Human Form Of Life Is For... 72/12/10 Ahmedabad, Bhagavad-gita 18.67

Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


Prabhupada:

idam te natapaskaya
nabhaktaya kadacana
na casusrusave vacyam
na ca mam yo 'bhyasuyati

So we were discussing this verse yesterday. So there are persons abhyasuyati, envious of Krsna. Envious. Who is envious of Krsna? Demons. Just like Kamsa. Always making plan, how to kill Krsna. As soon as he heard that his eighth son of his sister Devaki would kill him, as soon as he heard this prophecy, he become a determined enemy of Krsna. He was always thinking in a different way. Pratikulyena. Anukulyasya sankalpah pratikulyam vivarjanam. This devotional service means to accept favorable and reject unfavorable. This is called saranagati. Surrender means to accept favorable things, how I can make progress towards Krsna, and pratikulya, pratikula means rejecting unfavorable things which are not very congenial for my progress to Krsna consciousness. Raksayisyaty iti visvasa-palanam. And to have firm faith that "Krsna will give me protection. Krsna will give me protection." Krsna says,

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
[Bg. 18.66]

So to have firm faith in the statement of Krsna. Krsna says, "I'll give you protection from the resultant action of all sinful activities." We must know that anyone who are, anyone who is in this material world -- more or less sinful. Without being sinful, nobody exists in this material world. Just like yesterday we visited the Savarmati (?) jail. So all the prisoners who are there, it is to be understood they are all sinful, or criminals. Otherwise, how they are put into the jail. So this material world is jail. You cannot have freedom here. It is not possible. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. And the superintendent of jail is Durga-devi. You have seen the many, there are many worshiper of goddess Durga. She is the superintendent of this jail. Durga. Durga means fort. So this material world is just like a fort, and the predominating deity is the Durga-devi. Therefore she is equipped with so many weapons, ten kinds of weapons on ten hands. That means there are ten directions. The four corners, east, west, south, north, and the four corners, up and down. These are the ten directions. So you cannot escape. Just like from the jail you cannot escape, there is very strong guard, similarly, we are all put into this fort, durga, material universe. So... And the deity, predominating deity, is Durga-devi.

There are some people, they think, "By satisfying Durga, we shall be happy." That is also mentioned in the sastras, but that happiness is only within this material world. Dhanam dehi rupam dehi rupavati-bharyam dehi yaso dehi, dehi, dehi. After worshipping goddess Durga, we ask all these benedictions: "Give me money, give me beautiful wife, give me reputation, give me strength, give me victory." Durga-devi gives you. But that is not actual happiness.

Therefore Krsna says that abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino 'rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. "My dear Arjuna, even if you are promoted to the highest planetary system Brahmaloka, that is not happiness." In the Brahmaloka, the duration of life is so long that you cannot calculate even one day. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmano viduh [Bg. 8.17]. Sahasra-yuga. One yuga means forty-three lakhs of years. And multiply it by one thousand. Sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahah. Now calculate. That duration is one day of Brahma. One day means twelve hours. Similarly, another twelve hours, night. Day and night. Then again, thirty days, one month. Similarly, twelve months equal to one year. Such one thous..., one hundred years is the duration of Brahma. So anyone who goes to the Brahmaloka... They are trying to go to the moon planet. I don't think they have been successful. But this is not a very difficult task. But even if you go to the Brahmaloka, where the duration of life is so long and the comforts of life are many, many thousand times what, which we can perceive here, Krsna says that "Even you go there, then the birth, death, old age and disease is there. You cannot avoid it." Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam.

Brahma, when he was approached by Hiranyakasipu to have the benediction to become immortal, Brahma said, "Oh, I am not immortal. How can I give you the benediction?" So any planet within this material world, you may go, you may try to become happy, but there is no such thing as immortality. That is not possible within this material world. Mad-dhama gatva punar janma na vidyate. Krsna says, "But if you come to My planet..." There is Krsna's planet. As there is Brahma's planet, similarly there is Krsna's planet. That planet is called Goloka Vrndavana. Yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama [Bg. 15.6]. So anyone can go. That is not very difficult. But we do have no information. Although the informations are all there, in the Bhagavad-gita or all Vedic literature, we do not take care of it. We are surprised only by the movement of the sputnik going to the so-called moon planet, coming back, taking some dust. So we are very much surprised with this movement, but we, we do not care to know that "I am a spirit soul. My movement is so unique and beautiful that I can go back to home, back go Godhead." That we do not know. This is called ignorance, mudha. Mudha, foolish persons, rascals. They do not know. Very meager idea.

How we can be promoted? Krsna says, in the Bhagavad-gita: yanti deva-vrata devan [Bg. 9.25]. Those who want to go to the planetary system of the demigods... The moon planet is one of them. They can go. You have to prepare yourself in this life. We have discussed all these things in our small booklet, Easy Journey to Other Planets. For those who are interested who can read. So we can go any planet, who are interested who can read. So we can go any planet, any type of forms of living entities. There are 8,400,000 forms of body, material body. So ye yatha mam prapadyante. You desire anything, you'll be given chance by Krsna. Krsna is so kind that He gives you chance according to your desires. Ye yatha mam prapadyante. Mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah. But why we should want something which is perishable? That is intelligence. Krsna says, abrahma-bhuvanal lokah. Even if you go the Brahmaloka planet, that is also perishable. You'll have to return again.

yanti deva-vrata devan
pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
bhutani yanti bhutejya
yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam
[Bg. 9.25]

If you desire to go to the planetary systems of the demigods, you can go. If you want to remain here, in this Bhurloka, Bhuvarloka, you can remain. If you want to go to the Pitrlokas... Just like according to our Vedic system, there is pitr-tarpana. You know, all. By offering pitr-tarpana, you can be promoted to the Pitrloka. This is the idea. Similarly, if you want to go to the Supreme Planet, yad gatva na nivartante [Bg. 15.6], the abode of the Supreme Lord, Goloka Vrndavana or Vaikunthaloka, you can go. So if we want actually promotion of life, I mean to say, established life, eternal life, and eternal body, sac-cid-ananda, and eternal blissful life of knowledge, then you must worship Krsna. That is the verdict.

Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is the mission of Bhagavad-gita. The best chance. And Krsna comes here to give you the idea what is the function of the Krsnaloka. That He displays in Vrndavana here. Radha-madhava kunja-vihari. That is His business, simple life, village life. They're all young boys and girls, the gopis and the cowherds boy. They're enjoying, dancing. Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. And Krsna, just like we have got some hobbies, we keep some cats and dogs, Krsna has got also hobby. What is that? Surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. He's always engaged in taking care of the surabhi cows. Gopala. That is His business. So He's so simple, life.

So the difficulty is the people cannot understand these things. They are of opinion that after this life, everything's finished. The greatest scientists, philosophers, they are thinking like that. That means practically they have no sense. Why there is no life after death? I am experiencing that I was a baby, and after that baby body is finished, I got a body of child. Then, from child body, I got the body of a boy; then as a young man, then I have got this... Now, why not after changing this body, another body? Where is the reason? In my this experience I get that I have changed so many bodies. But I remember. I am existing. Although my different bodies are finished, I am existing. Similarly, tatha dehantara-praptir dhiras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. Similarly, I shall get another body. So what kind of body I shall get, that is the preparation stage in this life. What kind of body I'm going to get. That is karmana daiva-netrena jantur deha upapatti [SB 3.31.1]. As you are working here, this is a chance, human body. Here is a chance. You can make your next body as lower animals, or demigods, or go back to home to Godhead. Whatever you like. Yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah [Bg. 9.25]. These are the instructions of Bhagavad-gita.

So one has to understand all these things by little tapasya. Because to go back to home, back go Godhead is not very easy thing. Because we are so much entangled with this gross material body and subtle material body. And the subtle material body is creating... Just like a spool, creating another body, another body, desires. Material desires. So we have to change these material desires into spiritual desires. Then we get spiritual body. Karmana daiva-netrena. There... This is the function of the laws of nature.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

Prakrti. So long we are in this material world, we are associating with different modes of material nature. And prakrti is giving me different types of bodies. In this way, we are rolling, we are wandering. Now, this, this human form of life is meant for understanding that there is spiritual life, there is eternal life, there is blissful life, and prepare for that. That is Krsna consciousness movement. Do not waste your time. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura sings,

hari hari biphale janama gonainu

manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya,

janiya suniya bisa khainu

After getting this opportunity, this human form of life, if we do not take to Krsna consciousness, that is means willingly we are taking poison. Willingly. By becoming Krsna conscious in this life, you can be transferred to the spiritual world. Immediately. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Everything is explained there. As soon as you die. Immediately you are transferred to the spiritual world. How? Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Anyone who understands Krsna in truth, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah...

This is tattvika knowledge. Tattvika knowledge means to understand Krsna as He is. Krsna says, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "There is no more superior truth beyond Me. I am the Supreme Truth." Param brahma param... Arjuna understood it. Param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. This is understanding. This is parampara understanding. If you want to understand Bhagavad-gita, if you want to understand Krsna, then you have to follow the footprints of the mahajanas. Evam parampara-praptam. As Arjuna understood it. How Arjuna understood it? Param brahma, "the Supreme Brahman." We are all Brahman. There is no difficulty to understand aham brahmasmi. That's all right. But we are not Param Brahman. We are Brahman because part and parcel of Brahman, qualitatively one with Brahman. Aham brahmasmi.

Just like if you say, "I am Indian," so there is no harm. But you cannot say that you are as big, as powerful as Indira Gandhi. She is also Indian. Similarly, you may become Brahman, but you cannot become Param Brahman. That is Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, aham brahmasmi: "I am not this body, I am not this material form. I have got my spiritual identity." That is called aham brahmasmi. And when one understands this fact, that he is not this material body, that is called brahma-bhutah. Without understanding this: jiva-bhuta.

Everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. As soon as one understands that he's not this body, he's spirit soul, then he becomes prasannatma. Because prasannatma means we are all working on the bodily concept of life. "I am Indian." "I am American." "I am Hindu." "I am Muslim." "I am brahmana." "I am sudra." "I am this." "I am that." So when one understands that "I am not this body," then he comes to the point: "Why I am working so hard for this body?" Misunderstanding. That is called brahma-bhutah prasannatma. Immediately your so many responsibilities go away. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati, samah sarvesu bhutesu [Bg. 18.54]. Then you understand that "Why I am envious of this man or that man, this animal or that animal? They are all part and parcel of Krsna. They are all brahmanas." So samah sarvesu bhutesu, panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. He sees brahma-darsi. In this way, when samatvam, samatvam, he comes to the point of samatvam, equality, mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54], that is the beginning of devotional life. That is the beginning of... It is not a sentiment. It is a great science to become a devotee, to come to the platform of devotional life. Mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]. When one comes to that stage of devotional life, then bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. At that time, one can understand what is Krsna. Tattvatah. The same thing. In three places, Krsna has been described: tattvatah. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid vetti mam tattvatah [Bg. 7.3]. How to understand tattvatah? Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55].

So if you want to understand Krsna, then you have to take the life of devotion. And one who does not take to this life of devotion, he cannot understand Krsna of Krsna-philosophy, Bhagavad-gita. It is far, far away. It is... My Guru Maharaja used to say, "It is just like licking the honey bottle." One may come to the bottle filled with honey, but simply by licking the bottle, what taste he will get? The honey must be opened. Then if you taste, you will know what is honey. Similarly, simply by taking Bhagavad-gita and trying to understand it by so-called scholarship is licking up the honey bottle. That's all. There will be no taste. There will be no taste. You go on for many millions of years, licking up that bottle. You'll never understand. If you want to understand, then Krsna says here:

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

The same tattva. You have to approach a person who has seen tattva, tattva-darsinah. So that tattva-darsi already explained. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. One can become tattva-darsi simply by devotional service. So for coming to the platform of devotional service one has to make some sacrifice. That is called tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily accepting some difficult things. That is called tapasya. Therefore those who have not taken to that, those who have taken Bhagavad-gita as a table talk, they cannot understand. Not Bhagavad-gita should be preached amongst them. Therefore Krsna is warning: idam te na atapaskaya nabhaktaya. Idam te natapaskaya nabhaktaya kadacana: "Never describe, never described this Bhagavad-gita." Krsna said in the previous verse... People will not be able to understand. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This simple fact cannot be understood by any man who has not undergone some austerities, penances, and who has not become a devotee. It is not possible. Therefore Krsna is warning: "Don't speak to these nonsense. They will not understand." But a devotee of Krsna tries to make them devotee. Because Krsna, in the next verse, says, ya idam paramam guhyam mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati [Bg 18.68]. Mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati. Here, in this verse, it is said, nabhaktaya: "Don't speak this truth of Bhagavad-gita to the abhaktas," but if you can speak to the bhaktas... Ya idam paramam guhyam. Paramam guhyam. It is the most confidential knowledge, most confidential part of Vedic knowledge. It is said in the beginning: sarva-guhyatamam. Sarva-guhyatamam: "most confidential." So paramam guhyam mad-bhaktesu. Because from the beginning it is simply said, "Only the bhaktas can understand." Therefore it should be preached amongst the bhaktas. Mad-bhaktesu abhidhasyati, bhaktim mayi param krtva mam eva esyasi, esyati asamsayah.

So this is another opportunity. Just create everyone, everyone, especially... Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara: [Cc. Adi 9.41] "Anyone who has taken birth in this holy land of Bharatavarsa..." Janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara. This is the injunction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that "First of all, make your life perfect. Just try to understand what is Krsna and what is Bhagavad-gita and make your life practical in understanding Bhagavan and the bhakti." Janma sarthaka kari'. "Then go and preach all over the world." Paropakara. Because the whole world is in darkness. They are too much materially congested. Their brain... Big, big professors, they say, "After death, there is no life." And they are going as teachers and professors. So especially in the western world, they are so much engrossed. So our request is, those who are actually intelligent: "Take to this Krsna consciousness movement seriously, especially Indians, and try to preach all over the world." They are also hankering after it. And Krsna says that simply by trying to preach the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita as it is, then he become a great devotee of Krsna. Bhaktim mayi param. Para-bhakti. That para-bhakti, already explained:

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
[Bg. 18.54]

Para-bhakti. Na apara. Apara means material, and para means transcendental. Para-bhakti. Without coming to the stage of para-bhakti, one cannot understand Krsna. So that para-bhakti means one must be freed from all sinful activities. Yesam anta-gatam papam. Not ordinary man. Yesam anta-gatam papam jananam, jananam punya-karmanam. Those who are always engaged in pious activities, they cannot be engaged in sinful activities. By pious activities, constantly being engaged in pious activities... Then what is that pious activities? Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [SB 1.2.17]. Simply if you hear and chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra, punya-sravana-kirtanah, you become pious. Even you, you do not understand, if you simply engage. So the method is very simple. You can become pious and you can become free from all sinful activities. So

yesam (tv) anta-gatam papam
jananam punya-karmanam
te dvandva-moha-nirmukta
bhajante mam drdha-vratah
[Bg. 7.28]

Then he can surrender unto Krsna: vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]. These are the process, simple processes. You, we have to simply take it seriously. So therefore this Krsna consciousness movement is prohibiting the four pillars of sinful life. What is that? Illicit sex life. Illicit sex life. And meat-eating. Meat-eating. Meats, fish, egg, everything. Amisa. Amisa-bhoja. Meat-eating. And intoxication. All kinds of intoxication. Not only liquor or LSD, but also tea, coffee, cigarette, everything. Illicit sex life, meat-eating, and intoxicant and gambling. These are the four pillars of sinful life. So we are advocating: "Please give up these four principles of sinful life and chant Hare Krsna mantra, at least sixteen rounds." You become situated in the transcendental position, and you can understand what is Krsna and what is Bhagavad-gita. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [break]

Indian man (1): ...can be removed. Nistraigunya, traigunya-visaya veda nistraigunyo bhavarjuna. If there is a contradiction between the principles taught by Vedas and taught by Gita? Sir?

Prabhupada: Nistraigunya. As soon as you become a devotee, you become nistraigunya. As soon as you become a devotee, pure devotee of Krsna, you are situated on the platform of nistraigunya.

Indian man (1): Traigunya-visaya vedah...

Prabhupada: Traigunya means these three qualities: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So the whole Vedic literature is describing how to get out of this entanglement of three gunas. So as soon as you come out of these three gunas, then you become nistraigunya.

Indian man (1): Nistraigunyo bhavarjuna.

Prabhupada: Ahh. So how you can become nistraigunya? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]

This is nistraigunya. If you engage yourself in unadulterated, avyabhicarena, devotion, then you become immediately situated on the platform of nistraigunya. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate. So pure devotional service means anyabhilasita-sunyam [BRS 1.1.11]. Anyabhilasita-sunyam. Anyabhilasa. We have got so many desires, all material desires. So one should be free from all material desires. Jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Madhya 19.167]. Jnana, nirbheda-brahmanusandhanah(?). This is generally understood as jnana. And karma means to be elevated to the higher planetary systems, heavenly planets. So anavrtam. We should not be touched with jnana and karma. Neither we have any material desires. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam. Simply cultivating Krsna consciousness anukulyena, favorably. Bhaktir uttama. That is the highest platform of devotional service.

sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

When we become free from all designations... We have so many designations: "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brahmana," "I am this," "I am that." These are our upadhi. I am pure soul. And as pure soul, I am part and parcel of Krsna. My only business is to serve Krsna. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir uttama. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. Hrsika, the senses, when the senses are engaged in the service of the proprietor of the sense, Hrsikesa, that is called bhakti. So nistraigunya means to be situated on the platform where these three gunas cannot affect. That is nistraigunya.

Indian man (2): That mama sa janmakara, (?) that means we cannot be exactly Krsna. We can be like Krsna, but not exactly like Krsna by bhakti.

Prabhupada: No, no. You cannot become Krsna.

Indian man (2): Mama sa janmakara.

Prabhupada: What is that? Manusya? That is mental speculation. Krsna is asamaurdhva. Nobody can become Krsna, nor even equal to Krsna. Ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya. Only master is Krsna and everyone is servant. This is our real position. Everyone.

ekale isvara krsna ara saba bhrtya
yare yaiche nacaya se taiche kare nrtya

According to the direction of Krsna, we are dancing in different activities. Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15]. Krsna is situated in everyone's heart. I wanted to do something, desire; Krsna reminds me: "Now here is the opportunity. I give you opportunity. Now you can do it." Mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca. So if you want to forget Krsna, Krsna will give you such intelligence that you'll forget Him. And if you want to serve Krsna, Krsna will give you such intelligence as you'll be able to serve Krsna.

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

So it is up to you whether you want to forget Krsna or you want to serve Krsna. If you want to serve Krsna, Krsna will give you intelligence how you can elevate yourself by serving. And if you want to forget Krsna, Krsna'll give you such intelligence that you'll forget forever. That is Krsna.

Indian man (3): So many times Lord Krsna told us: mama vartmanuvartante yantrarudhani mayaya, isvarah sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 18.61]. I want to know why He's so unkind and He allows us to sin. That people, He wants to go. They are very persevering. And He again said, yatato hy api kaunteya purusasya vipascitah, indriyani pramathini. He should have helped the nature, how to leave the whole universe, so (that) if mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah, if the (indistinct) the way, the royal road, the royal road of Krsna, Lord Krsna, should be very easier.

Prabhupada: So mama vartmanuvartante means that just like on the top of, just like there so many skyscraper buildings in America. A hundred and five stories. I think that is the latest. So suppose you have to go to the topmost flat. There is staircase. So everyone is trying to go there. But someone has passed, say, ten steps. Another had passed, say, fifty steps. Another has hundred steps. But you have to complete, say, two thousand steps. So the staircase is the same. Mama vartmanuvartante. Because the aim is to go to the topmost flat. But the one who has passed ten steps, he is lower that one who has passed fifty steps. And the one who has passed fifty steps, he's lower than who has passed hundred steps. So similarly, there are different processes. But all the processes are not the same. They're aiming at the same goal, karma, jnana, yoga, bhakti, but bhakti is the highest step. Because when you come to the platform of bhakti, then you can understand what is Krsna. Not by karma, jnana, yoga. That is not possible. You are trying, you are going towards that aim, but Krsna says, bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. He does not say, "By jnana, by karma, by yoga." No. That you cannot understand. You can go forward, steps. But if you want to know Krsna, then bhakti. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. This is the process. Therefore mama vartmanuvartante means "Everyone is trying to come to Me, according to their capacity, ability, but one who actually wants to understand Me, the simple process..." Just like the staircase is there, but not in this country, in Europe and American countries, side by side, there is lift, elevator. So instead of going step by step to the highest flat, you take the help of this lift. You go immediately, within a second. So if you take the lift of bhakti, then immediately you come in contact with Krsna directly. Instead of going by step by step by step. Why should you take? Therefore Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You simply surrender unto Me. Your business is finished." Why should you labor so much, step by step by step by step by...? [break]

Indian man (4): ... is, what about the statement: jnani tv atmaivam eva tvam?

Prabhupada: Yes. That jnani does not mean nirbheda-brahmanusandhanah(?). Jnani, without jnana, how one can become bhakta. Because the result of jnana is to become brahma-bhutah. So those who are taking bhakti as sentiment, they may fall down. Sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah. Prakrta-bhakta means sentiment. But jnani-bhakta, one who becomes a devotee, knowing Krsna, what He is, he's very important.

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, someone has put the question that: "Who will carry on this movement after you?"

Prabhupada: Who is asking me, he'll do it. (laughter) [break]

Indian man (5): Can I ask my good devotees your plan to carry again, to push your movement after you, that what is after Sri Bhaktivedanta Prabhu, to keep this ladder of, keep this ladder held up: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna.

Prabhupada: That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita:

imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur iksvakave 'bravit
[Bg. 4.1]

First of all, Krsna spoke this Krsna consciousness science to the sun-god, and the sun-god Vivasvan explained it to his son Manu. And Manu explained to his son Iksvaku. Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. So this science is understood by the parampara disciplic succession. So as we have understood by the parampara system from my Guru Maharaja, so any of my students who will understand, he will keep it running on. This is the process. It is not a new thing. It is the old thing. Simply we have to distribute it properly, as we have heard from our predecessor acarya. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is recommended: acarya upasanam: "One must approach acarya." Acaryavan puruso veda. Simply by speculating, by so-called scholarship, it is not possible. It is not possible. One must approach the acarya. So the acarya is coming by parampara system, disciplic succession. Therefore Krsna recommends, tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya: [Bg. 4.34] "One should approach the acarya and try to understand by pranipata, surrender." This whole thing is depending on surrender. Ye yatha mam prapadyante. The surrender process, the proportion of surrender, is the means of understanding Krsna. If we are partially surrendered, then we understand Krsna partially. So ye yatha mam prapadyante. It is the proportion of surrender. The one who has surrendered fully, he can understand this philosophy and he can preach also, by the grace of Krsna. What is that? [break]

Indian man: I want to ask you one more question. [break]

Prabhupada: Anyone can become perfect in his own position simply if he receives this transcendental message by proper aural reception. Sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih... [break] ...five thousand years, Krsna says forty-millions of years, He spoke...

Indian man (6): Forty millions of years, but as it is, Gita was made to Arjuna five thousand years back. And so before five thousand years back, who was that surrendering. Russia says that there may be five million years. That is what they say. Even today, you say or I say, then the world, ten million years back. That doesn't solve the problem. The problem is that Gita was written down or dictated or recited about five thousand years back. So what was there before five thousand years back? Was there Krsna consciousness?

Prabhupada: Why, yes...

Indian man (6): Or was there, it was, it was given to... Hear me. Veda is the oldest scripture in the world. So all other are based on, after Veda, out of Veda. So if before one surrenders to Krsna, what becomes of him?

Prabhupada: Yes, in the Vedas, there are Krsna consciousness mentioned. It is not that five thousand years ago only Krsna consciousness. No, in the Vedas there is Krsna consciousness. In the Vedas.

Indian (7): Guru Maharaja, one more question. Do you not project this Krsna consciousness movement is an improvement over the whole...

Prabhupada: Yes. This is the only solution of all problems. This is the only solution. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 18.67 -- Ahmedabad, December 10, 1972