Something Tangible-29 Jan 73 , Calcutta

"Something Tangible"

29 Jan 73 , Calcutta


Prabhupada: Sri Gosvamipada, Mr. Mohinath(?), Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly inviting me in this meeting to serve you to some extent according to my capacity. This Krsna consciousness movement is not a new movement, started by me, but this movement was started by Krsna Himself, five thousand years ago. I need not explain about this movement. Krsna, in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, instructed Arjuna the Krsna consciousness movement. The, in the Ninth Chapter it is said, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. This is Krsna consciousness movement. "Always think of Krsna," man-mana. Bhava mad-bhakto: "Just to become devotee of Krsna." And mam namaskuru: "Offer obeisances unto Me." Krsna instructed, mam eva ya prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. Krsna instructed that He's the Supreme Personality. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg. 7.7]. Krsna instructed to surrender. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. So this Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this instruction of Krsna. That's all. That is the order of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is Krsna Himself. Krsna-caitanya-namne.

Sri Rupa Gosvami said:

namo maha-vadanyaya
krsna-prema-pradaya te
krsnaya krsna-caitanya-
namne gaura-tvise namah
[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

When people understood Krsna wrongly... Sometimes big scholars say "Sophistry," that "Krsna wants full surrender." Others, they say, "Why you should fully surrender to Krsna? We have got our own gods." Therefore Krsna again came. As Gosvami Prabhupada said: radha krsna-pranaya vikrtir, sri caitanyakhyam prakatam avyayam. Radha and Krsna, combined together, advented as Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu to distribute Krsna-prema. Because the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is to teach people how to develop love for Krsna. As it is quoted by Gosvami Prabhupada from Srimad-Bhagavatam:

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma samprasidati
[SB 1.2.6]

Actually that is first-class religion. We do not say that Vedic religion is first-class or Christian religion is last-class. We do not say that. We say that religious system is first class which teaches the followers how to become lover of God. That is first-class religion. Ahaituky apratihata: without any cause, and without being impeded. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's philosophy is like that, which is explained by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura: prema pumartho mahan aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam.

So we are preaching this philosophy to the Western countries by the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He desired,

prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe more nama

That is His prediction. It is nothing wonderful that we are doing. Simply we are trying to fulfill the prediction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But another order is there by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that,

bharata-bhumite manusya janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' karo paropakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]

So that is lamentable. Now Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is being spread all over the world, but our Indian brothers are not joining it, although it is the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Bharata-bhumite manusya janma haila yara. He requested to the humankind who has taken birth in this land, in this punya-bhumi, Bharatavarsa. Not to the cats and dogs, but to the human beings. That time has come now. If you want to prove that you are actually human being in this land, then you must take seriously the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and spread all over the world. That is the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And it is not very difficult. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says,

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

To become guru, or spiritual master, is not very difficult task. Simply you have to follow the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as he said. He accepted Krsna: the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa tanayoh. We have to simply preach that "You are searching after God, you great scientists, theologists, theosophists, mental speculators. You are searching after God, the Absolute Truth. Here is God, Krsna." Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28].

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

So our task is very easy. Everything is there. Our Vedic literature is so full, so treasure of knowledge, great treasure of knowledge, we haven't got to make research, search out where is the truth. Truth is there and is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: satyam param dhimahi [SB 1.1.1]. Why don't you take it? The whole world is suffering for want of this knowledge. Before me, many swamis went in the Western countries, but they did not give the actual pure Vedic culture. They invented their own ways. Therefore it was not very fruitive. It was not very satisfactory. People did not accept. Still there are so many yogis, the so-called yogis, are going there, exploiting the people, and coming back. But our Krsna philosophy is taken very seriously in the Western countries. We have got now hundred and two branches all over the world. Only in America, we have got fifty branches. And other countries they have got fifty-two branches -- in America, in Canada, in England, in France, in Germany, in Switzerland, in Japan, in Australia, in New Zealand. All over the world. So now we want some of the young men to come forward to become really brahmanas, Vaisnavas. Our Vedic culture is divided into four varnas: brahmana ksatriya vaisya sudra. Unfortunately we are simply manufacturing sudras, not brahmanas. That is the defect of modern education. Sudra, sudra means paricaryatmakam karyam sudra karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44]. After education, every (indistinct) is hankering after a service. That is sudra karma svabhava-jam. This is not perfect education. There must be brahmanas who are independent. Canakya Pandita, whose name is still, still celebrated, he was prime minister of Maharaja Candragupta, but he was not accepting a single paisa as salary. That was the, formerly, although there was monarchy, still there was a council of learned brahmanas and sages. They used to advise the king. The brahmanas did not take part in politics, but they gave advice, instruction to the kings, rajarsi. Imam rajarsayoh viduh. The rajarsi used to understand what is the values of life under the instruction of brahmanas, and they execute the order of the brahmanas. The people were happy. And because at the present moment such system is lost, people are confused and they are in frustration.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is all-embracing. It can solve all the problems of the world -- political, social, economical, religious, everything. It is all-embracing. So my request is that I am working now with my American disciples and European disciples. Why not Indians? I think in this meeting there are many young men, educated, learned scholars. Join this movement and, according to the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,

bharata-bhumite manusya janma haila yara
janma sarthaka kari' karo paropakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]

This is the time to do welfare activities for the whole world. They are merged into confusion, everywhere. You know that in the Western countries, the hippy movements. What are the hippies? They're also educated, coming from very rich family also, but they do not like the way of envelopment as their fathers and grandfathers liked. They have rejected. So this is the golden opportunity to preach the Krsna cult all over the world. You are lamenting because a few yards of land has been taken away from your country as Pakistan, but if you spread this Krsna consciousness movement, the whole world will become Hindustan. There is such potency; I give you my direct perception. People are hankering after it. So long I am in India, practically I am wasting my time. Outside India, this reception is taken so seriously that every part of my moment is properly utilized.

So I have come to this university with a hope that some of you become really brahmana. The Sanskrit department is meant for brahmanas. Pathan pathan yajana yajana dana pratigraha. A brahmana is called pandita. Why? Because a brahmana must be learned. Brahmana is not called a fool. So this department, Sanskrit department, is meant for the brahmanas. So I wish that some of you must join this movement, go to the foreign countries, preach this sublime cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama. There is great need. We have, of course, established so many temples, but still we require to establish temples, Radha-Krsna temples, Caitanya Mahaprabhu's temple, in every village, every town of the world. Now from each and every of our centers, we are sending devotees in buses. They are going interior, into the villages of Europe and America, and they are very much well received. England especially, they are going village to village. They are very much well received. This cult is so nice. Even Christian priests, they are surprised. They are surprised. One of the priest in Boston, he issued pamphlet that "These boys, they're our boys, from Christian and Jews. Before this movement, they did not care to come to the churches even. Now they are mad after God." They are admitting. The Christian priestly class, they are not against us. Those who are saner class, they're admitting that "Swamiji's giving something tangible." Their fathers and forefathers come to me. They bow down. They say, "Swamiji, it is a great fortune for us that you have come to our country." So I am alone working, and the movement is being appreciated. And if persons, scholars from this University come forward and teaches this movement, it is meant for that. Brahmana's business is that, preaching. Brahma janati. One must know Brahman, and distribute the knowledge of brahma-jnana. That is the business of brahmanas.

So I wanted to recite some stanzas from Srimad-Bhagavatam, but there is no very much time. Long, long years ago, the father of Maharaja Bharata, under whose name this planet is called Bharatavarsa, so he instructed: nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhati vid-bhujam ye [SB 5.5.1]. Here is the Fifth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan kaman arhati vid-bhujam ye. This human form of life, ayam deha... Ayam deha nrloke: "in the human society." This is not meant for working very hard like the dogs and hogs. Kastan kaman arhati vid-bhujam ye. Simply by working hard, day and night, for sense gratification, this is done by the dogs and hogs. This is not meant for the human society. But, but at the present moment, people are being instructed in such a way... I've seen so many -- especially in Calcutta -- so many educated boys and girls, they are hankering after service. Day and night they are working. This is not the effect of education. The effect of education should be peaceful mind, peaceful living. That is the duty of the parents, of the guardians, of the government. When there is monarchical government... We see from the reign of Prthu Maharaja. He was seeing that every brahmana is engaged in his occupational duty, every ksatriya is employed, is engaged in occupational duty. Similarly vaisya. There was no question of unemployment. That is the first duty of the government to see. Neither there is division of the brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisya, sudra, although it is made by Krsna Himself: catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. There have been so many anomalies in the society for want of this Vedic culture. Now here is the opportunity. People are accepting Krsna consciousness movement very nicely. You can introduce this Vedic culture throughout the whole world. They're receiving.

So the human form of life is especially meant for tapasya. Tapo divyam. Here it is said: tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam suddhyed yasmad brahma-saukhyam anantam [SB 5.5.1]. We are hankering after happiness, but happiness cannot be enjoyed so long our existence is not purified. So for purification of our existence we have to undergo tapasya. So we are introducing this tapasya in nutshell. We are asking our students four principles, four regulative principles. No illicit sex life. Beyond marriage life, there is no sex. No intoxication, up to smoking and drinking tea. No meat-eating. No eggs, no fish. And no gambling. We are... And chanting this Hare Krsna mantra. These five principles we are teaching. These four regulative principles, refraining from sinful activities. These are the basic pillars of sinful activities: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life. That is... We get from the sastra. Pariksit Maharaja, he enunciated that Kali Yuga. He was... He ordered Kali Yuga, Kali, to live in these places. When he was ordered to go out of his kingdom, he said, "My dear Lord, everywhere is your kingdom. Where shall I live?" So he ordered him that "You live in these places, striyah suna panam dyutam yatra papas catur-vidhah."

So if we want to elevate the social condition, we shall teach people to become purified. Without being purified, simply so-called performance of religious system will not help. Srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. We should teach people how to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the injunction given by Suta Gosvami in Naimisaranya, the assembly of great brahmanas, learned brahmanas.

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
varnasrama-vibhagasah
svanusthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhir hari-tosanam
[SB 1.2.13]

This is the philosophy. So we are teaching this philosophy all over the world. They are being accepted. But I am doing it single-handed. But if some of you come and join us, it will be increased, and people will be very, very happy.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [break] That is my reply. Otherwise, I have not come to teach you something invented by me. I have come to teach you about Krsna consciousness. And if you are not interested in Krsna consciousness, then you must be amongst these four classes of men: duskrtinah mudhah, naradhama, mayayapahrta-jnana. This is my first reply. So far economic condition is concerned, then I may say, eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. God supplies you everything. God is supplying food to the elephant who is eating at a time forty kilos of food, and He's supplying to the ants also. So your anxiety for food, that is not humanly. Even the cats and dogs, they are not anxious for their food. Even the birds, they rise early in the morning, they are also not anxious for the food. God has arranged for food, everyone. Tal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukham. As you do not try for getting distress, it comes upon you according to your karma, similarly the so-called happiness also will come upon you without any endeavor. But because you have no faith in God, you are thinking that you will die out of hunger. That is not the position. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateto kovido. Our only business is how to become advanced in Krsna consciousness. There is no other problem in human life. Athato brahma jijnasa. This is the human life. But you have been deviated from that high standard of life. You are now questioning in this way. That is my reply. Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => University Lecture -- Calcutta, January 29, 1973


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