"Follow... or Folly"

25 Dec 75, Sanand


Prabhupada: So if you have to translate, why not translate from English? That will be easier for me, and they will also understand. Tike? If he has to translate, then why not let me speak in English so that they will also understand?

Indian man: I will translate.

Prabhupada: So Bhagavan means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Absolute Truth is realized in three phases: brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. Absolute Truth can be realized in the beginning as impersonal Brahman, which is the objective of the jnanis, and next, Paramatma, which is the objective of the yogis, and at last, the last word in the absolute understanding is person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ultimate issue is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just like we understand that in the sun globe there is the Supreme Person or the surya-narayana, or the chief person within the sun planet. His name is also given in the Bhagavad-gita-Vivasvan. The Lord says in the Fourth Chapter, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam: [Bg. 4.1] "I first of all explained this science, this yoga system of Bhagavad-gita, to Vivasvan, the sun-god." Vivasvan manave prahur manur iksvakave 'bravit. And Vivasvan, the sun-god, he explained to Manu, and Manu explained to his son. In this way, by the disciplic succession the knowledge has come down. So when we speak of jnana, knowledge, it must be learned from a person. So Bhagavan, the last word in the understanding of Absolute Truth, He says in this Bhagavad-gita.

So Vyasadeva specifically means here, bhagavan uvaca. He does not say krsna uvaca, because sometimes Krsna is misunderstood by the fools. So bhagavan uvaca, this word, means whatever He says, there is no defect or deficiencies. For ordinary person like us there are four defects: bhrama pramada vipralipsa kara-napatava. Vipralipsa, cheating. Vipralipsa, cheating. So in the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna or self-realized person, servants of Krsna, those who have understood Krsna, for them there are no deficiencies. They are perfect. For this reason Krsna gives the instruction,

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti tad jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
[Bg. 4.34]

One who has actually seen or actually realized the truth, you have to take knowledge from there. So we have to approach such person. Otherwise, if we approach some speculator, we cannot get real knowledge. So those who are speculators, they cannot understand what is God. Therefore they commit mistake that "God is like this," "God like that," "There is no God," "There is no form." All these nonsense things are proposed, because they are imperfect. Bhagavan therefore said, avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritah [Bg. 9.11]. Because He comes for our benefit in the human form, the fools and rascals consider Him as ordinary person. If Bhagavan says, aham bija-pradah pita [Bg. 14.4], "I am the seed-giving father," so we, every one of us, we know that my father is person, his father is person, his father is person, and why the Supreme Person or the supreme father should become imperson? Why? And therefore we have to learn from Bhagavan, the Supreme Person, full knowledge. This Bhagavad-gita is therefore full knowledge from the full Personality of Godhead. We cannot change even one word in this Bhagavad-gita. That is folly.

So our this Krsna consciousness movement is following this principle. We don't manufacture any concocted things. We simply distribute the message given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And this is becoming effective practically. You can see practically these Europeans and Americans, Australians, all over the world, they did not know four or five years ago, or say ten years ago, since I have begun this movement, they did not know what is Krsna. Although Bhagavad-gita was being presented by so many swamis and yogis, not a single man became a devotee of Krsna. So our, this presentation, because it is pure, without any adulteration, it is acting very nicely. Even the Christian priests, they become surprised when they see that these boys, their boys -- they were Christians or Jews -- they becomes surprised that "These boys were never coming to the church. They were never interested in understanding what is God. Now, since this Krsna consciousness movement is there, how these boys have become so mad after God?" The only reason is that we are presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. We preach that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna says also in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. So this is being effective, that if we really want to understand Bhagavad-gita, we must understand as it is presented by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Our, this Krsna consciousness movement is the movement which was given to us by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction is this. He says, amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. So He is asking everyone, especially bharatiya,

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

So this Krsna consciousness movement is being conducted or was started by single-handed, myself. If all the Indian sages and saintly person, they take Bhagavad-gita As It Is and preach all over the world, there is great, great demand for it. Unfortunately, so many persons go there. One big swami, he said that "Krsna means black, and black means unknown." Of course, nobody cares for his speech. Krsna is going on, forward. Everyone is accepting Krsna. But this is the most unfortunate thing, that our men go there to deprecate Krsna. Therefore we should very carefully try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is presented by Krsna. Krsna says, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. This should be preached, that Krsna is the supreme, ultimate. Aham saravsya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate. Even Brahman, Paramatma, has also come from Krsna. Krsna is ultimate. He says, aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. He is the supreme of all the demigods. There is no need of worshiping any other demigod. Krsna says, kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah yajanty anya-devatah [Bg. 7.20]. Hrta-jnana. Hrta-jnana means who has lost his intelligence. How he has lost his intelligence? Because they get from these demigods some temporary benefit. Antavat tu phalam tesam tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam [Bg. 7.23].

So our real problem is that we... Every one of us, we are the spirit soul, part and parcel of Krsna. We are struggling for existence within this material world. So manah-sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7], struggle for existence. Therefore Krsna says that "Your real problem is janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam [Bg. 13.9]." We are eternal. We understand from Bhagavad-gita, na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. So if I am eternal, nityah sasvata, then why I am accepting death? This is real question. But foolishly we are thinking, "I am this body." Therefore we remain as an animal. So we should be interested to understand actually "What I am," aham brahmasmi. That is real solution of all problems. This is called knowledge. But sometimes we are misled by misleaders; therefore we still remain in darkness in spite of cultivating knowledge. But actually, when we cultivate knowledge under the guidance of real guru, then we can understand vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. This is confirmed in the Vedas, Brahma-samhita:

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

So spiritual knowledge means to become Krsna conscious. This is the sum and substance, to understand Krsna, what He is, not that concocting, manufacturing that "Krsna is this. Krsna is that." No. As Krsna says, as sastra says what is Krsna, you have to understand it like that. So sadhu sastra guru vakya. It is said that we have to accept knowledge through saintly person. Through sastra and guru we have to understand. So Krsna is accepted by all the sadhus and acaryas. Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Nimbarka, Visnu Svami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu -- all of them accepted Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So acarya means one who has learned, taken knowledge from the sastra, authoritative sastra, Vedas. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is recommended, acaryopasanam. If you want real knowledge, then you must take knowledge from the acaryas or the acarya-parampara. Then there is knowledge. Otherwise it is ignorance.

So under the circumstances, whatever Krsna says, Bhagavan says... Sri-bhagavan uvaca, mayy asakta-manah partha. The real business is to increase your attachment for Krsna. This is your real business. How we can increase our attachment for Krsna, that is explained by Krsna. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. The asakti, attachment, it has to be done according to the system, adau sraddha. First thing is sraddha, little faith, that "Let us go to this Krsna consciousness movement, and let us hear what they say." This is called sraddha. Then, if you become interested, then sadhu-sanga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. Those who are actually devotees of Lord Krsna, you have to associate with them. And who is sadhu? Sadhu is described by Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita:

api cet suduracaro
bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah...
[Bg. 9.30]

He is sadhu who is... So the fact is, sadhu means unalloyed devotee of Krsna. He is sadhu. Suddha-bhakta.

anyabhilasita-sunyam
jnana-karmady anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-
silanam bhaktir uttama
[Brs. 1.1.11]

One who has no other desire than to serve Krsna favorably, he is sadhu.

So we are sending all these sadhus all over the world, these European and American sadhus, because they have taken to Krsna consciousness without any doubt. And it is becoming effective. Because we have got so many expansive centers all over the world, it is not possible for me to go everywhere. But these boys, because they have taken to Krsna consciousness very seriously, they are doing very nice. And it is not difficult for them, because we have given this English translation of this book. We have got at least eighty books of four hundred pages, and they are preaching very nicely. And by the grace of Krsna... You'll be surprised to understand that we are selling books, not less than one lakh of rupees per day. So the preaching is going on very nicely. We request all Indians to take part in this Krsna consciousness movement and be yourself happy, be yourself guru, and deliver all other persons who are in ignorance. And to become guru is not very difficult. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says,

amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa
yare dekha tare kaha 'krsna'-upadesa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

You become guru. It is not very difficult. How? Now, because you have to simply repeat what Krsna has said. That's all. So Krsna says everything in the Bhagavad-gita. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. These four things if you accept -- to think of Krsna always, to become devotee of Krsna, to offer obeisances to Krsna and to worship Krsna -- these four things if you do, you become Krsna conscious, a devotee of Krsna, and you can preach all over the world. It is not at all difficult. So if you become sincere, seriously Krsna conscious, then there will be no difficulty because Krsna says,

tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
buddhi-yogam dadami tam...
[Bg. 10.10]

If you constantly, twenty-four hours remain Krsna conscious, man-mana, then -- Krsna is there within your heart -- He will give you instruction, "Do like this." So Bhagavan is not far away from you. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna [Bg. 18.61]. He is staying within the core of your heart. But if you qualify yourself as devotee, He'll speak with you. But if you commit offenses, thinking Krsna as ordinary man, then Krsna will never give you instruction.

So our request is, this Krsna consciousness movement, that you study Bhagavad-gita. You don't require... Because Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all Vedic knowledge. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. Vedas means if you are actually a student of Veda or Vedanta, Veda-Vedanta, then the ultimate goal is to understand Krsna. And if you cannot understand Krsna, however big Vedantist you may be, you remain a fool. This is the conclusion of Bhagavad-gita.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Lecture with Translator -- Sanand, December 25, 1975