omnipotent. They do not understand what is this omnipotency. They say some words, "almighty," "omnipotent," but they do not understand what is this omnipotence. Just like even from material example we can see that the sun planet diffusing... I do not know how much temperature, what is the degree of that temperature, diffusing for millions and millions of years. Still, the temperature is the same. If it is possible to a material thing which is an insignificant creation of God, if the sun is so much omnipotent... Not omnipotent. The sun's light or the sunshine is from, derived from Krsna's spiritual potency. But we can see that it is so much potent that diffusing sunshine for millions of years. There is no decrease of temperature. So vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19] means Vasudeva expands Himself in so many universes, so many planets, so many paraphernalia, still, He is in Goloka Vrndavana. That is stated in the Brahma-samhita. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma bhuto [Bs. 5.37]. He is enjoying in His planet Goloka Vrndavana, and still, He is all-pervasive. maya tatam idam sarvam jagat avyakta-murtina [Bg. 9.4].
So when one comes to this understanding that Krsna, Vasudeva, He keeps Himself intact although He is all-pervasive... Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Mahatma means great soul. Just like you have heard the name of Mahatma Gandhi in our country, but the definition of mahatma in Bhagavad-gita is different. A mahatma is not a politician. A mahatma is not for the Indians and not for the Americans or any certain limited circle. Mahatma is not like that. Of course, the Indian people awarded the title "Mahatma" Gandhi, but mahatma means a different... Mahatma's definition is given in the Bhagavad-gita. There it is stated, mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. A mahatma is under the shelter of the internal potency of God. There are two kinds of potencies. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. You should read Bhagavad-gita very carefully. You'll understand everything. Apara and para. These are stated. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca... bhinna me prakrtir astadha [Bg. 7.4]. The Lord said, material world, what is this material world? This material world is composition of earth, water, air, fire, ether. And this is gross element, gross ingredients. But there are finer, subtle ingredients, mind, intelligence, ego. So these eight gross and fine elements which is the material world, that is expressed in the Bhagavad-gita that bhinna me prakrti astadha, "These eight kinds of prakrti, nature, is my separated inferior energy." Apareyam, this is inferior. They are inferior. Itas tv anya me prakrtim para. Besides these eight elements, there is another prakrti, another nature, which is superior. And what is that? We can see earth, water, fire, air, and, of course, mind we can feel, intelligence we can feel, ego also we can feel. There is feeling, although we cannot see because they are subtle. And what about the other? That is expressed in the Bhagavad-gita, jiva bhutam maha-baho [Bg. 7.5], "My dear Arjuna, they are these living entity." Some of the nonsense philosophers, they are identifying the soul with the mind, with intelligence, with ego, but they are all material. The soul is different. So this is daivi prakrti, spiritual nature. The material nature and spiritual nature.
So mahatma means, mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. Mahatmas, those who are mahatma, they take shelter of the spiritual nature, and those who are duratma or ksudratma... Maha means great, and just opposite to maha means, opposite to maha is ksudra, small. Just like somebody is very liberal and somebody is very miser. So mahatma is broad, broader-minded, broader soul, whose soul has become broader. How you can become broader? If you dovetail yourself with the supreme broadest, then you become broader. Otherwise you become smaller. So this is the difference between mahatma and ksudratma. People are generally, they are doing something for his own body, something for his society, something for his family, something for his country. So you can expand your activities, but unless you expand your activities to Krsna consciousness, you become the smaller. So,
mahatmanas tu mam partha
daivim prakrtim asritah
bhajanty-ananya manaso
(jnatva bhutadim avyayam)
[Bg. 9.13]
So mahatma means Krsna conscious, who is unalloyedly attached to the loving transcendental service of Krsna. Bhajanti mam ananya manaso, this is the definition of mahatma. Anyone who is cent percent engaged in the service of Krsna, he is mahatma. Not by stamping, that "You are mahatma, I am mahatma." No. This is the definition of mahatma. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. Daivi prakrti means they are no more interested with this material world. They are interested with the spiritual energy. Because we are spiritual energy. We are... The same energy, we are seeking after the same energy. Just like water can mix with water. Oil cannot mix with water. If you put a drop of oil with water, the oil will remain separate. But if you put a drop of water with water, immediately mixes. Similarly we are spirit soul. As soon as we are in the spiritual world, in spiritual activities, then we are one. There is no discordance. There is no opposing elements. But so long we exist in the material world, everything opposing. Everything opposing. Therefore it is struggle. Struggle for existence. Suppose if you are thrown into the sea, however expert swimmer you may be, it is struggle. It is struggle for existence. But if you are on the land, there is no such struggle. You live natural life. Similarly, mahatma, those who have become broader by Krsna consciousness, by surrendering unto Krsna after many, many births... Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. Ante means after. Janma means birth. And fully understanding that everything is Krsna, everything is display of Krsna's energy.
So Krsna and Krsna's energy, there are two things. So we are praying, Hare Krsna. Hare means we are praying to the energy, the internal energy, the spiritual energy, Radharani. Hare. We are praying "Hare, O the energy of Krsna, and Krsna." Krsna is always with energy. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Krsna, or the Supreme Lord, has many multifarious energies. Whatever we are seeing, it is all manifestation of His energy. So we are praying both to the energy. We are praying to the material energy also -- material energy also, perverted reflection of the spiritual energy. Actually, there is no material energy. Everything is spiritual. But when the spiritual energy is covered by ignorance... Just like when the sky is covered by cloud it becomes dark. Similarly, spiritual energy, when it is covered by material energy... The cloud has no separate existence. It is also creation of the sunshine. Similarly, the material energy has also no separate existence. It is also creation of Krsna, but it appears and disappears. The spiritual energy remains. So when we dovetail ourself with the spiritual energy, then we become perfect. That is our perfection. So Krsna consciousness is dovetailing ourself with the spiritual energy and thus become perfect. And this human form of life is meant for that purpose.
So we are following the six Gosvamis. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. Always chanting and dancing and chanting... What is chanting? Not any slogan, but Krsna, Hare Krsna. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. This is chanting. Chanting does not mean that you chant like some parrot, no. Chanting Krsna. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. Kirtanam, chanting, and sravanam, hearing, what? There are so many subject matters of chanting and hearing. No. Krsna or Visnu. So chanting and hearing, this was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya and followed by the six Gosvamis, and we are also following in the footprints of the six Gosvamis. Therefore we should offer our respectful obeisances, vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva gopalakau. We offer our respectful obeisances to Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, and to Raghunatha Gosvami and Jiva Gosvami and Gopala Bhatta Gosvami.
Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) Come on. Where you have been, Vamanadeva?
Vamanadeva: I'm working. I have a job.
Prabhupada: Oh.
Vamanadeva: ...making furniture, working with wood. I'm learning a lot so I can make nice thrones.
Prabhupada: (laughs) That's all right. So any question?
Woman: Is there anyone similar to Joan of Arc in the Srimad-Bhagavatam?
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Woman: Are you familiar with Joan of Arc? She was a saint.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Woman: Is there any person in the Srimad-Bhagavatam similar to her?
Prabhupada: You want to see Joan of Arc in Srimad-Bhagavatam? Why don't you take Joan of Arc of Srimad-Bhagavatam? Any activities of devotees, that is Srimad-Bhagavatam. What do you mean by Bhagavatam? Bhagavatam, Bhagavatam, Bhagav, this word comes from Bhagavan. Bhagavata, Bhagavad-sabda. The word is Bhagavata. And pertaining to Bhagavata is Bhagavata. So Bhagavata can be expanded to any unlimited. So anything in relationship with God, that is Bhagavatam. So if Joan of Arc, she was in relationship with God, she is also Bhagavatam. You should expand Bhagavatam in that way. Yes.
Madhudvisa: Recently it said in the newspaper where the scientists were sending a sputnik around the moon. I have read in your Easy Journey to Other Planets that no matter how many endeavors they make, they will never reach these other planets. Is this...?
Prabhupada: Yes. This is not the process of reaching. This is childish. That also I have made statement, this is childish. You cannot go to the moon planet in that way. It is not possible. They'll simply create story, but they'll never be successful.
Tamala Krsna: Will we know Krsna as well by thinking always how can we spread this Krsna consciousness? Is this the... be good to know Krsna as much as if you study thoroughly the Vedas?
Prabhupada: Yes. Siddhanta boliya citte na kara alasa. You have to understand the science of Krsna. There are so many books. The Gosvamis were doing that. In the next verse... I have explained one verse. The next verse is nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau. They were very much expert in studying very scrutinizingly all Vedic literatures. So, of course, reading or hearing. You may not have time to read, but try to read. If you have no time, you are hearing. We are publishing, we are publishing literature, books. I am trying to speak to you. That is also understanding, studying Krsna science. Rather, hearing is better reception. If you hear... That Vedas are therefore known as sruti. Sruti means it is received through hearing. Real process is hearing. And this age, Kali-yuga, people cannot study so much. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He was called by Prakasananda Sarasvati, He presented Himself that "What can I understand, Vedanta-sutra? I am a fool. Therefore My spiritual master has ordered Me to simply chant." So this chanting will help you. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau [SU 6.23]. Simply by studying, becoming bookworm, you cannot advance. The real secret is... That is stated in the Vedas. Unflinching faith in God and spiritual master. Then things will be revealed from within. How much strength we have got to study all these books? But Vedas says, yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau. If one has got unflinching faith in God and similar faith in the spiritual master, tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah, to him only the Vedic knowledge becomes revealed. And this is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. Lord Krsna says, tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam: [Bg. 10.10] "Those who are engaged in My service with love and affection, buddhi-yogam dadami tam, I personally give him intelligence, yena mam upayanti te, by which he can come to Me." In another place, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, tesam evanukampartham: [Bg. 10.11] "In order to show these devotees special favor, tesam evanukampartham aham ajnana-jam tamah nasayamy, I personally dissipate their darkness within the heart." Everything, the mind is full of darkness; therefore we are conditioned. So Krsna, from within He drives away the darkness of ignorance. Aham ajnana-jam tamah nasayamy. Aham ajnana-jam tamah nasayamy atma-bhava, just like that.
So He is within you. If you are sincere to Him and to the instruction, following, then everything will come out automatically even if you don't read. This is the special significance of Krsna consciousness, that we want simply sincere soul; then everything is there. You study or no study. But for preaching work, studying required. If you are..., because you have to meet so many opposing elements, so if you can give some reference from books of authority. But even if you don't give references, you can speak logically, you can place arguments logically. So Krsna will help, Krsna is within you. Don't think that Krsna is without. He's without and within, both. That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. When Krsna was standing before Kunti and He also entered within the womb of Uttara to save Pariksit Maharaja, so Kunti said that "I see that You are within and without. Still, You are unseen." God is within and without, but the rascals cannot see. They say, "Where is God? Can you show me?" But He is always everywhere, within and without. So one has to train himself how to see. That is described in the Brahma-samhita, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. One has to anoint the eyes with love of God. Then he can see. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. Santah, saintly person. Sant. Just like your San Francisco, the Sant (Saint) is Sanskrit word, santah. The saint word is Sanskrit word. Santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. Those who are saints, sants, they always see God within and without. They have got eyes to see. What is that special eyes? That is love of God, that's all.
Visnujana: Lord Jesus Christ said that if you would see God, your eye must be single. Was he referring to that same statement that love of God is that single eye?
Prabhupada: That means your one eye will be lost? What do you mean by that?
Visnujana: Just he stated it that...
Prabhupada: No, what do you understand by that? Your eyes will be single, is that the...? Then what do you mean? What do you understand by this statement?
Visnujana: I understand that your attention would be one-pointed on God.
Prabhupada: That's it! That's it. When you actually see God, you cannot see anything except God. That is God-seeing. That is stated in Caitanya-caritamrta, sthavor jangam dekhe na dekhe tava murti. A highly-elevated devotee, first-class devotee, he sees trees or the animals are moving, nonmoving, so many varieties, but he does not see their form. Everywhere he sees Krsna. That is a fact. Krsna says that sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayayah yah [Bg. 14.4]. There are millions of varieties of forms of life, but I am the seed-giving father. So a devotee sees, "Oh, here is a son of Krsna. Here is a son of Krsna. Here is a son of Krsna. Here is a son of Krsna." So if you love somebody, as soon as you see his son, you immediately remember who's son he is. Therefore he sees the tree but immediately remembers, "Oh, it is Krsna's." He sees a dog; he immediately sees Krsna, "Oh, he is Krsna's." He sees a watch; he immediately sees, "It is Krsna's." Therefore he is single-eyed, Krsna. That's all. He has no other, any other vision. Everything Krsna's. Therefore he wants to take everything towards Krsna, "Please come to Krsna consciousness. You are missing. You are Krsna's. Why you are identifying with this nonsense? Why you are thinking American, American, Indian, or this or that? You are Krsna's. Come to Krsna." This is our propaganda. We want to give eyes to the people. They are blind and their leaders are blind. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnoh [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know what is their ultimate goal of life, this Krsna, God. So what Lord Jesus Christ says, it is right. So have sankirtana. Or any other question? Hare Krsna. (kirtana-Prema-dhvani) (aside:) Stop it. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Six Gosvamis Lecture, Sri Sri Sad-govamy-astaka -- Los Angeles, November 18, 1968
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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.
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Prabhupada:
krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi
dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pujitau
sri-caitanya-krpa-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bharavahantarakau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau
This is a prayer offering obeisances to the Six Gosvamis, direct disciples of Lord Caitanya. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau. The Six Gosvamis' names are Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami... Vande rupa-sanatana raghu-yugau. And there are two Raghus. One Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and one Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami. According to whole Vedic system, there are four castes, brahmana, ksatriyas, vaisyas, and sudras. So this Raghunatha dasa Gosvami belong to the... Of course, a Vaisnava is never sudra, but in social standard they belonged to the ksatriya or sudra. Therefore he is named as dasa Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. So the Six Gosvamis... (child making noises) Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. So Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, and two Raghunatha Gosvami, and three, four, and then Jiva Gosvami and Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. Six Gosvamis. Practically, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left behind Him that eight slokas, Siksastaka, which you have seen. I have translated in my first volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam. On the basis of those eight verses, the Gosvamis wrote literatures, volumes of books. From Vrndavana they were dispatched after the disappearance of... The Gosvamis, they left so many books handwritten, that when they were dispatched it was a full cartload, a big cartload, you see. Just imagine how many books they wrote. They were great scholars, and many varieties of books of bhakti school, Krsna consciousness, they wrote. So these Gosvamis were engaged, krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana, chanting and dancing. Kirtana means chanting, and nartana means dancing. Krsnotkirtana, utkirtana. Utkirtana means very loudly, not softly.
So this loud kirtana was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya. So this disturbance, this complaint, was current even in His own time. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was introducing this kirtana system, so many brahmanas of Navadvipa, they complained to the Muhammadan magistrate -- at that time the government was Muhammadan government, Pathan -- to the Kazi that "This boy..." Caitanya Mahaprabhu was that time seventeen years, eighteen-years-old boy, but He was very popular by introducing this sankirtana, Hare Krsna chanting and dancing. And He said that simply by chanting and dancing, as we are saying, one will achieve the highest perfectional stage. So the brahmanas were working as priest, they thought that their business will not go on. They prescribed so many ritualistic performances, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu was saying simply by chanting one can achieve the highest perfection. So they were disturbed, and they lodged complaint to the then magistrate, Kazi. Maulana Chand Kazi, his name was Maulana Chand Kazi. You know, when a Muhammadan is learned and religious he gets the title Maulana. So that magistrate, Chand Kazi, was very learned scholar, not only in Muhammadan scriptures, but he was a great scholar Hindu scripture also. Just like in British period in India, there were many responsible English officers, just like high-court judge, civil service. They were very vastly learned in Sanskrit. One Mr. Woodruff, Justice Woodruff, Englishman in Calcutta high-court, oh, he was a very great scholar, Sanskrit scholar, and he translated all the tantric sastras. So scholarly people are always there. It doesn't matter. They do not belong to any class of men. Scholars are scholars, saintly persons are saintly persons.
So this Chand Kazi was a great scholar, and the brahmanas lodged complaint that "This boy Nimai Pandita..." Caitanya Mahaprabhu was known at that time "Nimai Pandita." His mother's given name was Nimai. And because He was also very great scholar, in sixteen years old he defeated many scholars. One scholar came from Kashmir. He was, his name was Kesava Kasmiri, he defeated all scholars of India. But when he came to Navadvipa he was defeated by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a great scholar. He was scholar in logic especially, nyaya. So He was known as Nimai Pandita. Pandita means learned scholar. Especially brahmanas are called pandita because generally the brahmanas are expected to be great scholars. So unfortunately, later on the pandita title was there, but some of them were great fools. Perhaps you know, our late Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru... Perhaps you've heard his name, Nehru. He came to your country I think during President Eisenhower's time, and in some meeting some American gentlemen or boys, I do not know, they asked him to explain some of the verses from Bhagavad-gita. And he, I mean to say, admitted that he was not a scholar in Bhagavad-gita. So, but his title was there, pandita. Generally, the brahmanas are given this title pandita on account of their scholarship in Vedic literature. So Nimai Pandita, Nimai Pandita. Yes. So complaint was lodged against Him, and He disobeyed the order of the Kazi, civil disobedience, and there was a great incident. Then the Kazi became His admirer, follower. That is a long story.
So the Gosvamis, six Gosvamis, they picked up Lord Caitanya's eight verses and they wrote so many books. (door opens) The Gosvamis are coming. (laughs) Hare Krsna. So these Gosvamis were chanting and dancing, krsnot-kirtana-gana-nartana-parau. So we are creating the descendants of Gosvamis here in the Western countries. You are also chanting and dancing, following the footprints of the Gosvamis, krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. And they were chanting and dancing, not dry. Premamrtambho-nidhi, dipped into the ocean of love of Krsna. You cannot chant and dance for a long time unless you are dipped into the ocean of love of Krsna. That is the specific qualification of the dancer and chanter. If you ask somebody to chant and dance for one hour, he'll get tired. But this chanting and dancing is so nice that these Gosvamis, they can go on chanting and dancing for twenty-four hours. Premamrtambho-nidhi. Because they were dipped into the ocean of love of Krsna. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau premamrtambho-nidhi dhiradhira-jana-priyau. Dhira, dhira means gentle, and adhira means ruffians, not gentle. So they were affectionate and popular both to the gentle as well as ruffians, these Gosvamis. Everyone liked them. Krsna consciousness is so nice that unless one is a staunch atheist, everyone will like this Krsna conscious movement. As an evidence, people are receiving these boys who are chanting and dancing. Out of their love they are contributing something, they are purchasing magazines. So this is sympathy, sign of love. So they are not, of course, very big business magnate or politicians; they are common men. But it is appealing to the common people. There is no doubt about it.
So these Gosvamis were also very popular amongst all classes of men. Dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau. Because they were also benefactor. They were doing something which is beneficial to the mass of people. Dhiradhira-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau. Nirmatsarau means not envious. We are not envious to anyone. Yesterday I received one letter from Rayarama. He wanted my permission to make some propaganda in our magazine Back to Godhead against animal slaughter, butchery. So I replied that why should we be against a class of men who are known in the society as butcher? Actually, everyone is butcher. Actually, so-called gentlemen who are, I mean to say, supporting these butchers, they are also butchers. According to Manu-samhita, there are eight kinds of butchers. The man who is killing the animal, the man who is ordering to kill the animal, the man who is skinning the animal, the man who is purchasing the meat, the man who is cooking, the man who is eating, they are called all butchers. Just like if there is a murder case and there is a conspiracy, so it is not the man who has directly killed some person, he is arrested, but everyone who is in the conspiracy, they are all arrested. That is the common law. So in that sense everyone is butcher. Besides that, because a person is killing some cow or some animal, we are calling butcher, but mostly they are killing their soul. Anyone who is unconscious, who is ignorant of his spiritual identity, identifying himself with this body and misusing this opportunity of human form of life simply for animal sense gratification, they are also butchers. If killing of some living entity is butchery, then how great a butcher is he who is killing himself? He is killing an animal, but he is killing himself. Atma-ha. Atma-ha, self-killing, out of ignorance. Everyone is in ignorance. Any sinful activity is done out of ignorance. So ignorance is no excuse. The butcher is killing animal because he does not know what is the effect of this killing. Similarly, persons who do not know what is the value of this human form of life and simply spoiling it just like animals, they are also butchering themselves.
There is a nice instructive verse in Sanskrit. One saintly person was giving his blessings to different kinds of persons. So he first of all saw one boy, he was a prince, son of a king. So he blessed him, raja-putra. "My dear prince," ciram jiva, "you live forever." Then he saw one brahmacari, a disciple of a spiritual master, he said, ma jiva muni-putraka: "Oh, you are the disciple of a saintly person. You do not live. You die immediately." Raja-putra ciram jiva. "Oh, the prince, son of a king, you live forever; and you are a brahmacari, muni-putra, a son of a saintly person, so you die immediately." Then there was a saintly person, and he said to the saintly... He offered his blessings to the saintly person, jiva va mara va sadhoh. Sadhoh means saintly person, sadhu. "My dear saintly person, either you live or you die as you like." And there was a butcher. He told for the butcher, ma jiva ma mara iti: "You neither live nor die." So what is the significance of these four kinds of blessings? The significance is that he blessed the raja-putra, royal prince, to live forever because whatever enjoyment he's having, this is for this life. Next life is very horrible for him, next life. Just like generally in the opulent countries like America and other European countries, they are materially very opulent, they do not care for anything. They do anything, whatever they like, because they are very much proud of their material opulence. But they do not care what they are going to be next life, you see. Therefore so long they live, that is good for them. As soon as they die, they are going to the darkest region of the hell. Therefore the prince, the king's son, was blessed, "You live forever," and so far the brahmacari, brahmacari or the son of a muni, he is undergoing penance, austerities, fasting, not very comfortable life. So he was blessed that "You die immediately." Because by his pious activities he has elevated himself so high that as soon as he dies, he goes to Vaikuntha, kingdom of God. Therefore the sooner he dies is better. So muni-putra, ma jiva muni-putraka. And so far saintly person, sadhu, he said, jiva va mara va. A saintly person, "Either you live or die, the same thing. Because you are serving Krsna in this life, and as soon as you die, you will serve Krsna directly. So it is all the same." And so far the butcher is concerned, he said, ma jiva ma mara: "You don't die, don't live." "Don't live" means, "You are living in such a wretched condition, killing every day. Horrible life. Your living is horrible, and if you die, you are going to the darkest region of the hellish condition. So both life, living or dying, it is very horrible for you. So you don't live, don't die." (laughs) So that is the blessing to the butcher, "Don't live, don't die." Living condition is also horrible, and after death it is also horrible. But unfortunately, every one of us is committing butchery without understanding self-realization, what is self, "What I am." Therefore Vedanta-sutra says, "Try to understand yourself." Athato brahma jijnasa. This human form of life is meant for searching out, understanding, inquiring, about Brahman. We are all Brahmans. Because we are part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, therefore we are all Brahman. So if we do not inquire what is Brahman, then that is suicide. In the human form of life, if you do not make inquiries what is brahma, athato brahma jijnasa... Jijnasa means inquiry. This is the first aphorism in the Vedanta-sutra, that atha. Atha means thus. Atah, atah means hereafter. "Hereafter" means that we have passed through 8,400,000 of species of life; now we have got civilized form of human body; now it is the time to inquire what I am, what is God, what is my relationship with God.
So in every human society there is such inquiry and there is some answer also. So cultivating this knowledge, Krsna consciousness or God consciousness, is essential. If we do not take to these inquiries, simply if we engage ourself in the animal propensities... Because this material body is animal body, but the consciousness is developed. In the animal body or in the lower than animal body -- just like trees and plants, they are also living entities -- the consciousness is not developed. If you cut a tree, because the consciousness is not developed, it does not protest. But it feels the pain. That is scientifically proved by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose. It feels. But the feeling is not so strong. But if you kill one animal, it protests because the consciousness is developed. Similarly if you kill a man, that protest is still vehement because the consciousness is still more advanced. So in this way, in different forms of life, we are developing different types of consciousness. Just like this child, because it has got a certain type of body, its consciousness is not so developed. But when this body will be grown up, when this girl will be young, then her consciousness also will be different. Not will be, it will develop. Similarly, our consciousness should develop. The perfection, the ultimate goal, the limit of development is Krsna consciousness. The consciousness is developing one after another in different bodies, but Krsna consciousness means that is the ultimate development. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. This is the definition how consciousness reaches its perfection. Bahunam janmanam ante. That perfection is reached after many, many births. Just like aquatics, plants, trees, reptiles, birds, beasts, then uncivilized human form of body, then civilized form of body, and especially the Vedic style of body. That is considered to be the highest perfectional body. And Vedic perfectional stage also achieves the highest goal when it is Krsna conscious.
Therefore Krsna consciousness is the highest goal of life. We should always remember. And Bhagavad-gita says bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births of evolution, one after another, one after another, one after another -- that evolution is going, every moment -- so when one is perfectly wise, bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan. Jnanavan means perfectly wise. Jnana means knowledge, and van means one who has. The Sanskrit word van... Just like bhagavan. Bhaga means opulence, and van means one who has. So Bhagavan means one who has got six kinds of opulences in full. Every Sanskrit word has got its root meaning. It is not... Just like Krsna. Krsna has got His root meaning. Krsna, "the greatest." Krs, and na means negation. There are different meanings, but this is one of the meanings. Another Krsna meaning is "all-attractive." So God is great. That very idea is perfectly expressed in the word Krsna. So bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan [Bg. 7.19]. Jnanavan means who has attained, who has possessed, who is in possession of highest wisdom. That is Krsna consciousness. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate.
And what is Krsna consciousness? Krsna says, "One who surrenders unto Me. One who comes to Me and surrenders, 'My dear Krsna, I now understand that You are my eternal protector, You are my eternal friend, You are my eternal maintainer. I forgot You; now I understand. So I come to You and surrender. Please give me protection.' " This is called saranagati. So he is wisest man, and he continues to serve Krsna. That is Krsna consciousness. So bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. What is that mam? If Krsna says, "unto Me." So "unto Me," Krsna is everything. Because He is the Supreme Lord, therefore He is everything. But what sort of? Vasudeva. That form of Krsna, Vasudeva. Vasudeva means the son of Vasudeva. That means the Krsna of Srimad-Bhagavatam who appeared Himself as the son of Vasudeva, Vasudeva. Son of Vasudeva is known as Vasudeva. Vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. And Vasudeva is all-pervasive. Whatever we see, whatever we experience, that is expansion of Vasudeva's energy. So one who understands... In the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita also it is said, maya tatam idam sarvam: [Bg. 9.4] "Everything, whatever you see, I am there. It is My expansion." maya tatam idam. Tatam means expanded. "I have been expanded everywhere." Just like this watch, this is also Krsna. This is also Krsna. The Mayavada philosophy, they misunderstand that if Krsna has expanded to become this watch, to become this pot, to become this light, to become this room, to become this cloth, then Krsna is finished. No more Krsna. That is impersonalism. But that is not the fact. Krsna exists. That is also confirmed by the Vedas. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate [Iso Invocation]. The Absolute Truth is so perfect that if perfectly taken from the perfect, everything is taken, still He's there. Just like this is a watch. If you take its hands, if you take its glass, if you take its machine, then what remains there? Nothing. It becomes zero. But Krsna is so full and complete, if you take millions of Krsna from Krsna, then Krsna is still there. That is Krsna's omnipotency. God is omnipotent. They do not understand what is this omnipotency. They say some words, "almighty," "omnipotent," but they do not understand what is this omnipotence. Just like even from material example we can see that the sun planet diffusing... I do not know how much temperature, what is the degree of that temperature, diffusing for millions and millions of years. Still, the temperature is the same. If it is possible to a material thing which is an insignificant creation of God, if the sun is so much omnipotent... Not omnipotent. The sun's light or the sunshine is from, derived from Krsna's spiritual potency. But we can see that it is so much potent that diffusing sunshine for millions of years. There is no decrease of temperature. So vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19] means Vasudeva expands Himself in so many universes, so many planets, so many paraphernalia, still, He is in Goloka Vrndavana. That is stated in the Brahma-samhita. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma bhuto [Bs. 5.37]. He is enjoying in His planet Goloka Vrndavana, and still, He is all-pervasive. maya tatam idam sarvam jagat avyakta-murtina [Bg. 9.4].
So when one comes to this understanding that Krsna, Vasudeva, He keeps Himself intact although He is all-pervasive... Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. Mahatma means great soul. Just like you have heard the name of Mahatma Gandhi in our country, but the definition of mahatma in Bhagavad-gita is different. A mahatma is not a politician. A mahatma is not for the Indians and not for the Americans or any certain limited circle. Mahatma is not like that. Of course, the Indian people awarded the title "Mahatma" Gandhi, but mahatma means a different... Mahatma's definition is given in the Bhagavad-gita. There it is stated, mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. A mahatma is under the shelter of the internal potency of God. There are two kinds of potencies. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. You should read Bhagavad-gita very carefully. You'll understand everything. Apara and para. These are stated. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca... bhinna me prakrtir astadha [Bg. 7.4]. The Lord said, material world, what is this material world? This material world is composition of earth, water, air, fire, ether. And this is gross element, gross ingredients. But there are finer, subtle ingredients, mind, intelligence, ego. So these eight gross and fine elements which is the material world, that is expressed in the Bhagavad-gita that bhinna me prakrti astadha, "These eight kinds of prakrti, nature, is my separated inferior energy." Apareyam, this is inferior. They are inferior. Itas tv anya me prakrtim para. Besides these eight elements, there is another prakrti, another nature, which is superior. And what is that? We can see earth, water, fire, air, and, of course, mind we can feel, intelligence we can feel, ego also we can feel. There is feeling, although we cannot see because they are subtle. And what about the other? That is expressed in the Bhagavad-gita, jiva bhutam maha-baho [Bg. 7.5], "My dear Arjuna, they are these living entity." Some of the nonsense philosophers, they are identifying the soul with the mind, with intelligence, with ego, but they are all material. The soul is different. So this is daivi prakrti, spiritual nature. The material nature and spiritual nature.
So mahatma means, mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. Mahatmas, those who are mahatma, they take shelter of the spiritual nature, and those who are duratma or ksudratma... Maha means great, and just opposite to maha means, opposite to maha is ksudra, small. Just like somebody is very liberal and somebody is very miser. So mahatma is broad, broader-minded, broader soul, whose soul has become broader. How you can become broader? If you dovetail yourself with the supreme broadest, then you become broader. Otherwise you become smaller. So this is the difference between mahatma and ksudratma. People are generally, they are doing something for his own body, something for his society, something for his family, something for his country. So you can expand your activities, but unless you expand your activities to Krsna consciousness, you become the smaller. So,
mahatmanas tu mam partha
daivim prakrtim asritah
bhajanty-ananya manaso
(jnatva bhutadim avyayam)
[Bg. 9.13]
So mahatma means Krsna conscious, who is unalloyedly attached to the loving transcendental service of Krsna. Bhajanti mam ananya manaso, this is the definition of mahatma. Anyone who is cent percent engaged in the service of Krsna, he is mahatma. Not by stamping, that "You are mahatma, I am mahatma." No. This is the definition of mahatma. Mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prakrtim asritah [Bg. 9.13]. Daivi prakrti means they are no more interested with this material world. They are interested with the spiritual energy. Because we are spiritual energy. We are... The same energy, we are seeking after the same energy. Just like water can mix with water. Oil cannot mix with water. If you put a drop of oil with water, the oil will remain separate. But if you put a drop of water with water, immediately mixes. Similarly we are spirit soul. As soon as we are in the spiritual world, in spiritual activities, then we are one. There is no discordance. There is no opposing elements. But so long we exist in the material world, everything opposing. Everything opposing. Therefore it is struggle. Struggle for existence. Suppose if you are thrown into the sea, however expert swimmer you may be, it is struggle. It is struggle for existence. But if you are on the land, there is no such struggle. You live natural life. Similarly, mahatma, those who have become broader by Krsna consciousness, by surrendering unto Krsna after many, many births... Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. Ante means after. Janma means birth. And fully understanding that everything is Krsna, everything is display of Krsna's energy.
So Krsna and Krsna's energy, there are two things. So we are praying, Hare Krsna. Hare means we are praying to the energy, the internal energy, the spiritual energy, Radharani. Hare. We are praying "Hare, O the energy of Krsna, and Krsna." Krsna is always with energy. Parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. Krsna, or the Supreme Lord, has many multifarious energies. Whatever we are seeing, it is all manifestation of His energy. So we are praying both to the energy. We are praying to the material energy also -- material energy also, perverted reflection of the spiritual energy. Actually, there is no material energy. Everything is spiritual. But when the spiritual energy is covered by ignorance... Just like when the sky is covered by cloud it becomes dark. Similarly, spiritual energy, when it is covered by material energy... The cloud has no separate existence. It is also creation of the sunshine. Similarly, the material energy has also no separate existence. It is also creation of Krsna, but it appears and disappears. The spiritual energy remains. So when we dovetail ourself with the spiritual energy, then we become perfect. That is our perfection. So Krsna consciousness is dovetailing ourself with the spiritual energy and thus become perfect. And this human form of life is meant for that purpose.
So we are following the six Gosvamis. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau. Always chanting and dancing and chanting... What is chanting? Not any slogan, but Krsna, Hare Krsna. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. This is chanting. Chanting does not mean that you chant like some parrot, no. Chanting Krsna. Krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. Kirtanam, chanting, and sravanam, hearing, what? There are so many subject matters of chanting and hearing. No. Krsna or Visnu. So chanting and hearing, this was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya and followed by the six Gosvamis, and we are also following in the footprints of the six Gosvamis. Therefore we should offer our respectful obeisances, vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva gopalakau. We offer our respectful obeisances to Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, and to Raghunatha Gosvami and Jiva Gosvami and Gopala Bhatta Gosvami.
Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances) Come on. Where you have been, Vamanadeva?
Vamanadeva: I'm working. I have a job.
Prabhupada: Oh.
Vamanadeva: ...making furniture, working with wood. I'm learning a lot so I can make nice thrones.
Prabhupada: (laughs) That's all right. So any question?
Woman: Is there anyone similar to Joan of Arc in the Srimad-Bhagavatam?
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Woman: Are you familiar with Joan of Arc? She was a saint.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Woman: Is there any person in the Srimad-Bhagavatam similar to her?
Prabhupada: You want to see Joan of Arc in Srimad-Bhagavatam? Why don't you take Joan of Arc of Srimad-Bhagavatam? Any activities of devotees, that is Srimad-Bhagavatam. What do you mean by Bhagavatam? Bhagavatam, Bhagavatam, Bhagav, this word comes from Bhagavan. Bhagavata, Bhagavad-sabda. The word is Bhagavata. And pertaining to Bhagavata is Bhagavata. So Bhagavata can be expanded to any unlimited. So anything in relationship with God, that is Bhagavatam. So if Joan of Arc, she was in relationship with God, she is also Bhagavatam. You should expand Bhagavatam in that way. Yes.
Madhudvisa: Recently it said in the newspaper where the scientists were sending a sputnik around the moon. I have read in your Easy Journey to Other Planets that no matter how many endeavors they make, they will never reach these other planets. Is this...?
Prabhupada: Yes. This is not the process of reaching. This is childish. That also I have made statement, this is childish. You cannot go to the moon planet in that way. It is not possible. They'll simply create story, but they'll never be successful.
Tamala Krsna: Will we know Krsna as well by thinking always how can we spread this Krsna consciousness? Is this the... be good to know Krsna as much as if you study thoroughly the Vedas?
Prabhupada: Yes. Siddhanta boliya citte na kara alasa. You have to understand the science of Krsna. There are so many books. The Gosvamis were doing that. In the next verse... I have explained one verse. The next verse is nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau. They were very much expert in studying very scrutinizingly all Vedic literatures. So, of course, reading or hearing. You may not have time to read, but try to read. If you have no time, you are hearing. We are publishing, we are publishing literature, books. I am trying to speak to you. That is also understanding, studying Krsna science. Rather, hearing is better reception. If you hear... That Vedas are therefore known as sruti. Sruti means it is received through hearing. Real process is hearing. And this age, Kali-yuga, people cannot study so much. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, when He was called by Prakasananda Sarasvati, He presented Himself that "What can I understand, Vedanta-sutra? I am a fool. Therefore My spiritual master has ordered Me to simply chant." So this chanting will help you. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau [SU 6.23]. Simply by studying, becoming bookworm, you cannot advance. The real secret is... That is stated in the Vedas. Unflinching faith in God and spiritual master. Then things will be revealed from within. How much strength we have got to study all these books? But Vedas says, yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau. If one has got unflinching faith in God and similar faith in the spiritual master, tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah, to him only the Vedic knowledge becomes revealed. And this is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. Lord Krsna says, tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam: [Bg. 10.10] "Those who are engaged in My service with love and affection, buddhi-yogam dadami tam, I personally give him intelligence, yena mam upayanti te, by which he can come to Me." In another place, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, tesam evanukampartham: [Bg. 10.11] "In order to show these devotees special favor, tesam evanukampartham aham ajnana-jam tamah nasayamy, I personally dissipate their darkness within the heart." Everything, the mind is full of darkness; therefore we are conditioned. So Krsna, from within He drives away the darkness of ignorance. Aham ajnana-jam tamah nasayamy. Aham ajnana-jam tamah nasayamy atma-bhava, just like that.
So He is within you. If you are sincere to Him and to the instruction, following, then everything will come out automatically even if you don't read. This is the special significance of Krsna consciousness, that we want simply sincere soul; then everything is there. You study or no study. But for preaching work, studying required. If you are..., because you have to meet so many opposing elements, so if you can give some reference from books of authority. But even if you don't give references, you can speak logically, you can place arguments logically. So Krsna will help, Krsna is within you. Don't think that Krsna is without. He's without and within, both. That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. When Krsna was standing before Kunti and He also entered within the womb of Uttara to save Pariksit Maharaja, so Kunti said that "I see that You are within and without. Still, You are unseen." God is within and without, but the rascals cannot see. They say, "Where is God? Can you show me?" But He is always everywhere, within and without. So one has to train himself how to see. That is described in the Brahma-samhita, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38]. One has to anoint the eyes with love of God. Then he can see. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. Santah, saintly person. Sant. Just like your San Francisco, the Sant (Saint) is Sanskrit word, santah. The saint word is Sanskrit word. Santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. Those who are saints, sants, they always see God within and without. They have got eyes to see. What is that special eyes? That is love of God, that's all.
Visnujana: Lord Jesus Christ said that if you would see God, your eye must be single. Was he referring to that same statement that love of God is that single eye?
Prabhupada: That means your one eye will be lost? What do you mean by that?
Visnujana: Just he stated it that...
Prabhupada: No, what do you understand by that? Your eyes will be single, is that the...? Then what do you mean? What do you understand by this statement?
Visnujana: I understand that your attention would be one-pointed on God.
Prabhupada: That's it! That's it. When you actually see God, you cannot see anything except God. That is God-seeing. That is stated in Caitanya-caritamrta, sthavor jangam dekhe na dekhe tava murti. A highly-elevated devotee, first-class devotee, he sees trees or the animals are moving, nonmoving, so many varieties, but he does not see their form. Everywhere he sees Krsna. That is a fact. Krsna says that sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayayah yah [Bg. 14.4]. There are millions of varieties of forms of life, but I am the seed-giving father. So a devotee sees, "Oh, here is a son of Krsna. Here is a son of Krsna. Here is a son of Krsna. Here is a son of Krsna." So if you love somebody, as soon as you see his son, you immediately remember who's son he is. Therefore he sees the tree but immediately remembers, "Oh, it is Krsna's." He sees a dog; he immediately sees Krsna, "Oh, he is Krsna's." He sees a watch; he immediately sees, "It is Krsna's." Therefore he is single-eyed, Krsna. That's all. He has no other, any other vision. Everything Krsna's. Therefore he wants to take everything towards Krsna, "Please come to Krsna consciousness. You are missing. You are Krsna's. Why you are identifying with this nonsense? Why you are thinking American, American, Indian, or this or that? You are Krsna's. Come to Krsna." This is our propaganda. We want to give eyes to the people. They are blind and their leaders are blind. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanas na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnoh [SB 7.5.31]. They do not know what is their ultimate goal of life, this Krsna, God. So what Lord Jesus Christ says, it is right. So have sankirtana. Or any other question? Hare Krsna. (kirtana-Prema-dhvani) (aside:) Stop it. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Six Gosvamis Lecture, Sri Sri Sad-govamy-astaka -- Los Angeles, November 18, 1968
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