Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prabhupada:
asatyam apratistham te
jagad ahur anisvaram
aparaspara-sambhutam
kim anyat kama-haitukam
[Bg. 16.8]
So we are discussing for the last few days about the asuras, demons. (aside:) Stop. So the beginning is, na saucam napi cacaro na satyam tesu vidyate. The asuras, they are asuci, unclean. That is their misfortune, that they cannot understand what is the right way, what is the wrong way. So suci, cleanliness, is the first qualification of the daiva-prakrti or devatas. There are two classes of men. One class is devata, and the other class asura. So asura class, they will have to suffer. They cannot get liberation from the material bondage. Mudha janmani janmani mam aprapya eva [Bg. 16.20]. Unless we achieve the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, our sufferings in the material world will continue. It will not stop. We are trying to stop all kinds of suffering by adjustment of this material world. That is not possible. That is stated in the sastra. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. Durasaya, hopeless.
Big, big asuras like Ravana, he also wanted to be happy himself and others by material adjustment. He proposed that "There is no need of acting piously to go to the heavenly planet. I shall construct a staircase so anyone can go." Ravanera svargesvari. So that was failure. Just like we are now trying, the modern scientists. We are trying to go to the moon planet. It is failure. They will never be able to go there. I have discussed this point. We are conditioned. We cannot live one place to another without being proficient or without being eligible. Just like even in this planet you cannot go to the other country. Suppose from India if we want to go to America, it requires arrangement, not that all of a sudden you can go to America or the Americans come here. There is international arrangement, visa, passport, immigration, so many things. So many obstacles are there even in this planet, and what to speak of going to other planet. It is not possible. You must be efficient; then you can go. That we get information from the Bhagavad-gita
yanti deva-vrata devan
pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
bhutani yanti bhutejya
yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam
[Bg. 9.25]
So in this life you have to prepare yourself. Then you can go to the higher planetary system.
urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah
[Bg. 14.18]
You can go, sarva-ga. Every living entity can go wherever he likes but he must fulfill the condition because we are in the conditional state. The material world means we are conditioned. So in order to be eligible to go to the higher planetary system like moon planet and others, we must be efficient to prepare ourself. So that preparation means the more you become situated in the sattva-guna, saucam. Satyam saucam, the brahminical qualification, arjavam astikyam, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. Unless you acquire the qualities of sattva-guna, you cannot go even in the higher planetary system, what to speak of going beyond the universe. Beyond the universe, beyond this, there are Vaikunthaloka, or the Brahmaloka, brahmajyoti. Then topmost is the Goloka Vrndavana. But you can go there. Krsna says, mad-yajino 'pi yanti mam. If you prepare in this life, then you can go there. There is no impediment. Simply you have to be purified. This bhakti-marga is the process of purification.
sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]
If we want to go to Vaikuntha planet or Goloka Vrndavana planet, beyond this material sky... That is... There is another sky. Paras tasmat tu bhavah anyah avyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah [Bg. 8.20]. These informations are there in the Bhagavad-gita. There is another sky which is called paravyoma. That is spiritual sky. That spiritual sky is eternal. When everything is annihilated within this material sky, that remains eternally. That is called sanatana-dhama. So sanatana-jiva, sanatana. Mamaivamso jiva-loke sanatanah. It is stated there. So jiva is sanatana. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [Bg. 2.20]. And Krsna is also sanatana. In the Eleventh Chapter Krsna is addressed, sanatana. And here there is another sky which is called sanatana. Avyaktah avyaktat sanatanah. So this sanatana-dhama and sanatana association... Krsna is sanatana, living entity is sanatana, and there is a sanatana-dhama.
So the cultivation of knowledge how one can go back to that sanatana-dhama and associate with the supreme sanatana and remain yourself sanatana, that is called sanatana-dharma. So we have to cultivate that sanatana-dharma, means we have to purify ourself from the material qualification or material designation. Here we have got material designation: "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am brahmana," "I am this and that." So one has to become free. That is purification, when we understand that, as Caitanya Mahaprabhu introduced Himself, that "I am not a brahmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not a sudra, I am not a sannyasi, I am not a brahmacari, but I am servant of the servant of Krsna." Gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasanudasah. If we come to this understanding, that is our purification.
Just like in our this Krsna consciousness movement we have got people from all different countries, all different religious system, caste, creed, colors, but they have forgotten their material designation. If these American boys or English boys would have thought that they are Englishmen, then they could not mix with us Indian in such humble way because they have their prestigious position. And actually materially they are advanced and opulent. Why they should come with me, an Indian, poor Indian? No. Because they have forgotten. Their designation they have forgotten. Similarly, we have to forget this material designation due to this body. This is bodily conception of life.
So nowadays it is going on very strong, "nation." We do not have any such conception in the sastra, national idea. The division is deva and asura. It doesn't matter where you are born. Even in India... Suppose you are born in a brahmana family. It does not mean that you cannot become an asura. And even if in Europe and America if you are born or in the mleccha and yavana family, it does not mean that you cannot become a brahmana. No. Krsna says openly, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. Papa-yoni, low-born. Papa-yoni. There are... They are mentioned in the sastras, kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah. They are considered as candala, less than the sudras. Kirata means Africans, the black. In our country also there are santals, very black. They live in the forest. Every country aborigines. They are called kirata. So Huns... There are Huns on the northern side of Germany. Andhra, kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah. Many. But Sukadeva Gosvami says that they can be purified, sudhyanti prabhavisnave, if they become Vaisnava. Prabhavisnave namah. If one becomes Vaisnava, then he is transcendental to this material designation.
So this Krsna consciousness movement is an endeavor to make everyone a pure Vaisnava. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Then he will be nirmala. In that nirmala stage, when he engages himself in the service of the Lord, that is called bhakti. Bhakti is not the activities of this material world. Bhakti is activity, sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. To become identified with Brahman, that is not sufficient. Aham brahmasmi. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma. That is not sufficient. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. When you become free from this material designation, brahma-bhutah stage, aham brahmasmi, that is a stage, neutral stage. Na socati na kanksati. Means you become free from the material anxieties. Material life means socati, kanksati. Always people want something, and whatever he has got, if he has lost, he laments for something. This is our material life. But when you come to the Brahman platform, na socati na... This is the first qualification -- no more lamentation, no more hankering. Samah sarvesu bhutesu. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. Then sarvesu bhutesu, every living entity, he can... He knows that every living entity is the son of Krsna. Aham bija-pradah pita, Krsna says. So why shall I distinguish between this person to that person? Everyone is Vaisnava. That is maha-bhagavata. Maha-bhagavata does not see any distinction. He sees everyone. Panditah sama...
vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama...
[Bg. 5.18]
When one has attained this stage, then he can execute devotional service. Mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]. So to become a bhakta is the highest position, highest perfection of life, beyond this material existence. That is possible. Krsna says:
mam hi partha vyapasritya
ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo vaisyas tatha sudras
te 'pi yanti param gatim
[Bg. 9.32]
Everyone is eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. So this movement is to execute this Krsna's mission. He wants it. Why He says, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah? Papa-yonayah means suffering. Here in this material world either you are in papa-yoni or ucca-yoni, there is suffering. So Krsna is... Kim punar brahmanah punya bhakta rajarsayas tatha [Bg. 9.33]. Even the papa-yonis, they can be relieved, what to speak of those who are born in good family, brahmana, punya, rajarsaya, brahmana, ksatriya. Of course, in this age it is very difficult to find out the qualified brahmana, ksatriya. Kalau sudra-sambhavah. Kali-yuga, everyone is almost sudra. And still, striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te 'pi yanti param gatim. They can be elevated. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement is para-upakara, para-upakara, because within this material world, with material designation and material envelopment, they are all suffering. Krsna is more unhappy for our suffering because we are His sons. Suppose your son is suffering. You will suffer also, not that the son is suffering. Similarly, because we have come to this conditional state of life, bhutva bhutva praliyate -- we sometimes..., once we take birth and again we die -- this is not very good proposal. But these rascals, they do not know how nature is working. Tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. We are leaving one body and accepting another body. This is a great botheration. But the rascal so-called scientist, politician, they do not know this. I therefore say, "rascals." They are very much proud of their learning, advancement of science, but they cannot understand the simple truth spoken in the Bhagavad-gita, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13]. There is dehantara-praptih. Dhiras tatra na muhyati.
So people are surprised. They do not believe that they are... But dhiras tatra na muhyati: Those who are dhira, sober, intelligent, they understand, "Yes, there is dehantara-prap..." The example He's giving, dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. Just like we are changing body, kaumaram yauvanam jara, similarly, the old body, "old order changes to a new." Again we get another body. And this is very, very great botheration of life. They do not understand. But it can be stopped. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. It can be stopped. How? Simply by understanding Krsna. Janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvatah [Bg. 4.9]. You simply try to understand Krsna. And Krsna is explaining Himself. Where is the difficulty to understand Krsna? You haven't got to speculate. You haven't got to manufacture ideas what kind of Krsna He is. He is present, dvi-bhuja-muralidhara-krsna. Krsna when He was present in the, upon this earth, everyone has seen. Krsna has His temple, thousands and millions of temples, Krsna. You can see His picture. Description is there, venum kvanantam, in the Vedic literature.
venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam
barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam
kandarpa-koti-kamaniya-visesa-sobham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.30]
Why? What is the difficulty to understand Krsna? And simply if you understand Krsna... Janma karma ca me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. They are not ordinary activities. Janma karma ca me divyam -- transcendental. If you simply understand Krsna, then we can save from this botheration of repetition of birth and death. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. He does not accept any more this material body. Then where does he go? Mam eti: "He comes to Me, back to home, back to Godhead." So this Krsna consciousness movement is trying to introduce this movement in the human society. It is not meant for any particular class of men, a particular country or particular religious system. No. It is meant for everyone. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that it is the duty of the Indians.
bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Cc. Adi 9.41]
First of all make yourself perfect. You can make yourself perfect because in the Bharatavarsa there are this Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Vedic literature. Just study them. And therefore we are publishing so many books on the basis of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam and people are appreciating very much all over the world. So it is the duty of every Indian to make his life perfect by understanding Bhagavad-gita at least, and spread the message. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission. Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Every one of you can become a guru. He says that. Amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Wherever you are, you can deliver the persons, surrounding persons in your neighborhood. "How can I become guru? I have no qualification." No. There is no need of qualification. Simply repeat. Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Very simple thing. Anyone you meet, "My dear friend, just hear little." "What is that?" "Now, Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You kindly think of Krsna. Just offer your obeisances to Krsna, just become a bhakta and chant His holy name." Bas. Your guru duty is finished. So it is not very difficult task. Anyone can do this. And then everyone will be benefited. And that is Krsna consciousness movement. Thank you very much. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 16.8 -- Hyderabad, December 16, 1976
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